My research into the origins of the Icelandic Caritas stamps and its history continues. Various interesting things are coming to light, which I will mention in another update. I recently came across the website Caritas.eu, the European branch of the international organisation. There I found an overview of all stamps issued in the name of the organisation from the very beginning. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the Icelandic stamps, except for a reference to the miniature sheet issued in 1958. Interestingly, the 1953 sheet is not mentioned at all. Why that is, I don’t know — perhaps because the 1953 sheet uses the word Caritas as it appeared in 1904, while the 1958 sheet uses the word Karitas!
In the article, the first Danish Christmas seal is mentioned, along with a discussion of its background. It then goes on to describe other Christmas seals bearing the Caritas emblem — but Iceland is not mentioned at all. For that reason, I believe it is perfectly reasonable to revise the only existing Icelandic Christmas‑seal handbook regarding the origins of the first Icelandic Christmas seal, at least when it comes to the involvement of the Danish Caritas organisation or Caritas internationally. After all, the first Christmas seal issued under the name of the international Caritas movement did not appear until 1910.
Caritas on stamps – www.caritas.eu
“Caritas Denmark was founded in 1947 by the Reverend Knud Ballin and Dr Kaj F Meldahl to support German refugees in Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War. Since its foundation, Caritas Denmark has grown from being a small, church-based initiative driven by a few passionate individuals to become a professional and independent organisation within the Catholic diocese of Copenhagen (the only Catholic diocese in all of Denmark – it covers the whole country as well as Greenland and the Faroe Islands).” https://www.caritas.eu/caritas-denmark