Iceland

Iceland’s name appears as “Island” on its stamps. The first Iceland definitive stamps were issued in 1850, featuring the denomination and crown design within an oval. This is similar to Danish stamps of the period. (Iceland and Denmark once shared a king.) Its first commemoratives appeared in 1911 to honor author and statesman Jon Sigurdsson’s 100th birth anniversary. Interestingly, as of late 2019, Iceland Post was not planning on issuing additional postage stamps for more than another year or two, due to heavy financial losses. The Post will rely on its large stamp stocks to be used on future mail, unless the government decides to help out with operating expenses.