A very scarce Svalbard postal item recently obtained on a Norwegian auction site. It commemorates the Salvation Army centenary in Norway and was issued on 18 February 1988, the official first day of issue. The piece carries the 9176 Bjørnøya postmark paired with the Longyear POLAR Filateli meter slogan—an unusual and rarely encountered combination.
These two stamps commemorate the Salvation Army’s centenary in Norway, celebrated on February 18, 1988. This is an official centenary cover issued by the SA itself, with a grey ribbon at the top. Some local corps were aware of the stamp issue and used it to have this cachet cancelled on the first day of issue, as this cover in Sarpsborg. Note: This cachet is quite rare; I have only seen issued with a Gjøvik PM previously.
Salvation Army centenary in Norway, 1988. New and unlisted FDC in the SA FDC catalogue. This plain cover has the metermark of the Longyear Polar Filateli club and has not been seen before. Postmarked 9176 Bjørnøya!!
The Salvation Army Centenary in Norway was commemorated on two stamps in February 1988. This is a business cachet FDC, on an official “PostGiro” envelope. The Postal Service launched postgiro in Norway in 1943, providing a bank service through post offices. Customers were given forms and special “blue” envelopes, like this one, for convenient payment processing. At its peak, the postgiro office employed approximately 1,900 individuals, as long as bank services still relied on manual processes. In 1995, it merged with Norges Postbank to form Postbanken, aligning postgiro and bankgiro systems. On December 1, 1999, Postbanken was acquired by Den Norske Bank (Source: Store Norske Leksikon).
Salvation Army centenary in Norway. Norwegian FDC service cachet. A quite usual cachet with a pictorial and very rare PM from the world’s northernmost town: Hammerfest. With set of SA centenary stamps, Stanley Gibbons 1035 – 1036
Salvation Army centenary in Norway. Maxicard: “Attack on a fishing village”, a painting by Wilhelm Peters, 1895. Set of both centenary stamps Stanley Gibbons 1035 -36. RARE with set of stamps, usually only seen with the lowest value.
Salvation Army centenary in Norway on Horten Philatelic Club cachet. Not seen before. FDC with locla Horten postmark. Picture of “Norske Løve Horten”. With set of Centenary stamps. Must be extremely rare. Vignett no 23 in national FDC catalogue.
Salvation Army centenary in Norway, 18 February 1988. Standard postmark (Oslo) on nice and unlisted FDC, made by Fritz Neve, a Danish FDC designer. The cachet has the Norwegian crown lion symbol. Not seen before, likely very rare!!
Salvation Army centenary in Norway 18 February 1988. This Mostue FD card is unregistered in the SA FDC catalogue. Issued in a limited quantity – 200pcs. Emil Mostue was the printing house for this stamp set. The set was printed on phosphorized paper in sheet of 50 and a total of 20 mill stamps were issued. The FD card is very seldom seen, not observed on Ebay before. Sold on Norwegian auctions for very high prices (>£80).
Salvation Army centenary in Norway, 18 February 1988. Unlisted FDC in the SA FDC catalogue. With Sami illustration. Likely extremely rare! High value , sold for > £80+ on Norwegian auctions. Privately made? Foto by K. Vestergaard
Salvation Army centenary in Norway, the stamp set was issued in 18 February 1988. Post Office official FDC, postmarked with the Salvation Army Crest. Standard postmark, cancelled in Oslo. This cover is signed by the designer Knut Løkke Sørensen!!
Salvation Army centenary in Norway 1988, commemorated on Norsk FDC Service cachet. These are registered covers with local PM (Kristiansand). Very unusual. Seems to be issued in a limited edition. I have not seen these before, but due to the number on the cover, they seem to have been issued in at least 3000 ex.
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