Piatnik’s 200^th Anniversary

There have been many stamps produced over the years featuring playing cards but never – to my knowledge – any playing cards with peelable and usable stamps on them. This novel concept was devised to celebrate Piatnik’s 200th anniversary. A complete set consists of four small packets with the familiar jockey trademark on the cover, each of which contains five playing cards which can be used to play Schnapsen. On each of the four aces there is a peelable, self-adhesive stamp with a face value of 4,50 euros (used to send medium-size packets and parcels up to 2kg within Austria). The remaining cards use Austrian large-crown pattern designs but they too can be peeled and used as labels. The jockey trademark appears at the foot of each one. The logo of Austrian Post can be found on the reverse in yellow and black. The designer was Marion Füllerer and the issue date was 23 May 2024. The total retail cost for each set of four is 19,96 euros.

The cards/stamps are available from the Austrian Post Office: onlineshop.post.at/►

A hardback book in German and English has also been issued on the occasion of this important anniversary. It is profusely illustrated in colour. See the book

Above: Piatnik’s 200th Anniversary special philatelic souvenir published and sold by Österreichische Post AG, Vienna, Austria, 2024. 20 cards doubling as 4 self-adhesive postage stamps and 16 self-adhesive labels, contained in four small packets. Card size: 54.5 x 86 mm. Stamp size: 43 x 53.5 mm. The logo of Austrian Post can be seen on the reverse in yellow and black.

Piatnik will be sponsoring the dinner at the annual convention of the International Playing-Card Society in Vienna in September 2024.