FDC Specialist - Vol. 1 No. 5 - November / 1984

SECRECY STILL PREVAILS AT CANADA POST

As reported in the last issue, the marketing department of Canada Post had verbally consented to release the sales figures of Canada Post cachets. Unfortunately, and for no apparent reason, they changed their mind when it came time to put it in writing. In previous correspondence, I had requested the reason for not divulging these figures and the reply was: "Specific quantities produced for each stamp issue are not publicly released."

For what it is worth, I am quoting to you the sales levels of Official Canada Post FDC's as received from Mr. R.W. Eyre, Executive Director, Retail Marketing.

Sales of single FDC's and corner block FDC's break down as follows:

In my correspondence with Canada Post with respect to sales figures of Official Canada Post cachets I have received a definite "There is no information available as to the quantities of Official First Day Covers", to the figures quoted above. Since to my knowledge there is no official reason with regards to the secrecy of this information, I would hope that Canada Post officials will reconsider their position.

Possibly some of my knowledgeable readers has the answer as to why the quantities of stamps issued are publicly released by Canada Post while the quantities of Official FDC's are not.

OBSERVE YOUR CACHETS CLOSELY FOR VARIETIES

Recently, while sorting through some cachets, I noticed major variances in design by the same cachet maker for the same issue. I do not know how many such variances exist, I am relying on you my cherished readers and friends to discover and report these to me for publication.

Congratulations are in order for Thessalia Ramadan whose keen sense of observation led to the discovery of the indicia variety described on page 9 of the August issue for the Maple in Spring cancellation, on yet another issue: Scott # 541 15¢ Radio Canada and Scott # 542 Census stamps. Contrary to the Maple in summer issue on which the variety has only been found on Canada Post cachets, the cancellation variety on these two stamps has been reported on several cachets. Canada Post did not make Official Covers for this issue. Would anyone care to venture a guess as for the reason for this variety?

Note the date I VI / 1971 on two consecutive lines on the cancel of the top cover and I VI / / 1971 on the cancel of the bottom cover.

Art Craft cachet for the 1953 Coronation issue Scott # 330.

Top : The wording below the framed picture of the Queen reads: By the grace of God / of Great Britain / Ireland and the British Dominions / Beyond the seas / Queen, defender of the faith

Bottom: The wording reads as follows: By the grace of God / of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland / and of her other Realms and Territories Queen, head of the / Commonwealth, defender
of the faith

Rose Craft cachet for the Royal visit issue of 1957, Scott # 374.

Top: The portrait of Q.E. is very dark; the scroll work at the bottom of the frame and the lettering differs from the cachet below; there is no shading on the Canadian flag; the parliament buildings are different and larger than the ones pictured on the cachet below; there are two leaves on the stem of the Rose Craft symbol.

Below: The portrait of the queen is shown close up and is lighter; see above for descriptions of the other variances.

Rose Craft cachet for the Louis Riel issue of 1970, Scott # 515.

Top: the outline of the letterring used for the name below the portrait is black and the body of the letters is white; the maple leaf in the lower left hand corner is depicted as a natural leaf.

Bottom: The letterring used for the name is of a different style and is totally black; the wording below the date is framed; the maple leaf is a graphic rendition and is black.

Mapleaf Cachet for the Gray Jay issue of 1968, Scott # 478

Top: This was the original version of the first cachet made by Ross Arnott of Maple Leaf cover service in Montreal. The design was too large and did not leave enough room for the address.

Bottom: Revised version of the same cachet.

FIRST DAY COVER DATED ONE YEAR PRIOR TO ISSUE DATE

Dom Sozio, maker of Dome Cachets has sent along this interesting piece of information. On December 19th 1983.Canada reissued the 48¢ definitive Cradle stamp (part of the heritage issues). New paper and Plate number was used. Twenty Dome cachets were sent by Dom to Canada Post for First Day cancellation on Plate blocks. By mistake, the postal employee used the wrong year date (1982 instead of 1983). I would venture to say that this is the earliest usage known for that issue.

Dome cachets make a beautiful addition to a Canadian FDC collection, and are produced in very limited quantities (as can be noticed above). Do not wait for these to be sold out before deciding to start a collection, as they will be most difficult and expensive to obtain. For more details, you may write to
[ Address deleted ]

1927 Historical Commemorative Issue of 1927

A series of three stamps was issued on June 29, 1927. These were designed by the Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd.

Scott # 146 5¢ violet, Portrait of Hon. Thomas D'Arcy McGee. Born in Ireland on April 13, 1825, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1842 where he became Editor of the Boston Pilot. He returned to Ireland in 1845 and was a parliamentary correspondent in London for the Dublin Freeman's Journal. In 1848, he was obliged to flee the country due to his implication in the abortive Rebellion and went to New York disguised as a priest. In 1857 he moved to Montreal and entered politics in 1858 representing Montreal West. In 1862 he became a cabinet minister and in 1864 he was a delegate to the Charlottetown and Quebec conferences. He was an eloquent advocate of Canadian union and was in a real sense a father of Confederation. On the morning of April 7, 1868, just after he had made a speech in Parliament, he was assassinated at the door of his boarding house on Sparks Street in Ottawa.

Scott # 147 12¢ green, portraits of MacDonald and Laurier. See page 12 of the August issue of the Journal for brief biographies.

Scott # 148 20¢ carmine, portraits of Robert Baldwin and Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, leaders in Upper and Lower Canada, in the struggle for representative government. Baldwin was born in the town of York, now Toronto, on May 12, 1804. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada in 1829. After the union of Upper and Lower Canada, he became a member of the executive council and joined Lafontaine in the promotion of national unity. He died in York on December 9, 1858.

Lafontaine was born on October 4, 1807 near Boucherville, Lower Canada. He was admitted to the bar in 1829. He was elected the following year to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. At first he opposed the union of Upper and Lower Canada, but later favoured it. He was associated with Baldwin in the struggle for responsible government. He was knighted in 1854 by Queen Victoria. He died in Montreal on February 26, 1864.

CANADA POST CACHETED FIRST DAY COVERS

Day of issue M D Y Scott Cat. No. Description Single Pair Bl.of 4 PL.BL.
09 08 72 594-8 Set on Cover (OF-4 Tag)* 3.75 - - -
09 08 72 594-8v Set on Cover (OP-2 Tag)* 3.75 - - -
09 08 72 594-8+v Set on Cover (OP-4 & -2)* 3.00 - - -
* The British American Bank Note Co., still attempting to overcome the migration problem with the OP-4 type Ottawa tagging, managed to resolve their problem sometime between the first printing of these stamps and their actual release date of Sept. 8. The price quoted on the combination cover 594-8+v is for a cover on which both varieties appear.
10 04 72 564 8¢ Assiniboine Thunderbird 1.30 - - -
10 04 72 565 8¢ Sun Dance Costume 1.30 - - -
10 04 72 564-5 8¢ Se-tenant - 1.80 2.75 3.00
10 04 72 564p 8¢ Assiniboine ThunderbirdTag 1.80 - - -
10 04 72 565P 8¢ Sun Dance Costume (Gen. Tag) 1.80 - - -
10 04 72 564-5p 8¢ Se-tenant (Gen. Tag) - 2.75 4.70 5.10
11 01 72 606 6¢ Candles .95 1.05 1.25 1.30
11 01 72 606p 6¢ Candles (Gen. Tag) .95 1.05 1.25 1.30
11 01 72 607 8¢ Candles 1.00 1.15 1.40 1.45
11 01 72 607P 8¢ Candles (Gen. Tag) 1.00 1.20 1.50 1.55
11 01 72 608 10¢ Candles 1.85 2.85 4.90 5.30
11 01 72 608p 10¢ Candles (Gen. Tag) 2.55 4.20 7.60 8.25
11 01 72 609 15¢ Candles 1.95 3.10 5.35 5.80
11 01 72 609p 15¢ Candles (Gen. Tag) 2.60 4.25 7.65 8.30
11 01 72 606-9 Set on cover 3.50 - - -
11 01 72 606-9p Set on cover (Gen. Tag) 5.00 - - -
11 01 72 606-9+p Set (Tagged & untagged) 3.25 - - -

CP564-5 8¢ Thunderbird and Sun Dance Costume designed by Geo. Beaupre and printed by the British American Bank Note Co. These stamps were issued October 4, 1972 and are a continuation of a series issued to honour the Indians of Canada.

CF606-09 6¢,8¢,10¢ & 15¢ Christmas Stamps issued November 1, 1972. These were designed by Ray Webber and printed by Ashton-Potter Ltd.