Category Archives: Top Story

David McLaughlin’s eight-frame exhibit, “The Maple Leaf Issue of Canada 1897-1898,” won the Grand Award at the 160-frame exhibition held during The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) Convention this June. The exhibit also earned the RPSC Excellence Award (Title Page/Synopsis); the American Philatelic Society (APS) Medal of Excellence (Research); the British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS) Best BNA Exhibit Award; and the BNAPS Best BNA Research Award. Continue reading →

A mint vertical strip of 10 three-pence red beaver stamps (Scott #1) nearly tripled its pre-sale estimate of $10,000-plus when it hammered down for $27,000 during a sale by New Brunswick’s Eastern Auctions this June. Offered as Lot 289, the strip of 10 stamps – despite its various described faults – displayed “large margins, excellent colour and an unusually bright impression, nearly full brownish original gum showing only a hint of disturbance and a few mild hinge marks,” according to auction catalogue describer Yohann Tanguay.  Continue reading →

It’s easy to learn but difficult to master. Progressing through the local, regional, national and international waters of philatelic exhibiting requires careful skill, attention to detail and committed passion for the hobby. Beyond the local level, it becomes increasingly difficult to stand out from the competition, but according to a trio of award-winning exhibitors and members of the North Toronto Stamp Club (NTSC), it’s all about perseverance. “It’s not one and done,” said NTSC Exhibition co-chair John Wilson, who was joined by fellow exhibition co-chair Jean Wang and website administrator Leon Matthys for an hour-long presentation at the recent National Postage Stamp and Coin Show. “It’s about repeated iterations.” Continue reading →

Thirty display cabinets long and three decades in the making, John Powers’ “Banknotes and Butterflies of the World” exhibition combines lepidopterology – the study of butterflies and moths – with philately and notaphily. With stunning effect, 120 countries are represented by first-day covers (FDCs) with stamps and postmarks; a complete collection of 150 uncirculated banknotes issued by the Franklin Mint from 1980-91; and a real butterfly from each respective country. The word for “butterfly” is also displayed in each country’s official language alongside other relevant information. Continue reading →

With undying enthusiasm, philatelists from across Canada made the annual pilgrimage to the nation’s capital this May for the Ottawa RA Centre Philatelic Exhibition, commonly referred to as Orapex. It was the 57th consecutive gathering since the show was founded in 1961, and this year’s two-day bourse and exhibition was nothing short of special, according to dealer Frank Hoyles, owner of Blenheim, Ont.’s C. Frank Hoyles. “This place is special; it really, really is,” said Hoyles, who has been in business for nearly 30 years. “In this hobby, this is sort of the centre of the universe for Canada. Orapex is always one of the real, true highlights of the year.” Continue reading →

The first step in preserving your hard-earned philatelic collection is knowing your enemies. The myriad of problems collectors can encounter in conserving their collections – including why they’re happening and how to solve them – was highlighted in a presentation at the recent National Postage Stamp and Coin Show by Bank of Canada Museum conservator and collection manager Patricia Measures. Continue reading →

The National Postage Stamp and Coin Show set a new record for attendance this April, when more than 1,000 collectors gathered for the biannual event in Mississauga. The show returned to the Greater Toronto Area on April 7-8 for the fifth time since 2015, when Trajan Media took over what was then known as the National Postage Stamp Show from the Canadian Stamp Dealers’ Association. After moving locations in spring 2016 to the 9,000-square-foot Graydon Hall at the Hilton Mississauga, the show has continued to grow year after year. Continue reading →

The designation bestowed upon Canada Post’s first-day locations is meant to be an honour, but some collectors are concerned about the Crown corporation’s apparent lack of promotion. The first-day location for the recent Flowers issue was Waterdown, Ont., which is near the Royal Botanical Gardens; however, according to collector and North Toronto Stamp Club webmaster Leon Matthys, post office staff in Waterdown were unaware of the honour. There was no first-day ceremony and no first-day postmark available at the Waterdown Post Office on 17 Main St. N. “This echoes my own recent discoveries,” said another long-time collector, Wayne Adam, of Toronto. “In November, the secular Christmas stamps were issued at Cardinal, Ont. No one there knew about it.” Earlier this year, on the day of issue for the “From Far and Wide” stamps, Adam said he called the post office in Leamington, Ont., which was chosen as the cancel location for the definitive marking Point Pelee’s 100th anniversary. Continue reading →

A handful of Canadian illustrators will be commemorated on Canada Post’s next issue, which is slated for release on April 5 at OCAD University in Toronto. Highlighting five talented Canadians whose work can be found on book covers, posters, magazines, newspapers and even postage stamps, this new issue features some of Canada’s most successful and prolific illustrators. Continue reading →

A complete set of eight imperforate pairs from the King George V Admiral Issue and an imperforate pair of 1916 War Tax stamps highlighted the recent sale of the John Smallman Collection by Eastern Auctions. Offered as the first lot in the Feb. 23 sale, the set contained eight imperforate pairs ranging in denomination from four cents to $1 plus an imperforate pair of 1916 two- plus one-cent Die II War Tax stamps (Scott #MR4c). Altogether, the lot realized $23,000. Continue reading →