The numbering system for the membership roll of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) marked its 100th anniversary in 2019.
It was introduced on The RPSC’s behalf in September 1919 by the Winnipeg Philatelic Society, which extended its membership to collectors across Canada and changed its name to the Canadian Philatelic Association in 1920. Three years later, its name was changed again, this time to the Canadian Philatelic Society, which later earned its royal designation in 1959.
“Each member of The RPSC gets an individual consecutive membership number when he or she joins,” said RPSC historian and past president Charles Verge, who’s also a Fellow of the society.
“There is enough information in printed journals and periodicals to confirm the continuity since 1919.”