Norway

 

This page is presenting some of my more "special" things from Norway.  No system - only pure philatelistic joy :-)

   

A letter delayed over 8 years!

 

The letter is sent from Oslo on 20th April 1967 - cancelled Oslo - Kornsjø, to Karachi, Pakistan.  It arrived in Karachi 29th April 1967, but was not picked up.  Postal authorities have noted on the back that the letter "Left 22/4", and it is again cancelled for arrival 6th May 1967.  On the left of the back it is then stamped that it left Karachi on 8th May 1967 to be returned to Oslo.  So far so good.  The letter left with S/S Northwind from Pakistan, but the Suez crisis broke out, and on 5th June 1967, Egypt closed the Suez canal.  They also sank blockships at many spots in the canal, trapping a lot of transit traffic in the Bitter Lakes.  S/S Northwind was one of them.  The canal opened again on 10th June 1975.  On the front page of the letter is attached an explanation of the delay: "This letter was sent with S/S "Northwind" from Pakistan in 1967.  Due to the war i the Middle East that year, the ship was trapped in the Suez canal, and the letter did not arrive in Oslo until today, 2nd July 1975.  Oslo Postal District, Letter Department".  Quite an interesting story! :-)

   

Letters from America

 

Letters from America were very plentyful, as quite a number of Norwegians settled there in th 1800's and 1900's.  But this cover is a bit special.  This is not the letter, but the envelope it was placed it together with another by the Postal Authorities in Norway.  On the front it says Amerikapost, which should be easy to understand in English also ;-)  Stangvik, written with a blue pencil, is the place where the letters were to be delivered.  The letters are put into the envelope in Kristiansund 4th August 1930, as we can see on the front page, and sealed on the back.  The letter 2 in blue pencil means two letters.  It is then cancelled on the back Nordmøre Posteksp, and Stangvik on arrival, both 4th August 1930.  The receivers of the letters had to sign on the envelope that they had gotten them, and Dora Heimdal signs for Mrs Maria Heimdal while Anne Sand signs for Mrs Brit Sand on 5th August 1930.  Interesting item :-)

   

London 17th May 1943

 

A series of 6 stamps (NK 333-338) was issued by the Norwegian Government in London 1st January 1943 for use at Norwegian ships, later also Jan Mayen.  On 30th April this series, together with two additional lower value stamps (NK 331-332), was released for sale in the liberated parts of Finnmark, and from 8th May in the whole of Norway.  On 5th July 1945, the whole series was distributed through the Postal Authorities to all post offices.  Part of the series (NK 333-338) was overprinted "London 17/5/43" and a serial number by Purbrook & Eyres Ltd. in London.  Only 4.000 sets were overprinted, and distributed or sold through the Norwegian Legation in Stockholm, Sweden.  During the occupation, some of these sets came to Norway and were sold for the benefit of the resistance movement.  These stamps are known to be cancelled to order, but the Postal Authorities have never acknowledged them as valid for use.  They are anyway now scarce and valuable - and a colourful addition to a collection :-)  

 

A letter to Alger from Norway

 

This is a special letter!  The letter is sent from Kristiania (which later was renamed Oslo), capital of Norway 22nd July 1916 to Algiers.  Since it's war, the letter is censored, and added a peculiar round control stamp.  It arrived in Algiers 3rd August 1916 and has two different arrival stamps.

 

 
 

 

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