Some definitive stamps in 1937
This blog is about Swedish definitive stamps issued between 1937 to 1973. Actually no new stamps were issued in 1937, but of course there were definitive stamps available at the post offices. Most of the definitive stamps had designs that at the time were nearly 20 years old and becoming a little bit outdated. They were the first coil stamp series in Sweden made in a larger scale and made by a new printer device bought in Ottawa, Canada in 1919.
These stamps came in many varieties and were printed on different types of papers. The design was a little bit crude and rough and the printing quality was not always the best. At the end of the thirties these series had matured and were printed on white paper commonly called A3 or D.
King Gustaf V definitive series in 1937
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| 1936, 1 July, 15 öre brown Gustaf V, left profile. Qty: 197,000,000 (issued on white paper only) 2-sided perforation (also issued in 4-sided perforation) 1922, 18 November, 20 öre red Gustaf V, left profile. Qty: 9,800,000 (white paper) 1936, 1 July, 25 öre orange Gustaf V, left profile. Qty: 16,100,000 (issued on white paper only) 1923, November 28, 30 öre blue Gustaf V, left profile. Qty: 20,700,000 (white paper) 1930, 14 March, 35 öre violet-carmine Gustaf V, left profile. Qty: 7,900,000 (white paper) 1929, 28 September, 45 öre brown Gustaf V, left profile. Qty: 6,600,000 (white paper) 1930, 22 February, 40 öre olive-green type II. Qty: 3,000,000 (white paper) 1921, 6 September, 50 öre grey Gustaf V, left profile. Qty: 10,700,000 (white paper) |
The Swedish Post issued 21 different stamps of this series with the denominations 15 - 20 - 25 - 30 - 35 - 40 - 45 - 50 - 85 - 115 - 145 öre. The last three ones were targeted to cover the most common parcel rates. In the late twenties the Swedish Post changed their issuing policy and decided that highest denomination of the King's definitive stamps should be 50 öre. In 1937 only the stamps in the picture above were used.
The reason why there were so many stamps issued with different colours but with the same denomination was that Sweden complied to the UPU-colours for international printed matter (green), international post card (red) and international letter - 20 g (blue).
When the postal rates were changed in a way that it affected a UPU-coloured stamp the present stamp had to be cancelled and instead issue a new stamp with a non UPU-colour for that denomination. If the new postal rate already existed as a stamp that stamp had to be redrawn and a new one in the right UPU-colour had to replace it. In total as much as four stamps could be affected. 1. The stamps with old UPU-denomination have to be redrawn, 2. the existing stamp with the new UPU-denomination which has to be replace will be redrawn, 3. the new stamp with the correct UPU-colour is issued and 4. a new stamp replacing the old UPU-denomination is also issued.
The artist was Emil Österman and the first stamps was engraved by Max Mirowsky and the later ones by Sven Ewert.
How the stamps could be used in 1937:
| 15 öre brown | Domestic letter - 20g | ||
| 20 öre red | International Postcard | UPU-coloured | |
| 25 öre orange | Registred printed matter | ||
| 30 öre blue | International - 20 g | UPU-coloured | |
| 35 öre violet-carmine | Registred letter - 20 g | ||
| 40 öre olive-green | Local letter - 500 g | ||
| 50 öre grey | International - 40 g |
The Gustaf V, left profile, was replaced by the Gustaf V, right profile, type I and II from 1939 and on wards.
Crown and Posthorn series in 1937
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| 1926, March 6, 60 öre violet-carmine Crown and Posthorn type II. Qty: 8,800,000 (white paper) 1929, December 5, 85 öre blue-green Crown and Posthorn. Qty: 3,000,000 (white paper) 1925, September 2, 90 öre blue Crown and Posthorn. Qty: 10,000,000 (white paper) 1921, November 17. 1 kr Crown and Posthorn. Qty: 1,300,000 (white paper) 1929, August 7, 115 öre red-brown. Qty: 4,500,000 (white paper) 1933, October 23, 120 öre rose-lilac Crown and Posthorn. Qty: 907,600 (white paper) 1930, October 10, 145 öre yellow-green Crown and Posthorn. Qty: 1,200,000 (white paper) |
The first original dies were made by British American Bank Note Company Ltd. in Ottawa in 1919. They were the dies for 35 öre yellow and the 45 öre greyish brown. The denominations were 35 - 40 - 45 - 60 - 70 - 80 - 85 - 90 - 100 - 110 - 115 - 120 - 140 - 145 öre and 20 different stamps were issued. The artist was Torsten Schonberg and the engraver in Ottawa was G. N. Burland, later on they were reengraved by the Swedes Paul Wilcke and Sven Ewert.
In the late twenties the Swedish Post decided that the highest denomination of the King's definitive stamps should be 50 öre which meant that the lower Crown and Posthorn, the denominations 35, 40 and 45 öre, had to be cancelled. Other denominations were also cancelled because of changes in the postal rates. No Crown and Posthorn stamps were UPU-coloured so the impact of new rates did not generate as much changes as with the King Gustaf V definitive series. In 1937 only the stamps in the picture above were used.
How the stamps could be used in 1937:
| 60 öre violet-carmine | Parcel - 1 kg | |
| 85 öre blue-green | C.O.D. (Cash On Delivery) parcel - 1 kg | |
| 90 öre blue | Parcel 1 - 3 kg | |
| 1 krona orange | International air mail letter to Europe 40 - 60 gr | |
| 115 öre red-brown | C.O.D. parcel 1 - 3 kg | |
| 120 öre rose-lilac | Parcel 3 - 5 kg | |
| 145 öre yellow-green | C.O.D. parcel 3 - 5 kg |
The Crown and Posthorn was replaced by the Three Crown series from February 1939 and on wards.
Standing Lion in 1937
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| 1925, December 1, 5 öre green Standing Lion type II. Qty:46,700,000 (various papers) 1934, August 24, 10 öre violet type II. Qty: 1,600,000 (white paper - perforation 13) |
The Standing Lion series has generated a lot of joy among philatelists. There are a numerous different varieties of these stamps, as much as it caused joy it also might cause a lot of frustration. There are just to many varieties, different dies, all kind of papers, different perforations, 2-sided or 4-sided perforations, water marks or no water marks, mirrored water marks, . . . everything a philatelist can dream of.
In 1937 things had calmed down and there were only these two stamps above available. The UPU-coloured 5 öre was used for printed matters and the 10 öre violet was used for domestic postcards. The series had the following denominations 5 - 10 - 25 - 30 öre. It generated nine stamps with many varieties. The artist was Einar Forseth and the engravers were, as with the Crown and Posthorn above, the Canadian G. N. Burland in Ottawa, later on they were engraved by the Swedes Paul Wilcke and Sven Ewert. The first dies were made by British American Bank Note Company Ltd. in Ottawa in 1919.
The Standing Lion 5 öre and 10 öre were replaced by the Gustaf V, right profile, type I and II.
Night Mail Aeroplane
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1930, May 9,
10 öre dull blue Night Mail Aeroplane. Qty: 1,800,00050 öre ultramarine-violet Night Mail Aeroplane. Qty: 1,400,000 |
These two stamps were issued to cover extra fees for air mail. It was quite common in the twenties and the thirties that postal administrations issued special stamps for air mail. These are the only one issued by Swedish Post besides the short lived ones with a special surcharge from 1920. It was never mandatory to use this for air mail, even if it was recommend. However they were around for a long time since they were available until April 1946 at the post offices. Letters with these stamps correctly used for air mail are pretty rare and valuable, other covers with these stamps have hardly any value.
The motif looks kind of neat. The plane in the night sky full of stars cruising over the skyline of Stockholm with the tower of the city hall at the right. The plane looks like a Junkers F-13 with skis. The artist was the same as the engraver - Sven Ewert. They came in coils of 100 stamps.
The Royal Palace, Stockholm I
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| 1931, November 26, 5 kr green the Royal Palace, Stockholm I. Qty: 170,000 (white paper from 1939) |
This stamp also had Sven Ewert as both the artist and engraver. The Swedish Post had have 5 kr stamps before, since 1903, and this was the third one in order. This stamp was printed on toned paper from the beginning. (Qty: 475,600). Later white paper was used. It was used for heavier parcels and if those 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. The stamp was replaced in 1941 by the 5 kr blue Royal Palace, Stockholm II. You can read about that stamp - here.
The stamps came in panes (sheets) of 40 stamps or booklets which also was holding 40 stamps as well. Quite a lot of stamps for one booklet. That booklet was the 22nd booklet issued by Swedish Post and the value was 200 kr. In 1931 that was plenty of money it would be 5,783 kr today or $862 USD.
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