Sydney 2000 Olympics - Ian Thorpe - 2007 Imperforate and Perforated Reprints

These two exclusive 'Imperforate and Perforated' Reprints of the Ian Thorpe, Sydney 2000 Olympics, Gold Medallist stamp were released in the 2007 Prestige booklet titled, 'Behind the Stamp', compiled and edited by the renowned philatelist, Richard Breckon. The objective of the booklet was to highlight milestone precedents and marketing trends in the postal service as they evolved through time. For the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Australia Post conceived the World's first, 'Instant Stamps' - the day after each Australian Gold Medallist won, a Digitally-printed stamp was made available at selected post offices throughout the country. Brilliantly executed logistically, the promotion captured the enthusiasm of both collectors and the general public. A few days later, regular Offset printings of the stamps were also released. All in all, the program was an incredible success. Of the 16 Gold Medallist stamps released, the Ian Thorpe stamp shown was chosen for inclusion in the Prestige booklet. They are both Micro-print dated, 2007 (hidden in his hand). Instant stamps have been produced for Olympics that followed as well as for other special releases including Charity fund-raising issues.