3210) Coal Mining, Faroe Islands: A postage Stamp of 48,00 DKK issued by Posta (Faroese Island Post): Date of Stamp issue: 26.02.2024:
Visitors to the Faroe Islands in the summertime are often struck by the vibrant greenery that covers the land. This lush landscape is even more impressive given the close proximity of the islands to one another, whether seen from the sky or the sea.
Below this verdant cover, one finds a foundation of basalt from long-extinct volcanoes. The southernmost island, Suðuroy, offers a geological journey, revealing the era during which the Faroe Islands were formed.
Unique to Suðuroy is its rich coal deposit history:
It is the only island where significant coal mining was feasible.
Nowadays, Suðuroy’s coal mining past serves as a cultural touchstone, with remnants of its coal-rich history scattered around. Yet, a small mining operation remains active in Hvalba, albeit on a minimal scale.
The earliest record of coal mining attempts in the Faroe Islands traces back to 1733.
However, it was not until 1778 that substantial mining began in Hvalba.
The Faroe Islands had a modest population then, with the 1801 census recording just 5,000 inhabitants.
While the locals predominantly used peat for fuel, foreign investors, including Danish and Swedish capitalists, saw potential in Faroese coal, not only for energy but for other minerals like zinc, copper, and iron.
The ambitions ran so high that in 1875, Christina von Post, a Swedish artist based in Paris, alongside French investors, founded a company and acquired rights to mine coal in Suðuroy.
Dubbed “Kolafrúan” (or “The Coal Lady”) by the islanders due to her significant investments, Christina and her co-investors hoped for a rich mineral yield from the coal mines.
Their hopes were dashed, however, upon discovering no such ores, leading to Christina’s eventual financial downfall. She passed away penniless in 1917.
Over the years, the dynamics of coal mining in Suðuroy shifted.
Global economic downturns, like the 1929 Wall Street crash, hit the Faroes, but coal mining persisted.
Remarkably, light clay from the mines was shipped to Denmark to treat hard water. This clay, sourced primarily from the Rangabotnur mines, was even blended with red ochre soil from Nólsoy to produce paint.
However, the coal industry faced its most significant challenge in the 1960s when the Faroese transitioned from coal-based to oil and electric heating.
The once-thriving coal industry dwindled, turning almost obsolete.
Present Day:
The Hvalba mine, though operational, serves more as a nod to tradition than a bustling enterprise.
Legacy echoes in the surnames of Suðuroy residents - names like Wiberg, Åkeson, and Ahlén, which hint at Swedish involvement in the coal business of yesteryears.
Interestingly, though coal mining is nearly a memory, the only active mine, Prestfjall mountain in Hvalba, could reveal one of the world’s most breathtaking vistas if excavated completely.
Offering panoramic views of the sea, dramatic cliffs, and the historical traces of coal deposits, it would be a homage to a bygone industry and the unmatched beauty of Suðuroy’s western side.
The Stamp:
This 48 KR postage stamp shows a couple of Coal Miners hauling a coal laden Cart uphill, along the Railway track.
A Stamp Block (set of four identical stamps)
A First Day Cover (FDC) showing a coal Cart at left bottom on its Rail Track. At top right is affixed the cancelled postage stamp of 48 DKK. The cancellation shows a lighted oil lamp, muck like the ones used by the coal miners. The cancellation is of Torshavn Post Office and the cancellation is dated - "26.02.2024".
A First Day Cover (FDC) bearing a cancelled Block of stamps.
Technical details:
Issue Date: 26.02.2024
Designer: Photos: Unknown / Trygvi B
Printer: Bpost, Belgium
Process: Offset
Size: 30.00 mm x 31.66 mm
Values: 48.00 DKK
Other posts on European Capitals of Culture Posts - 2024:
Posts on SEPAC issues on this blog:
Posts on Finland on this Blog:
Dutch Castles Coin Series:
For other interesting posts on issues from the Royal Dutch Mint, Netherlands and PostNL, please visit the following links:
10) First Atlases, Netherlands: Commemorating 450 Years of the first Atlas (1570-2020) & others: A Stamp Sheet of six stamps depicting the Atlases which were compiled in the Netherlands in the 16th & 17th Centuries AD: Stamp Set issued by POstNL: Date of Stamp Set issue: 23.03.2020
For interesting posts from the Caribbean Netherlands on "Experience Nature":
For interesting posts from the Caribbean Netherlands on this blog:
5) City of Bruges (or Brugge), Belgium: 20 Years as UNENCO World Heritage Site: A 20 Euro Silver Proof Coin issued by the Royakl Dutch Mint under licencing of the Royal Belgian Mint, on behalf of the National Bank of Belgium: Coin issue date: 26.02.2020
6) 100 Years of Nature & Environment Protection, Luxembourg: Commemorating the Centenary Anniversary of the "Letzebuerger Natur a Vulleschutsliga a.s.b.l. (Luxembourg Nature and Bird Protection Society):A 0.80 Euro Stamp issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Date of stamp issue: 10.03.2020
7) Celebrating 25 Years of listing on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Luxembourg: A Commemorative Stamp of 0.80 Euro issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Stamp issue date: 10.03.2020
Links:
Posts on Aruba on this blog:
Posts on Sweden:
Links:
The undernoted two links will take you to our blog "Footloose" for two interesting posts written by me on the Dutch presence in Sadras in the 17th Century AD:
5) City of Bruges (or Brugge), Belgium: 20 Years as UNENCO World Heritage Site: A 20 Euro Silver Proof Coin issued by the Royakl Dutch Mint under licencing of the Royal Belgian Mint, on behalf of the National Bank of Belgium: Coin issue date: 26.02.2020
6) 100 Years of Nature & Environment Protection, Luxembourg: Commemorating the Centenary Anniversary of the "Letzebuerger Natur a Vulleschutsliga a.s.b.l. (Luxembourg Nature and Bird Protection Society):A 0.80 Euro Stamp issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Date of stamp issue: 10.03.2020
7) Celebrating 25 Years of listing on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Luxembourg: A Commemorative Stamp of 0.80 Euro issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Stamp issue date: 10.03.2020
16) Ancient Postal Routes - the Postal Boat Race - between Aland and Sweden", Aland, Finland: A EUROPA Postage Stamp of 2.00 Euro issued by Aland Post: Date of Stamp issue: 08.05.2020
Posts on SEPAC issues on this blog:
Links to Posts on Turks and Caicos Islands:
Links to Posts on Curacao on this Blog:
For some other interesting posts on Currencies of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, please visit the following links:
18) Sea Motifs, Bahamas: Gold Bullion Coins in the denominations of 100 Dollars (depicting a Blue Marlin) and 250 Dollars (depicting a Conch Shell): Coins issue date: 03.12.2019
19) A new Generation $100 Polymer Banknote, Trinidad and Tobago with enhanced security features to "raise the bar" for counterfeiters & unscrupulous elements: Banknote circulation date: 09.12.2019:
20) Festival di Tumba (Carnival of Curacao), Curacao: "50th Edition of the Curacao Carnival/Festival" held from 27-31.01.2020: A set of six Commemorative Postage Stamps brought out by Cpost (Curacao Post) on 20.02.2020
21) New Polymer Banknotes, Trinidad and Tobago: The entire series will consist of $100, $50, $20, $10, $5 and $1 denominations: $100 has already been issued on 09.12.2019
23) "Caribbean Sea-Horse", Barbados: $10 (Ten Dollars) 1.0 Oz. Gold Bullion Coins & $1 (One Dollar) 1.0 Oz. Silver Bullion Coins minted by the Scottsdale Mint; Year of issue: 2020
24) Cayman Islands, A British Overseas Territory (BOT): A set of identically numbered Banknotes of the presently circulating Banknotes from the "D" Series of Banknotes
Links to some other interesting posts from South American countries & Mexico:
26) A new 100 Boliviano Banknote from Bolivia: issued by the "Banco Centrale de Bolivia" (Central Bank of Bolivia) on 15.01.2019 under its new 2018 Banknote Series
27) Central Bank of Uruguay ("Banco Centrale del Uruguay"): 50th Anniversary (Golden Jubilee) - 1967-2017 - celebrated with the issue of a 50 Peso Commemorative Banknote on 14.09.2018
Links to Posts on Curacao on this Blog:
Santosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Thanks for sharing this interesting and informative post."
Thank you so much, Khanna sahab.
Delete