Sweden - Sverige

The Treskilling Yellow
Source: Wikipedia

Sweden issued its first postage stamps on 1 July 1855, a set of five values denominated in skilling banco. These stamps depicted the coat of arms(Vapentyp), were inscribed "SVERIGE", as have been all subsequent Swedish stamps, and were perforated. Sweden was therefore the first country to issue perfed stamps from it's first stamp.

A printing error resulted in the Treskilling Yellow, a unique stamp that is currently the highest-priced in the world. Due to a printing error, this stamp is printed on yellow colored paper (meant for the eight skilling stamp of the same set) instead of the usual green color (used for the three skilling stamp). One copy of the yellow error variety of this stamp was found in 1885 by a young Swedish boy in his grandfather's collection. It is a one-of -a- kind rarity, as no other copies have been discovered to date. In 1996 the stamp was sold to an anonymous collector for $2.3 million at auction.
 (The following is based on History of Swedish Stamps and Wikipedia - with some additions from The History of Swedish Stamps.)

In 1856 a black stamp for local mail followed. It had no value printed, but had a face value of 1 skilling banco. Also here a printing mistake is known. As the stamp is very regular, it is very easy to turn it up-side-down without taking any note of it. This happened during printing the stamp, and a so-called tete-beche was born.

New currency
 

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The öre reform in 1858 led to that the skilling banco stamps being replaced by six stamps in the same design but the stamps slightly, denominated in öre and riksdaler.

In 1862 the local mail stamp was printed in brown, due to new rules who would receive the money.

A new design that included a reclining lion appeared in 1862, but it was used only for 3 öre, 17 öre, and 20 öre values

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The Circle-type  (Ringtyp) stamps

 

The figures of the coat-of-arms stamps were very small, and as the light was very bad in post offices and postal railway wagons, mistakes were made (and the wrong stamps taken). In 1872 the Post Office issued the so called Circle type stamp, featuring a large numeral in a round frame.

Although the "Lion type" stamps were already in circulation, the Ringtyp series was largely intended as a replacement for the Arms type ("Vapentyp") stamps that had been in use since Sweden's initial stamp issue in 1855.

(For an interesting collection of this issue see Ringtyp Stamps of Sweden)

The numeral issue included Sweden's first bi-colored stamp; the 1-riksdaler value was printed in bistre and blue, and the center design was the Three Crowns of the royal arms. The numerals continued in use for nearly twenty years, the main change being the replacement of the riksdaler stamp with a 1-kronor value in 1878 (five years after the introduction of krona).
 

Source: Wikipedia

This set exists it three different types: Perforation 14 (1872 - 1876), perf. 13 without post horn on reverse side (1877 - 1879) and perf. 13 with post horn (in blue)on reverse side (1886 - 1891) - plus different paper types and shades. Imperfed pieces are known from almost all Circle type stamps, but the most famous variety is the 20 öre perf. 13 without post horn. It exists with the correct 20 inside the ring, but faulty TRETIO (thirty) in the ring - and is a valuable error.



1877 1 riksdaler Ringtyp
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In 1877 Sweden issued a stamp on perf. 13 in the old Riksdaler currency, which was abandoned already in 1875 for the Krona. The first Krona stamp was issued in 1878.


Oscar II period
  The domestic postal rate was decreased from 12 to 10 öre in 1885, when the monarch made a first appearance on stamps in 1885, in the person of Oscar II, who was depicted in profile on a 10 öre value.

(The following year the practice began of printing a posthorn on the back of each stamp, underneath the gum - as described above.)

In 1889 a shortage of 10 öre values necessitated the surcharge of 12 öre and 24 öre numerals.

Source: Widipedia

In 1891 the first copper plate printed stamps were issued. The stamps were printed on paper with water mark crown and marginal watermark KONGLIGA POSTVERKET (from 1911 KUNGLIGA POSTVERKET).  In 1891 a new definitive series featured bi-colored numerals for low values and a profile of Oscar II for the 5 öre and up. Varieties in water mark are common (except water mark crown + KPV).

On 26 October 1903, Sweden's first commemorative stamp came out; a 5-kronor value depicting the Stockholm Post Office on the occasion of its opening.This stamp is twice the size of Oscar and printed in copper plate recess with a nice blue shade.

Gustaf V

When King Oscar II died in 1907 he was succeeded by Gustaf V. In 1911 new stamps in 20 and 25 öre were needed, but no stamps with the picture of Gustaf V were ready. The post office reprinted therfore these two Oscar stamps on paper with only watermark KPV in the sheet margins.

Additional surcharges were needed in 1918 before new stamps of the series could be printed.

1920 saw the introduction of coil stamps using a lion design and a new portrait of Gustav, along with a crown and posthorn design for larger denominations, as well as a commemorative depicting Gustavus Adolphus and marking the 300th anniversary of a precursor mail route that ran from Stockholm to Hamburg. These and subsequent Swedish issues were usually issued in both booklet (or sheet) and coil form. During the 1920s, the 1920 definitives were gradually supplanted by a new series with a 3/4 profile of Gustav.

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In 1924, the Universal Postal Union celebrated its 50th anniversary and its Congress was held in Stockholm, so Sweden issued two series marking it, the first with a view of the Stockholm skyline, and the second with two designs; a postrider watching an airplane, and a carrier pigeon over a globe. Both sets were primarily aimed at collectors, but are nevertheless prized today.