Volume 39#12

October 7 – October 20, 2014

The third-known two-cent green large queen on laid paper, and the best -known Charles Connell stamp will both be offered in Halifax this month.

Famous discovery to be offered in Halifax auction

For the second time in less than 12 months an example of the two-cent large queen on laid paper will go on the auction block. The stamp will appear in Eastern Auctions’ general sale, being held Oct. 17-18. The stamp is the greatest rarity in Canadian philately, with only three known examples. The stamp being sold this month is the third, and was only discovered in 2013. At that time the discovery made front page news. U.S. collector Michael D. Smith found the stamp in an American Philatelic Society sales book, where it was listed as the common version, printed on wove paper. Continue reading →

Features

Picture postage perfect for honouring rabbi

Page 1

Air training plan yielded over 100 Canadian bases

Page 6

Shark Tank star helping to boost stamp collecting

Page 17

Regulars

Are you buying or selling?

Page 19

Check out the shows in your area

Page 23

Editorial

Personal covers make stamp collecting relevant

I will be the first to admit that, when I first heard of picture postage, I wasn’t too impressed. Admittedly, that was before I started working for Canadian Stamp News, but I just sort of thought the idea of letting people put their own pictures on a stamp was a bit silly. I assumed it would only appeal to a hand full of individuals such as grandparents, self-absorbed brides, egoists of all sorts, and not all the sort of thing a country of Canada's stature should condone. Of course, people are always nervous about change, and I still remembered a time when stamps were a selection of definitives, all with the same design with just a different colour and value.

Continue reading →

By Bret Evans