Denmark Is Now A "Dead Country"

https://thedanishdream.com/news/den...tional-mail/

PostNord, Denmark's 400-year-old state run postal service, delivered its last letter this week. If anybody wants to mail a letter in Denmark it now has to be done through a private company called Dao.

What about postage stamps:

"Traditional PostNord stamps will become invalid in 2026. They will be replaced by new "letter marks," available digitally through Dao's website and app. Prices will depend on the letter's weight and destination.

Those with unused stamps from 2024 and 2025 can request refunds by sending them as parcels to PostNord for verification. Refunds are expected to be processed within about three weeks."

How soon until other countries follow?

You are somewhat late to the ball

https://goscf.com/t/89134

PostNord is just over 15 years old. It continues to operate in Sweden.

Sorry, I didn't notice this had been discussed earlier this year or I would have posted it as an update to the existing thread.

The definition of a dead country is "any area that has ceased existence and no longer produces postage stamps".

Hardly the case with Denmark.

rogdcam - What definition should be used for Denmark then? Maybe "Postally Extinct" or "Philatelically Mortibund"? If Denmark is the pioneer of what other countries may be doing with their own postal systems in the future, I guess a new term needs to be created.

They are not postally extinct, the mail is just being privatized rather than being run by the federal government.

People collect stampless covers that were mailed before the invention of stamps, and people collect postal stationery and metered mail that don't have adhesive postage stamps attached.

The next generation of collecting in Denmark will be of Dao's "letter marks" and I wouldn't be surprised to someday see a specialty exhibit of the evolution of this and/or other private posts.

It may not appeal to traditional off-cover postage stamp collectors, but philately is a big tent and dismissing this transformation of mail delivery in Denmark as a dead end is short sighted. From the link in the OP, Dao actually charges 20% less than PostNord for a regular 100-gram letter, so this switch from a 400 year old service to a modern shipping and logistics company may be an improvement in some ways.

Found on ebay:

Whose definition is this? Citation please.



For better or worse, we have no agreed-upon standard governing body creating official "definitions". They certanly would not have made the one above for some of the reasons stated in the posts which followed. Ask a dozen collectors and you'll certainly get a dozen different nuances.

I am looking forward to the next letter or shipment I get from Denmark!

ZebraMan - Those Dao stickers seem like they should be classified as Cinderellas and not stamps. I wonder what the Denmark section of the 2027 Scott Catalogue is going to say about all this.

I don't suppose anyone in Copenhagen is holding their breath waiting for the opinion of some hack in New York. The dao labels may look dull, but they're still labels for paying postage, as much as a 1d black was.

They are called -- PRIVATE POST STAMPS, Germany had hundreds of them in the 1800's

John, apparently it is Linn's Stamp News's definition:

Welcome to DCStamps, a website designed as a resource for stamp and banknote collectors of countries which no longer exist — often defined as a "dead country". According to Linn's Stamp News, the definition of a dead country is "any area that has ceased existence and no longer produces postage stamps".

My definition of a Dead Country is somewhat different, see my Definitions page, the spirit remains the same, a focus on countries, colonies, revolutionary entities or occupational forces which no longer exist. Also, for this site at the moment, I have limited countries covered to those that ceased to exist by the end of 1959. This has been extended from 1955. Read more on my Dead Country List Page.

The above was taken from The Dead Countries website, ironically itself dead as it has not been updated for many years. But still has some great interesting information.

Essentially, DAO is taking over from Postnord. They have the approval of the Danish Ministry of Transportation. They are allowed to handle international and registered mail.

This, probably, will be a new reality for the UPU they have to deal with. A privatised company that was responsible for a country's mail delivery ceases to operate and another private company that has no historic connection to that country's government takes over.

The labels that DAO issues will serve as postage stamps. There is nothing Cinderella about that. And as GeoffHa said, the Danes will not be bothered with what some US publisher thinks.

It is likely Denmark will implement legislation that will allow DAO to operate as an ordinary mail carrier. Imagine how expensive the labels will be once DAO is recognised by the UPU and collectors have to catch up on the present postage labels.

You're referring to the Scott editorial staff? (If so, they've long since vacated NYC.)

Soaking up the Winter sun in Florida, I suppose.

Area that has ceased existence? Linn's thinks this is some kind of Discworld then?