2018-08-09 Thu

Geysir Stamps were the first pictorial definitive stamps of Iceland. 60 years after the first definitive stamp, Iceland issued pictorial definitive stamps which replaced the portrait-type or single-design-type definitive postage stamps of the past.

Geysir, or the Great Geysir, is a geyser in the Haukadalur Valley in Southwestern Iceland. The English word "geyser", meaning a "periodically spouting hot spring", is derived from the Icelandic word "Geysir" which is derived from the Old Norse verb "geysa", meaning "to gush".

Geysir and other geysers in the Haukadalur Valley are the most popular destinations for tourists visiting Iceland. It is, hence, featured on the stamps which were issued between 1938 and 1947. The common design of these stamps features the GEYSIR, with observers standing around its base. The stamps were issued with the denominations of 15Aurar, 20Aurar, 35Aurar, 40Aurar, 45Aurar, 50Aurar, 60Aurar and 1Krona.

The new pictorial definitive postage stamps were eventually issued with variable designs, and they featured subjects of importance to the Icelandic people, such as their history, their culture, and the beautiful scenery of their island nation.

Image Courtesy: https://colnect.com