Greenland Parcel Post, Pakke Porto Stamps

Does anyone on this board collect the Greenland Parcel Post stamps of 1905-1937? I started collecting these a couple of years ago. Once I got the basic set I went after perf types, then the different printings, then printing flaws or varieties, then cancels, etc.

I find them really beautiful and would love to exchange thoughts with other collectors, if any. Here's my Q1a, first printing.

a sound copy without any repairs to the perforation.

grats with that, it must have cost a pretty penny.

2real------We are all looking forward to you showing us your collection of the Parcel Post stamps on pages . It will be interesting to learn if the perfs are different with each printing .

Not a bad idea to share the collection. Maybe it will get other collectors interested in this issue, or help me find some missing stamps . Here's the first page. I make the album pages myself using AlbumEasy 4.2.1 I can also email a pdf if someone wants to use them, just let me know.



First of all, while a few of these stamps were distributed to trade offices in Greenland, which makes them the first government authorized stamps for use in Greenland, the vast majority of them were sold at the Copenhagen trade office and used on parcels sent from Denmark to Greenland.

The first printing is from 1905. Three values were issued, 1, 5 and 10 ore. The paper is toned a bit yellowish and between 0.011 to 0.013 mm thick for gummed stamps. Stamps were printed in sheets of 25 and perforated 12.25. All stamps are perforated on 4 sides.

These stamps were NOT available for purchase to collectors until 1915. Mint stamps existing today are whatever remnants they had for sale beyond 1915. For this reason they are quite scarce.



Let me know if you like them!

Yes , very nice ,like your page write up and lay out .

My collection is on my website. I do have the two shown as missing (used copies) but haven't updated those pages in ages...

I see plenty of expansion possibilities.

there are different paper types, different usage periods(printings) stamps with 2-3 and 4 sided perforation.

and of course, loads of plate flaws, sheet reconstrution and cancellations to be dived into :)

you should follow Danish auction sites, many of these are for sale every week/month.

Billsey, thank you for sharing. I started more or less the same way but was bothered by the different paper types which led me to learn more about the issue and ultimately decided to expand.

Let's do another one. I realize the pages look bluish on the pictures but it's the only way I can avoid glare from the mounts...

In 1910, a second printing of the 5 and 10 ore values was ordered. The paper used was white (not toned), and a bit thinner, between 0.095-0.098 mm. Stamps were again perforated 12.25. The sheets were cut small in such a way that the edges of the sheet were not perforated and were straight instead.

Every sheet of 25 stamps had: 9 stamps perforated on 4 sides, 12 stamps perforated on 3 sides and 4 stamps perforated on 2 sides. I collect these 3 varieties but I don't collect all possible orientations for the stamps with 1 or 2 straight edges.

Please ignore the bottom row stamps for now. I'll explain those later.

Ah, but the bottom row is much more interesting than the others. :)

Great collection, 2RealesAzul !!

I believe there are a number of collectors of these parcel post stamps. At least based on my lack of success at auction for them. After a few years I finally broke down and paid the price. I paid about 50% of Scott, which as a world collector is for me, a high premium even if some are NH. But I'm very satisfied with what I got.

But yours are superior and much more complete than mine.

As a world collector I'm just going for Scott listed but even that is tough. But I now know that any additions I may get that are 'duplicates' may not really be duplicates.

Thanks for sharing!

Billsey: Indeed, those second rows are much more interesting. Keen eyes! But we'll get to those in chronological order...

Thinkstamp: Thank you for sharing! Nice set, almost complete and with good centerings. That is what my collection looked like before I decided to specialize. I thought I'd mention in case you don't know that the two black stamps at the end (3 ore and 5 krone) are complete fabrications made for collectors. Never existed as stamps and not even proofs.

Let's do a few more... in 1915 the Greenland Trade Office ordered a reprint of the 1 ore green stamp. In addition, three new values were issued: 2 ore yellow, 15 ore violet and 20 ore red. Similar to the 1910 printing, the paper used was white and between 0.095-0.098 mm thick. The sheets were also cut short, resulting in some stamps having one or two straight edges.

The main change compared to the previous issues is that these four stamps were perforated 11.25 instead of 12.25.

Again, ignore the second row for each picture. I'll talk about those in my next post.

Amazing collection . I must say I never ever remember seeing a collection which was of straight sides or straight top or bottom and then with reperf straight edges ,very different .......but I found it interesting .

WOW to the OP and others.





Me.

However I have not advanced to the levels shown above. I dabble and grab when something shows up under my nose. The money needed for collections as shown above tends to go in the direct of other collecting interests now. I have always told myself if I have finished with US Q & JQs, I would seriously go after the Greenland Qs.

Thanks 2RealesAzul, for information on the 2 imperforate black issues. I did not know they are fabrications.

Time to talk about those official reperforated stamps now...

A significant development in 1915 was that the Greenland Trade Office (GTO) finally allowed collectors to purchase Pakke-Porto stamps. There was high demand for these stamps and for example both in 1915 and 1916, the GTO reported higher revenue from sales of stamps to collectors than for proper parcel postage use.

But collectors were picky, and preferred stamps perforated on 4 sides (9 per sheet) rather than those with straight edges (16 per sheet). This led in 1918 to the GTO sending their remnants of stamp sheets with straight edges back to the printer (Thiele in Copenhagen) to be reperforated.

So the origin of these "officially reperforated" stamps was purely to meet collector demand. The reperforations are 11.5 and were done on all values, 1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20 ore. This led to some interesting stamps as the 5 and 10 ore values were originally perforated 12.25. If you look at my P3IIC3 on image above you'll notice the perfs on top and left margin are bigger size than those on bottom and right. This stamp was position 1 on the sheet.

This process also created some significant rarities. For example, there were only 25 reperforated sheets of the 5 ore stamp which means only 100 reperfed "corner" stamps exist. Needless to say, one should only buy these stamps with a certificate.

Reperforated stamps of the other values (1, 2, 15 and 20 ore) are, in my opinion, quite difficult to identify.

It's a great showing. I've played with the issue a little bit because the stamps also were used for Greenland's postal savings system (makes for some fun cancel hunting).