Page 6 - Gustaf Douglas: Classic Sweden

Prologue

GUSTAF DOUGLAS

”The Golden Collection” Once in the field, the collectors of Iceland turned
Philatelists and friends, my collecting of stamps out to be some characters with whom I could have
started a long time ago. Thanks to the current great fun: Axel Miltander, journalist at ”Göteborgs
President of the Royal Philatelic Society London, Posten” was the engine, full of energy and charisma.
Mr. Chris King, I am invited to ”no. 41” giving this Some were great enthusiasts and honestly to say
Display of my ”Classic Sweden” collection. Recently actually developed Icelandic philately. We had lots of
this year I aquired one of the most famous stamps fun and I gathered a nice collection of Iceland on
covers. Actually I managed to own two of the only
‐ the Golden Color Error 3 Skilling Banco Yellow.
I take the liberty of saying: ‐ This is my Golden 13 existing Icelandic Skilding covers on private hands.
Collection. Of course you want good company together with
the efforts to walk new paths. In Stockholm there
When it all started were good dealers but less ambiance and few people
Early on my collection was focused on Sweden and with whom you could have a nice time, but you had to
the idea was to own all catalogued stamps in used listen to a lot of preaching. We also witnessed the
condition. The deviation from this came from battle between “the real philatelists” (the collectors of
Bernhard Beskow of Frimärkshuset. Bernhard at the stamps, i.e. today’s traditional philately) and the
then point reminded me that classic Sweden, the way postal historians. This battle in Sweden culminated in
I wanted to collect it, would take a lot of time, so why the great forgery war, initially concerning the
not go for Iceland? (Needless to say, Frimärkshuset genuiness of the 3 Skilling Banco Yellow.
had a fairly good supply ín stock).

In the early 1970’s Gustaf Douglas had a nice collection of Iceland on covers and
managed to own two of the only 13 existing Icelandic Skilding covers on private hands.
One of the two was the above illustrated 8 Skilding single franking from Reykjavik to
Copenhagen, which today is present in Douglas Storckenfeldt’s (Sweden) collection.