Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 2

ICELAND

Island - Islande

Return To Catalogue - Island, miscellaneous - Denmark

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.

There seems to be a lot of forged cancels and stamps cancelled to order of this country. I have no further information at this moment.

1873 Value

Value in 'skilling' inscription "POSTFRIM"

16 sk yellow

  2 sk blue
  3 sk grey
  4 sk red
  8 sk brown
  16 sk yellow

These stamps have watermark Crown and perforation 14 x 13 1/2 or 12 1/2.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
2 sk	RR	RR	Only exists with perforation 14 x 13 1/2.
3 sk	RR	RR	Only exists with perforation 12 1/2.
4 sk	***	R
8 sk	R	RR	Only exists with perforation 14 x 13 1/2.
16 sk	R	RR

Inscription "pJON. FRIM" (Official stamps)

4 Sk green

  4 sk green
  8 sk lilac

These stamps have watermark 'Crown'.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
4 sk	***	***	Perforation 12 1/2 or 13 1/2 x 14
8 sk	RR	RR	Perforation 13 1/2 x 14

Value in "AUR" (1875)

  3 a orange
  4 a red and grey
  5 a blue
  5 a green
  6 a grey
  10 a red
  16 a brown
  20 a violet
  20 a blue
  25 a brown and blue
  40 a green
  40 a lilac
  50 a blue and red
  100 a brown and lilac

(The two types of the 3 a, note the fatter inscriptions in the second stamp)

These stamps have watermark 'Crown'. The perforation is 14 x 13 1/2 or 12 1/2. Some rare stamps with larger watermark 'Crown' exist (send to the UPU in Bern).

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
3 a	*	*	1882 Two types; see above. Second type issued in 1900(?).
4 a	**	**	1900?
5 a blue	RR	RR
5 a green	**	*	1882
6 a	***	*
10 a	***	*
16 a	***	***
20 a violet	**	***
20 a blue	***	**	1882
25 a	***	***	1900?
40 a green	***	R
40 a lilac	***	***	1882
50 a	***	***	1882
100 a	R	R	1882

Surcharged "Prir"

(First image obtained from http://www.sandafayre.com)

  5 a green
  '3' on 5 a green ('3' in red, 'prir' in black)

The "Prir" overprint exists in two types.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 a	RR	RR
3 on 5 a	RR	RR

Overprinted "1 GILDI '02-'03"

  3 a yellow
  4 a red and grey
  5 a green
  6 a grey
  10 a red
  16 a brown
  20 a blue
  25 a brown and bleu
  40 a lilac
  50 a blue and red
  100 a brown and lilac

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
3 a	*	*	On first type: ***
4 a	***	***
5 a	*	*	Overprint usually in red, black overprint: RR
6 a	*	*	Overprint usually in red, black overprint: RR
10 a	*	*
16 a	***	***
20 a	*	**	Overprint usually in red, black overprint: RR
25 a	**	**	Overprint usually in red, black overprint: RRR
40 a	**	**
50 a	**	***
100 a	***	***

3 Sk grey with numeral cancel "1" in three concentric rings (apparently not very common); Danish cancel(?).

Another concentric ring cancel, not sure if this one is genuine or not. The outer two rings are closer together.

Typical "REYKJAVIK" circular date cancels, three different types, note the "K" for example.

Crown cancels; crown in center and townname written around it.

Forgeries:

In the genuine stamps, the dot over the "I" of "ISLAND" should be wedge-shaped and placed a little to the right (according to Album Weeds). The "A" of "ISLAND" should be cut off square (and not rounded, pointed, or cut off obliquely). More forgeries of Iceland can be found at: http://www.pherber.com/stamps/iceland/iceforg/index.html (website no longer available). The overprints have also been forged (sorry, no further information available right now). Examples of forgeries:

Spiro forgery(?):

Note the special cancel, often used on Spiro forgeries. Spiro forgeries exist of the Skilling values and the 5 aur blue stamp. Stamps with the above or dot cancels are forgeries.

Fournier forgeries(?):

Forgeries

The above forgeries were offered by Fournier for 1 Swiss Franc (5 values) in his 1914 pricelist as second choice forgeries. Note that there is no date inside the cancel in these forgeries. Some of them exists with "FAC-SIMILE" overprint at the back (from a Fournier Album). Note that these forgeries might actually have been made by someone else (Spiro? although the 2 Sk looks clearly different from the Spiro forgery shown above).

Part of a Fournier Album with Iceland forgeries.

A whole sheet of the 3 sk value of these forgeries. The "REYKJAVIK" without date cancel never existed in Iceland.

I have seen whole sheets consisting of 5x5 values of these forgeries. I have seen these sheets with the values 2 sk, 3 sk, 4 sk, 8 sk and 16 sk.

Forgery, most likely 'enhanced' by a 5-ring cancel.

Most likely another forgery, the "S" of "POSTFRIM" is placed too high up. Also note the strange cancels.

The forger Sperati has made a forgery of the 40 a green stamp. I do not know the distinguishing characteristics.

Sperati forgery of the 40 a value.

Forgeries of the "GILDI" overprint; the stamp and the overprint appear to be forged. This forgery is possibly of Italian origin. Next to it some unsurcharged forgeries, most likely from the same source.

3 Sk imperforate. Yet with the space between "FRIM" and "3" too large. It has the same cancel as one of the above forgeries(?), although this cancel also appears to exist genuinely.

Likely a forgery of the 16 sk stamp, the central "16" is much squeezed. The word "FRIM" is too high up and the "S" of "Sk" does not resemble the genuine stamps.

Forgery with ring cancel and "4 Sk." clearly different from a genuine stamp ("4" closed on top)

Forgery with central "8" too thin and bogus 4 ring cancel.

Imperforate reprint of the 8 Sk stamp, 'Bilag til Standard-Katalog 1942'.

1984 reprint with imperforate stamps.

1902 King Christian IX of Denmark

  3 a orange
  4 a grey and red
  5 a green
  6 a brown
  10 a red
  16 a brown
  20 a blue
  25 a brown and green
  40 a lilac
  50 a grey and green
  1 Kr blue and brown
  2 Kr brown and blue
  5 Kr brown and grey

These stamps have watermark 'Crown' and perforation 12 1/2.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
3 a	*	*
4 a	*	c
5 a	*	c
6 a	*	*
10 a	*	*
16 a	*	*
20 a	*	*
25 a	*	*
40 a	**	*
50 a	**	**
1 K	***	***
2 K	***	***
5 K	R	R

The value 16 a exists with '5 aur.' surcharge, the 20 a with '20 aur' surcharge and the 40 a with '20 aur.' surcharge.

1907 Kings Christian IX and Frederic VIII

  1 a (=1 EYR) green and red
  3 a brown
  4 a grey and red
  5 a dark green and light green
  6 a grey and brown
  10 a red
  15 a red and green
  16 a brown
  20 a blue
  25 a brown and green
  40 a red and brown
  50 a grey and lilac
  1 Kr blue and brown
  2 Kr brown and green
  5 Kr brown and blue

These stamps have either watermark 'Crown' and perforation 12 1/2 (1907) or watermark 'Crosses' and perforation 14 x 14 1/2 (1915).

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
Watermark 'Crown' and perforation 12 1/2 (1907)
1 e	c	c
3 a	*	c
4 a	*	c
5 a	*	c
6 a	*	*
10 a	*	c
15 a	*	c
16 a	*	*
20 a	*	*
25 a	*	*
40 a	**	*
50 a	**	*
1 K	***	***
2 K	***	***
5 K	R	R
Watermark 'Crosses' and perforation 14 x 14 1/2 (1915)
1 e	c	c
3 a	c	c
4 a	*	c
5 a	*	c
6 a	*	*
10 a	*	c
20 a	*	*

The value 16 a exists with '5 aur.' surcharge, the 20 a with '20 aur' surcharge and the 40 a with '20 aur.' surcharge. The values 50 a and 5 K were surcharged with '30 aur.' and '50 aur.' respectively in 1925.

Example of a special cancel:

(Numeral cancel '47' in a circle, reduced size)

1911 Head of Jon Sigurdson (writer)

  1 a (=1 EYR) green
  3 a brown
  4 a blue
  6 a grey
  15 a violet
  25 a orange

These stamps have watermark 'Crown' and perforation 12 1/2.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 e	c	c
3 a	*	*
4 a	*	c
6 a	*	*
15 a	*	c
25 a	*	*

(Note the special 'Tollur' cancel; this cancel was used on parcels abroad)

The value 25 a exists with surcharge '2 kronur'.

1912 Head of king Frederic VIII of Denmark

  5 a green
  10 a red
  20 a blue
  50 a red
  1 Kr yellow
  2 Kr red
  5 Kr brown

These stamps have watermark 'Crown' and perforation 12 1/2.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 a	*	*
10 a	*	*
20 a	*	*
50 a	**	**
1 Kr	***	***
2 Kr	***	***
5 Kr	R	R

The values 50 a and 1 K exist with 'Kr.10' surcharge.

The value 2 Kr and 5 Kr exist with "Pjonusta" overprint (official stamp, 1922?).

1920 King Christian X of Denmark

  1 e green and red
  3 a brown
  4 a grey and red
  5 a green
  6 a grey
  7 a green 
  8 a brown
  10 a red
  10 a green (1922)
  10 a brown (1932)
  15 a violet
  20 a blue
  20 a brown (1922)
  25 a brown and green
  25 a red (1922)
  30 a red and green
  40 a lilac
  40 a blue (1922)
  50 a grey and lilac
  1 K blue and brown
  2 K brown and green
  5 K brown and blue
  10 K green and grey

These stamps were first issued in 1920 with watermark 'Crosses' and perforation 14 x 14 1/2.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 e	c	c
3 a	c	c
4 a	c	c
5 a	*	c
8 a	c	c
10 a red	*	c
15 a	*	c
20 a blue	*	*
25 a brown and green	**	*
30 a	*	*
40 a lilac	***	**
50 a	**	*
1 K	***	*
2 K	***	***
5 K	R	***

In 1922 the 5 a was surcharged with "10 aur.". The value 40 a blue exist with red "EIN KRONA" surcharge (1926).

The value 10 a red exists with overprint "Pjonusta" and additional surcharge of 20 a (official stamp, 1922?).

The 30 a also exists with overprint "Zeppelin 1931".

ICELAND

1873 Value

Forgeries:

1902 King Christian IX of Denmark

1907 Kings Christian IX and Frederic VIII

1911 Head of Jon Sigurdson (writer)

1912 Head of king Frederic VIII of Denmark

1920 King Christian X of Denmark

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer