Faroe Islands 1979 - Europa Postal History

On 7 May 1979 the Faroe Islands issued a set of 2 Europa stamps with the theme of Postal History. The stamps were engraved by Czeslaw Slania. In order for me to understand the theme of these stamps, I spent some time studying the Postal History of the Faroes. I found out some interesting bits of information.

The Faroe Islands are an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. Up until 1975 Danish stamps were used in the Faroe Islands. These usually had no overprint or surcharge. At least this was the case until 1919. The aftermath of WWI forced Denmark to increase postage rates in the Faroes. They subsequently informed the postal authorities on the Faroe Islands of the rate increase to commence in January 1919.  To better understand the rest of this story, knowledge of the new postal rates is necessary...

• Inland Faroe Islands letters up to 15g was now 5 to 7 ore
• Postcards to Denmark up to 15g was now 4 to 7 ore

Due to unreliable shipping, the Faroes did not receive a supply of stamps bearing the 7 ore value on time. As a consequence, the Faroese Post Office had to use 'Provisional Stamps' since the 7 ore was an essential value for the new rates. For a time they used surplus lower value stamps as make-up values: 1, 3, 4, and 5 ore values. When the 2 ore values started to run low the Post Office in Tórshavn received permission to bisect their stocks of 4 ore stamps diagonally to act as 2 ore stamps. The 4 ore stamp type used was the Denmark 1917 dull blue.

This leads us to the first stamp in the 1979 set engraved by Czeslaw Slania. Slania here has faithfully reproduced a 2 ore 'Provisional' diagonal bisect from 1919.

But as inevitably happens, pretty soon supplies of the 4 ore stamps began to run low. The Faroe Islands Post Office was given further permission to overprint 5 ore stamps with 2 ore values. To achieve this the local Post Office created their own hand stamp out of - believe it or not - a chair leg! These overprints were subsequently called 'chair leg stamps' The truth really is stranger than fiction. The stamp type used for these 'chair leg' overprints was the Denmark 1913 5 ore green.

This then leads us to the second stamp in the 1979 set engraved by Czeslaw Slania. Slania has again created a lovely replica of the 1919 'Provisional' 2 ore overprint on the Denmark 1913 5 ore green.

Until next time...

Stay Slania Crazy!