Note: This story originally listed the issue date of the ‘Year of the Rat’ set as Jan. 13. That set will be issued following an unveiling ceremony on Jan. 16 in Scarborough, Ont.
With the new year underway, the first philatelic issues of 2020 are fast approaching.
Canada Post is slated to kick off its 2020 stamp program on Jan. 13 with the third set of the “From Far and Wide” series.
The set will feature nine definitives, each highlighting a different locale, including:
- Abraham Lake (Alberta);
- Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park (Saskatchewan);
- Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park (Yukon Territory);
- French River (Prince Edward Island);
- Îles de la Madeleine (Québec);
- Carcajou Falls (Northwest Territories);
- Kootenay National Park (British Columbia);
- Swallowtail Lighthouse (New Brunswick); and
- Cabot Trail (Nova Scotia).
Also due for release later that week is the final set of Lunar New Year stamps, which will have a “Rat’s Wedding” theme. The 12-year series began in 2009 and followed another 12-year series that ran from 1997-2008.
South of the border, the U.S. Postal Service will issue its first stamp of the year on Jan. 11, and it’s also part of an ongoing Lunar New Year series.
The United Nations Postal Administration is also slated to release a special event sheet celebrating the Lunar New Year on Jan. 2; however, its first commemorative issue of 2020 will be issued on Jan. 10 and mark the centennial of its forerunner, the League of Nations.