Having been a general collector of world issues and trying to keep up with the flow of new issues, I decided to restrict my collecting. I tried British West Indies and Scandinavia, and finally settled for Canada as a nice simple country! This collection took place about 1957, when I felt to collect used Canada would give me a country of interest without any variations of watermark, perforation and paper.

I disposed of all my other collections and started collecting Canada in a simplified way, taking used singles, used blocks of four and singles on cover, preferably showing the postal rate. I decided then as I was collecting only one country, the copies I would get would be fine used, preferably with a circular date stamp, that is, with a nice handstamp. At that time, of course, I didn’t know of the hundreds of different cork cancellations on the earlier issues!

After I had formed the basis of a simplified collection dating from the 1859 Cents issue (the Pence issues were too expensive even in those days), I decided to join the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain and have shared my interest with members at the Annual Convention and though Maple Leaves, the Society’s Journal, ever since.

I became the Hon. Exchange Packet Secretary in 1963 and held that post until 1968, when I was elected President. During the five years I was packet secretary I had first choice of all the material in the packet, and so I needn’t tell you that my collection flourished!

It was during this time that I learned about some of the ‘meat’ of Canadian philately, particularly to do with cancellations, namely pre-cancels, fancy items, RPOs, squared circles, duplex and roller marks. In addition there were the pin-perf OHMS holes (4 holes and 5 holes high), ordinary OHMS and G overprints, registration, special delivery and airmails, postage due stamps and stamps from booklets, coils etc.

During my Presidential year I was able to give displays of Canada to various societies and through Maple Leaves to give encouragement to new members of the Society. A successful Convention was held in Harrogate, and when I handed over the Presidency to a member in the London area I had made many new friends both in this country, in Canada and the United States.

Having been relieved of Presidential duties, I was able to concentrate on re-arranging my Canadian collection on a more sound basis. It was about this time that I started to become interested in Canadian postal stationery. I found that by collecting used postal stationery the items could be kept for the dual purposes of postal stationery and cancellations. I soon found that the subject of postal stationery was so large as to be worthy of a collection of is own, with an abundance of envelopes and postcards. Of particular interest were the pictorial postcards issued by the railway companies (including Canadian Pacific) giving their monthly statements of earnings etc.

Another part of Canadian philately that I started to collect at this time was postal history, with its many fascinating rates and markings. Eight or nine years ago it was not difficult to obtain material of the early 1800s to 1851, i.e. pre-stamp, followed by the stampless cover period 1851 to 1875, when postage could be paid in cash or the item sent unpaid so that postage fell on the recipient. However, pre 1800 material, particularly in good condition, has always been difficult to find.

Returning to the postage stamp issues, I have made a simple used collection of the 1859 Cents issue, followed by the large Queens. In the small Queens also I have kept my collection on a simplified basis, except that I have shown the perf 11 1/2 X 12 varieties and also stamps showing different cancellations, multiples, shades etc. This also applies to the registration issues.

The ‘Maple Leaf’ issue of 1897 makes a nice study, but the numeral issue of 1898 is one issue of which I have been able to do a semi-specialised collection with many varieties, particularly on the 1cent green and 2 cents carmine, in addition to cancellations on these values.

One of my favourite issues is the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee issue of 1897, and here again I have collected cancellations, particularly on the 3 cents carmine. Squared circles are particularly good on this value, as one can often get a complete strike, the stamp being larger than normal.

Another issue very much like the numeral issue is the 1903 Edward VII, and here again many varieties can be found in the 1 cent and 2 cents stamps. Taking the George V issues as a whole, the Admiral issues have been extensively studied but can still be collected reasonably in used condition. The 1928, 1930, 1932 and 1935 issues are all popular, and the higher values show many of Canada’s landmarks: the Rockies, the mighty Niagara Falls and so on. These I have mostly as used singles and blocks of four.

The stamps of King George VI can be divided into three sections: pre-war, wartime and post-war issues, and although these are not so popular or colourful as the King George V stamps, it is possible to form a complete used collection and include officials and airmails, together with a varied number of cancellations of the wartime period.

The reign of the present Queen Elizabeth II, the Canadian Post Office has issued six definitive sets and many colourful commemoratives. The issue of 1967 is one of the most complicated in Canadian philately, the stamps being printed by two different printers and used for sheets, booklets and coils with the perforations being changed accordingly. Added to this are paper varieties, and more important, fluorescent bands have been added in various positions.

Commemorative issues have dealt with such subjects as the Canadian Indians, the Canadian way of life, famous painters, and events in the sporting world such as the 1976 Olympics and 1978 Commonwealth Games, and also last year the very successful CAPEX International Exhibition in Toronto.

Over the years I have formed a substantial library of books, to which reference can be made on large and small Queens, squared circles, duplex cancellations and modern QE varieties. Added to these are the Robson Lowe Encyclopaedia Volume V. – North America – and a complete run of the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain publication Maple Leaves, in which there are many excellent articles.

It is really a pity over the last ten years, due to inflation and investment, many of the early and middle period Canadian stamps, particularly in mint condition, are out of reach of the newcomer to Canadian philately, but a fairly complete collection of used items can still be made at reasonable cost. Let the investors trade ‘in unmounted mint’ and leave the mounted mint and used for the genuine collector, so that the collecting of Canada can continue as a hobby!

 

Philatelic Database would like to thank the Harrogate Philatelic Society for this article, originally published in “Stray Thoughts on Philately” (1980). There is much helpful information and advice in this article. Let us hope it inspires some of readers to consider Canada as a new country to collect…