DENMARK
Denmark is another country which, like Chile and the Netherlands, kept to one basic design but seems to have changed the details frequently.
I have seen two the same but not often.
| Updates. The above was written by Steve Hiscocks. I have added a few more, and re-numbered using 'RH' (Revised Hiscocks) numbers. No pricing as yet. I will need to re-number again. |
State Telegraph Seals
I have ordered these according to the number of 'pearls' around the outside followed by the number of scallops.
I will have to re-order them at some stage as this seems to put them in reverse chronological order, but at least it made it easier to check against an unknown seal.
Flat base to Crown.
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| #1a, 40.5mm (54 pearls, 40 scallops) | #1b, 40mm (54 pearls, 40 scallops) |
| At first glance these are the same. However the positions of the pearls vary slightly with respect to the Crown and lettering. I have marked in green the 1st. and 15th. pearls clockwise from the Crown for comparison. |
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| #2 1948, 40.5mm (56 pearls, 41 scallops) similar cross on crown. | #3 40mm (56 pearls, 39 scallops) a curiosity ? Note the 'N' | #4 1946-52, 40.3mm (56 pearls, 39 scallops) similar cross on crown. |
The centre one here is rather strange, missing 'S's ? Status unknown. These have the crown at an angle to the oval and lettering.
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| #5a 39mm (56 pearls, 40 scallops) | #5b 39.9mm (56 pearls, 40 scallops, 'FEN' joined) | #5c 39.2mm (56 pearls, 40 scallops) |
| At first glance these are all the same. However the positions of the pearls vary with respect to the Crown and lettering. I have marked the 1st. and 15th. pearls clockwise from the Crown for comparison. | ||
3D base to Crown.
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| #6 1936, 39.2mm (67 pearls, 36 scallops, 'AF' joined) Wider Crown. | #7 39.5mm (67 pearls, 36 scallops, 'FE' joined) | #8 1939, 40.7mm (68 pearls, 36 scallops, 'FE' joined) |
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| #9 1925-30, 40.4mm (72 pearls, 35 scallops [p72s35]) | #10 1922, 40.5mm (74 pearls, 34 scallops [p74s34]) | #11 1947? 37.8mm (84 pearls, 40 scallops, 'ST' joined) |
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| #12, 39mm (87? pearls, 34 scallops) | #13 38.5mm (91 pearls, 39 scallops [p91s39]) | #14 38.5mm (92 pearls, 36 scallops) Some doubled pearls at bottom (counted as one) |
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| #15 1915, 38.5mm (92 pearls, 42 scallops) | #16 38.6mm (93 pearls, 35 scallops) | #17 1907-15, 38mm (93+ pearls, 36 scallops) |
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| #18 1906, 38mm (98 pearls, 39 scallops) | #19 38mm (99 pearls, 36 scallops) | #20 37.6mm (101 pearls, 36 scallops) |
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| #21 37.5mm (110 pearls, 41 scallops) | #22 37.8mm (111 pearls, 39 scallops) | #23 40mm (111 pearls, 41 scallops) |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH1 | 1 | - | 1960, Embossed red on white. Scalloped (40), 54 pearls, 2.7mm lettering. Large crown with flat-base. |
- | - | - |
| RH2 | 2 | - | 1948, Scalloped (41), 56 pearls. Red, Flat-based crown with '#' cross on top. | - | - | - |
| RH3 | 3 | - | Scalloped (39), 56 pearls. Red, Missing 'S's? Flat-based crown with '#' cross on top. | - | - | - |
| RH4 | 4 | - | 1946-52?, Scalloped (39), 56 pearls. Red, Flat-based crown with '#' cross on top. | - | - | - |
| RH5 | 5 | #3 | Embossed red / white. Scalloped (40), 56 pearls, 2.7mm lettering. Smaller crown, flat base. | - | - | - |
| RH6 | 6 | - | 1936, Scalloped (36), 67 pearls. Red, different crown. | - | - | - |
| RH7 | 7 | - | Scalloped (36), 67 pearls. Red smaller crown, | - | - | - |
| RH8 | 8 | #2 | 1939 Scalloped (36), 68 pearls. Red, . 2.9mm lettering. Pearls closer. | - | - | - |
| RH9 | 9 | - | 1925-30 Scalloped (35), 72 pearls. Red, smaller crown. 2.9mm lettering. Pearls closer. | - | - | - |
| RH10 | 10 | - | 1922 Scalloped (34), 74 pearls. Red, | - | - | - |
| RH11 | 11 | - | Scalloped (40), 84 pearls. Black, smaller crown. Pearls closer, some joined. | - | - | - |
| RH12 | 12 | #1 | Scalloped (34), 87? pearls, Embossed white and red. Larger 3.7mm lettering. | - | - | - |
| RH13 | 13 | - | Scalloped (39). Orange, 91 smaller pearls. | - | - | - |
| RH14 | 14 | - | Scalloped (36). Orange, larger crown, 92 pearls. Some doubled pearls at bottom. | - | - | - |
| RH15 | 15 | - | 1915 Scalloped (42). Red, larger crown, 92 pearls. | - | - | - |
| RH16 | 16 | - | Scalloped (35). Red, larger crown, 93 pearls. | - | - | - |
| RH17 | 17 | #4 | 1907 Scalloped (36). Orange, larger crown, 93+ pearls. | - | - | - |
| RH18 | 18 | - | 1906 Scalloped (39). Red-orange, 98 pearls, large crown. | - | - | - |
| RH19 | 19 | - | Scalloped (36). Red, 99 pearls, large crown. | - | - | - |
| RH20 | 20 | - | Scalloped (36). Red, 101 pearls, large crown. | - | - | - |
| RH21 | 21 | - | Scalloped (41). Red, smaller pearls(110), nearer centre. | - | - | - |
| RH22 | 22 | - | Scalloped (39). Red-orange, smaller pearls(111), nearer centre. | - | - | - |
| RH23 | 23 | - | Scalloped (41). Red-orange, smaller pearls(111), nearer centre. | - | - | - |
State Telegraph Directorate Seals
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| #23, 37.2mm (85 pearls, 35 scallops) | #24, 37.6mm (91 pearls, 36 scallops) |
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| #25, 35.8mm (105 pearls, 48 scallops [p105s48]) | #26, 35.9mm (106 pearls, 44 scallops [p106s44]) |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH23 | 23 | - | Scalloped (35).Vermilion (TELEGRAF DIREKTORATET). | - | - | - |
| RH24 | 24 | #5 | Scalloped (36).Vermilion (TELEGRAF DIREKTORATET). | - | - | - |
| RH25 | 25 | - | Scalloped (48). Red-orange (TELEGRAF DIREKTORATET). | - | - | - |
| RH26 | 26 | - | Scalloped (44).Vermilion (TELEGRAF DIREKTORATET). | - | - | - |
Letter Opening Office
These have 'Brevaabnings - Kontoret' across the middle, that I take to be an old form of 'Brevåbning - Kontoret' meaning 'Letter Opening Office'.
Underneath it says 'for Post-og Telegrafvaesenet' meaning 'for the Post and Telegraph network'.
They have only Post Horns in the corners.
I think it is unlikely that they were used on telegrams. They are on very thin and translucent paper.
This may not belong here
18mm, I am reliably informed that there are two possible sources for this, one a childs toy set called
“The small post office” or a postcards, usually with a postman cycling, with a dummy telegram having a dummy seal.
I have seen several different dummies and a have similar things from Sweden and Germany.
Railway Telegram Seals
Danske Statsbaner (Danish State Railways.)
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| #SB1 1904, 86mm |
General Direktionen Seals
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| #SB2 35mm. | #SB3 35mm. Different crown and wider lettering at the bottom. |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHSB1 | SB1 | - | 1904 Rouletted 9¼ horizontally. Black on white. | - | - | - |
| RHSB2 | SB2 | - | Scalloped (33). Red on white. | - | - | - |
| RHSB3 | SB3 | - | Scalloped (33). Red on white. | - | - | - |
Hads-Ning Herreders Jernbane.
Hads-Ning Herreders Railway (HHJ) was a private railway company in the Aarhus area.
The company established June 19, 1884 as Odderbanen, still goes between Aarhus and Odder and originally
was extended by section Odder-Hou, which was closed on March 31 1977.
The company is named after Hads Herred and Ning District, that the line goes through.
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| #HN1 1914, 38mm Whilst looking a lot like an etiquette, this was used as a seal. |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHHN1 | HN1 | - | 1914 Scalloped (36). Red on white. | - | - | - |
Kiosk Telegram Seals
Kjøbenhavns Telefon-Kiosker A/S (created 1896)
The header of a 1921 Telegram bearing seal #1 (half scale size)
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| #K1 1908, 31.4mm Small lettering, 'TEL' low at top. |
#K2, 31.2mm 'TEL' higher at top. |
*#K3 | #K4 1921, 29.6mm |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHK1 | K1 | - | Scalloped (36). Blue on white. 'TEL' low. | - | - | - |
| RHK2 | K2 | - | Scalloped (37). Blue on white. 'TEL' higher. | - | - | - |
| RHK3 | *K3 | - | Scalloped (44). Blue on white. No 'pearls'.. | - | - | - |
| RHK4 | K4 | - | 1921 Perf. 11.3 Blue on white. | - | - | - |
* John Barefoot illustrates this in his catalogue with a '25' handstamp for use as a stamp.
It is a scalloped and in the design of K4, but as an embossed negative like K2.
The blue extends into the white-tipped scallops.
Greenland
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| #1 1948, 34mm (across 67 pearls) |
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| #2 1951 (65 pearls, 38 scallops) | #3 1951-4, 37mm (64 pearls, 38 scallops) |
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| #4 Date? 37.4mm (65 pearls, 39 scallops) No Crown | #5 1959 39.7mm (58 pearls, 39 scallops) GRØNLAND, Crown TELEGRAFTJENESTEN = Telegraph Service |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH1 | 1 | - | 1948 Imperf. Red on white. | - | - | - |
| RH2 | 2 | - | 1951 Scalloped (38).Red (RADIO TELEGRAF). | - | - | - |
| RH3 | 3 | - | 1954 Scalloped (38).Red (RADIO TELEGRAF). | - | - | - |
| RH4 | 4 | - | Date? Scalloped (39).Red (RADIO TELEGRAF). | - | - | - |
| RH5 | 5 | - | 1959 Scalloped (39).Red (TELEGRAFTJENESTEN). | - | - | - |
#2 is a poor image of a seal on a telegram to Greenland in 1951 via Lyngby Radio
It looks like it has lettering similar to #1 with straight-legged 'R's, or nearly so.
Image courtesy of Auktionshaus Christoph Gärtner.
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands, or Faroes were under Norway up to 1814 and then Denmark up to 1948 when they
became more or less independent except for major Government functions like defence and foreign relations.
They lie between Scotland and Iceland and speak Danish and their own language which is very similar to Icelandic.
A telegram from Denmark to the Faroes sealed with the seal shown below recently appeared on eBay.
| Updates. The above was written by Steve Hiscocks. I have added nothing as yet. No pricing either. |
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| #1 1930, 44mm |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RH1 | 1 | 1 | 1930 Scalloped. Red. | - | - | - |
If anyone can provide scans to help with this, I am happy to give appropriate credit.
