1941 - The Royal Palace, Stockholm II

Encore . . .    the Royal Castle

After eleven years it was apparently time to renew the 5 kr definitive stamp from 1931. The motif chosen was again the Royal Castle in Stockholm and the artist and engraver was the same as well - Sven Ewert again. 5 kr was a lot of money in 1942 but there were use for a 5 kr stamp for heavier parcels since they could be as heavy as 50 kg before 1947. The rate for 12 kg was 5.40 kr for example. If parcels needed express delivery or were fragile the sum could easily sum up over 5 kr. Another good use of this stamp was also international parcels, which could be really expansive.

Successor

1941, July 14. 5 kr blue Royal Palace, Stockholm II. Qty: 3,400,000 (4-sided perforation)

Predecessor

1931, November 26. 5 kr green the Royal Palace, Stockholm I. Qty: 170,000 (white paper)

The simple view of the differences between the two stamps above is that the the new one from 1941 is a zoomed-in version of the old one. But that is too simple. The new stamp has much more details, more precise and a more correct perspective that gives an accurate depth of the motif. The engraver Sven Evert had really mature as an engraver and as an artist during the thirties.

In 1941 the stamps were printed on panes with 80 stamps. The panes (sheets) were cut vertically in a way that the outer stamps were perforated only on 3-sides. Those three sided perforated stamps are of course less common and are worth more that 4-sided perforated stamps. Another side effect is the rare combination of pairs with 4-sided and 3-sided stamps. They are even harder to find and can be quite expansive.

Booklets were in those days still made by hand. The first 5 kr booklet was the 44th booklet by Swedish post and they were made of the 80 stamp panes which created the really rare booklets with pairs of 4-sided perforated and 3-sided perforated stamps - they are really costly. The booklet held as much as 40 stamps, with a total value 200 kr. (which would be 8,350 kr today - approximately 968 USD). However these booklets were hardly sold to the public, rather they were used by the post offices stamp by stamp.

1953, July 7. Pair 3-sided perforated, 5 kr Royal Palace, Stockholm II. Qty: 2,050,000 (pair)
From the 99th booklet by Swedish Post. 20 stamps.

In 1953 a a new booklet was released. This time the booklet consisted of 3-sided perforated stamps and there were 20 stamps, value: 100 kr. (which would be 1,504 kr today - approximately 174 USD).

1958, September 17. 5 kr blue Royal Palace, Stockholm II. Qty: 16,500,000 (2-sided perforation)

Finally the stamp was issued in coils of a hundred stamps. During the years as the parcel rates were raising the stamp become more common. For example a parcel  - 7 kg cost exactly 5 kr between July 1964 and July 1965.

The 5 kr blue Royal Palace, Stockholm II was after almost thirty years eventually replaced in 1970 by 5 kr blue-green National Seal 1439.