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Iceland stamps have a history of their own that is very interesting. The first Iceland postal stamps were issued in the year 1873 when Iceland was still under the rule of Denmark. That is why the postal stamps of Iceland that were issued at that time had same features as a Danish stamp had at that time. The first issued postal stamps of Iceland had two notable features. These stamps were numeral and the name of Iceland there was printed as Island. The first postal stamps of Iceland could be got for two to sixteen skilling.
Iceland stamps were reissued in the year 1876 to correspond with the change in the currency system. This version of Iceland stamps remained in use until the year 1902. These stamps were for a short while withdrawn in 1902 for introducing a new version of Iceland Stamps that had the picture of King Christian IX. But shortly afterwards, this plan was changed and the previous stamps remained in use with an over print that read I GILDI/'02-'03. The color of this overprint was either red or black.
Iceland stamps are of several types. There are commemorative stamps that honor some person or celebrate some great events. There are again pictorial Iceland stamps as well. There are airmail stamps also in Iceland. The first Iceland commemorative stamp was issued in the year 1911 that confers honor to the great freedom fighter of Iceland, named, Jon Sigurosson. Iceland had its first pictorial stamps that depict various natural beauties of Iceland, in 1925. Airmail stamps were introduced in Iceland in 1928. Iceland also brought out stamps to celebrate the thousand year anniversary of its parliament Althing, in 1930. There are several other kinds of stamps available in Iceland.
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