Kaiser Karl / stamp-sheet / KPN

Design for two historical stamps on a stamp sheet and the first day of issue postmark on the occasion of the five hundredth anniversary of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor of an empire on which the sun never sets.

So viel man Sprachen kann, so viel mal ist man Mensch.
Italienisch lernte ich, um mit dem Papst zu sprechen. Spanisch spreche ich mit meiner Mutter. Englisch mit meiner Tante. Deutsch zu meinem Pferd und Französisch zu mir selbst.

Instead of just designing two stamps—as it was briefed with two different portraits of the emperor—the whole width of the sheet was used as a strip to give a complete, yet highly condensed historical overview of the life of Charles V. In post-stamp size: Charles V the movie, highlighting in chronological order his early years, significant developments, achievements, and contemporaries during his years of reign.



The two stamps separated from the strip

First day of release-postmark.

First day of release- envelope



All used illustrations and their historical context (NL)


Postzegelblog, Karel V (1500-1558)

Client: KPN (Koninklijke PTT Nederland N.V./ The Royal Post, Telegraph and Telephone of the Netherlands)