H.C. Andersen 
Postmarks, Slogan Cancels, Meters and Stationery

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There exists two official Danish postmarks related to H.C. Andersen.  It is pure co-incidence that both postmarks are issued for use on 28th August 1975 and 1997 -- with 22 years interval.  This date is not related to Andersen, who was born on 2nd April 1805, and died on 4th August 1870.  

• Denmark 1975.  Official First Day Cancel 28th August 1975.  Design by Claus Achton Friis.  

• Denmark 1997.  Official First Day Cancel 28th August 1997.  Design by Ole Sporring.  

Below are the postmarks applied to the relevant First Day Covers.  Collectors should note that these two postmarks are the only official ones, commemorating Hans Christian Andersen's 100th death anniversary.  There may well exist privately manufactured postmarks. 

• Denmark 1975.  Commemorating H.C. Andersen's 100th death anniversary. The drawing on the cachet illustrates "The Little Match-Girl".  Artist unknown.  

• Denmark 1997.  Europa Stamps - Tales and Legends.  The cachet on the cover is the same as the portrait on the 1975-issue, reproduced from a photograph of Andersen by Georg E. Hansen.  

The below postmark celebrated Andersen's 150th birth anniversary. Although the postage rates are different, the covers are genuine, and not philatelic.  Click on either of the images to see them large size.  The links will open in a new window.  The postmark on both covers is the same.  Both letters were cancelled on 2nd April 1855, Andersen's 150th birth anniversary.  Many thanks to Mr. Zvi Har'El (Israel) for providing these two images for this site.  

• Denmark 1955.  Regular cover (not FDC) celebrating Andersen's 150th birth anniversary.  The cachet shows an illustration to the fairy tale "Thumbelina", and is "signed" with Andersen's signature.  The franking with 12 øre indicates that the letter was an "open cover" containing only printed matters with no personal messages.  .

• Denmark 1955.  Regular cover (not FDC) celebrating Andersen's 150th birth anniversary.  The cachet shows a water colour of Hans Christian Andersen's House in Odense.  The 20-øre stamp, the then first domestic rate for letters up to 20 grams (from the Danish Millennium Series issued 1953-1956), indicates that it was a "closed cover", containing a normal letter to the recipient. 

From Mr. Rob McGuinness (Canada) I have received images of three slogan cancels, all related to Odense, Hans Christian Andersen's birth place, and all showing a design of "The Ugly Duckling" together with the slogan. None of the stamps used are related to the poet.  

• Besøg ODENSE 1986 - H.C. Andersen året  [Visit Odense 1986 - The Hans Christian Andersen Year]  

• ODENSE - EN REN BY  [Odense, a clean city]  

• ODENSE 1000 ÅR 1988  [Odense Millennium 1988]  

A large number of special cancels have been issued.  Here is a selection of those I have received from Rob McGuinness (Canada).  There exists more than shown here, but I do not have these images.  These cancels were produced for periodical use by the central post office in Odense.  

18th April 1977 H.C. Andersen's House

2nd April 1978 H.C. Andersen's Portrait

2nd April 1979 The Ugly Duckling

2nd April 1980 H.C. Andersen's Signature

2nd April 1981 The Tinder-Box

2nd April 1982 Numskull Jack

2nd April 1984 Shepherdess & ChimneySweep

2nd April 1985 The Tinder-Box

2nd April 1986 Thumbelina

29th July 1987 The Sandman

2nd April 1988 The Flying Trunk

2nd April 1991 The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Foreign Postmarks
H.C. Andersen has also been celebrated on foreign (non-Danish) postmarks.  Here are shown two different, one from Germany, and one from Jersey (Channel Islands).  Both show "The Little Mermaid", and were probably used at stamp shows or fairs.  

• Both cancels are fragments of covers gone through the mail.  Please note that the cancels show the statue of The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen Harbour, for which Denmark issued a stamp for promoting tourism in 1989.  Click here to see the Danish stamp, and compare it with the cancels.  The link will open in a new window.  Thanks to Mr. Rob McGuinness (Canada) for the scans. 

On 7th April 2005 the German Post Office has issued a very nice commemorative stamp for Andersen's bicentenary.  This stamp was FDC-cancelled in both Berlin and Bonn, as shown below. The German stamp can be seen here. 

• Germany 2005.  Postmarks showing The Little Mermaid, and The Flying Trunk, respectively.  Thanks to Mr. Harry Hoffmeister (Germany) for the scans. 

Stationery
The prepaid stamp exists in a number of face values, from 0.60 kr. and upwards.  They are all black on orange background, and all printed on light blue "aerogram-paper". Also an overprinted version (80 øre on 60 øre) exists.  Click on the image to see the aerogram of the face value of 1 kr. The link will open in a new window.

Denmark 1972.  Prepaid stamp on an aerogram, issued 1972.  The stamp was never issued for normal postage, but exists only in the prepaid version, and only printed on official aerograms issued by the Danish Post Office.  The illustration shows Andersen himself in his Flying Trunk, ready to conquer the world :-)

Many thanks to Mr. Erik Jensen, curator of the Danish Postal Museum, Copenhagen, for proof-reading this page. 

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