74 FEBRUARY 2016 http://www.stampandcoin.co.ukI is for Iceberg
I
cebergs are pieces of ice that have
broken free from a glacier and can be
found floating in open water. Given
the size of some of these huge hunks
of ice, it’s appropriate that the word
iceberg comes from the Danish ‘isbjerg’
meaning ‘ice mountain’.
We all know the tragic story of the
Titanic; sunk on her maiden voyage
after hitting an iceberg. That iceberg was
probably formed from compacted snow
that fell off the Greenland coast around 1,000 BC.
By 1912, it had been drifting slowly southwards
since the time of Tutankhamen. Only one percent
of icebergs ever make it to the relatively warm
waters of the Atlantic so we can assume that it was
an especially large berg. So large that, even 5,000
miles south of the Arctic Circle, it still had sufficient
mass to sink a cruise ship. It’s no wonder, then, these
big, beautiful, and deadly phenomena make such a
fascinating collecting theme.
Hungry was one of the few nations to issue
a Titanic commemorative (2012) that actually
showed the ship hitting the iceberg. However many
of the best, and less ghoulish, iceberg-themed
stamps, naturally come from iceboundregions such as the various Antarctic Territories.
Despite the fact that the Antarctic Treaty states
that ‘No acts or activities... shall constitute a basis
for asserting, supporting or denying a claim to
territorial sovereignty in Antarctica’ many countries
issue stamps to support their ‘sovereignty’ claims.
Australia’s Antarctic Territory, June 2011 issue
makes the perfect starting point for an iceberg
theme. This set of four ‘AAT Icebergs’ is stunning;
resplendent in cool Polar blues and greens. The
AAT 2009 ‘Poles & Glaciers’ and the 2007 British
Antarctic Territory ‘Break up of the Larsen B Ice
Shelf ’ stamps are equally appealing, focussing on the
variety of iceberg shapes and colours.
Ideas for page displays seem to come naturally
with this theme and Canada offers up two stamps
that would make appealing ‘bookends’. The first is
the simple, but graphically pleasing 1989 46 cents
iceberg and flag stamp, which was accompanied
by an attractive stamp booklet bearing the same
image. The second is the 1955 Canadian 10 cents
stamp, with its image of an Inuit padding a canoe
past an iceberg.
While new print technologies mean that many of
the most striking iceberg stamps are recent issues,
older stamps are also well worth tracking down. In
fact, in 1897 Newfoundland issued a lovely 35 cents
stamp showing ‘An Iceberg Off St. John’s’ (as part
of a set issued to mark the 400th Anniversary of the
Discovery of Labrador and Newfoundland). Could
this be the first ever iceberg shown on a postage
stamp? It should be fun finding out.The colder weather at this time of year makes stamp collecting a
popular hobby as we keep warm inside while working on our albums.
But, as Paula Hammond explains, our stamps can still reflect chilly
subjects and the iceberg theme provides plenty of scopeThematics A to Z
A cool collection
Why Collect?- Beautiful and inspiring issues.
- Of historical interest.
- Can easily be linked to other
Polar topics, such as Arctic/
Antarctic flora and fauna. - Antarctic Treaty stamps add
interest and variety. - Climate change makes ice
a ‘hot’ topic.
Notable releases- 1897 - Newfoundland 35-cent
‘An Iceberg Off St. John’s’ stamp. - 1989 - Canada, flag
and iceberg definitive. - 2011 - Australia Antarctic
Territory, ‘AAT Icebergs’ issue. - 2007 - British Antarctic
Territory ‘Break up of the
Larsen B Ice Shelf ’ set. - 2009 - Joint-stamp initiative,
‘Preserve the Polar Regions
and Glaciers’.
Expand the theme
In 2009 Finland Post and Chile
Post launched a joint stamp
initiative to raise awareness of
climate change. From January to
March 2009, other participating
countries issued their own stamps
all of which shared an ice crystal
insignia. The initiative produced
many iceberg images, from nations
we don’t usually associate with
Polar ice including India, Andorra,
and Slovenia. Additional stamps
were issued in 2010-2011.Collecting links
The Polar Postal History Society
of Great Britain is a great resource.
For more information visit http://www.
pphsgb.org. PPHSGB membership
is £20 for UK members and £25
for members in all other countries.The iceberg theme provides plenty of stamps, with these classic
designs of Canada and Greenland top of many collectors’ listsp72 a-z thematic.indd 74 21/12/2015 10:14