Arctic Explorers

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The Earth from Space

     This is not a "map" strictly speaking. Rather it is a photograph of the planet earth from space.

Antarctic Explorers

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Swedish & Finnish Emigrants ~ 1638

      In the 17th century Sweden included what is now Finland and both Finns and Swedes emigrated to the American continent in 1638. They arrived in the ships, Kalmar Nyckel (Key of Kalmar) and Fogel Grip (Bird Griffen). The colonists purchased land from the Indians, built Fort Christina, and established the colony of New Sweden on the Delaware River.
     The 350th anniversary is observed by a three-nation joint stamp issue. The stamps from Sweden and Finland are essentially identical except for the descriptive title, the name of the country and the postal rate. On all three stamps the two ships that are shown are the Kalmar Nyckel and the Fogel Greip of Sweden. The design is based on a 1702 book on the New Sweden colony by Thomas Camapnius Holm. The stamps were designed by Goran Osterland and engraved by L. Sjööblom.
     The U.S. stamp, on the other hand, though similar, is different. In the first place the stamp is smaller. Also, the number of people represented on the stamp has been reduced from five to three, and the figures have been redesigned. The picture of traders on the stamps is from an engraving, Novæ Sueciæ Seu Pensylvaniæ in America Descriptio, 1702, by Thomas Companius Holm.The U.S. stamp covered the international airmail rate for only five days before the rate changed to 45¢.