Sweden 1975 Archeological Discoveries

• Label : "Posten Sverige AB" ("Royal Swedish Post - Supreme Administration of the Federal Council for the Swedish Post"); definitive stamps of the issue "Archeological findings in Sweden";
  

(issue of 5 stamps and 1 booklet à 8 stamps (2x4 stamps as 2 se-tenants))

Note:
The stamps shall illustrate the Viking Era in Sweden. However, art historical belong any of these findings to the Iron time and there to the so-called "Latène-time" at the Teutonic culture history. (450 BC – 0). Two artefacts orginate to the so-called "Vendel-time" (550 – 800 AD), called after the "Vendel"-region in Uppland (Sweden). The most of the there artefacts comes from the famous boat grave near "Valsagård".

Stamp datas:

• Catalogue numbers : Michel No. 894-898 (se-tenant from stamp booklet MH49); AFA: 898Cn-902Cn

- Michel: "x" = non-luminescent paper (1976); "y" = luminescent paper (1975)

- Michel "Do" = 3-sided perforation, upper side imperforate

- Michel "Du" = 3-sided perforation, lower side imperforate

- Michel: "C" = 4-sided perforation

• Colors :

- 10 (Öre) : brown carmine to dark red

- 15 (Öre) : black green

- 20 (Öre) : blue violet

- 25 (Öre) : orange ochre (different colors; not included in the stamp booklet)

- 55 (Öre) : black lilac

• Watermark : none
• Nominal values :

- 2.25 Krona = 10 + 15 + 20 + 25 + 55 (Öre) (single stamps)

- 2.00 Krona = 10 + 15 + 20 + 55 (Öre) (= se-tenant from stamp booklet Michel MH49)

• Postage validity :

- since 25 March 1975 (luminescent paper)

- since 1976 (normal paper)

• Designed by :

- Olof Sörling (1852-1927) (designer)

- Czeslaw Slania (1921-2005) (engraver)

• Printed by : "PFA Stamp Printing Works", Kinta (Sweden) (probably)
• Print process : Recess printing
• Perforation : 3-sided omb perforation, K 12½
• Print runs :

- stamps (without 25 Öre): 77,228,000

- booklets : 9,650,000

• Stamp size :

- printed area of a single stamp without signature line) : 20.5 x 19.0 mm

- printed area of a 4-stamps-se-tenant from booklet (without signatire line) : 94.0 x 19.0 mm

Definitive stamps of the issue "Archeological findings in Sweden";
(issue of 5 stamps and 1 booklet à 8 stamps (2x4 stamps as 2 se-tenants))

Stamps

Mint

10 Öre, mint	15 Öre, mint	20 Öre, mint
25 Öre, mint, engraved by A Wallhorn	55 Öre, mint

Postmarked

Michel No. 894, postmarked	Michel No. 895, postmarked	Michel No. 896, postmarked
Michel No. 897, postmarked	Michel No. 898, postmarked

Booklet

Booklet Michel No. MH49, mint

Booklet Michel No. MH49, postmarked

Se-tenant from boklet

Se-tenant from booklet Michel MH49, variant xDu, mint

First Day Cover

FDC to this issue

To the stamp motives:
- 10 (Öre) : Bronze helmet plate with the picture "Odin with his both ravens Hugin and Mumin"
- 15 (Öre) : Iron sword hilt and chape
- 20 (Öre) : Viking shield of the Vendel-period
- 25 (Öre) : Gold plate punched with figures of men and women, find from Eketorp (500-600 AD)
- 55 (Öre) : Iron Viking helmet of the Vendel period