| Showcase |  Top |
| Item # |
|
US$ | ||
243538 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
LETTER SEAL: NH VF deep red vertical-oval embossed, gummed paper seal (height 37 mm) with Danish coat of arms (two woodwoses [wild men] either side of the shield/arms with crown above). Text: "GUVERNEMENTET FOR DE DANSK VESTINDISKE ŘER" [řer = islands]. This is the first example of this, or any, DWI official paper seal that I have ever seen (in 47 years) on or off cover. (I have seen such items for Denmark, but only on cover, not mint examples.) If I had known about this seal being on cover, I would have guessed that mint, full gum, off-cover examples no longer existed. While this is more governmental than postal, it was intended to seal official letters, both for security and as proof of official content for appropriate postal service. This version of the coat of arms (which includes a falcon to represent Iceland) dates from 1903-1948, thus in terms of DWI, this dates from 1903-1917. Despite being that "modern", it is rare. An exceptional and important postal history item! |
Reference |