DenmarkFirst Postage Stamp

A Scandinavian pioneer

Denmark’s 4 R.B.S. brown was the first stamp issued in Northern Europe, released on April Fool’s Day 1851, it marked the country’s entry into global postal reform with a squarish, emblematic design, now a classic of early philately. Printed on handmade paper with a small crown watermark, this issue sits among the earlier European uses of watermarked paper. It is also a stamp that invites caution: forgeries and reprints are common, and some are even found with false watermarks. The 4 R.B.S. exists in a wide range of brown shades, from deep chocolate brown through yellow-brown, olive-brown, and intermediate tones. Only the chocolate brown shades from the Ferslew printing are considered the true first issue. All other shades belong to later Thiele printings, produced between 1 April 1852 and 31 March 1854, and are therefore later issues. As a first issue collector, this is where Denmark becomes especially interesting. The Ferslew printings were produced by copperplate engraving, often leaving a subtle surface relief visible under angled light and sometimes perceptible to the touch. Thiele’s later typographic printings appear flatter, without this engraved impression. While not a standalone test, this physical difference is a useful supporting detail when separating Denmark’s true first from its successors. A similar crown design, but with the value expressed in CENTS, was later issued in 1856 for the Danish West Indies, a first issue story for another post.