Africa’s First Crypto Stamp Unveiled To Honour Asantehene

On May 4, 2024, the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Jubilee Hall in Kumasi witnessed the Executive launch and unveiling of five commemorative stamps including a historic Crypto Stamp in honour of the enduring legacy of the 16th Monarch of the Asante Kingdom by Ghana Post Company Limited.

The unveiling of the crypto stamp, the first of its kind in Africa, goes down into the annals of Asanteman, Ghana and Africa.

Since the issuance of the Ghana Post’s first postal stamps in 1957, a lot have been introduced in honour of individuals and events including Ghana’s Independence, Kwame Nkrumah, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, Yaa Asantewaa and Otumfuo Agyemang-Prempeh.

This time around, the philatelic stamp is in honour of the unparalleled leadership that has accentuated the reign of His Majesty in the past 25 years on the revered Golden Stool.

The project is a collaborative work between the Ghana Post, the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation, Office of the President, the GCB Bank PLC, Ghana Gas and GOIL.

Present at the event on Saturday were the King, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, his wife, Lady Julia Osei Tutu, traditional authorities in the Asante Kingdom, the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Minister for Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, Former Chief Justice, Justice Anin Yeboah, the Managing Director of the Ghana Post, Bice Osei Kufour, Representatives of Universal Postal Union and many others.

Welcoming the guests, Nana Otuo Serebuo, the Paramount Chief of the Juaben Traditional Council and the Chairman of the Otumfuo Silver Jubilee Celebration Planning Committee commended all the players for making the dream a reality.

“When Ghana Post made the presentation to Otumfuo Silver Jubilee Committee to launch a commemorative stamp in honour of Otumfuo as part of the anniversary celebration, we accepted it without blinking an eye as it resonated with the theme of the celebrations, ’25 years of local and global impact’.”

“We were particularly impressed with the following features of the programme: the design concept and guidelines were veritable snapshots of Otumfuo’s activities, progress and achievements over the past 25 years both locally and globally. The wide range of stamp types from the conventional standard stamp to the modern crypto stamp and finally the immortalisation of Otumfuo long after the joy and pleasant excitement of the festivities of the celebrations.”

Idea of Asantehene Stamps
In his remarks, the MD for the Ghana Post, Bice Osei Kufour, said the idea was conceived by the Stamp Advisory Committee of the company a year to the Silver Jubilee and subsequently received the nod of the Board of Directors.

“We took immediate steps to contact the global postal services umbrella, the Universal Postal Union, where they made us work closely with a Consultative Committee.”

Five Stamps
Five Stamps were unveiled on Saturday night including the Definitive Stamp, the Crypto Stamp, VIP Stamp, Royal Stamp Frame and Post Cards.

The definitive stamp will be used for postage, while the crypto stamp, which is a collectors item, can be traded as an NFT on the international crypto market and the international NFT market.

For the VIP stamp collection, the MD said it comes with authentication as limited collectors item while the Royal stamp frame houses is a frame made with 20 grams of gold which can be kept in homes and office to add beauty and class.

The event also saw the unveiling of 12 different post cards, which will also be available to the public on sale.

Essence
These stamps, aside from celebrating people, are a major tool for promoting tourism and passing on history to generations.

More than Postage Instrument
In her speech, the Minister for Communication and Digitlisation, Hon Ursula Owusu emphasized the significance of the stamps as she posited that it acknowledges the enormous impact the King has had on the development of the country and his people as well as on the global front.

“The Ghana Post has over the years recognised the impact your predecessors have had on the development of our country and commemorated significant milestones of the Asante Kingdom and join hands to celebrate and immortalise them and their legacies to serve as prompts of our rich history and culture. It did so for Otumfuo Agyeman Prempeh and Otumfuo Opoku Ware II.”

“This philatelic masterpiece we are launching here today is more than just a postage instrument. It is a tangible representation of the indelible mark Otumfuo, His Majesty has left on the fabric of our country. His 25-year reign has been a testament to unwaivering commitment to preserving our cultural heritage, promoting education, uplifting the socio-economic wellbeing of our people and I dare say no pivotal decision has been taken by any of our leaders within this 25 years without his input, given graciously and wisely behind the scenes.

“As we launch this stamp today, we pay tribute to a traditional ruler who has distinguished himself and contributed immensely to the development and progress of his people and country as a whole in several spheres of our lives.”