Ever since 1929, Oslo Filatelistklubb (OFK) has published Norgeskatalogen, the premier stamp catalogue of Norwegian Postal Stamps. Published annually until 2013, and for the past decade bi-annually, this is the 71st edition. As a collector of Norwegian stamps and postal history, I will make the, perhaps biased, claim that Norgeskatalogen is without comparison the best catalogue for Norwegian stamps. As much as I love my Scott Specialized catalogue for my US stamp collection and FACIT for most other Nordic countries, Norgeskatalogen is my go-to catalogue for Norwegian stamps. Again, biases aside, I also believe Norgeskatalogen is more detailed and better organized than most other specialty catalogues. Every stamp is pictured along with the listing. No need to go back and forth between pages to find out which stamp you are looking at.
The editorial staff from the most recent editions have returned for the 2024 edition. Big thanks to Tore Berg, President of OFK, Erik Olafsen of Germeten and Oslo Frimerke and Myntauksjoner, and Kjell Åge Johansen, OFK Librarian and so much more, for putting together this latest edition.
The NK numbering system is for me the most logical way to organize Norway stamps. The catalogue continues to go in-depth on types for the classic stamps (and remains without equals when it comes to identifying the “20 mm series” from 1886-1893). The Posthorn Identification key, included in every edition, is an indispensable tool for identifying the many similar looking Posthorn issues between 1872 and 1929.
While a large portion of the catalogue is in Norwegian, a substantial number of introductions and explanations are also translated into English, making the majority of the content easy to understand for non-native speakers.
As with past catalogues, there are usually specialty articles unique to each edition. The 2024 edition includes one specialty article. It is a well-researched documentation by Øivind Rojahn Karlsen of the 19-20 mm manual date postmarks used between 1944 and 1956. It is a well illustrated article and includes scarcity ratings. Two previously published articles return from the 2014 edition: In-depth coverage of watermark positions and margin dates on 1896-1937 issues.
As usual the latest edition contains all new Norway stamps issued since the 2022 edition, covering all stamps issued through the end of 2023. There are price updates where applicable. Overall, the collectors market remains strong, especially on the high-end of classic stamps, and this is reflected in the prices. I also love the index to past speciality articles included in the back.
Mr. Berg, Olafsen, and Johansen has again delivered another edition of Norgeskatalogen that they can be proud of and that will be a welcome addition to the libraries of Norway collectors domestically and abroad.
The Norgeskatalogen 2024 can be ordered directly from the OFK website. Get your copy today at https://www.oslofilatelistklubb.no/bestill-norgeskatalogen/