The last twelve years of Gustaf V
New printing press

In 1935 the Post started to search for a new printing press as the old Stickney press at this time was very worn. The demands for a modern, better and faster press was also an important factor.

On 6.6 1936 the Post Office decided to buy a machine from the German firm Goebel in Darmstadt.

The old Stickney machine was used until 7.7 1939 and then dismantled and sent to Lidköping. In Lidköping the machine was mounted up again, and stored in a room until 1945, when it was sent back to Stockholm and placed in the Postal Museum.

When the Stickney press was abandoned, it had printed about 6'000 million stamps.

With the new printing machine, the Post was able to print 8'500 stamps each minute. The printing cylinder consisted of one cylinder, and not two half cylinders as the Stickney press did.

The first stamp

When the new machine was mounted and tested the stamp printing began. In January 1938 the first Goebel printed stamp was issued.

These stamps, with the picture of Emanuel Swedenborg, were issued in coils with 100 or 500 stamps, booklets with 20 stamps and sheets with 120 stamps.

The booklets, which are hand made, exist in three basic varieties: Left or right stamp perfed on three sides in pair with stamp perfed on four sides, or both stamps perfed on four sides. All booklets with the irregular perforation 3+4 or 4+3 are rare and expensive, booklets where all stamps are perfed on all sides are relatively common but not worthless.

The reason why the three sided perfed stamps are rare, is not just the fact that only 24 stamps of 120 in each sheet were perfed on three sides. The staff at the post offices, and the stamp collectors of the late 30'ies thought that the sheets were irregular, with both stamps perfed on four and stamps perfed on three sides. Often the three side perfed stamps were removed and sold as single stamps to people who did not collect stamps, but wanted to send a letter.

New definitive stamps

King stamps

The new set of definitive stamps had a picture of the King in right profile. From 1939 until 1950 were 16 different stamps with this picture issued. 10 öre lilac and 20 öre carmine were issued in two different types (small and large numerals). Most of the stamps were printed in more then one shade, but the value is equal independent of the shade.

Preparing stamps

The stamps in sheets were all the four sides were perfed, were issued after WW 2. These stamps are the so called beredskapsmärkena (preparing stamps). The stamps were printed 1939 - 1940 and sent to a secret place. The reason for this extra printing and extra work was the war in Europe. The Post Office wanted to be prepared if Sweden would have been stricken by the war, and the printing factory destroyed.

After the war, the stamps were issued and sold from 25.7 1946 in all post offices, but the sheets were not popular at all. The Swedes were used to use booklets (private persons) or coils (companies), so unprinted covers for booklets were sent to the post offices. In Malmö writing paper temporary was used, but these booklets are very rare. The booklets made at the post offices are called postmästarhäften (post master booklets), then the clerk cancelled the booklets with the local post mark.

Tre Kronor

The definitives with the picture of the King were supposed for the most common mail as letters, printed matter, post cards etc. As parcel stamps the stamps of Tre Kronor (Three Crowns) were used. Tre Kronor should be the longest set ever issued in Sweden. Totally were 34 different stamps issued 1939 - 1969. Some of the stamps exist in several shades and 1;40 + 3;- also exist on two paper types (without and with fluorescence). The only clearly documented varieties are on the 60 öre and 85 öre green stamps, but much more exist. The set is un-investigated and very interesting if you want a challenge, but prefer to collect cheap stamps.

The original drawing was made by the drawing teacher Artur Johansson and can be seen in the Postal Museum.

High values

In 1941 the Post Office issued a 5;- stamps with the picture of the Castle in Stockholm. It was issued in coils and booklets. The booklets with stamps perfed on three sides in pair with stamps perfed on four sides are extremely rare and booklets with stamps perfed on all four sides are very rare.

The Flying Swan, issued in 1942, is also very rare in booklets were all the four sides on the stamp are perfed (3+4 or 4+3 does not exist). Stamps perfed on three sides are very common (sold until 1990), but be ware of the booklet issued in 1953 with 20 stamps which is very good. Booklets with 10 stamps are very common and not worth much more then the stamps face value.

Commemorative stamps

All commemorative stamps issued 1938 - the Bellman stamp in 1940 exist with the irregular perforation (3+4 or 4+3). These stamps are more or less rare, but always well worth collecting in mint or used condition.

From 1940 most of the stamps are common or very common in cancelled condition and relatively common in mint condition. Most stamps collectors in Sweden prefer these "modern" stamps with the post mark Socked-on-the-nose. Place and date must be clearly readable and the stamps ought to be cancelled within time of circulation (i.e. within the time the stamps were sold at the post office).

Varieties exist more or less on the stamps issued until 1950, but the field is un-investigated. The catalogues just lists a few varieties (e.g. the Red Cross from 1945).

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The last twelve years of Gustaf V New printing press