From cooking to labour unions going through handcrafts and anniversaries, for the first issue of 2016 on February 18th, Iceland Post will be releasing 8 new stamps addressing various themes from the country’s history, culture and way of life.

The year starts with three anniversary stamps :  the town of Ísafjörður is 150 years, while the Icelandic Federation of Labour Unions celebrates its centenary and the Icelandic Literary Society its bicentenary.

Designed by Tryggvi Tryggvason, stamp 626A celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Icelandic Federation of Labour Unions. It is domestic non-priority mail and worth 137 ISK.

626A The Icelandic Federation of Labour Unions – 100th Anniversary

According to the Icelandic Book of settlements, the area around Ísafjörður in the Westfjords was inhabited from around the year 1000AD. Ísafjörður was once amongst the largest towns in the country and it has been a town for 150 years now.

In 1996, the municipalities of Þingeyri, Mýrahreppur, Mosvallahreppur, Flateyri and Ísafjörður united together to form the municipality we now known as the town of Ísafjörður.

627A The town of Ísafjörður

627A, designed by Elsa Nielsen. Domestic priority mail, 159 ISK.

The Icelandic Literary Society (Hið Íslenzka Bókmentafjelag as it was originally known in Icelandic) also counts among those that celebrate with a stamp. The Icelandic Literary Society was founded in 1816 and has been active ever since.

628A The Icelandic Literary Society – 200th Anniversary

Stamp 628A designed by Hlynur Ólafsson. Self-adhesive, domestic priority mail, 159 ISK.

The 2016 Norden stamps are dedicated to Nordic cuisine, thus Iceland’s Norden stamp features Icelandic raw food ingredients, imaginatively set up as if to represent a landscape… a foodscape, if you would!

629A Norden Stamps – the Nordic Kitchen

Stamp 629A is self-adhesive, 50g to Europe (180 ISK) and was designed by Oscar Bjarnason.

And last but not least, in this issue, the one before last of the Icelandic Contemporary Design series will also be released.

This time, the collection is dedicated to Ceramics design, and features pieces by four different Icelandic designers or designer teams.

630A Jarðlög/Sediments

630B Jökla dinner service

630C Samtal/Dialog

630D Leirpottur/Clay Pot

The stamps come in four different values : domestic non- priority mail (137 ISK) , 50g to Europe (180 ISK), 500g domestic mail (255 ISK) and 100g to the world (490 ISK). They were designed by Örn Smári Gíslason.

The new stamps and philatelic products (FDCs etc) are available at our webshop or you can place an order at our office : 00354-580-1050 from 9 am to 4 pm Icelandic time on weekdays.

Looking forward to hearing from you!