Stamps remind us to honour our ideals
We should be willing to look at our past, make apologies for wrongs done, and use the lessons learned to build on our goal of a good society. Continue reading →
Monthly Archives: July 2014
Colourful character helped found the ROM
After receiving his master’s degree, he found himself attracted to the field of archeology after meeting the famous Egyptologist, Flinders Petrie. Continue reading →
Great collections need knowledge more than luck
A dealer told me once that his most valuable asset was not his inventory, but his library. The knowledge contained on those shelves was worth more than a truckload of stamps. Continue reading →
Empress of Ireland still remembered
According to Canada Post, one in 30 Canadians can trace his or her roots to a relative who immigrated to this country via the Empress. Continue reading →
Collectors can only help post office get back in the black
...Canada Post is losing money because of falling mail volumes, but there is a five-point plan to solve the problem. Continue reading →
Readers get creative in making up the rate
A cover sent to Canadian Stamp News with neatly organized stacks of one-cent stamps, making up the modern 85-cent rate.
Canadian Stamp News entered the fray with a call for a collector to mail in a letter with the 85-cent rate made up entirely of first-class stamps. Continue reading →
Unusual cover brings fun to philately
Stamp collecting is a lot of things: a chance to build a collection, a source of knowledge, a way to compete, a way to invest, and even a business for some. But first and foremost it is a diversion and source of pleasure for thousands of Canadians. Continue reading →
Gold exhibit winners shine at 2014 Royale
Eighteen exhibitors came home with gold medals, following the Royal 2014 Royale, the annual convention of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, held in Halifax, N.S., May 30 to June 1. Continue reading →
A fascinating year for auctions
It appears that 2014 will go down in the records as a year of auctions. Continue reading →
Accidental stitch watermarks sought after by collectors
It pays to look closely at stamps. The example of the two-cent large queen shown at left is a normal example, while the stamp at right has an elusive stitch watermark, and is worth substantially more.
A hallmark of early paper making processes, it rarely appears on modern stamps, but is eagerly sought after by collectors specializing in stamps of the Victorian era. They can also be illusive, but their presence often raises the value of a stamp dramatically. Continue reading →