"Julen 1904": the first Christmas seal (Denmark, 1904)
A purple perforated label reading 'JULEN 1904' above an oval portrait of Queen Louise under a crown, framed by flowers, over the Danish arms of three lions. The tell is the borrowed prestige: the queen's portrait, crown and national arms are placed on an ordinary charity label so that buying and sticking it on a Christmas letter reads as a loyal, approved act.
- Date
- December 1904
- Period
- Pre-1914
- Made by
- Julemærkefonden (Danish Christmas Seal committee), with Einar Holbøll of the Danish postal service
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- Denmark
- Medium
- Stamp
- Issuer type
- NGO
- Regime
- Deuntzer Government
- Leader
- Johan Henrik Deuntzer
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Fundraise
- Theme
- Health
- Techniques
- Transfer
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Wikimedia Commons, retrieved September 29, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (1904 print; Commons 'Public domain', Copyrighted=False, PD-old)
Julemærkefonden, 1904 (Danish Christmas Seal Foundation); scan via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Text on the object
JULEN 1904
CHRISTMAS 1904
'Julen' is Danish for 'Christmas' (with the definite ending). No denomination or other text on the label.
