Norway's Thor Heyerdahl

Here is set of stamps issued in 2014 to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl. The raft in the stamp on the left was used in his 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition to sail (drift) from Peru to Easter Island. And the one of the right is the Ra II which he used to sail from Africa to Barbados in 1970. His theories on migration are controversial and perhaps somewhat racist. But he did prove it would have been possible for ancient peoples to cross vast oceans using the limited tools and technology they had available at the time. 

Small Collection of Stamps from Norway

The pair of stamps at the top from 2023 are from a set showcasing the scenic beauty of Noway. Lower left is a stamp from a 2024 set that commemorated the Norwegian town of Bodø being recognized as the European Capital of Culture in 2024. And lower right is a stamp from a 2014 set promoting tourism in Norway and Viking Culture.

Oslo, Norway

The stamp on the right is a 2019 Europa bird stamp featuring a white-throated dipper: a small aquatic bird that can be found all over Norway. And on the left are a pair of tourism booklet stamps from 1998  featuring a scene from a fishing boat in Alesund.

Skein, Norway

A small collection of older stamps from Norway. From left to right, the 100th Anniversary of the Salvation Army in Norway (1988), a 1982 definitive, a 1991 Christmas stamp, a Geological Survey stamp from 1973, and a stamp from 1990 commemorating the 1930 Nobel Peace Prize winner Lars Olof Jonathan Söderblom.

Troll Station, Norway

Troll is Norway's only year-round Antarctic research station. It is only a few kilometers from the Troll Airfield which means mail get get to and from the base via Capetown very quickly during staff change-over at the beginning of the season. And I guess that's why this got back to be so fast. But no postmark? I was expecting a Tromsø postmark, assuming it would be returned to the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø. Maybe that's not the case. 

Bjørnøya, Norway

Bjørnøya, or Bear Island, is the southern most island of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago. Only a few people inhabit the island on a rotating basis, operating the weather and radio station. The 2022 stamp is from Post Norway's "Research, Innovation and Technology" stamp series. This stamp depict Hywind Tampen: the worlds first floating wind farm. There are three postmarks on this stamp. The obvious one is the Bjørnøya Arctic Loon postmark. At the bottom of the stamp is the circular Bjørnøya postmark. And at the top is an Oslo machine postmark.

Skien, Norway

Some older stamps on this cover from Skien. From left to right, 1986 Europa Protection of the Environment, 900th anniversary of the city of Bergen from 1970, Killer Whale Nordic stamp from 2020 and from 1978, the 75th anniversary of the birth of King Olav V.

Norwegian Minerals

From the town of Egersund, south of Stavanger. Mineral stamps from 1998. Silver on the left and cobaltite on the right. And a 1970's rock art definitive stamp on the far left. I received the "mountains and minerals" postcard below on the same day.

Posthorn Anniversary Specimen

I got this in the mail the other day from Norway Post. In the past I've received Christmas postcards and year-end greetings from postal administrations I have purchased stamps from online. Countries like Sweden and Luxembourg come to mind. But this one from Norway is a little different from what I usually receive.

This is an impref Posthorn 150th anniversary souvenir sheet that was mounted in a card with a thank-you note. It was included with a copy of their latest stamp bulletin. Specimen is overprinted across the stamp and I would have rather had an unmarked sheet or perhaps one with a handstamp on it. But no matter. It's an interesting souvenir.

Norway Posthorn stamps: 150th Anniversary

From Stathelle, Norway. German-Norwegian architect Wilhelm von Hanno designed the first Norwegian Posthorn stamp in 1872. It is the longest running definitive stamp series. At the bottom on it's side is a 1986 International Year of Peace stamp. I like how the postmark was rotated 90 degrees to mark that stamp.

Stathelle, Norway

Stathelle is a small town in the south of Norway. The postmark on this interesting cover was for a collector's fair in Stathelle that was held a couple of weeks ago on 25 September 2022.

Skien, Norway

Lots of stamps on this cover from Skien. Starting at the top right and going clockwise:

• 1990: The Second battle of Narvik in 1940
• 1981: Railway Ferry MF "Storegut" (1956)
• 1989: Birth centenary of author Arnulf Øverland
• 1990: Christmas - Children's Drawings
• 1985: 350th anniversary of Fort Kongstens
• 2020: Norwegian Jazz singer Radka Toneff's induction into the Rockheim Hall of Fame.

Barentsburg in Svalbard, Norway

The souvenir sheet is Norway's 2020 "Ancient Postal Routes" Europa issue. Barentsburg is a Russian coal mining settlement on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. About 500 people live there, mining coal for the Russian Arktikugol Trust. The postmarks appear to have been updated since the last cover I received from there almost 10 years ago. 

Pyramiden, Norway

Pyramiden was a small Soviet coal mining town 50 km north of Longyearbyen in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. It was abandoned in 1998 but has since become a tourist destination with a single hotel that houses a museum, gift shop and post office. This updated postmark was put into use in May of 2021.

Lillehammer, Norway

Skien, Norway

The stamp sheet was Norway's contribution to the 2010 Norden joint issue "Life at the Coast". Those are racks of stockfish (cod), hung out to dry.

 

Lillehammer, Norway

With the Maihaugen postmark. Maihaugen is a large outdoor museum on the edge of Lillihammer featuring over 200 traditional buildings from as far back as the 1400's.

Netherlands Arctic Station in Ny-Ålesund, Norway

Norway: European Perch Maximum Card

I like this newly issued perch stamp from Norway. It's their "Norden" issue for this year. I don't care much for maximum cards that have the same image as that of the stamp but I love the postmark. The way the date and "Olso" follow the lower body of the perch. It all works for me.

Norway 100 Years of History FDC

A set of five Norwegian stamps from 2005 highlight key events during 100 years of Norwegian History. From left to right, top to bottom:

• The swearing in of King Haakon VII on 27 November 1905 after the separation of Norway and Sweden
• The return from exile of Crown Prince Olav in 1945, after the liberation of Norway.
• The official launch of Norwegian Television in 1960
• Opening of the Ekofisk Oil Field in the North Sea in 1971
• Norway's 2-1 win over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup group stage which secured them a spot in the knockout stage. Their best World Cup finish so far.