A very pictorial “Around the world” cover was just obtained. The USS Thoms J. Gary went through the Suez Canal and issued this cover. Date: 06.04.1966 (not FDC). Very nice pictorial Naval cover. A more common picture cover is also shown (USS NYE County), both with Salvation Army centenary stamp (SG 1249) from 1965 attached.
An unlisted FD info sheet was just obtained – not seen before. The Norwegian SA stamps with correct FD cancel is attached. Detailed info about the motifs on the stamps (in Norwegian). Issued: 18 February 1988. Standard postmark Oslo. Size 145 x 210. According to info given, this is a forerunner of the Philatelic Post, an official PO info sheet about new issues (like a bulletin). Someone has been clever enough to attach the stamps on the preprinted pictures, and have them first day cancelled. A similar practice as that of the US Ranto cachets
SA 29.2 – Centenary logo (from 1965) with double stamps & PMs
This month’s prospect is a RARE Danish combo. The centenary stamp of 1989 was attached to the 80th Anniversary SA cover (SA 7.3). Both stamps are cancelled on the correct first day for their respective issue. [The centenary of the SA in Denmark was actually in 1987; the stamp is issued two years late]. The cachet has the centenary logo of the international Salvation Army (1965). The cover is very rare, I’ve never seen it on Ebay. I was lucky and found this in a larger collection.
Two more characteristic Polar FDCs have been obtained. They are picturing a map of Norway and Svalbard, with a Polar bear on top and the text: North Pole. The cachet has been used on a series of FDCs issued on Svalbard. The new with these two are the pictorial PMs cancelled at NY-Ålesund and Bjørnøya (an island south of Svalbard, halfway to Norway). Pictured here with the Norwegian Salvation Army stamps issued in 1988 to commemorate the centenary of the SA in Norway. Remarkable items, must be rare, they are seldom seen on Norwegian auctions. Similar covers have been cancelled at Sveagruva, Longearbyen and Isfjord.
A rare Christmas maxicard with singing salvationists and the Salvation Army 1958 Anniversary stamp. Cancelled with Betlehem postmark on Christmas Eve, 24.12.1958 – (not FDC). Must be a rare maxicard, have not seen this before. This is the same motif as on the 1982 Philswiss Maxicard (SA 17.8)
The flood relief extra issue – “Unwetter in der Schweiz” – was overprinted with a Salvation Army logo (Helping Hand). An unlisted Ersttags Sammelblatt was issued and has revently been obtained. Very nice FD sheet.
On the Icelandic centenary stamp of 1995 it is easy to recognize the two officers; Anne Marie and Harold Reinholdtsen, who were stationed on the island from 1977 to 1982 (Akureyri) and from 1984 to 1990 in the capital Reykjavik. The picture was taken at one of their open air meetings in Reykjavik in 1990. It must have been thought of as a good illustration of the SA’s work on Iceland, although it was not meant that the persons should be recognized (they were not asked about being portrayed on the stamp). This official PO FDC is signed by the male officer; Harold Reinholdtsen. His wife Anne Marie sadly died shortly after the millennium during their third stationing on Iceland. Very rare item!!
The Salvation Army centenary in Belgium was commemorated on a stamp in November 1989. The shown sheetlet is the officiel minister dieproof in black with the dry cancel of the Belgian post. These sheetlets were given to the ministers and only printed in a limited edition of 75. Very rare . Cat value 37 € (OBP 2019)
Greenland’s 900 homeless live under harsh conditions. The Salvation Army’s ‘warm space’ in Nuuk is, therefore, a popular gathering place for Greenland’s vulnerable. ’Willam’s Café’ is the framework for the Salvation Army’s ‘warm space’. Free breakfast and inexpensive lunches are available and there is often a long queue.
SA 53.1 - Official PO - single
SA 53.1 - Official PO - 4 block
SA 53.2 - Official PO - souvenir sheet
The stamp was designed by local artist Maria Panínguak’ Kjærulff. She reports: “Having researched about what the Salvation Army in Greenland does here, I drew a few sketches. I also talked to a volunteer at the Salvation Army, who told me that there is an intimate and personal feeling at the Salvation Army, and that people appreciate the soup kitchen. And that the age and gender of people there varies. So I included that in my image. I decided to make it as simple as possible to focus on the people. I put the lamp, which is also the sun from the Greenlandic flag, to symbolize hope and warmth. And that the people are all gathered under the light at the same table. Because they are somehow gathered at a certain time in their lives. I put shadows there and made the drawing rough, to show that it may be a challenging time. I used the red from the Greenlandic flag, but I also wanted it to have the same color as the Salvation Army logo, since it was for that cause”.