Valhalla spillekort
Characters from the Valhalla comics, designed by Peter Madsen, as commemorated on a Danish stamp.
When the Danish Post Office (Post Danmark) issued a set of four stamps in 2002 celebrating famous Danish comics and children’s films, they also put on sale a pack of cards depicting 13 different characters from Valhalla, a Danish comic series represented on the 5.50 krone stamp. The stamp is shown multiple times diagonally on the reverse, while the courts and Joker depict named characters from the comic series.
The Stamps
The Pack of Cards
The cartoonist responsible for the card designs is Peter Madsen (b.1958). All the Aces and numeral cards have brownish-grey backgrounds framed by wavy white lines (also found on the court cards). There is an accompanying booklet in Danish with more information about each of the characters.
Above: Valhalla spillekort designed by Peter Madsen, published by Post Danmark, Denmark, 2002. Maker unknown (Piatnik?). 52 cards + 3 Jokers (2 identical + 1 other) + illustrated booklet in Danish, in clear plastic box. Size: 57 x 89 mm.
By Roddy Somerville
France • Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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