Canada Post has seen an unprecedented uptick in interest for its most recent stamp honouring Queen Elizabeth II.
Since the monarch’s death on Sept. 8, the Crown corporation has reported a nine-fold increase in sales of its platinum jubilee stamp issued this February (“QEII platinum jubilee marked on surprise issue,” CSN Vol. 46 #23, March 1, 2022).
The stamp’s sales have jumped by 900 per cent compared to the five weeks before Sept. 8, according to Canada Post. While the stamp’s sales had “levelled” in the seven months after its issue date, the Crown corporation has “definitely seen an increase” in interest since the queen’s death, said media relations manager Lisa Liu.
Vancouver dealer Brian Grant Duff, the owner of All Nations Stamp & Coin, has also noticed an increased interest in collectibles featuring Queen Elizabeth II.
“For many people, choosing to collect these keepsakes is their way of mourning and coping with her death,” he told the Vancouver Sun before warning against hopeful investors. “The queen reigned for so long that none of this stuff is going to be rare.”
Canada Post (and its predecessor, the Post Office Department) has featured the late monarch on more than 70 stamps – more than any other person – since 1935, when she was still a princess.