1967 - Definitive Stamps

A bunch of different definitives

In the fall of 1967 the New Numeral Type definitives series was replaced by a completely new kind of definitive stamps, called just Definitive Stamps, with a non-uniform look. Earlier decade’s series of definitive stamps usually came in a long series emitted for at least 10 years in several denomination and always with the same motif, as the New Numeral Type series or the Three Crown series. That was not the case with this new definitive series. It was something completely new.

   
The denominations were 5 öre, 10 öre, 30 öre and 90 öre. The previous, in 1965, emitted definitive stamp Posthorn filled in the 20 öre gap, but what about 15 öre?  The 15 öre was covered by a newly design booklet sold in slot machines only. Before 1967 those kind of slot machine booklets contained definitive stamps of the king or more often in combination with the New Numeral Type to cover the sum of 1 kr or later on 2 kr. In May 1967 the first more contemporary booklet, the Iron Age, Öland 500 A.D. was issued. It had 10 öre, 15 öre, 30 öre and 35 öre denominations. That meant that the 15 öre denomination could not be purchased over the counter at Post Offices anymore. The last coil stamp with the denomination 15 öre was the red Gustaf VI Adolf, type III. The 25 öre denomination was still available but as commemorative stamps only, the green 200th Anniversary of the Drottningholm Theatre or the violet Carl Jonas Almqvist, both issued in 1966,  and later on the brown Axel Pettersson “Döderhultaren”, from 1968.

1967, 16 October, 5 öre red/black Horseman. Qty: 86.500.000
No single use

The motifs of the stamps of the New Definitive Series did not look a like and it was no longer a complete set of denomination as before either. One reason might have been that having a stamp for each denomination of  the lowest ones was not rational anymore since the postal rates were relatively much higher in the end of the sixties than ever before, and the rates were changed more frequently. Instead more than one stamp could be used since 5 + 10 öre makes 15 öre.

1967, 16 October, 5 öre red/black Horseman. Qty: 12.600.000. 3-sided perf.
From the 195th booklet issued by Swedish Post.
No single use of pairs

It sure looked like there were from different series and they were just single stamps of there own. The 5 öre and the 10 öre are of the same design tough, but the 30 öre and the 90 öre definitely stand by themselves. Beside that the New Definitive Series was not a complete set of denomination there was a big gap between 30 öre and the highest denomination 90 öre. The single use of 90 öre Moose Head was domestic letter  - 125 g, until March 1969.

1967, 16 October, 10 öre blue/black Swedish ship in Öresund. Qty: 156,000,000
No single use

The artist of 5 öre Horseman in dragoon’s uniform, was Arne Wallhorn and the engraver was Majvor Franzén. The artist of the 10 öre A Swedish ship in Öresund was Czeslaw Slania made from an original engraving of W. Hartman and Majvor Franzén was also the engraver for this stamp. The artist of the 30 öre Outer archipelago of Stockholm was Harald Lindberg and engraved by Czelaw Slania. Finally, the artist of 90 öre Moose head, was Harald Wiberg and it was engraved by Arne Wallhorn.

1969, 20 January, 10 öre blue/black Swedish ship in Öresund. Qty: 9,500,000. 3-sided perforation.
From the 217th booklet issued by Swedish Post.
Fee for deposit money to your own account at the Swedish Post.

The last issue of the series showed up as a surprise in January 1969 as a booklet containing the 10 öre Swedish ship in Öresund.

1967, 16 October, 30 öre red-orange/blue Outer archipelago of Stockholm. Qty: 184,000,000
Printed matter

How were these new stamps recieved by the Swedish public? Over all pretty well, with one exception the 30 öre Outer archipelago of Stockholm. Most of all the critics had a hard time to understand that the motif really was a plant, it is an Angelica plant, a plant that can be found along the rim of remote islands. Maybe they were right, it could be mistaken for a tree perhaps, but I think it is pretty and much more modern looking than the New Numeral Type.

1967, 16 October, 30 öre red-orange/blue Outer archipelago of Stockholm. Qty: 9,500,000. 3-sided perf.
From the 196th booklet issued by Swedish Post
No single use of pair

   
What definitive series replaced the definitive series of 1967? That is a little bit hard to tell, there were never new stamps emitted in the same way as with these stamp from 1967 so there was no series that directly replaced it. This series was pretty unique. The slot machine booklet the Swedish Art Forgings from February 1970 might be regarded as the closest to a replacement for the 5, 10 and 30 öre stamps. We can all agree that the Swedish stamp issuing policy had definitely changed.

1967, 16 October, 90 öre brown-black/blue Moose head. Qty: 36,900,000
Domestic letter  - 125 g

Another observation is that the design of the 90 öre Moose head has more in common with the 1 kr Dancing Cranes that was issued in February 1969.

1967, 16 October, 90 öre brown-black/blue Moose head. Qty: 3,100,000
From the 197th booklet issued by Swedish Post.
Domestic letter  - 500 g