Category Archives: Top Story

An avid collector of modern Canadian stamps and purveyor of all things philatelic, Robin Harris was seemingly made for the role of editor of Unitrade’s long-running stamp catalogue. Published annually for more than two decades, the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps owes much of its evolution to long-time editor Robin Harris, of Manitoba, who... Continue reading →

Insuring a stamp collection is the same as insuring anything else you own. Similar to insuring a house, its contents or any other personal possessions – excluding your car, which is mandatory – a stamp collection can be insured for a “catastrophic loss.” “Whether you have it or not is a question of whether you want to... Continue reading →

A two-session auction highlighted by British North America and Canada, including an extensive section of King George V “Admiral” stamps and postal history, will be offered by New Brunswick’s Eastern Auctions this February. A worldwide section will open the Feb. 28-29 sale with Lots 1-211, which feature a “remarkable estate” of parallel mint and used... Continue reading →

Canada Post issued the final set of its most recent Lunar New Year series on Jan. 17, a day after the stamps were unveiled at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto. Designed by Albert Ng and Seung Jai Paek, who have worked on several past Lunar New Year issues, the stamps present a traditional... Continue reading →

For only the second time ever, the annual convention of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) is coming to New Brunswick, where members of “Canada’s national stamp club” are slated to gather for the much-anticipated show. To be held June 19-21 in the capital of Fredericton, the 2020 Royal Convention will be hosted by... Continue reading →

After one collector acquired a slightly tattered cover dating back more than a century and a half, he decided to restore it to ensure its survival as a scarce and significant piece of postal history. Mailed from Prescott, Ont., to watchmaker Willis Coates in Victoria, the cover is dated May 25, 1862, about two months... Continue reading →

Nearly all 794 lots offered by Eastern Auctions were sold this November as they crossed the block in a two-session sale that brought a total hammer price of more than $1 million and exceeded expectations across many of its sections. The first session, which included Lots 1-401, was highlighted by a circa 1878 12-pence Queen... Continue reading →

In a 15-year project focusing on family history, Vancouver collector Michael Souza is using stamps and currency to tell the story of his late father, who was a veteran of the Battle of Hong Kong. Born in Hong Kong on July 12, 1921, Henry Souza joined the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC) at the... Continue reading →

Today, first-day covers are issued alongside stamps by many postal services around the world, including in Canada, where the “official first-day cover” (OFDC) signalled the demise of private cachetmaking in that country. While Canada’s Post Office Department issued its first OFDC nearly 50 years ago, in 1971, its American counterpart only began selling cacheted –... Continue reading →

For the first time at a Canadian national-level exhibition, the Grand Award has been given to a thematic exhibit. North Toronto Stamp Club member Jean Wang took home the top honour at Canpex Oct. 19-20 for her five-frame thematic exhibit, “Blood: A Modern Medicine.” “I hope this will open the doors and encourage other thematic... Continue reading →