2019-01-16 Wed

On 11th January, Faroe Islands issued a souvenir sheet to celebrate the 100th anniversary of stamps known as the “Chair Leg” provisionals. Since Faroe Islands was a county of Denmark in 1919, they used Danish stamps in those days. Currently, it is an independent, self-governing region of the Kingdom of Denmark.

The basic letter rate was increased from 5 ore to 7 ore on 1st January 1919. There was a need to release 2 Ore stamps in the Faroe Islands. At first, it was decided that 4 Ore stamps would be bisected and used as 2-ore stamps. However, the Torshavn post office had sold out all 4-ore stamps. A 2-ore surcharge was added to 5-ore stamps by the Torshavn postmaster, Rasmus Kristensen Pilgaard.

Pilgaard was not available and the deputy commander of the post office, Godskesen Andersen, worked on a plan to implement an overprint. The printers at Dimmalaetting did not take up the task as they were falling short of time. However, they produced the single character types 2, Ø, R and E which could be used in the overprint.

Godskesen Andersen asked master carpenter Peter Poulsen to attach them hem in a chair leg and the chair leg overprint was created. The chair leg imprint was used for the first time on 13th January 1919. A sheet of 100 stamps was overprinted simultaneously. They were all sold with a cancel by the post office. 155 sheets of 15,500 stamps were overprinted.

The new souvenir sheet comprises of two 11-krona stamps. The selvage features the texts “Essays 1919” and “1919-2019”. The smaller stamp features the bottom of the chair leg that was used to create the overprint. The bigger one features three essays that were submitted to the printer.

The “Chair Leg” provisional was featured on a 1979 Europa stamp from The Faroe Islands. A bisected 4-ore stamp is featured on another stamp from the same set.

Image Courtesy: Faroe Islands Post