Illustration of a historical stamp for learning, shown at screen size. Not valid for postage.
How to read it
KGL. POST FRIMÆRKE (royal post stamp) and R.B.S.: Denmark’s first stamp.
- 1POST
- 2FRIMÆRKE
- 3FIRE R.B.S.
- Inscription
- KONGELIGT POST FRIMÆRKE · FIRE R.B.S.
- Meaning
- “Royal post stamp, four rigsbank skilling”: the king’s post, but no country name.
- Issued by
- Kingdom of Denmark
- Today
- Denmark
- Year
- 1851. In use from 1 April 1851.
- Made by
- Martinus William Ferslew (design and engraving, died 1852)
One fact
Denmark’s first stamp was designed and engraved by the court engraver M. W. Ferslew. Danish stamps carried the name DANMARK only from 1870.
Source and public-domain rule
Creators died more than 70 years ago. Ferslew died 1852. Copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, counted from 1 January of the year after death. Every named designer and engraver of the stamp died before 1 January 1956; any contributor who was never named counts as anonymous, whose term is 70 years from publication, and the stamp was published before 1956. Legal sources: Directive 2006/116/EC, Art. 1(1) life + 70 years; Art. 1(3) anonymous works 70 years from publication; Art. 7(1) comparison of terms for works from outside the EU; Art. 8 terms run from 1 January, Switzerland, Norway.
Scan: Stamp Denmark 1851, 4 RBS.png on Wikimedia Commons (revision 1151833355), licence templates {{PD-art-two-auto}}. Downloaded 2026-10-19, sha256 b80cd422aa71…; cropped and cleaned for this site. Facts checked 2026-10-19 against source 1 and source 2. Research record, not legal advice; a human rights review is pending. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
