Svalbard Paper Money, Svalbard Paper Money, Kings Bay Kull Comp.A/S Introduction

Kings Bay Kull Company A.S. Introduction by Walter A. Jellum
Kings Bay - Kongsfjord is one of the most beautiful fjords on Spitsbergen, and comparatively easy to access, as it is only very rarely blocked by ice in summer. Ny-Ålesund is a settlement on the south coast of Kongsfjord where coal mining has occurred. The Mansfield Company, Ernest Richard Mansfield was mining marble in Kongsfjord. The Arctic Coal Co. reported visiting their camp, London, of about 12 buildings on an island of about 8 sq.mi. They were constructing a railroad. Up Krossfjord a German scientific station, meteorological observatory and small wireless that could communicate with Grønfjord was built in 1910 and was in operation until the outbreak of war in 1914. During the war eight English warships were sent to Spitsbergen and seized the German claims and their wireless. Kings Bay Kul Comp. A/S. Kongsfjord is the name of a recognized coal bearing claim, claimed in 1909 by Chr. Anker, sold to Kings Bay Kul Comp. A/S. of Ålesund, Norway in 1916, and operated until 1929. Peter Andreas Severinsen Brandal, a sealing skipper and owner of sealing vessels, was founder, director, and one of the principal shareholders of Kings Bay Kul Comp. A/S. Mainzodden is the cape at Ny-Ålesund on the south side of Kongsfjord, where the Kings Bay Kul Comp. A/S. had their quay. Named for the North German Lloyd steamer "Mainz" of Bremen, one of the ships of the Hergesell-Zeppelin expedition to Spitsbergen in 1910. The mines of this coal field have been named by the company, many after the wives of directors and managers of Kings Bay Kul Comp. A/S., such as Agnes, Esther, Josefine, Ragnhild and Sofie. The Godthåp Mine dates from 1911. Skjerva, a test pit, first opened in 1913. Agnes Mine was worked 1917-21. Advokat Mine, Nye (new) Advokatgruva was about 500 m. east of Gamle (Old) Mine which was worked in 1918 and 1920. Josefine Mine was worked 1920-24. Otilie Mine 1, 'old' Otilie, was worked in 1920-21, and Mine 2, 'new' Otilie, in 1923-24. Ragnhild Mine worked in 1921 for prospecting purposes. Sofie Mine was worked 1923-29. Esther Mine started 1923, closed down 1929. Olsensynken, a pit was named after Alaska-Olsen, a miner who worked this pit. Ny-Ålesund radio was established about 1922. In 1925 it became world famous as the place Roald Amundsen used as his starting point for his polar expeditions. Kolhamna (kol = coal) is a harbor near the mining camp, named for the well known coal seams in the vicinity. An Italian astronomical station, located some 150 m. southeast, was in operation here in 1928. The company was taken over by the Norwegian state in 1933. A fishery station of the Norwegian government operated there 1935-39. Nordpolhotellet (North Pole Hotel), a house at Ny-Ålesund started in 1936, operated in the summers of 1937, '38, and '39. Kings Bay Kull Comp. A/S., built this little inn with the hope of stimulating tourist trade, without much success. Kings Bay Kul Comp. A/S operated from the season of 1947/48. On December 4, 1948 an explosion killed 15 at Kongsfjord. January 7, 1952 another explosion, killing 9 with many seriously wounded. On March 19, 1953 an explosion killed 19. These series of serious methane gas explosions and fires, the last devastating explosion occurring on November 5, 1962, claiming the lives of 21 mine workers, resulted in the mines being closed and ceasing operations. Coal scrip was issued for these seasons of 1947 to 1964. The company leased its buildings for scientific and industrial research. They assembled and ran a telemetric station from 1969 until 1974. The Kongsfjord mines are below the permafrost where the methane gas content was 4 cu.m./ton of coal produced, whereas at Longyear the mines are in the permafrost or at the transition and methane gas content is 1 cu.m./ton of coal mined. A rural postal sub-office was opened in 1919 with postmarks Kings Bay. In 1926 the sub-office was given the name Ny-Ålesund, and this postmark is known until 1931 when the office was closed. A letter house was used again for the tourist seasons of 1938 and 1939, but was closed in 1940, only to open for the summer of 1941. It reopened after the war in 1946. We gratefully acknowledge the late numismatist Walt Jellum who provided images and background information for this section.