1925 Norse-American Issue Complete Set: Celebrating a Century of Norwegian Immigration

The 1925 Norse-American commemorative stamps (Scott #620-621) represent one of the more charming episodes in US philatelic history: an American postal issue celebrating a specific immigrant group's centennial, featuring designs honoring Viking heritage and the immigrant ships that brought Norwegians to America.

Historical Background

The 1925 Norse-American centennial celebrated the hundredth anniversary of the first organized Norwegian immigrant group's arrival in America. In 1825, the small sloop Restaurationen carried approximately fifty Norwegian immigrants from Stavanger, Norway, to New York. This voyage is considered the beginning of the great Norwegian immigration wave that eventually brought hundreds of thousands of Norwegians to the American Midwest and Pacific Northwest.

Norwegian-American societies organized the centennial events of 1925, and the US Post Office cooperated by issuing two commemorative stamps.

The Two Stamps

2-Cent (Scott #620): Features a Viking ship design representing Norse seafaring heritage. Printed in carmine and black.

5-Cent (Scott #621): Features the Restaurationen sloop, the actual 1825 immigrant vessel. Printed in dark blue and black.

Both stamps are bicolor (two-color) issues, more expensive to produce and more impressive in appearance than single-color stamps.

Flat Press and Rotary Press Varieties

Both stamps were printed using two different methods:

Flat plate (perforated 11): Original production. Stamps are slightly larger.

Rotary press (perforated 11x11): Later production with slightly different dimensions.

Serious collectors can build a more complete set by acquiring both the flat plate and rotary press versions of each denomination.

The Souvenir Sheet

A special souvenir sheet (Scott #MS620) was printed for the Norse-American Centennial Exhibition in 1925. These sheets were imperforate and printed in a slightly different shade. Sold at the exhibition rather than through post offices, they are considerably rarer than regular perforated stamps and command substantial premiums in pristine unhinged condition.

Condition Grades and Value

Regular perforated set (both stamps):

Souvenir Sheet:

Never-hinged (NH) premiums are substantial. Finding NH examples in true VF+ condition requires patience.

Centering Considerations

Like most flat-plate-printed stamps of this era, the Norse-American stamps often show shifted perforations. Well-centered examples with equal margins on all sides are considerably rarer than the off-center copies that dominate dealer stocks, and command substantial premiums.

Building a Complete Norse-American Collection

A serious collector might pursue: 1. The basic two-stamp set in unused NH VF condition 2. The same stamps in used condition with attractive cancellations 3. Plate blocks for both denominations 4. The souvenir sheets 5. First-day covers (July 4, 1925 in Decorah, Iowa, the site of the centennial celebration)

First-day covers are particularly collectible given the ceremonial nature of the release.

Historical Significance

The Norse-American issue demonstrates a 1920s American willingness to issue stamps honoring specific immigrant groups at the request of community organizations. It also represents the 1920s approach to commemorative philately: bold bicolor designs, subjects with genuine historical weight, and quantities small enough to create collector interest without being artificially scarce.

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