For a century, the Bragdguldet award has celebrated athletes who have fought their way back from difficult and precarious situations. Founded and run by the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, it is considered the most prestigious honor a Swedish athlete can receive. To mark its 100th anniversary, the Swedish postal service PostNord commissioned a series of postage stamps, accompanied by bonus materials for the true enthusiasts – the philatelists.

An award with a legacy like Bragdguldet deserved a design that honored both its long history and the athletes it celebrates. Only a select few have received the award twice: Björn Borg, Ingemar Stenmark, Anja Pärson, Sarah Sjöström, and most recently Armand Duplantis. To unite the worlds of sports and journalism, each athlete was portrayed using nothing but letters.

A stamp is a tiny canvas, which meant the design had to be distilled to the very essence of each athlete. The challenge was to capture their most iconic movements – and render them entirely in typography. More specifically, the very letters taken from the newspaper announcing their victories, turning the design into a journey through a century of typographic history. The final series of stamps is accompanied by exclusive bonus material created for the most dedicated collectors.