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. 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!!

“Stamp news” (Frimerkenytt) was issued by the postal authorities. This issue is no 7 – 1987, and tell about the forthcoming issue of the stamps commemorating the Salvation Army centenary in Norway. The stamps and first day cancel have likely been added on a private initiative. This FD sheet is unlisted in the SA FDC catalogue and is likely unique, as also indicated by the local and unofficial PM (Skudesneshavn). Local PMs are generally much less common than the official PO postmark. Two nature stamps have also been added; they had first day of issue on the same date (18 Febr 1988).

Two new Norwegian FDCs were just observed. Never seen them before. Both covers are cancelled in Larvik. Must have been a local corps member who had a philatelic interest. These are reference covers, not in my collection.

An unlisted Norwegian FDC was just obtained. The cachet is a business cover from Trondheim (A. Sivertsen) with 2 x 4 block of the Salvation Army centenary stamps. Cancelled at a local post office in Trondheim (Rosenborg). Very rare cachet, has not seen this before. Must certainly have been issued in limited edition.