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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 2

NORWAY 1878-1920

Return To Catalogue - Norway 1855-1877 - Spitsbergen - Local issues overview (bypost)

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1878 King Oscar facing the right

  1 Kr green (dark and lightgreen)
  1 1/2 Kr blue (dark and lightblue)
  2 Kr red and brown

There are 6 types (different in the value inscription) of each stamp.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Reprint sheet from 1978.

1907 King Haakon VII facing the left

  1 Kr green
  1 1/2 Kr blue
  2 Kr red
  5 Kr violet

Two types exist of these stamps, with lined background behind the king and with solid background (1911). The 5 Kr only exists with solid background.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

A rouletted reprint of the 1 K value was made in 1965 for the book 'Det Norske Postverks' and another one in 1969 of the 2 K value.

1914 Large sized stamps 100 years of constitution

  5 o green
  10 o red
  20 o blue

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1924 Standing lion with axe

1924: with the letters in 'NORGE' with serifs and line between 'ORE' and 'POST': 10 o green, 20 o violet, 35 o red, 45 o blue. Surcharged '30 =' on 45 o blue (1927?).

1926: with the letters in 'NORGE' without serifs and no line between 'ORE' and 'POST': 10 o green, 14 o orange (1929), 15 o olive, 20 o lilac, 20 o red (1928), 25 o red, 25 o brown (1928), 30 o blue (1928), 30 o grey (1949), 35 o brown, 40 o blue, 40 o grey (1928), 50 o lilac, 55 o orange (1946), 60 o blue and 80 o brown (1946). Surcharged '20=' on 25 o red (1927?), '25 -' on 20 o red (1949), '45 -' on 40 o blue (1949).

With additional inscription 'SVALBARD 1925'

1925: with additional inscription 'SVALBARD': 10 o green, 15 o blue, 20 o lilac, 45 o blue. Surcharged '30=' on 45 o blue (1927?).

Some stamps were overprinted with a large 'V' in 1941: 10 o green, 15 o olive, 20 o red, 25 o brown, 30 o blue, 35 o violet, 40 o black, 50 o brown, 60 o blue. A 10 o green stamp also exist with a white 'V' incorporated in the design. I have also seen a postcard ('BREVKORT') with a black 'V' overprint: 15 o olive.

In a slightly different design 'NORGE' on top I have seen the following values with black 'V' overprint 1 K green, 1 1/2 K blue, 2 K red and 5 K violet.

A rouletted reprint of the 10 o value was made in 1965 for the book 'Det Norske Postverks'. Two other reprints of the 60 o and the 45 o Svalbard issue were made in 1969 (4000 stamps were printed).

Another set of imperforate reprints (I don't know when these were issued).

1925 Polar bear with aeroplane

  2 o brown
  3 o orange
  5 o lilac
  10 o green
  15 o blue
  20 o lilac
  25 o red 

A rouletted reprint of the 10 o value was made in 1969 for the book 'Det Norske Postverks'

1928 Poet Henrik Ibsen

  10 o green
  15 o brown
  30 o red
  30 o blue

1929 onwards, not implemented.

Later issues, examples:

1958 issue, in this design were issued: 25 o green, 30 o violet, 35 o lilac, 40 o red, 45 o red, 50 o light-brown, 55 o grey, 65 o blue, 80 o brown, 85 o olive, 90 o orange. In the larger design: 1 K green, 1.50 K blue, 2 K red, 5 K violet and 10 K orange.

Later issue

Postage due stamps

1889 Inscription 'at betale' or 'a betale'

Inscription 'at betale' and 'PORTOMAERKE' 

  1 o olive
  4 o lilac
  10 o red
  15 o brown
  20 o blue
  50 o brown

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Inscription 'a betale' and 'PORTOMERKE'(1923)

  4 o lilac
  10 o green
  20 o lilac
  40 o blue
  100 o orange
  200 o violet

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Many of these postage due stamps were overprinted with 'Post Frimerke' or 'POST' in 1929 to serve as postage stamps, example:

A rouletted reprint of the 1 o 'at betale' value was made in 1965 for the book 'Det Norske Postverks'. Another reprint of the 200 o 'a betale' followed in 1969.

Official Stamps

Stamps with inscription 'OFFENTLIG SAK', 'OFF. SAK' or 'TJENESTEFRIMERKE' are official stamps.

1926 Inscription "TJENESTEFRIMERKE"

  5 o lilac
  10 o green
  15 o blue
  20 o lilac
  30 o grey
  40 o blue
  60 o blue

Surcharged
  '2 2' on 5 o lilac

A rouletted reprint of the 5 o value was made in 1965 for the book 'Det Norske Postverks'

1933 Inscription "Offentlig sak", long shaped stamps with arms in the center

  2 o light-brown
  5 o lilac
  7 o orange
  10 o green
  15 o olive
  20 o red
  25 o brown
  30 o blue
  35 o violet
  40 o grey
  60 o blue
  70 o brown
  100 o violet

1937 As 1933 design, but smaller

  5 o lilac
  7 o orange
  10 o green
  15 o olive
  20 o red
  25 o brown
  25 o red (1946?)
  30 o blue
  30 o grey (1946?)
  35 o violet
  40 o grey
  40 o blue (1946?)
  50 o lilac (1947)
  60 o blue
  100 o violet
  200 o orange (1946?)

Surcharged
  '25 - 25 -' on 20 o red (1949)

1942 Eagle sitting on a cross

  5 o lilac
  7 o orange
  10 o green
  15 o olive
  20 o red
  25 o brown
  30 o blue
  35 o violet
  40 o grey
  60 o blue
  1 K violet

1946 Arms, with inscription 'O.' and 'S.' in the corners

  5 o lilac
  10 o grey
  15 o brown
  30 o red
  35 o brown
  60 o grey
  100 o violet

1955 Arms, inscription 'OFF. SAK'

Stamp with inscription 'OFF. SAK'

  5 o lilac
  10 o grey
  15 o brown
  20 o blue
  25 o green
  30 o red
  30 o green
  35 o red
  40 o violet
  40 o olive
  50 o blue
  50 o brown
  60 o blue
  65 o red
  70 o red
  70 o olive
  75 o green
  80 o red
  80 o brown
  85 o brown
  90 o orange
  1 K violet
  1 K red
  1.10 K red
  1.25 K red
  1.50 K red
  2 K green
  2 K red
  3 K violet
  5 K lilac
  5 K blue

Proof with "0" as value.

Telegraph stamps

Example, inscription 'DEN NORSKE RIKSTELEGRAF':

Parcel stamp?

Inscription 'PAKKEMAERKE OTTO LARSEN OMNIBUS BRAGERNAES TANGEN':

"TONSBERG OG OMEGNS AUTOMOBIL KOMPANI."; 10 o black on violet

Fiscal stamps

1872 Inscription "SPORTELMAERKE"

In this and similar rectangular and octagonal designs exist: 1 s orange, 2 s blue, 4 s brown, 8 s green, 12 s red, 16 s orange, 24 s blue, 36 s brown, 48 s green, 72 s red, 120 s orange, 144 s blue, 168 s brown, 180 s green, 240 s red.

In 1878 some stamps with inscription "KGL. N. JUSTERBESTYRELSE" were issued in the values: 1 o, 2 o, 5 o, 10 o, 20 o, 50 o (all in blue) and 1 K, 2 K, 5 K, 10 K, 20 K (all in brown).

Fiscal stamps with inscription "STEMPELMAERKE" were first issued in 1886:

1886 issue, I have also seen the 1 Kr green (with lilac background). "NORGE" in straight lettering. In this type were issued 25 o blue, 50 o brown, 1 K green, 2 K red, 4 K lilac, 8 K brown, 12 K red, 16 K yellow, 20 K red. In 1899 the surcharged values 20 o on 25 o, 80 o on 1 K (two types) were issued. More values were issued in 1900: 10 o red, 20 o blue, 30 o green, 40 o violet, 1.50 K green, 2.50 K grey, 3 K brown, 3.50 K orange, 4.50 K brown, 5 K violet, 5.50 K brown, 10 K orange, and 15 K brown.

Slightly different design, with "NORGE" in roman letters. The value tablet is also didfferent. This type was issued in 1903. The values 10 o red, 20 o blue, 30 o green, 50 o brown, 2 K red, 4 K violet and 5 K violet exist.

With more pointy arms first issued in 1909. Reduced size, other values exist.

Literature: 'Scandinavia Revenues European Philately 14' by J.Barefoot Ltd, 52 pages (I haven't seen this book myself).

Missonary stamps

N.M.S. post (Norsk Misjonsselskab), local stamps issued by norwegian missionars in Madagascar in 1894, imperforate

1) Value in local currency

The following two values exist: 'v.5' (value in Vari, colour black on white or black on yellow, to be used on letters) and 'e.1 v.5' (1 Era 5 Vari, colour black, to be used on parcels).

These stamps were always pen-cancelled (see image above).

2) Value in British Currency

(images obtained with permission from Dr. Reinhard Meyer)

There also seems to have been issued another serie in 1894 consisting of two stamps with inscription 'NMSs 1/3 post' and 'N.M.S.'s 1 post' (both in black colour and imperforate). More information can be found on: http://www.nordische-staaten.de/laender/Norwegen/Bypost/bypost.html (in German by Dr. Reinhard Meyer).

A reprint or 'Eftertrykk' of these stamps made in 1968 by A.Bye in Skoppum (the sheet states only 200 numbered sheets were made). All four values are printed four times.

Return to sender stamps

1872 Inscription 'Som uindlost aabnet af Post-Departe-mentet' or 'Som ubesorget aabnet af Post-Departe-mentet'

  black on green (uindlost)
  black on green (ubesorget)
  black on lilac (ubesorget)

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Railway Stamps

1864 Inscription 'PAKKE FRIMAERKE THRONDHJEM - STOREN - JERNBANE'

I've seen the 2 Sk blue and 4 Sk red stamps in this design.

"TRONDHEIM SPORVEI PAKKEFRIMERKE 20 ORE" red

Norges Statsbaner

Parcel stamps, inscription "NORGES STATSBANER BETALT", winged wheel with crown on top

In this design I have seen: 10 o, 50 o, 100 o, 200 o, 360 o, 600 o, 700 o, 950 o, 1150 o, 1200 o, 1600 o, 2000 o, 2400 o, 2500 o (all in the colours green and black).

ALMANAC STAMP

Almanac stamp of 1913, 'ALMANAK STEMPEL 1913 EMIL MOESTUE', other years exist

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer