On March 24, 2006, the Austrian postal service will issue the world’s first stamp embedded with meteorite dust. This stamp will be produced in a limited run of 600,000 copies, containing 0.03 grams of meteorite dust and valued at 3.75 euros.
Mr. Michael Homola, spokesperson for the Austrian postal service, stated: “This dust was sourced from a 19 kg meteorite discovered two years ago in Morocco, and we have ground it using a special method.”
According to Mr. Homola, this meteorite is composed of chondrite, a material found in many types of meteorites, and was acquired by a collector after its authenticity was confirmed by the Natural History Museum in Vienna. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
Mr. Homola emphasized: “One thing is certain: we are the first in the world to incorporate real meteorite dust into a postage stamp.”
It is noteworthy that in 2004, the Austrian postal service enriched their stamp collection by issuing a stamp with a snow velvet border as well as a stamp containing crystal powder from the Swarovski store. Since 2004, they have sold over 5 million of these “unique” stamps, even as the government seeks to privatize the company by the end of 2006.
TRAN LUONG CONG KHANH
