Nobel Prize Anniversary on Stamp

On December 10, 1901 the Nobel Prize — one of the world's most prestigious prizes — was awarded for the first time. This year Posten (Sweden Post) and the U.S. Postal Service are jointly celebrating the five prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace, which have now been awarded for one hundred years.

To commemorate the hundred-year anniversary, on March 22 four stamps will be issued featuring the Nobel medals as their motif. One of the stamps shows the front side of the Nobel Nobel Peace Prize Medal together with front side of the Swedish medals. There is also a portrait of Nobel on the stamp, which will be released in the United States as well. Sweden will also issue three stamps with the motifs featuring the back of the medals in physiology or medicine, physics and chemistry, and literature. The Swedish medals were designed by master engraver Erik Lindberg (1873–1966) and the Norwegian by the Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland (1869–1943).

The Karolinska Institute awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; its medal features the Genius of Medicine with an open book in her lap. In her right hand she holds a bowl filled with water flowing from a rock. The water will quench the thirst of the sick girl who is leaning against her left side.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry. On the back of its medal, Nature is shown in the form of a goddess resembling Isis. She comes down from the clouds carrying a cornucopia, and the veil hiding her grim and austere face is held up by the genius of Science.

The Swedish Academy awards the Nobel Prize for Literature, and on the medal there is a young man sitting beneath a laurel tree who, enchanted, listens to the song of the Muse. As he listens, he also writes down the song on a scroll.

The inscription is the same on all three medals: "Inventas vitam juvat excoluisse per artes" (loosely translated, "And they who bettered life on earth by new found mastery.") It is a quote from the Roman poet Vergil's (70–19 BC) epic, the Aeneid. The Nobel Prize medals are made of 18 karat gold.

During the hundred-year history of the Nobel Prize, about one third of the total of about 700 Nobel Laureates have been Americans. Posten (Sweden Post) has commemorated the Nobel prize on stamps every year since 1961. To celebrate the Nobel prize's hundred-year anniversary, two stamps will be issued this year. The second, commemorating the Nobel Peace Prize, is a joint issue with Norway and will appear in August.

Olöf Baldursdottir made the graphic design of the stamps in the booklet "The Nobel Prize 100 years." Czeslaw Slania is responsible for the engraving. The stamps are printed in one single color recess printing and single color offset (gold). A booklet contains four stamps with the value SEK 8:-.

 

The Nobel Anniversary stamps by Sweden Post and the U.S. Postal Service

The first-day cover designed by Olöf Baldursdottir.

***
If you have any questions please contact:
Thérèse Bergling, tel: +46 8 781 64 60, fax: +46 8 752 67 48 e-mail: therese.bergling@pf.posten.se

Posten is a limited liability company owned by the Swedish government and one of Sweden's largest companies. During 1999 Posten had an average of 41,825 employees with combined sales amounting to just over 24 billion Swedish kronor (US$2.4bn). Posten's business concept is that everyone should be able to reach everyone else with messages and goods — physically and electronically — quickly, securely, and cost-effectively. We provide service to 4.1 million households and 500,000 companies. Each workday we sell services for 90 million Swedish kronor (US$9m) and take care of 22 million letters and parcels.