Catalogue Bypost

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the catalogue;
contact me if you want to purchase the catalogue.

For more information see 'Die Privat-, Eisenbahn- und Dampschiffsmarken von Skandinavien u. Finnland' by O.Rommel (Glasewald 1909).

Aalborg (Denmark)

1886 Inscription "AALBORG BYPOST PAKKE-EXPEDITION"

1884 Inscription "AALBORG BYPOST", value in ellipse

Posthorn with castle inside, large sized stamp

Inscription 'Bude Udleies', ellipse (with value on top and 3 towers at the bottom) in center

Inscription 'Bude Udleies', ellipse opened at the bottom (with value on top and 3 towers at the bottom)

Circle in upper part of stamp with 3 towers

Example of a postmark of the Aalborg Bypost, inscription 'Aalborg By-Og Pakkepost *' in a double circle:

Aalesund (Norway)

From 1880 to 1891 the Aalesund local post issued its own stamps. The owner was Hans Sev. Öyen.

1880 Fish, inscription "BYPOST-FRIMAERKE AALESUND", perforated or imperforate, one of the letters of "ÖYEN" in the four corners

  3 o brown on yellow
  3 o brown on brown
  3 o brown on red
  3 o brown on grey
  3 o brown on blue

Issued 6 December 1880. Proofs exist in black on several colours. According to the "Handbuch für Postmarkensammler für den permanenten Gebrauch Bestimmt (1881)" by Ferdinand Meyer was only the value 3 o brown on yellow (perforated) in official use. The other colors were issued for philatelic purposes only.

1884 initials "PHOS" (the initials of the operator H. S. Oyen, Postmaestare Hans Sev. Öyen) in center of the stamp, perforated

  3 o red 
  5 o blue 
  7 o black

Imperforate stamps exist (remainders?). Proofs of the 3 o exist in several colours. A postcard exist in the same design: 5 o blue on blue. For more information see: http://www.nordische-staaten.de/laender/Norwegen/Bypost/bypost.html (in German by Dr. Reinhard Meyer).

The cancels that were used by the Aalesund Bypost are (information obtained from the above mentioned website with permission)
1) a 'AALESUND date BYPOST.' in three lines in a rectangle (26 x 17 mm) with the shortest sides moved inwards
2) one ring cancels (two types, 1858 and 1876)
3) a two ring cancel (1882)

Aarhus (Denmark)

1884 Circular design, inscription "AARHUS TELEFON OG BYPOST', imperforate

  2 o blue
  5 o blue

1884 Inscription "AARHUS TELEFON OG BYPOST" letters "A T B P" in the four corners.

  3 o red 
  5 o blue
  10 o yellow
  25 o green

Surcharged 
  1 1/2 on 3 o red

1884 Inscription "AARHUS TELEFON OG BYPOST Pakkemaerke" and "A T B P" in the corners

  10 o yellow
  25 o green

1886 Building with oars with lion on foreground in circle, Inscription "AARHUS TELEFON OG BYPOS" (imperforate or perforated)

  1 o brown 
  2 o green
  3 o red
  5 o blue (misprint 5 o red?)

Surcharged
  1/2 (manual surcharge) on 5 o blue
  1 1/2 on 1 o brown (I've seen an inverted surcharge)
  1 1/2 on 2 o green (I've seen an inverted surcharge)
  1 1/2 on 5 o blue (surcharged sideways, error?)

I've seen imperforat color proofs http://www.ringphilmuseum.se/eng_lp_dansk.html in the values 1 o blue, 1 o violet, 1 o green, 1 o red, 2 o red, 2 o violet, 2 o brown, 2 o blue, 3 o brown, 3 o blue, 3 o green, 3 o violet, 5 o brown, 5 o violet, 5 o green

1890 (1889?) Building with oars inside and lion on the foreground in ellipse; lion facing to the right

  1 o brown
  2 o violet
  3 o red
  5 o yellow

Surcharged (1890)
  1 1/2 on 1 o brown
  1 1/2 on 2 o violet
  1 1/2 on 3 o red
  1 1/2 on 5 o yellow

I've seen some stamps with inscription 'AARHUS KIOSK SELSKAB' (issued 1900?) with a tower in the design, in the values 2 o brown, 5 o violet, 10 o green, 25 o orange, 1 Kr red.

I've also seen a parcel stamp with inscription 'Carl. C.Overgaard AARHUS MED FORSTEADERS GOSDTRANSPORT TELF.2580'. I've only seen the value 15 o red.

Railway stamps with inscription 'HAMMEL-AARHUS JERNBANE Godsfrimaerke' also exist (with antique train in the central circle), I've seen the values 20 o green and 25 o brown.

Aasgaardsstrands (Norway)

A stamp with inscription 'AasgaardsstrandsFod Post Een Brev Skilling af 3 Øre M. Anderßen Expediteur' in 5 lines should have been issued somewhere around 1877. This stamp is printed on yellow paper and imperforate. I have no further information regarding this stamp. Sorry, no picture available yet. http://www.nordische-staaten.de/laender/Norwegen/Bypost/bypost.html

Arendal (Norway)

1885 Ship, lion and trees in circle

  2 o blue and brown
  2 o brown and blue
  5 o brown and blue
  5 o green and red
  7 o red and green
  7 o blue and brown
  10 o green and red
  10 o red and green

Surcharged

  '5' on 7 o red and green
  '5' on 10 o green and red
  '2' in circle (1891, inverted overprints exist) on 7 o blue and brown

Some very rare manually surcharged stamps seem to exist '2' on 7 o blue and brown, '5' on 2 o brown and blue and '5' on 10 o red and green. I have never seen these stamps.

1886 Newspaper stamp, with or without control overprint "GOU" (in black or violet)

The above desing consists of the text 'Arendals Bypost Aviser' in a rectangle with solid circles in the corners, the stamp is perforated and it has black on green colour. I've seen these stamps cancelled with 'Arendals Bypost.' in two lines.

The above postcard exists with slightly different inscriptions and was issued in 1890. An other postcard exists, with '3 ore' on the left and right hand side (issued in red in 1887):

More information can be found on: http://www.nordische-staaten.de/laender/Norwegen/Bypost/bypost.html by Dr. Reinhard Meyer.

Bergen (Norway)

FIRST BYPOST OF BERGEN:

1865 Castle, inscription "BERGENS BY-POST.", imperforate

  (2) sk brown

These stamps should have a dot behind "BY-POST". All reprints do not have this dot (these reprints exist also perforated). Four different kinds of reprints exist (see for more information: http://www.nordische-staaten.de/laender/Norwegen/Bypost/bypost.html, (in German, by Dr. Reinhard Meyer). Example of a reprint:

Reprint or forgery, image obtained thanks to Dr. Reinhard Meyer; the design is different in many ways.

Besides reprints, two different kinds of forgeries also exist. Forgery 1 has no dot behind "BY-POST" and has a slightly different inscription for example the "G" of "BERGENS". The second forgery seems to be quite primitive and is printed in brown or yellow (information obtained from the above mentioned website).

SECOND BYPOST OF BERGEN:

1868 Number in a rectangle

  2 o black on lilac

Two reprints of the 2 o black on lilac stamp exist with larger upper part of the "P" of "BYPOST". An essay in red exists. Four forgeries exist. The first forgery has separating lines between the stamps, the number '2' smaller and flattened at the top, the upper part of the "P" of "BYPOST" is smaller than in the genuine stamps. The second forgery only has 9 shadelines in the lower right corner. The third and fourth forgery are in red and in green colour (according to the above mentioned website).

Probably a reprint, note the different bottom left part of the "2" and the different "P" in "BYPOST".

1869 Value in circle, perforated or imperforate (with or without separating lines between the stamps).

  2 sk red

A reprint with larger inscription "SKILLING" exist, the "S" of this reprint is also different; the upper part of this letter is larger. There are three forgeries. The first forgery has the large "2" smaller and the "G" of "BERGEN" different. The second forgery is printed primitively and the foot of the small "2" is straight. The third forgery is printed in black on yellow colour.

Chr.Sunds Bypost M. Andresen Co

1878 Provisional issue, inscription "Chr. sunds Bypost M.Andresen & Co.", perforated or imperforate

  2 o black on blue
  4 o black on red
  7 o black on violet
  10 o black on yellow

1878 Value in ellipse, inscription "CHRISTIANSSUNDS BYPOST M.ANDRESEN& Co"

  4 o black
  7 o red (with or without dot behind 'M')
  10 o green

Surcharged
  4 o on 10 o green

1887 Value in ellipse, inscription "CHRISTIANSSUNDS BYPOST", perforated

  1 o red
  2 o red
  3 o red (exists imperforate)
  5 o red
  5 o blue
  5 o green
  10 o red

More information can be found on Dr. Reinhard Meyer's website http://www.nordische-staaten.de/laender/Norwegen/Bypost/bypost.html (in German).

Drammen (Norway)

1869 Arms of Drammen, imperforate or perforated

  2 Sk green
  2 Sk violet
  2 Sk blue
  2 Sk blue on lilac

The values 2 Sk red and 2 Sk red on yellow are proofs. Reprints also exist. Forgeries with different "G" and other differences exist.

1869 Printed matter stamp, inscription "BYPOST DRAMMEN" in ornamental border

  1 Sk blue

1869 Arms in oval, inscription "DRAM. BYPOST."

  1 Sk blue (key in front of pillar)
  1 Sk blue on lilac

A forgery exists of this stamp with the key behind the pillar and the sword different. Another forgery shows a thinner inscription. Reprints were also made of these stamps.

1871 Value in circle, inscription "DRAMMEN BYPOST."

  2 Sk blue (violet number) on green
  2 Sk blue on yellow
  2 Sk blue
  2 Sk blue on lilac
  4 Sk blue on yellow
  4 Sk blue on lilac

1874 Arms of the city in a circle

Value in Skilling

  2 Sk blue
  2 Sk blue on brown 
  3 Sk red on blue and 
  4 Sk blue on yellow
  4 Sk blue on lilac

Value in Ore

  1 o blue
  2 o blue on yellow
  3 o blue on green
  3 o blue on lilac
  4 o blue
  5 o blue
  10 o blue

Reprints of the above stamps exist. Forgeries exist of the 2 Sk blue in slightly different design, 5 o violet. The values 2 o blue on violet, 3 o blue on yellow, 3 o blue on green and3 o blue on violet have also been forged, they can be recognized by the fact that they do not have the dot behind 'DRAM'. Postal stationery in the same design exists (5 o blue).

1884 Arms in oval, value in "ORE"

  1 o blue on violet
  2 o blue on yellow
  3 o blue on green
  3 o blue on lilac
  4 o blue on blue
  5 o blue on lilac
  10 o blue on grey

1887 Arms in oval, new type

  5 o red

Some labels also seem to have been issued, inscription 'BREVMAERKE' and 'Kontrolmaerke' in black on yellow or black on red. These labels are known to have been forged. They have also been reprinted in a completely different type. For more information see: http://www.nordische-staaten.de/laender/Norwegen/Bypost/bypost.html (in German). Example of a reprint:

DRAMMEN BYPOST

1875 (?) Inscription "DRAMMEN BYPOST 2ß", perforated or imperforate

  2 sk blue

Two forgeries exist of these stamps, for more information see: http://www.nordische-staaten.de/laender/Norwegen/Bypost/bypost.html (in German).

JOH. ERIKSEN BY&PAKETPOST

1887 Dove carrying letter, "Joh ERIKSEN"

  3 o black on yellow
  5 o black on grey
  10 o black on blue
  25 o black on lilac

There are two sizes of these stamps, the second type being much smaller. The 3 o stamp of the second type is always with the '3' in mirror script.

Two types of postcards were issued by Eriksen, one with the dove design (3 o blue on red) and another with inscription 'Brev-Kort Drammens By & Pakkepost' (value 3 ore, black on red). Many stamps of this firm were cancelled to order.

BORRESENS BYPOST

On June 15, 1888, a hotel owner and stamp dealer(!), M. Børresen, started a local post office in Drammen. This first provisional issue, was in use only from June 15, 1888, to July 1, 1888. This stamp, 5 øre red on blue paper, was stamped by hand, 12 on a sheet, which explain the irregularity of distance between the stamps. Børresen's local post closed down on Dec. 31, 1888:

  5 o red on blue

1888 Posthorn, imperforate

  3 o gold on blue
  5 o black on green
  10 o black on yellow

Proofs in several colours exist. Several postcards with the same design exist (3 o blue and 5 o red):

Drammen block of twelve 3 o reprints, made in 1976 from the original stones. I've also seen a similar sheet with 12 red 3 o reprints (also for the Drafnia '76 exhibition), but with a 'Drafnia '76' overprint on each stamp.

1888 Posthorn, new design, perforated

  3 o blue
  5 o green
  15 o red

BYPOST (Norway, Denmark, Sweden), Aalborg - Drammen