Author Archives: Jim Szeplaki

Research-driven collections come to market

Dated Aug. 5, 1709, this folded letter sheet (Lot 72) is believed to be the earliest recorded outgoing mail from Newfoundland bearing postal markings, documenting the colony’s earliest interaction with the British postal system.

Postal history takes centre stage in the latest issue of Canadian Stamp News, Vol. 50 No. 22, as Eastern Auctions prepares one of its most ambitious and scholarly sales in recent memory. Anchored by two major collections built over decades, Eastern’s Feb. 24–28 auction offers an unusually deep and diverse selection that will resonate with... Continue reading →

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How Canada’s first stamp helped shape a nation

The late philatelist Ron Brigham supplied Canada Post with the original black die proof, shown here, for the 1851 Beaver stamp when the Crown corporation produced a replica issue to mark the stamp’s 150th anniversary in 2001. (Photo by Eastern Auctions.)

Canada’s story didn’t begin with Confederation, a flag or a prime minister – it began with a beaver. In the latest issue of Canadian Stamp News, released Jan. 13, 2026, readers are invited to rediscover the quiet but revolutionary moment when Canada first put its identity into circulation, 175 years ago, on a small piece... Continue reading →

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Exhibit judging faces ongoing strain

Judges at ORAPEX 2025 in Ottawa evaluate competitive exhibits at the long-running show. (CSN file photo)

Concerns about the future of exhibit judging are once again resurfacing within the Canadian philatelic community, as long-standing warnings about a shortage of qualified judges show little sign of easing. Continue reading →

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Philatelic community shows resilience, growth in 2025

Collectors in Canada and abroad competed for standout material offered by the country’s auction houses in 2025, including Part I of the Camellia PLC Collection, one of the strongest offerings of Pence, Cents and Large Queen issues in recent years. Among the highlights was this used block of four 1857 six-pence grey violets on thick, hard wove paper, which realized $72,000.

Canada’s philatelic community closed out 2025 with renewed energy, as collectors, dealers and organizations demonstrated resilience and enthusiasm in a year marked by both standout successes and notable challenges. From landmark auctions to strong show attendance, the hobby showed clear signs of momentum across the country. Auctions played a central role in shaping the year.... Continue reading →

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A landmark auction for Canadian classics

Lot 10, a circa-1879 Goodall compound die proof in dark blue on thin yellowish hard bond paper, realized $48,000, confirming its status as one of the most important intact Goodall proofs in private hands.

The first installment of Eastern Auctions’ Camellia PLC Collection has landed – and the results are already being talked about as one of the strongest showings for Canadian classics in years. Continue reading →

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Circleville’s Mail of Fear

The cover for the third letter Mary Gillispie received from the Circleville letter writer in April 1977 features a return address of the Westfall school superintendent.

In 1977, the quiet Ohio town of Circleville found its daily mail transformed from routine to menace. What began as a single envelope soon spiralled into a chilling campaign that would haunt residents for nearly two decades. The anonymous writer’s letters accused neighbours of affairs, crimes and betrayals, each message delivered with unnerving precision. The... Continue reading →

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Canadian postal treasures emerge from Camellia Collection

A two-cent rose cover mailed from Oshawa, Ont. to Port Colborne, Ont. on March 24, 1866 and addressed to Pte. John Luke of the Volunteer Militia is offered as Lot 130. Only seven two-cent soldier letters are known, and just three bear a two-cent adhesive.

A remarkable group of Canadian postal history treasures will cross the auction block this month as Eastern Auctions presents the Camellia PLC Collection – Canada Part I, an extraordinary offering of classic material set for Nov. 22 in Bathurst, N.B. Among the sale’s headline pieces are some of the most celebrated items in Canadian philately,... Continue reading →

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When stamps become statements

A Hamas-issued stamp commemorates the child Muhammad al-Durrah.

In a world where postage often reflects politics, new research highlights how Palestinian stamps have long served as tools of identity, defiance, and propaganda. The latest issue of Canadian Stamp News examines how, amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, postage imagery continues to shape narratives of statehood and sovereignty. Continue reading →

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Once-in-a-generation offering of Canadian classics

A circa 1879 engraved “Goodall” compound die proof described as a “highly desirable and sought-after” example has a catalogue value of $40,000-plus in Extremely Fine (XF) condition as Lot 10.

Collectors are gearing up for one of the most anticipated Canadian philatelic auctions in years as Eastern Auctions prepares to open bidding on the Camellia PLC Collection on Nov. 22. The single-session sale of 265 lots promises to deliver museum-level rarities, including proofs, essays and pristine examples of Canada’s Pence, Cents and Large Queen issues.... Continue reading →

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From Large Queens to Bluenose

The 1897 Maple Leaf issue has English-only inscription.

Canada’s stamp story is as vast and varied as the country itself, and philatelist James R. Taylor takes readers on a sweeping journey in his latest column, The Great White North is a stamp collector’s Eden. From the very first Dominion issues of 1868 to the provincial classics of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and beyond, Taylor... Continue reading →

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