This site will provide a pictorial overview of Salvation Army (SA) philately. SA stamps have been issued in more than 40 countries since 1932. By 2019, there are 53 main issues with 153 SA stamps from all over the world. FOR DETAILED INFO, CLICK ON THE IMAGES
SA 35 – Australia – RARE PMs on PO FDC
Faces of Australia official Post Office FDC issued 01.01.2000 with three pictorial postmarks: 2 x Sydney (Opera and Clock) and 1x Darwin. Extremely rare with PMs from different locations!!! How on earth did they do that?
SA 5 – UK – LA Grech FDC
UK Lawrence A Grech FDC with set of Salvation Army stamps. Limited quantity. Rarely seen on Ebay. Catalogue value £25 – but covers with set are sold massively above catalogue value, due to the scarcity. Estimated £80+ (a similar cover was sold for > £200 on Ebay, October 2017).
US – Vandenberg Air Force Base
These two US covers show rocket launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc, California. The covers have different illustrative designs and have the Salvation Army stamp Scott 1267 attached.
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1982 – Canada FDC – House of Senate
The House of Senate used to make FDCs for each stamp issue. Here is the cover with the Salvation Army stamp at the centenary in 1982. This cachet is unlisted in the SA catalogue and is seldom seen around.
1958 – Unlisted Swiss FDC
An unlisted Swiss FDC just turned up on Ebay. The cachet pictures the bonnet as on the stamp. The issue commemorated the 75th anniversary for the Salvation Army in Switzerland. The cover is cancelled with French PM. Not seen before. Likely very rare! See also other Swiss FDCs with single stamp.
1991 – Russia – New beginning
The Salvation Army initiated work in Russia in 1910. After the Feburary 1917 revolution the work flourished, Russia became a distinct command and reinforcements arrived from Sweden. However, as result of the October revolution they had to be withdrawn at the end of 1918, leaving 40 Russian and Finnish officers to continue the work under extreme hardship until the Army was finally proscribed in 1923. Salvation Army activities were officially recommenced in Eastern Europe in July 1991, with the arrival of Lieut-Colonels John and Bjørg Bjartveit from Norway, beginning in Leningrad (St. Petersburg). The present cover commemorates the new beginning. Limited edition (250 ex). Source: https://www.thesalvationarmy.ru/about/history
1965 – US – Ben Kraft FDC
This Ben Kraft FDC was just discovered on Ebay. Ben Kraft was a cachetmaker who made handpainted US FDCs in the 1950s & 1960s and he often had a humorous touch to his paintings. Some of them are still possible to obtain for affordable prices, others are quite rare and expensive. I was certain that he must have made a design for the Salvation Army issue in 1965, and it was very satisfactory to finally find it. The picture is Mickey Mouse as Santa Claus with a Salvation Army Christmas kettle, an illustration that actually has been seen also on a later Grenada 1983 FDC. The cover is unlisted in the SA FDC catalogue and is likely very rare!!
1987 – Netherland – Burrows Maxicard
The Salvation Army in the Netherlands celebrated their centennial anniversary in 1987 and General Burrows participated in the Centenary congress in May, three months after the centenary stamp was issued. The present maxicard may have been issued at the congress.
1932 – Netherlands Indies FDC
The first country to release stamps to commemorate the Salvation Army’s work was the Netherlands Indies (or Dutch East Indies), renamed Indonesia in 1948. The work started in 1894. Like in many other countries there was fierce opposition to the work. Seven years later a disastrous flood led to the government handling over the management of a Beggars’ Colony to the SA, where the natives were taught to earn a living. A set of four charity stamps was issued in 1932 to commemorate the event. There was an add-on on the postal value to support the SA in their work. Only plain FDCs are known from this issue. (Source: Ken Daws. The world of SA stamps, 1996).
1980 – UK – Harwich Citadel Corps Centenary
Very colorful British birds FDC; a Salvation Army cachet issued by Historic Relics. The cover celebrated the Centenary of the Harwich Citadel Corps (“One houndred years of worship and service”) and has a special Centenary postmark. Very rare cover! the Catalogue value is high (£ 110 – BFDC 2018) – Estimated value at least £ 70 (sold for £65 on Ebay Spring 2017). The cover is among the first issued by “Historic Relics”, I’ve traced covers from this issuer back to 1979.
1933 – Netherlands Indies postcard
A nice postcard with a scenery from Malan, Netherlands Indies. Three of the Salvation Army Community Welfare stamps has been placed on the frontside. Postmarked 12.09.1933 (not FDC) in Malan. Must be a rare cover.
1989 – Norway Polar Post
Very nice and rare Antartic cover from the German Antartic North Victoria Land Expedition in 1989. The expedtion was called Antartic Ganovex V with the ship M/V Polar Queen. The cover has the Norwegian Salvation Army centenary stamp on it (“Slum sister” Othilie Tonning) and postmarked “Packet boat”. Signed by the Captain! Very pictorial slogan postmarks!