A U.S. Change.org petition urging that country’s national postal service to issue a semi-postal stamp in support of the Ukrainian war effort has hit 1,000 signatures.
Allyson Becker, of New York, N.Y., launched the petition in March to request the U.S. Postal Service “immediately reissue” the 2008 first-class sunflower stamp, previously valued at 42 cents, as a new 60-cent semi-postal “Forever” stamp.
“This new 2022 semi-postal stamp would be issued in support of Ukraine, with the additional funds raised from its sales being donated towards humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian people,” wrote Becker, who suggested the semi-postal be issued in 20-stamp sheets.
From left to right: Orest Sklierenko and Oksana Kuzyshyn, both of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, unveil Canada Post’s new semi-postal stamp alongside Doug Ettinger, the Crown corporation’s president and CEO. Photo by Denis Drever.
CANADA’S SEMI-POSTAL FOR UKRAINE
In March, Vancouver stamp dealer Brian Grant Duff also started an online petition, which received more than 1,600 signatures by May, when Canada Post unveiled a semi-postal stamp to support the people of Ukraine amid Russia’s renewed invasion of that country.
Released in July, the issue includes a 10-stamp booklet plus an official first-day cover (OFDC), both featuring a colourful design originally issued in 2011 (Scott #2444) as part of that year’s four-stamp “Sunflowers” series. Canada Post has taken $1 from each booklet sale and 10 cents from each OFDC sale for distribution through the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, a national charitable foundation based in Toronto. It marks the first time Canada Post has issued a stamp to support a country in need of humanitarian assistance.
Postal officials chose to reissue the sunflower stamp with a new inscription, “Help for Ukraine/Aide à l’Ukraine,” as well as “+10” to denote the 10-cent surcharge for each stamp, to make the stamp “available sooner than would be the case with a new stamp.”
While the semi-postal for Ukraine features a reissued design – originally produced by Montréal’s Isabelle Toussaint Design graphique – there are several differences. In addition to adding the “Help for Ukraine” title and “+10” surcharge, the semi-postal’s “P” value (for Permanent) and country name have also been shifted from the top-right corner to the bottom.
The Ottawa-based security printer Lowe-Martin printed a new booklet and OFDC designed by artist Hélène L’Heureux, of Montreal. The OFDC is serviced with an Ottawa pictorial cancel featuring a stylized sunflower.