Northern Europe has a rich and varied history of postage stamps. Here is an overview of the stamp history of some important Northern European countries: Åland, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Karelien, Latvis, , Lithuania, Nordingermanland, Norway and Sweden.

Äland

  • On March 1, 1984, Åland issues its first independent stamps. This series consists of two stamps, one with the image of a mail boat and the other with a landscape view.

Denmark

  • The first Danish postage stamp, the “Danish Royal Emblem,” was introduced on April 1, 1851 and shows the royal coat of arms.

Denmark-Faroe Islands

  • Before 1975, the Faroe Islands used Danish stamps. Danish postal services were established in the islands in the 19th century.

Denmark-Grönland

  • Prior to 1938, Danish stamps were used in Greenland. The first Danish post office was established in Greenland in the late 18th century.

Estonia

  • Estonia’s first stamps were issued in 1918 following the declaration of independence from Russia after World War I

Finland

  • The first Finnish postage stamp was issued on March 3, 1856, when Finland was still a Grand Principality under Russian rule. The first stamp shows the Finnish coat of arms and had a value of 5 kopecks.

Iceland

  • First issue (1873): Iceland issued its first stamps on January 1, 1873, when it was still part of Denmark. The first stamps show the Danish coat of arms.

Karelien

  • Karelia has been a contested region, with parts of it historically belonging to both Finland and Russia.

Latvia

  • Before Latvia issued its own stamps, the region was part of the Russian Empire.

Lithuania

  • Lithuania declared independence from Russia on February 16, 1918. The first Lithuanian postage stamps were issued in December 1918

Middle Lithuania

  • Middle Lithuania was established in October 1920 following the Polish seizure of Vilnius and surrounding regions from Lithuania.

Nordingermanland

  • North Ingermanland declared independence on July 9, 1920, amidst the turmoil following the Russian Revolution and subsequent civil wars.

Norway

  • First Issue (1855): Norway issued its first postage stamp on January 1, 1855. This stamp, known as the “Oscar I,” shows the portrait of King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway.

Sweden

Sweden issued its first postage stamp on July 1, 1855. This stamp, known as the “Three Skilling Banco,” shows the Swedish coat of arms.