ROYALTY

When King Frederik IX passed away on 14th January 1972, his eldest daughter, Crown Princess Margrethe, born 1940, assumed the Danish throne as Queen Margrethe II.  New definitive stamps were not issued before 1974.  The below series, issued in the period 1974-1981, shows the Queen seen in profile at the age of 34.  In the lower right corner is the Queen’s crowned monogram, designed by herself.  

The series contains not less than 32 different stamps, some of which have the same surface value, but different colours.  They are all listed below in order of values, and with a short description mentioning their colour which may be difficult to determine correctly from a scan, and the date of issuance for each of them.  Also any particularities, such as type of paper and missing first day covers, are mentioned separately.  The year of issue is not mentioned on the stamps; this information is given after the Danish AFA-catalogue.  All stamps are still valid for postage. 

  • Denmark 1963.  15 øre, green.  Also printed on fluorescent paper, both with shiny gum.

  • Denmark 1965.  25 øre, light green.  Also printed on fluorescent paper, both with shiny gum.

  • Denmark 1967.  30 øre, blue-green.  Only printed on fluorescent paper, with shiny gum.

  • Denmark 1971.  40 øre, orange.  Only printed on fluorescent paper, with shiny gum.

  • Denmark 1972.  70 øre, red.  Also printed on fluorescent paper, both with invisible gum.

  • Denmark 1974 and 1977.  20 øre, dark blue.  Two different issues, both on fluor paper.  The one with shiny gum appeared in 1974, and was sold in singles from sheets of 50; the other one with invisible gum was issued in 1977 and first appeared as a se-tenant booklet stamp.  

  • Denmark 1974 and 1977.  50 øre, brown.  Two different issues, both on fluor paper.  The one with shiny gum appeared in 1974, and was sold in singles from sheets of 50; the other one with invisible gum was issued in 1977 and first appeared as a se-tenant booklet stamp.

  • 1976.  29th March.  (80 øre, brown).  

  • 1974.  21st February.  (90 øre, violet).  

  • 1974.  July.  (90 øre, red).  New colour.  This stamp is printed on both ordinary and fluorescent paper.  No official first day cover. 

  • 1976.  29th March.  (90 øre, black-green).  

  • 1979.  9th April.  (90 øre, blue-grey).  

  • 1974.  21st February.  (100 øre, blue).  See the same stamp with overprint POSTFÆRGE (Ferry Post). 

  • 1975.  20th March.  (100 øre, grey).  

  • 1976.  29th March.  (100 øre, red).  This stamp is printed on both ordinary and fluorescent paper.  

  • 1977.  27th October.  (100 øre, brown).  

This unusual stamp, with overprint «Postfaerge» was used to pay postage between the islands of Logstor and Aggersünd from 27.02.1975 to 30.04.1977. All funds were used to build a bridge to connect the two islands.

  • 1978.  16th February.  (110 øre, orange). 
  • 1979.  9th April.  (110 øre, brown).  
  • 1974.  21st February.  (120 øre, grey-blue). 
  • 1977.  27th October.  (120 øre, red).  
  • 1975.  20th March.  (130 øre, blue).  
  • 1979.  9th April.  (130 øre, red).  
  • 1981.  19th February.  (130 øre, brown).
  • 1980.  29th May.  (140 øre, orange).  
  • 1978.  16th February.  (150 øre, blue).  
  • 1980.  19th February.  (150 øre, orange).  
  • 1979.  9th April.  (160 øre, blue).  
  • 1981.  2nd January.  (160 øre red).  
  • 1977.  27th Otober.  (180 øre, black-green). 
  • 1980.  29th May.  (180 øre, blue). 
  • 1981.  4th May.  (200 øre, blue). 

  • 1980.  11th September.  (210 øre, grey).  

  • 1981.  2nd January.  (230 øre, black-green).  

  • 1981.  2nd January.  (250 øre, blue-green).  

At the occasion of Queen Margrethe II’s 50th birthday on 16th April 1990, the Danish Postal Administration initiated a new definitive series, featuring the Queen.  This is the third series of Danish definitives.  (The second series is not engraved by Czeslaw Slania).  

The stamps are engraved by Czeslaw Slania after a photograph taken by the Danish photographer Rigmor Mydtskov.  Please note, that there are small differences in the details of the engravings of each issue.  It is not mentioned anywhere on the stamps that Czeslaw Slania has engraved them, and neither does the year of issue appear on the stamps.  They are, however, listed as Slania-stamps in the Danish AFA-catalogue, from where the information is taken.  The series were issued over the period 1990-1994.

  • 1990.  5th April.  (3,50 kr., red).  

  • 1991.  14th February.  (3,75 kr., green).  

  • 1992.  10th June.  (3,75 kr., red).  

  • 1996.  27th June.  (4,00 kr., brown).  

  • 1992.  14th February.  (4,50 kr., violet).  

  • 1991.  14th February.  (4,75 kr., blue).  
  • 1992.  10th June.  (4,75 kr., violet). 
  • 1992.  10th June.  (5,00 kr., blue).  
  • 1996.  27th June.  (5,25 kr., grey-blue).  
  • 1994.  13th January.  (5,50 kr., green).