Jay Smith & Associates: Sweden: Postal Savings Stamps: 1950s Promotional Pictorials

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Sweden: Postal Savings Stamps: 1950s Promotional Pictorials

Sweden had a postal savings system and postal savings stamps for many years. The Swedish system started in 1884 and was operated by the post office. Postal savings stamps are known from the late 1800s up to at least the 1960s with examples of stamps canceled into at least the early 1970s. Some of the later Swedish postal savings stamps were engraved by Slania! Most of the stamps are very institutional-looking, with the "three crowns" and a denomination being the primary design elements. I believe that all the "normal" designs were engraved and recess-printed by the post office.

At least in the 1950s (and perhaps at other times), "promotional" pictorial stamps were printed (lithography / offset) by the post office and were issued in an attempt to encourage use of the system. I have (as of 4/2025) seen only examples of two sheets of the promotional stamps, each containing 30 stamps of 30 different designs. The designs are in numbered series (starting at #1 and apparently going at least through #24; the sheets I have seen have series numbered 1-3 and 22-24), with the 10 stamps, each of which is numbered, of each column in the sheet being of a specific series theme. The exact role / function, or savings value (if any), of the promotional stamps is unknown to me. The 1950s pictorial promotional stamps seem to be "extremely scarce". Though I have a keen interest in such types of material, as of 4/2025 I have only personally seen (after 51 years) a very few random singles and the examples of the two sheets shown on my website.

Generally speaking, all forms of Swedish postal savings stamps are fairly scarce. It is believed that when the postal saving book of the customer was cashed in, the book / stamps were normally retained by and destroyed by the post office, thus the survival rate of stamps is low.

If you have an interest in such material, please let me know so that I may inform you when other items become available. I am always interested in buying any Swedish postal savings stamps (or ephemera and advertising materials). [I welcome any further information about and cataloging of all types of Swedish postal savings stamps or the operation of the system.]

1950s Promotional Pictorials

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Quality & Description

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Never
Hinged

US$

249808

Postal Savings 1950s Promotional Stamps: Sheet of Series 1-3. NH VF complete sheet of 30 containing three series. Series 1: Swedish Historical People. Series 2: Ten Sports. Series 3: (Transportation) From Horse-Drawn Coach to Electric Trains. The "printer imprint" at bottom states that it is printed by the Swedish Postal Printers, but does not indicate a print date. Almost all the stamps of each of the three series would be of great interest to topical / thematic collectors of many different subjects. The perforating / centering appears to have used the upper left stamp as the "starting point" with XF or Superb, centering, but due to small spacing differences in the printing plate vs the perforation tool, the centering becomes progressively less good toward the lower-right corner of the sheet. This is simply a natural feature of how these stamps were produced. These stamps are rarely seen -- if I had not previously seen a sheet in 51 years (and I am on the lookout for such interesting things), they must be very scarce indeed! I have never noticed any other dealers (even in Sweden) offering them for sale. Because of the tremendous topical / thematic aspect of so many of the designs in Series 1-3, the value is perhaps much higher than some other design subjects.

ACTUAL item.

Reference
For reference only. NOT for sale.
SOLD

249809

Postal Savings 1950s Promotional Stamps: Sheet of Series 22-24. NH VF complete sheet of 30 containing three series. Series 22: Ten Anniversary Days. Series 2: Swedish Historical Buildings. Series 3: Postage Stamps with Historical Motifs. The "printer imprint" at bottom states that it is printed by the Swedish Postal Printers provides a 1953 print date. Many of the stamps of each of the three series would be of great interest to topical / thematic collectors of many different subjects. The perforating / centering appears to have used the upper left stamp as the "starting point" with XF or Superb, centering, but due to small spacing differences in the printing plate vs the perforation tool, the centering becomes progressively less good toward the lower-right corner of the sheet. This is simply a natural feature of how these stamps were produced. These stamps are rarely seen -- if I had not previously seen a sheet in 51 years (and I am on the lookout for such interesting things), they must be very scarce indeed! I have never noticed any other dealers (even in Sweden) offering them for sale.

ACTUAL item.

Reference
For reference only. NOT for sale.
SOLD

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