5 The standard Stamps

 

The standard stamp

The most usual stamp we can find at letters is a blue 2½ d stamp. At the postcard we can see the green ½ d stamp and/or the red 1 d stamps.           
                                        

The cancellation of the stamps is a tragic story. A typical cancellation is indisttinctly and ugly, and almost impossible to read the day, month and year. The reason for this is probably the fact that almost every letter and post card was delivered to the stations a few days before the ship was leaving. The secretary had to put stamps and cancellations on all mail, 3.000 – 4.000 of them, in a short time. The quality was not in focus. 

The shortage of stamps

The most exciting part of the philateley from South-Georgia in this period is from the First time after the post office in Gryteviken was established in 1909, and not forget the times when the postmaster went out of stamps. 

The post office at South-Georgia was opened the 22.nd of December 1909. Up to this date it was normal to use stamps from Falkland Islands and cancellation with inscription FALKLAND ISLANDS. It was need for a statement that told people that the letter did came from South-Georgia, not the Falkland Islands. The solution was to use a stamp made of rubber. In the beginning the cancellation gave us SOUTH GEORGIA in a big print, later small print; South Georgia.

 In the end of June in 1910 dd the island get their own cencellation with SOUTH GEORGIA. The rubber stamp was from now on history. 

No huge reserve, since  the postmaster at South-Georgia himself had to buy the stamps he had at the post office, he only kept a small number of them. Sometimes he run out of stamps with most usual values, or was about to do it. In October 1911, Edward Beveridge Binne made a rubber cancellatuin that give the following text ; "PAID at SOUTH  GEORGIA " initials to the postmaster. 

In January 1928 when the postoffice went out of  ½ d and 2 ½ d stamps. It as given a license from Port Stanly to overprint the 2 d value with 2 ½ d. The overprint was done at South-Georgia on 1.179 stamps. From the atamps used on letters, there is only four letters known with correct use of stamps

Postcard sent along with a Christmas gift, via Buenos Aires, to the New Fortuna Bay whaling station. This card came in a large Christmas present. (Often consisting of fruit, nuts, cake, etc.) The translation of the text is: My dear husband. I wish you a merry and blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. Christmas 1918. Your Anette.

Carl Edvardsen was a foreman at Grytviken and later held the same job at New Fortuna Bay. At one station there were 3-5 foremen meaning he was only in charge of some of the men. Above the foremen sat the Manager (Bestyrer in Norwegian). He was in charge of all the men on a station.

                                       Whaler “Pagodroma” was one of the hunters.

Built in 1912 as whale catcher PAGODROMA at ved Akers mek. Verksted, Kristiania for Hvalfangerselskapet Ocean A/S (Chr. Nielsen & Co.), Larvik.

In 1920 Hvalfangerselskapet Ocean A/S, Larvik merged with Hvalfanger-A/S Vestfold (Peder Bogen), Sandefjord. The company had been authorized to operate 5 whaling vessels out of Stromnes, South Georgia.

Letter sent from Oslo 21-1-1931 to secretary Leif Foght, employed by the Argentine company de Pesca at Grytviken South Georgia. The letter was sent at the time a transport / tanker was about to leave Norway and directly to sail to Gryteviken South Georgia. Rate for a letter abroad (ship) was 30 øre between 1/1/1927 and 9/30/1946.