2018-08-09 Thu

The first commemorative Iceland stamps appeared in 1911, celebrating an Icelandic-born Danish statesman and author, Jon Sigurdsson whom they consider as being the father of their independence movement.

Born in the West Fjords region of Iceland, Jon Sigurdsson is known for being a protagonist of modernization, democracy, human rights, and economic progress. Through his efforts, the Kingdom of Denmark granted Iceland a constitution in 1874, giving it limited autonomy in its internal affairs. Today, Jon Sigurdsson is considered the leader of Iceland's 19th Century independence movement, and his birthday is observed as a national holiday.

40 years since the first stamps were issued, Iceland was set to issue nation’s first commemorative stamps. The chosen event was the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Jon Sigurdsson. The stamps were issued with the denomination 1Eyrir being the lowest and 25Aurar being the highest. The stamps depict an outlined portrait of Jon Sigurdsson in the centre.

This is the simplest yet most powerful commemorative stamp that came with the size of definitive stamps.

Image Courtesy: https://www.stamp-collecting-world.com