NORWAY 1878-1920

Return To Catalogue - Norway 1855-1877 - Spitsbergen - Local issues overview (bypost)

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
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For stamps of Norway issued from 1855 to 1877 click here.

1878 King Oscar facing the right

  1 Kr green (dark and lightgreen)
  1 1/2 Kr blue (dark and lightblue)
  2 Kr red and brown

There are 6 types (different in the value inscription) of each stamp.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 K	**	*
1 1/2 K	**	**
2 K	**	**

Reprint sheet from 1978.

1907 King Haakon VII facing the left

  1 Kr green
  1 1/2 Kr blue
  2 Kr red
  5 Kr violet

Two types exist of these stamps, with lined background behind the king and with solid background (1911). The 5 Kr only exists with solid background.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
Lined background
1 K	**	**
1 1/2 K	***	***
2 K	***	***
Solid background
1 K	*	vc
1 1/2 K	*	c
2 K	**	c
5 K	***	c

1914 Large sized stamps 100 years of constitution

  5 o green
  10 o red
  20 o blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 o	c	c
10 o	c	c
20 o	*	*

1924 Standing lion with axe

1924: with the letters in 'NORGE' with serifs and line between 'ORE' and 'POST': 10 o green, 20 o violet, 35 o red, 45 o blue. Surcharged '30 =' on 45 o blue (1927?).

1926: with the letters in 'NORGE' without serifs and no line between 'ORE' and 'POST': 10 o green, 14 o orange (1929), 15 o olive, 20 o lilac, 20 o red (1928), 25 o red, 25 o brown (1928), 30 o blue (1928), 30 o grey (1949), 35 o brown, 40 o blue, 40 o grey (1928), 50 o lilac, 55 o orange (1946), 60 o blue and 80 o brown (1946). Surcharged '20=' on 25 o red (1927?), '25 -' on 20 o red (1949), '45 -' on 40 o blue (1949).

With additional inscription 'SVALBARD 1925'

1925: with additional inscription 'SVALBARD': 10 o green, 15 o blue, 20 o lilac, 45 o blue. Surcharged '30=' on 45 o blue (1927?).

Some stamps were overprinted with a large 'V' in 1941: 10 o green, 15 o olive, 20 o red, 25 o brown, 30 o blue, 35 o violet, 40 o black, 50 o brown, 60 o blue. A 10 o green stamp also exist with a white 'V' incorporated in the design. I have also seen a postcard ('BREVKORT') with a black 'V' overprint: 15 o olive.

In a slightly different design 'NORGE' on top I have seen the following values with black 'V' overprint 1 K green, 1 1/2 K blue, 2 K red and 5 K violet.

1925 Polar bear with aeroplane

  2 o brown
  3 o orange
  5 o lilac
  10 o green
  15 o blue
  20 o lilac
  25 o red

1928 Poet Henrik Ibsen

  10 o green
  15 o brown
  30 o red
  30 o blue

1929 onwards, not implemented.

Later issues, examples:

1958 issue, in this design were issued: 25 o green, 30 o violet, 35 o lilac, 40 o red, 45 o red, 50 o light-brown, 55 o grey, 65 o blue, 80 o brown, 85 o olive, 90 o orange. In the larger design: 1 K green, 1.50 K blue, 2 K red, 5 K violet and 10 K orange.

Later issue

Postage due stamps

1889 Inscription 'at betale' or 'a betale'

Inscription 'at betale' and 'PORTOMAERKE'

  1 o olive
  4 o lilac
  10 o red
  15 o brown
  20 o blue
  50 o brown

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 o	c	c
4 o	c	c
10 o	c	c
20 o	*	c
50 o	*	c

Inscription 'a betale' and 'PORTOMERKE'(1923)

  4 o lilac
  10 o green
  20 o lilac
  40 o blue
  100 o orange
  200 o violet

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
4 o	*	*
10 o	c	c
20 o	*	c
40 o	*	c
100 o	*	*
200 o	***	**

Many of these postage due stamps were overprinted with 'Post Frimerke' or 'POST' in 1929 to serve as postage stamps, example:

Official Stamps

Stamps with inscription 'OFFENTLIG SAK', 'OFF. SAK' or 'TJENESTEFRIMERKE' are official stamps.

1926 Inscription 'TJENESTEFRIMERKE'

  5 o lilac
  10 o green
  15 o blue
  20 o lilac
  30 o grey
  40 o blue
  60 o blue

Surcharged
  '2 2' on 5 o lilac

1933 Inscription 'Offentlig sak', long shaped stamps with arms in the center

  2 o light-brown
  5 o lilac
  7 o orange
  10 o green
  15 o olive
  20 o red
  25 o brown
  30 o blue
  35 o violet
  40 o grey
  60 o blue
  70 o brown
  100 o violet

1937 As 1933 design, but smaller

  5 o lilac
  7 o orange
  10 o green
  15 o olive
  20 o red
  25 o brown
  25 o red (1946?)
  30 o blue
  30 o grey (1946?)
  35 o violet
  40 o grey
  40 o blue (1946?)
  50 o lilac (1947)
  60 o blue
  100 o violet
  200 o orange (1946?)

Surcharged
  '25 - 25 -' on 20 o red (1949)

1942 Eagle sitting on a cross

  5 o lilac
  7 o orange
  10 o green
  15 o olive
  20 o red
  25 o brown
  30 o blue
  35 o violet
  40 o grey
  60 o blue
  1 K violet

1946 Arms, with inscription 'O.' and 'S.' in the corners

  5 o lilac
  10 o grey
  15 o brown
  30 o red
  35 o brown
  60 o grey
  100 o violet

1955 Arms, inscription 'OFF. SAK'

Stamp with inscription 'OFF. SAK'

  5 o lilac
  10 o grey
  15 o brown
  20 o blue
  25 o green
  30 o red
  30 o green
  35 o red
  40 o violet
  40 o olive
  50 o blue
  50 o brown
  60 o blue
  65 o red
  70 o red
  70 o olive
  75 o green
  80 o red
  80 o brown
  85 o brown
  90 o orange
  1 K violet
  1 K red
  1.10 K red
  1.25 K red
  1.50 K red
  2 K green
  2 K red
  3 K violet
  5 K lilac
  5 K blue

Proof with "0" as value.

Telegraph stamps

Example, inscription 'DEN NORSKE RIKSTELEGRAF':

Parcel stamp?

Inscription 'PAKKEMAERKE OTTO LARSEN OMNIBUS BRAGERNAES TANGEN':

Fiscal stamps

Fiscal stamps of around 1900 (I guess), examples with inscription 'STEMPELMAERKE':

(Reduced size, other values exist)

I've also seen a 1.50 Kr in the colour grey and red. Other stamps in this design exist in only one colour:

A similar design exists, but with different lettering and ornaments (for example the ornaments in the value frame at the bottom are removed):

I have also seen the 1 Kr green (with lilac background).

Literature: 'Scandinavia Revenues European Philately 14' by J.Barefoot Ltd, 52 pages (I haven't seen this book myself).

Missonary stamps

N.M.S. post (Norsk Misjonsselskab), local stamps issued by norwegian missionars in Madagascar in 1894, imperforate

1) Value in local currency

The following two values exist: 'v.5' (value in Vari, colour black on white or black on yellow, to be used on letters) and 'e.1 v.5' (1 Era 5 Vari, colour black, to be used on parcels).

These stamps were always pen-cancelled (see image above).

2) Value in British Currency

(images obtained with permission from Dr. Reinhard Meyer)

There also seems to have been issued another serie in 1894 consisting of two stamps with inscription 'NMSs 1/3 post' and 'N.M.S.'s 1 post' (both in black colour and imperforate). More information can be found on: http://www.nordische-staaten.de/laender/Norwegen/Bypost/bypost.html (in German by Dr. Reinhard Meyer).

A reprint or 'Eftertrykk' of these stamps made in 1968 by A.Bye in Skoppum (the sheet states only 200 numbered sheets were made). All four values are printed four times.

Return to sender stamps

1872 Inscription 'Som uindlost aabnet af Post-Departe-mentet' or 'Som ubesorget aabnet af Post-Departe-mentet'

  black on green (uindlost)
  black on green (ubesorget)
  black on lilac (ubesorget)

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
Unindlost	*	*
black on green (ubesorget)	R	R
black on lilac	**	**