Two African animal motifs (rhino and cat) as a CS 3.0 follow-up · 2021
Crypto Stamp 3.1 Africa
Crypto Stamp 3.1 is the immediate follow-up edition to Crypto Stamp 3.0 Whale. Österreichische Post released two African animal motifs on 21 October 2021 — Rhino and Cat — at 70,000 pieces each with a face value of 9.90 EUR. The diamond as a unifying design element on both stamps symbolizes Ethereum.
Image rights pending
We have contacted the rights holder for permission to feature this image here.
History
Crypto Stamp 3.1 appeared unexpectedly less than four months after Crypto Stamp 3.0 Whale. While CS 3.0 in the Mainstream line carried a single motif at 100,000 pieces, the Post returned with CS 3.1 to the multi-motif concept that had defined CS 2.0 — this time, however, with only two motifs instead of four. Pre-orders opened 21 September 2021; physical release was 21 October 2021. Mintage per motif is 70,000; total 140,000 at a face value of 9.90 EUR.
The designation "3.1" — more software-versioning than philatelic tradition — signals the close affinity to CS 3.0: same plastic card construction, same NFC chip authentication, same blockchain architecture (Ethereum with xDai sidechain for low-cost transactions).
Concept: Africa and the Ethereum Diamond
The two motifs — rhinoceros and cat — are both of African origin. While the rhino is immediately recognizable as wildlife, the "cat" of CS 3.1 is not a domestic cat but an African wildcat (likely Felis silvestris lybica or caracal-adjacent) — the exact species was not specified by the Post.
Both motifs share a recurring design element: a geometrically reduced diamond. This is the official symbol for Ethereum and visually unifies the two stamps into a set. The design team at Variuscard uses the diamond element to reinforce the crypto reference layer — earlier editions referenced crypto mostly through animal allegory (Whale = large holder, Doge = memecoin); from CS 3.1 onward, a direct blockchain symbol joins the design vocabulary.
Security Upgrade
A significant technical improvement over CS 3.0: the NFC chip in CS 3.1 is surrounded by multiple barrier layers, making the card 100% opaque to light. This detail substantially hinders manipulation attempts where forgers might try to read the stamp interior without visible damage. The cryptographic encryption of the NFC chip is carried over unchanged from CS 3.0.
Variant Distribution
The five-tier color distribution follows the established CS series rarity model. Per motif, the exact mintage figures are:
- Black: 36,633 pieces (52.33%)
- Green: 18,667 pieces (26.67%)
- Blue: 9,333 pieces (13.33%)
- Yellow: 4,667 pieces (6.67%)
- Red: 700 pieces (1.00%)
Across both motifs, this yields 1,400 red stamps among 140,000 total. In the Austria Netto Katalog, Rhino received the main number "Crypto stamp 8" and Cat "Crypto stamp 9," each with sub-letters a (Black) through e (Red).
Significance
Crypto Stamp 3.1 marks the conclusion of the third generation and at the same time the transition to the Joint Edition phase: the subsequent CS 4.0 (September 2022) was the first joint issue with Dutch PostNL and thus the beginning of international Crypto Stamp cooperations. CS 3.1 thus remains the last purely national Mainstream edition from Austria using a multi-motif scheme before the switch to joint issues.