stamp design
the National Museum of Iceland 150th Anniversary
The National Museum of Iceland was founded February 24th, 1863. That day National Librarian Jon Arnason brought a letter to the regional authorities from pastor Helgi Sigurdsson at Jörfi offering fifteen relics a gift to Iceland with the request "that they be the first sprout in the collection of old Icelandic relics."
Until that time ancient Icelandic objects were mainly preserved in Danish museums. Þórður Jónasson, the regional governor, and bishop Helgi Thordersen accepted this gift in writing the same day.
The stamp depicts the cloth of Staðarhóls-Páll, embroidered with silk threads on linseed linen. The cloth is tightly stitched with floral and leaf patterns, animals and people in 16th century attire. The cloth is of foreign origin but came to the museum from Breidafjördur and was regarded as a great treasure at the time.
A First Day of Issue Cover or First Day Cover is a postage stamp on a cover, postal card or stamped envelope franked on the first day the issue is authorized for use within the country or territory of the stamp-issuing authority. Sometimes the issue is made from a temporary or permanent foreign or overseas office. There will usually be a first day of issue postmark, frequently a pictorial cancellation, indicating the city and date where the item was first issued, and "first day of issue" is often used to refer to this postmark. Depending on the policy of the nation issuing the stamp, official first day postmarks may sometimes be applied to covers weeks or months after the date indicated.
The illustration for the First Day Cover is from a 19th century saddle, exhibited at the National Museum of Iceland.
The postmark is the bird in the middle of the illustration.
exhibition 2013
at Reykjavik Art Museum
The stamp receved rewards for the best illustration in the year 2012 from the Association of Icelandic Graphic Designers
On DesignMarch 2013 the stamp was on display for the public at an exhibition in Reykjavik Art Museum
The stamp was also displayed as a flag amongst 29 other Icelandic stamps in Reykjavik Art Museum
From a small stamp - to a reasonable sized flag
