| Denmark: Specialized Stamps: Cold War Emergency Stamp |
In 1991 it was decided that these stamps were no longer needed. The stamps were made available to Danmarks Filatelist Forbund (DFF), the Danish Philatelic Federation, for sale to support DFF work and the Danish Postal Museum. The stamps were only sold between 14 March and 31 December 1991. Only 150,000 of the stamps were sold; all remaining supplies were destroyed. The stamps were supplied to the DFF only in blocks of 10 (2 rows of 5 stamps) -- this is the largest size unit that can theoretically exist in private hands. [But it seems that even these blocks have since mostly been broken down into smaller blocks and singles.] When sold, the stamps were accompanied by a small folder illustrating a 4-block on the cover and providing background information. Versions of the folders exist with (at least) text in Danish, German, and English. [The non-Danish folders are now scarce.]
Because the stamps were printed secretly and thus it was not possible to use all the usual printing facilities and equipment, the stamps were crudely printed by letterpress (typography). The paper has invisible gum (to reduce the possibility of sticking while in storage under poor conditions). They usually have rough perforations (this is not a defect). The centering is highly variable; Fine or F-VF is normal, whereas VF or Superb is quite scarce! Within a 10-block the centering will vary; I cannot recall ever having a 10-block in which all 10 stamps were VF.
UPDATE July 10, 2011:I have just discovered a NEW PAPER TYPE and two new plate varieties. The new paper type has so far only been observed in a single stamp and a 4-block. They have come from very different sources, but both items are centered far to the right. Normally the paper is very white, is bright white under long-wave UV light, and the paper surface is not particularly smooth or shiny. The new paper type is on a slightly yellowish, extremely smooth and shiny (front side) paper, and is much yellowish and darker under long-wave UV light. The gum appears to be the same, but the backside is distinctly yellowish. The red ink is also a slightly different shade.
The two new plate varieties are (#2) "white dent in top frameline above NØ" and (#3) "white line connecting ØD". The sheet positions are not known, but some minor deductions (exclusions) can be made because: #2 has so far only been observed as the right stamp in horizontal pairs and as the lower right stamp in a 4-block; #3 has so far only been observed as the right or left stamp in horizontal pairs. Multiple examples of both have been observed. Curiously, the three plate varieties I have so far recorded have been mutually exclusive in terms of the groups of stamps from which I have obtained them. This suggests, along with the new paper discovery, that the 150,000 stamps supplied to the DFF have likely come from at least three or four different production runs (plates, paper supplies) of the stamps. With 200,000,000 originally printed, multiple production runs would be anticipated, but I have not previously seen anything in the literature supporting it.
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