Airmail stamps of Denmark
Denmark issued ten definitive airmail stamps between 1925 and 1934 in two distinct series. The 1st series, commonly called The Plow and Airplane was first issued in June 1925. These stamps were designed by Danish artist Axel Peder Jensen. The 2nd series was issued on June 9, 1934, and depicted an airplane over Copenhagen. The second series remained in use until after World War II.
1925 Plow and Airplane series
The 1925 series comprises Denmark's 1st airmail stamps and their issue corresponded with the opening of Kastrup airport in Copenhagen and the carriage of regular airmails by Det Danske Luftfartselskab, the Danish national airline. The 1925 series was issued in denominations of 10, 15, 25, 50 øre and 1 krone. All the values were reissued in the 1930s.Design and production
The Plow and Airplane design was created by Danish artist Axel P. Jensen and the stamps were printed by typography by H. H. Thiele in panes of 30 stamps arranged in five rows of six. During the design and printing process, essays, proofs and color proofs of the stamps were made to finalize the design.Constant Plate Flaws
The 1925 series is known for several constant plate flaws that appear on the same stamp in each sheet consistently. These plate flaws have descriptive names.Usages
| Image | Description |
| Earliest known use of the 1925 series on a June 18, 1925, charity receipt. | |
| 1925 use to Hungary. This 1925 registered letter travelled via truck from Svebolle to Copenhagen, then by airplane to Berlin, to Vienna and Budapest. The 65 øre franking pays the 10 øre foreign printed matter rate, the 30 øre registry fee and the 25 øre European printed matter airmail surcharge. | |
| 1928 use to Sweden. This envelope was mailed in Fredericia and travelled via ship to Copenhagen, then via KLM flight #4 to Malmö. From Malmö it went by train to Stockholm, was undeliverable and then forwarded to Gothenburg where it was also undeliverable. Four days later it travelled via ship back to Fredericia. The 60 gram letter was franked with 75 øre to pay the 20-125 gram Nordic letter rate of 30 øre and three times the 15 øre/20 grams Nordic airmail surcharge. | |
| 1929 use to Australia. This envelope travelled via Deutsche Luft Hansa flights #8/12a to Basel, then via train to Brindisi, then via Imperial Airways flight #3 to Basra. From Barsa the letter went via ship to Australia. The 60 øre franking paid the 1927 foreign letter rate and the 1927 airmail surcharge to Iraq. | |
| 1930 use to England. This registered letter travelled from Copenhagen to Stockholm and back to Copenhagen as undeliverable via A. B. Aerotransport. It was then forwarded to London via Amsterdam on KLM flights #1/4. The 55 øre franking was 5 øre short because the letter required the European rates instead of Nordic rates. Note the Great Britain postage due markings and franking. | |
| 1930 use to Latvia. This letter flew from Aarhus to Copenhagen via DDL, then to Berlin, Danzig, Königsberg to Liepāja via German-Russian Derluft flight #3B. The 65 øre franking pays the 30 øre 1927 foreign letter rate, the 1926 25 øre registry fee and the 1928 European airmail surcharge of 15 øre. | |
| 1932 use to South Africa. This letter was from the first known through Danish airmail to Cape Town. The letter travelled via Luft Hansa flights #1/8 from Copenhagen to Amsterdam via Hamburg, then on KLM flight #4 to Paris. From Paris the letter travelled via train to Brindisi, then via Imperial Airways flight #3 to Alexandria. From Alexandria the letter went by train to Cairo and then by Imperial Airways flight #5 to Cape Town. The trip took 25 days. | |
| 1934 use to Argentina. This registered letter travelled from Copenhagen via Luthansa flight #5 to Warnemünde instead of Berlin because of a weather interruption. It then went by train to Berlin and then on Air France flight#6 to Cologne where it encountered another weather interruption. From Cologne it went to Paris via train. From Paris it flew by Air France flights #477/492 to Dakar where it was placed on a ship to Natal. From Natal it flew to Buenos Aires. |