Express letter from 1952

Göterstad in a hurry

 According to the back of the cover a person with the family name Göterstad sent an express letter to Mrs. Anna Wassberg in Stockholm in May 1952. The letter was handed over to the Post Office Falun 2 at Kyrkbacksvägen 23 ( 23 Church Hill Streeet) in the town Falun 196 km north west of Stockholm and delivered to Mrs. Wassberg living at Västmannagatan 24 (24 Västmanna Street) in Stockholm. The letter was mailed on Saturday 24 May and arrived at the Post Office Stockholm 1 the next day, also according to the back of the cover. Stockholm 1 was co-located with the head quarters of the Swedish Post at Vasagatan (Vasa Street), where the Swedish Post filled up two blocks. Falun is the capital (county seat) of Kopparberg County in the part of Sweden that is called Dalarna.

Domestic  - 20 g fee: 25 öre + express delivery fee: 65 öre
5 öre red New Numeral Type, type I. Issued 29 November 1951.
10 öre green Gustaf VI Adolf, type I. Issued 6 June 1951.
20 öre red Gustaf VI Adolf, type I. Issued 6 June 1951.

The domestic  - 20 letter fee was in 1952 25 öre and the express fee was 40 öre. The total sum was then 65 öre. To accomplish that five stamps were used. The stamps were applied from the right to the left. The two right most stamps, the 20 öre red Gustaf VI Adolf and the 5 öre New Numeral Type were used as the fee for the domestic letter rate and then a two strip of 10 öre green Gustaf VI Adolf followed by one 20 öre red Gustaf VI Adolf were used for the express fee. In May 1952 these stamps were the latest definitive stamps.

However they did not last for long, the first one to be discontinued was the 20 öre red, already in July the same year it was replaced by the 20 öre grey. The 10 öre green was replaced by the 10 öre brown in 1954. The 5 öre New Numeral Type, type I, was around for the longest time and replaced by the 5 öre red New Numeral Type, type II, in 1957. Read more about Gustaf V Adolf, type I - here, and about the the New Numeral Type - here.

Below is a picture of were the Post Office Falun 2 used to be. Well, Falun 2 seemed to have been a pretty small Post Office to me. I wonder when it closed down and how many that worked there. Did the Postmaster live in the attached house?

Where the Post Office Falun 2 used to be (Google)

Domestic C.O.D. parcel address card from 1960

Mrs. Swedmar bought a sweater for Christmas

This parcel containing a sweater was sent from the Post Office Stockholm 3 at Sveavägen 31 (31 Svea Road) to Mrs. Swedmar living at Ejdergatan 31 (31 Eider Street) in nearby Saltsjö-Duvnäs, a suburb south east of Stockholm city centre. The parcel was handover to the postal services the last day of November 1960 and it arrived the next day at the Post Office in Saltsjö-Duvnäs, two days later which was a Saturday Mrs. Swedmar came by and picked it up.

Parcel Address Card C.O.D. Parcel  - 1 kg fee: 1.40 kr + C.O.D. fee: 40 öre
90 öre blue Rock Carvings, issued 8 November 1954. Qty: 43,900,000

The postage rate consist of 1.40 kr for a parcel  - 1 kg and the C.O.D. (Cash On Delivery)  fee 40 öre when the amount is paid directly to the Postgiro, an account at the Swedish Post. The Postgiro was  the Swedish Post's money transaction system, you can read more about Giro transfers here. Two 90 öre blue Rock Carvings covered the totaling postage rate of 1.80 kr. The 90 öre blue was one of the five original stamps of the Rock Carvings issued in 1954. The easiest way of finding that out is that the names of the artist and the engraver is missing at the bottom of the stamp. Read more about the Rock Carving series - here.

We do not know who sent the parcel since that part is missing. Maybe a fancy fashion shop on Sveavägen? Below is a street view from Google showing the building were the Post Office Stockholm 3 used to be. There are no Post Offices left in Sweden for the public anymore. All postal services can be found in corner stores, gas stations and other kind of convenience stores.

Where the Post Office Stockholm 3 used to be. (Google)

15 öre brown Gustaf V, version I or is it version II?

15 öre brown Gustaf V, right profile, type II - varities

The 15 öre brown came in two varities because two different dies were used. Actually three dies were made but one of them was not used at all. The first die was used in late 1939 to print the special war stamps. These stamps were the 5 öre green, 10 öre violet and the 15 öre brown. They were transported away from Stockholm and the purpose was to use them in case the Swedish Post's printing-shop at the headquarter in Stockholm would be destroyed because of the war. Die number one was used for this special issue. The war stamps were printed in sheets of a 100 stamps and they had 4-sided perforation. The difference between the dies is that die one resulted in a more deeper brown colour were the base of the figure 1 is narrower and the oak leaves on the collar are more detailed (more lines).

Maybe the easiest way is to use a 4-sided perforated as a reference because we know for sure that were are looking at version II. Lets have a look at the war issue. It has a distinct brown colour.

15 öre brown, Gustaf V, right profile, version II. Qty: 48,300,000. 4-sided perforation.
The war issue was printed in 1939, but released in 1946

Enlarge the picture above by clicking at it and 1)  look at the base of the numeral at the figure "1" and 2) look at the oak leaves of the collar. 3) Note that the medal band on the king's left side is more detailed as well in version II.

Compare it with the stamp below which is of version I.


Remember that a four sided perforated stamp always is a version II.

15 öre brown Gustaf V, right profile, version I. Qty: 306,000,000 (both dies included) 2-sided perforation.27 January, 1942

Version I has definitely a lighter brown colour and the collar is less detailed, the base of the figure "1" is more distinct. The medal band is light and less detailed, right?

Version I came in a 2-sided perforation (coils) and in a 3-sided perforation. The 3-sided perforated stamps could be find in booklets. Below is the version II which 2-sided variant was released as late as 1950, version II came in a 3-sided perforation in booklets already in 1946.

15 öre brown Gustaf V, right profile, version II. Qty: see version I above. 2-sided perforation.25 April 1950

Read more about Gustaf V, right profile, type II series - here.


Test your self, which one is version I and II?