Page 66 - Gustaf Douglas: Classic Sweden

Sweden 1872-1891 The Circle Type

FRAME 20

A new stamp design was needed again The seven tenderers
Referring to the situation by the end of the 1850’s, On 5 May 1871 the Swedish Post called for tenders to
when dissatisfaction was expressed against the print new Swedish stamps when the contract with
Swedish stamps with the Coat‐of‐Arms design (the Pehr Ambjörn Sparre’s printing house in Stockholm
Skilling Banco‐ and Öre‐types), the result was the new ceased from 1 January 1872. Seven tenders were
“Lying Lion Type postage stamps”. Ten years later the received. Besides Lithografiska Aktie‐Bolaget in
same dissatisfaction occurred with the “Lying Lion Norrköping, the only lithographic printing house
Type postage stamps”. They had not met the among the tenderers was Schlachter & Seedorf, from
expectations with a more clear and distinct presen‐ which lithographic essays were attached with their
tation of the denomination value. The official printer tender. The essays are recorded with “6 Öre and
of Swedish stamps was Pehr Ambjörn Sparre’s 12 Öre denominations” in different colors.
printing office in Stockholm, who had a contract with
the Swedish Post until the end of 1871. Schlachter & Seedorf’s Essays
To handle the situation, the Swedish Post decided to
wait until the contract with Sparre ceased, and then
to contract a new designer and printer. Sparre was of
course aware of the dissatisfaction and realized that
his chance to renew the contract with the Swedish
Post was to be proactive in proposing a new stamp
design. Sparre’s successor managing the company
after his death was Edvard Scheutz, who in 1871 pro‐ Schlachter & Seedorf’s essays were attached with their
posed Essays to a new stamp design, presented with tender to print new Swedish stamps from 1872.
the “1 Riksdaler” denomination. (Their tender was rejected).

Edvard Scheutz’s Essays The first release
Edvard Scheutz’s essays in 11 different designs, The release of Circle Type postage stamps replaced
presented in one pane with 12 essays (positions 2 and the stamps of Coat‐of‐Arms type (5 Öre, 12 Öre,
5 are the same design). 24 Öre, 30 Öre and 50 Öre) and Lying Lion type
(3 Öre and 20 Öre). Additional values were 6 Öre and
Position 4 Light‐Brown/Black 1 Riksdaler. Totally 9 different denomination values
were released on the first day of issue, 1 July 1872.

The first day of issue/usage 1 July 1872

The essays were made by lithographic printing and
exist in single colours, light‐blue or light‐brown and in
the same two colours in the centre but with black
surrounding frame.