Austria Post and OeSD, the Austrian State Printing House, printed the world's fastest postage stamp in just 1 hour 25 minutes, at the end of June and this achievement has now been recognised by Guinness World Records.
The Records Management Team, wrote to Austria Post on July 21: "We are pleased to confirm that you have set the new Guinness World Record for the 'Fastest printing of a postage stamp'. Details of your achievement have been entered into our records as follows: The fastest printing of a postage stamp took 1 hour 25 minutes.
The stamp commemorated the 2008 UEFA European Championship Final. The design was approved at 11:16 p.m. on Sunday June 29 2008 and printing began immediately after. The stamps were released on sale shortly after midnight and the first sheet was sold in Vienna, Austria, at 12:41 a.m. on Monday June 30 2008." The letter concluded: "Welcome to the very select club of Guinness World Record holders. A commemorative certificate has been sent by post."
The new world record time was achieved when the first sheet of 10 special "UEFA Euro 2008 Champion - Spain" commemorative stamps was sold from the counter of an Austria Post Philatelic Shop, situated near St Stephen's Cathedral in the heart of the Austrian capital only two hours five minutes after the final whistle of Euro 2008. Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the match played in the Ernst Happel Stadium, situated close to the River Danube, at the end of Euro 2008, successfully co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland.
The previous world record stood at 10 hours, 24 minutes. It was achieved on April 20 2001 by the Crown Agents Stamp Bureau and the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau with a £2 souvenir sheet, issued to celebrate the 75th birthday of The Queen.
Erich Haas, Director, Austria Post Philatelic Department, said: "This exciting project has been a great success for Austria Post and the OeSD, Printing House. We are extremely proud of this wonderful achievement. We developed a strategic master plan to make sure we would score a winner.
Everyone in our teams performed well." Mr Haas, added: "This is the perfect philatelic memento of EURO 2008, a tournament that will forever be part of our history.”
This Austria Post instant philatelic memento has captured the imagination of stamp collectors and football fans throughout Europe. The Provost of the Vienna Oratory of St Philip Neri, Fr Felix Selden, said: "This sheet of stamps will be collected and treasured by stamp collectors and football fans." Fr Selden, who collected stamps when he was young, added: "This engaging sheet of Austria Post stamps has certainly rekindled my interest in the hobby."
The Spanish goal during the final of Euro 2008 was scored by Fernando Torres of Liverpool and followers of football will have the opportunity to see him in action again when the new season of Premiership Football starts on Saturday August 16.
