On 10 August 2026, PostNL released Gefeliciteerd! — a kaderpostzegelvel (frame stamp sheet) with 5 different stamps specifically designed for congratulation post. The stamps bear the denomination 1 for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands, and a sheet costs €7.00.
The Subject
Although the number of letters and cards sent has risen from 45 million in 1875 to 1.53 billion in 2025, the nature of that post has changed. Mail today is mostly business post. The amount of personal correspondence has declined sharply with the ease of social media. Yet millions of cards are still sent every year — apart from the December holidays, mostly around birthdays, births and other festive occasions. Recipients still value a card or letter through the post far more than a message sent through social media platforms.
The number of parcels has grown in the same century-and-a-half from 1 to 376 billion, and many of those also accompany events that deserve congratulations. Cards, letters or gifts sent in the post are all the more festive for the recipient with a stamp that underlines that the sender is celebrating the birthday, the birth, a passed exam, the wedding or the house move from afar.
The five stamps show drawings that fit congratulation themes:
Design and Designer
Matia Heesakkers — Matia Studio, Nijmegen
Matia Heesakkers (b. 1996) studied Communication Science in Nijmegen. She drew a great deal as a child and regularly made portraits for family and friends during her studies. When the first commissions arrived, she decided to turn her hobby into her profession and founded Matia Studio.
Her biggest client, Hallmark — the American company that has made cards since 1910 and now also gifts — was looking for new designers and announced a public competition. Heesakkers entered and won with her submission. The prize was that Hallmark took 10 cards by the winner into production. When they sold well, Hallmark began working with her six years ago. Today she has her own collection within the company of more than 250 cards, diaries and gifts.
In addition, she illustrates for the youth magazine Tina and has two picture books to her name. She also collaborates with Scrunchies Handmade With Love under the name SHWL x Matia Studio, designing fabric prints for scrunchies and tote bags in her very recognisable style. Heesakkers still draws portraits, for example on commission for school teaching teams.
In the space above the stamps, the designer placed as many different loose elements as possible — stars, flowers, ribbons, strawberries and music notes. The stamp sheet is given a striped border, similar to the edge used on airmail envelopes — an extra reference to the congratulation post that lands on the doormat. Heesakkers uses her own handwriting for any non-standard text in her designs, so also for the word "Gefeliciteerd!" and the article number on this stamp sheet.
Technical Specifications
| Issue Date | 10 August 2026 |
| Issuing Authority | PostNL |
| Title | Gefeliciteerd |
| Form | Frame stamp sheet with 5 different stamps |
| Stamp Size | 30 × 40 mm |
| Sheet Size | 170 × 122 mm |
| Denomination | 1 (domestic mail up to 20 g) |
| Gumming | Gummed |
| Sheet Circulation | 8,000 sheets |
| Designer | Matia Heesakkers / Matia Studio, Nijmegen |
| Sales Period | Unlimited |
| Validity | Unlimited |
| Article Number | 860040 |
| Retail Price | €7.00 |
Why This Issue Matters
The Gefeliciteerd! frame stamp sheet celebrates the enduring charm of personal, handwritten post. In an age of instant digital messages, PostNL highlights the special value of a card, letter or gift through the post — and the joyous, hand-illustrated designs of Matia Heesakkers make this sheet a delightful addition to any celebration. With a limited circulation of just 8,000 sheets, it is also a genuinely collectible issue.
For collectors of thematic stamps, frame stamps (kaderpostzegels), or the work of young illustrators, this festively illustrated sheet is a charming addition to any collection — whether for birthdays, births, exams, weddings, or simply the joy of sending congratulations by post.
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