This site will provide a pictorial overview of Salvation Army (SA) philately. FOR DETAILS, CLICK ON IMAGES.
1978 – New Sweden FDC
A newly discovered FDC recently surfaced at a Swedish auction. It features the Evangelical Free Churches set of stamps, which includes the Salvation Army Stockholm VII Band. The FDC is a special cachet with a postmark commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Örebro Philatelic Society. This FDC is exceptionally rare and previously unseen. Initially, I thought it was unlisted in the SA FDC catalogue, but with a closer look, I found it. An Ørebro Philatelic Society cover & PM was listed as SA 9.3. Although this was with a more simple cachet, I have kept this number.
High value UK special SA covers
These two Salvation Army-related covers hold exceptionally high value in UK FDC catalogues. The first is a special Royal Tunbridge Wells Corps cachet, issued with the 1974 Christmas stamp set and postmarked Christmas Supermarket, Tunbridge, Kent. Its catalogue value is £400 (BFDC 2014). The second cover was issued for the Salvation Army’s 5th International Congress, held in London from 30 June to 9 July. Covers postmarked on the first day of issue with the full Horses set have a catalogue value of £375. NB: These are reference covers and not part of my collection.
 |  |
1983 – RARE Isle of Man FDCs
These two large Isle of Man FDCs are exceptionally rare. The large cover, issued by the Dutch Brigadier Theo Krommenhoek, has only surfaced on eBay a few times over the past few decades, and the Stampex FDC is also a rare find. A smaller Krommenhoek cover was issued with the set of single stamps and is somewhat more common. The large cover, featuring 4-blocks of the set, was produced in very limited quantities.
 |  |
1982 – Switzerland – Centenary logo
Two nice covers featuring a similar Centenary logo. One is part of an official meter mark of the Salvation Army, presented on a white background, while the other is a red sticker. The left cover, bearing the red sticker, is a Philswiss issue released as a First Day Cover in August 1982 (SA 17.5). It was also used during the Centenary Congress in November of the same year. The other cachet was also issued as an FDC (SA 17.7).
 |  |
Salvation Army Flag series
Very nice Salvation Army flag series postcards beginning with “Faith & Victory” (no. 1), “The Cross is the attraction” (no. 2), “True to my Savior” (no. 3), “The Dear Old Flag” (no. 5) and “All around the world” (no. 6). Has someone seen no. 4?
 |  |
 |
|
 |  |
SA 2.3 – Netherlands Indies FDC
2025!! Greetings to all! Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year! This extremely rare first day cover, issued on December 1, 1936, features a Salvation Army Child Welfare stamp set and was recently sold on eBay for $66. This special FDC, which appears to have been issued by the Salvation Army, is very seldom seen on auction sites. Please note that this is a reference cover and not part of my collection.
SA 15.1 – Devonport PM
Numerous post offices in Australia feature pictorial postmarks. One notable example is SA 15.1a, which has been canceled in Devonport and depicts a lighthouse. According to the Devonport city guide, “The Mersey Bluff Lighthouse, with its distinctive red and white stripes, has stood watch over Devonport, Tasmania for over a century.” Built in 1889, the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse is a significant historic symbol for Devonport, representing both the city and Tasmania’s rich maritime heritage. Its iconic appearance makes it a cherished landmark for both locals and visitors.
1992 – Netherlands – Christmas sheets II
These Netherlands Christmas stamp sheet were issued by the capital city postal group in 1992. They were used for a national Christmas card and stamp campaign, intended as support for the Salvation Army. The franking amount was 50 cents per stamp. I have not seen these on any covers and I’m not aware of whether there was an official first day of issue.
 |  |
 |
|
1965 – UK – Centenary slogan PM
This letter bears the Salvation Army Centenary slogan postmark, used prior to the centenary date (July 2, 1965). Cancelled in Cardiff, it features the slogan: “The SA 1865 – 1965 – A Century of Service.” This postmark was used across the UK from June 1 to June 30, 1965, with 20 dies operating in different post offices, including this one from Cardiff.
 |  |
Faroe Island – SA cover
2024 – Faroe Islands – Official Salvation Army Cover
Issued 29.10.2024 (not FDC, 6 days after the first day of issue). Features a large official Salvation Army cachet with the iconic Red Shield logo and the Faroe Islands’ name for the Salvation Army: Frelsunarherurin. Postmarked in Tórshavn.
SA 31.2 – Argentina FDC
Salvation Army centenary in Argentina, commemorated 01.12.1990. This cachet with the SA sticker was likely made by a salvationist/corps or connoisseur who had access to the SA sticker. This cover is seldom seen and was issued in limited quantity.
SA 60 – Faroe Island – country combo
The Salvation Army Centenary on the Faroe Islands commemorated on October 23, 2024, with a beautifully designed souvenir stamp sheet. In addition to the official release, two unique country combo covers were privately created in extremely limited quantities (only 5 of each).
- Norwegian Combo Cover: A Norwegian First Day Cover (FDC) paired with the Faroese stamp, dual-cancelled to mark the first day of issue for both countries’ commemorative stamps.
- Icelandic Combo Cover: An Icelandic FDC similarly paired with the Faroese stamp, also dual-cancelled with matching first-day postmarks.
These covers emphasize the strong regional ties between the Faroe Islands, Norway, and Iceland, underscoring the shared SA history and community in the region.
 |  |