Svalbard/Spitsbergen

The post on Svalbard is run and drifted by the Norwegian Post.

Nice card

I'm not 100% sure but I think this is a personal created stamp and valid used in Norway. 

I'm not into modern stamps.

I thought tobben63 's remark that the post on Svalbard was run by Norway's Post answered the question but I didn't ask the question.

Have you asked your question to info@visitsvalbard.com ? They live there so surely they will know.

My suspicion is that "Svalbard" is on the stamp to let the viewer know where the image was taken. The stamp is non-denominated (good for international postage up to 20 grams) and Norge is identified as the country of issue in the upper right. "Svalbard" is included in the stamp design, just as U.S. states and various landmarks have been identified on a number of different issuances.

A-ha! Great, this is cool!
A personalized stamp like this can be also bought at the counter of a post office in Svalbard, by any visitor?

This stamp aside, should we understand that there are no regular stamps issued for Svalbard only?
If so, that means that Svalbard is not a postal autonomy, that would issue its own stamps.

Thank you!

They were issued under the names of Spitsbergen and Spidsbergen, from the Dutch. 

I noticed those stamps which are also inscribed in Russian. These issues are extremely dubious and are probably just Cinderellas or some kind of limited use locals. On a previous version of the blogspot the following information is given:


"Welcome to our website presenting the new stamps from Spitsbergen/Svalbard

Here we present all available stamp issues from Spitsbergen/Svalbard. These stamps are valid postage for letters and goods shipped between mainland and Spitsbergen/Svalbard and also for local distribution on Spitsbergen/Svalbard between the settlements. First issue was released in March 2020.

The stamps are bi-lingual, ШПИЦБЕРГЕН (= Spitsbergen) in cyrillic letters and SVALBARD in latin letters and are non-currency valued but based on weight stated in grams like this: 1000г = 1000 gram.

Stamp programme 2021 and 2022: We know that there has been released new issues both for 2021 and 2022. These will be listed as soon as we receive new information."

The current version does not show any issues for 2021 and 2022.

Norway is the official provider of postal services in Svalbard. Which is also a Demilitarized Zone. However, Russia does have a presence and a keen interest in Svalbard see here and if these 'stamps' offer some kind of solace to them, it is better than war.

Daniel

My understanding is that these early Svalbard/ Spitsbergen labels were used on cruise ships (a German company as I recall) to the Islands. They are cancelled on cover as shown with a handstamp from the Ship's Purser as souvenirs.

Like many of the local stamps they had little or no postal validity other than ship to the mainland and required NORWAY stamps for onward mailing via Hammerfest or Trondheim

tobben63 's 1st example is nice as it is cancelled "ADVENT BAY" on Spitsbergen, but of course only the 10 ore Norway Posthorns have postal validity to forward to Germany

I believe Kaiser Willhelm was on such a cruise to Svalbard in his Royal Yacht when his Ministers were plotting to support Austro Hungary declaring war on Serbia in 1914 and had to rush back home before WW I broke out

"Have you asked your question to info@visitsvalbard.com ? They live there so surely they will know."

"Surely" is too optimistic of a thought.

"Hi Dorin,

And thank you for your inquiry

Unfortunately I am not quite sure if Svalbard is a postal autonomy, couldn’t find anything about it either. However, it is possible to send post here.
And answering your question about the polar bear stamp, I am deeply sorry but I don’t have any knowledge on where the stamps are valid. You can try contacting Norske Posten As, 22 03 00 00. Maybe they will have som better answers for you.
Hoppe this information was helpful. Don’t hesitate contacting us again for any further questions 😊
Med vennlig hilsen / Best regards".

Any way dorincard I think you have your answer if we distil all the above.

1 Svalbard is just part of Norway (with Russian Miners)
2 the original two stamps are regular Norway stamps showing scenes of Svalbard (Not independent autonomous PO)
3 The 1900s labels by tobben63 were tourist "stamps" but as such had no postal validity on their own
4 the Bilingual "labels" in Cyrillic and Roman SPITSBERGEN are pretty bogus phantasy

Darin these are just perfectly normal Norway Stamps for use from anywhere in Norway. would be nicer on a Maxicard from Advent Bay or Longyearbyen of course

In Billig's Philatelic Handbook Volume 23 (published in 1956), which I have, there is a section on Norway: The Stamps of the Private Byposts. Here is the introduction and the two relevant catalogue pages: