Details:
The Competition aims to publicise and highlight the astonishing levels which stamp design and stamp production have reached, to reward the best examples for calendar year 2025, and to give recognition to the best stamp (and in this way to encourage further advance in stamp design and stamp production) under the auspices of the Philatelic Federation of South Africa.
General:
The competition is open to Post Offices or Postal Administrations of Member Countries of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
The awards will be made annually by an International Jury made up of Academics, Design Artists and Philatelic Jurors. Philatelic Jurors will be qualified National jurors as well as International Jurors as recognised by the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP).
Participation in the Competition implies the acceptance of the rules and decisions adopted by the Organiser of the event. The results will be made known to the International Philatelic Press.
The Prize winners may use the words “The World’s Best Stamp of 2025” or that of the other categories in the promotion and advertising of their stamps. The verdict of the International Jury is final and no appeal will be considered.
Categories:
The award for “The World’s Best Stamps of 2025” will be selected from the following categories.
1) Most Innovative Stamp Format
2) Best Souvenir Sheet
3) Best Intaglio Stamp
4) Best Offset Stamp
5) Best Mixed Printing Stamp
Other than Category “Best Souvenir Sheet”, only the stamp will be evaluated, ignoring the rest of the surround, if any.
If you are entering, please do so soonest by completing the Entry form online and forwarding the images as requested.
The organisers have decided to accept a maximum of 3 stamps per Postal Authority. This would include a miniature sheet as one of the three allowed entries. All stamps must have been issued in 2025.
Stamps:
A Digital Image or Hi-resolution scan of the stamps entered should be uploaded to the Entry form. If scanned then please scan at 600 DPI into either JPG, PNG, TIFF, BMP or GIF formats.
Three (3) physical copies of the stamp entered must be sent via registered mail to:
The Organisers Worlds Best Stamp
Poste Restante
Strand Post Office
7139 Western Cape
South Africa
Jurors
Multiple teams of three persons (an Academic, a Design Artist and a Philatelic Juror) will be assigned the task of assessing the submissions and will reach agreement on the winners in each class.
Emil Minnaar RDPSA is the head of the jury. Names of additional jurors will be posted as and when they are appointed.
Adjudication and Awards:
Each category will have a First, Second and a Third winner. From the winners of each category, the jurors will select the “The World’s Best Stamp”.
The first winner of each category will receive a certificate and a commemorative plaque. All the other entries will receive an electronic certificate of participation.
A special prize will be awarded to the winner of “The World’s Best Stamp”.
Entry Forms:
The Entry form/s must be submitted online.