Iceland Christmas FDC

Christmas FDC from Iceland received yesterday.  Not sure if Postphil will be producing any more FDCs after this year.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Last order from Postphil?

Possibly maybe my last order of stamps from Iceland Post's "PostPhil". With Iceland Post losing money and Postphil operating at a loss since 2014, the decision was made to shut Postphil down. What does that mean? It means no more philatelic sales. Fewer stamp issues or none at all. And stamps that are issued will be difficult to obtain because Iceland Post will no longer have a philatelic bureau. I understand there are a few possible scenarios for the future of stamps in Iceland but for now it doesn't look good.

This is the official statement from the Postphil website:

Dear customer,

In an effort to help stabilize Iceland Post’s economic situation, the company’s board has decided to close Postphil in its current form at the end of this year. Postphil has been operating at a loss since 2014. Revenue has decreased significantly due to a fall in the number of customers, while operating costs have remained the same.

As things stand today, there are no certainties regarding the number of stamp issues in the coming years. However, it is certain that there will be a reduction in the number of issues and the number of issue dates per year.

Best regards,

The staff at Postphil

This is what was in my last order. There was a time when I used to regularly purchase mint stamps and FDCs from places like Iceland. Back when the Canadian dollar was stronger and I had more disposable income. But it's been quite a while since I've purchased stamps from Postphil. In fact, I probably stopped around the time their revenue started falling. Too many self adhesive issues and the costs were getting way too high for a casual collector like myself. I'll probably place another order after the Christmas issues are available, before the office gets shutdown for good.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Garðabær, Iceland

Iceland Manuscripts

The stamps on this cover from Iceland are from a pair that is a joint issue with Denmark. The stamps on this cover contain text from a Danish manuscript that contains the legal statutes for Sjælland (the largest Danish island). There was another stamp issued also that contains text from The Book of Kálfalækur. Both manuscripts are part of the Arnamagnæan Collection, which was started in the 17th century by Icelandic scholar and manuscript collector Árni Magnússon.

Reykjavík, Iceland

Iceland, Eldfell Volcano Special Cancellation

On 3 July 2013, Iceland post issued a special cancellation to mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the Westmann Islands volcanic eruption. In 1973, the Eldfell mountain on the island of Heimaey erupted, forcing the evacuation of the entire population of the island to the main land. The eruption lasted for several months and destroyed a large part of the only town on the island. When it was all over, the area of the island had increased by more than 12 square kilometres.

Grimsey, Iceland

The arctic circle runs through the the island of Grimsey. It's the northern-most inhabitable part of Iceland. Home to less than 90 inhabitants who share the island with huge flocks of sea birds. There are no wild mammals on the island: not even a mouse. And only the occasional polar bear bothers to swim ashore.

Iceland - Poles and Glaciers

Iceland Post has released their issue for the 2009 Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers joint issue. What's interesting about this sheet is the use of a thermally sensitive ink to mark the extent of the current Northern polar ice cap as it is today. But when heated to a temperature equivalent to body temperature, the red lines fade to show where the ice cap will remain in 2100. The sad reality is that the ice will likely melt much faster than predicted. A more complete image would have also shown the shorelines receding as the ice metls and the water levels rise.

Iceland's Nordic Mythology Issues

Iceland's contribution to the "Top of the World" Nordic Mythology Issues: 2004, 2006 and 2008