Volume 37#19

January 15 – January 28, 2013

Michael Sefi, former Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection and a longtime supporter of Canadian philately, died on May 9, 2026. Sefi oversaw Queen Elizabeth II’s world-renowned stamp collection from 2003 until his retirement in 2018 and played a key role in expanding scholarly and exhibition access to Royal Collection material. (Photo courtesy of RPSL)

Water snake rings in Lunar New Year

Canada Post will continue its second series of lunar zodiac stamps with two issues for the Year of the Snake. This year’s stamps, designed by Joe Gault and Avi Dunkleman of MIX Design Group and calligrapher Tan Chao Chang, feature a water snake. The snake represents intelligence, materialism and gracefulness. Those born in the Year of the Snake tend to be analytical and lovers of luxury. It is the fifth year in a row that two stamps have been issued in the series. Continue reading →

Regulars

Are you buying or selling?

Page 19

Check out the shows in your area

Page 23

Editorial

Personalized stamps need a place in the numbering – now

I believe that some of the personalized postage issues belong among the regular Canada Post listings in references, rather than lumped in the back of the book. The reasons, I believe, are compelling. Now, I am not talking about Uncle John and Aunt Mary standing around the Christmas tree, or even the new specialized issues, but personalized postage stamps created by Canada Post and sold to the public for use on mail. There are a small number of stamps that fit this category. Not, for instance, the Royal Conservatory stamps of last year, which were only sold cancelled on commemorative envelopes. No, the specific stamps I am talking about would be typified by the 2011 Eid, Hanukkah, and Diwali stamps.

Continue reading →

By Bret Evans