Sunday, August 1, 2010

1952 Prime Ministers Series :
3 cent John Abbott
4 cent Alexander Mackenzie


The second set in the Prime Ministers series was issued on November 3, 1952 to honour John Abbott and Alexander Mackenzie The first set in the Prime Ministers series was released on June 25, 1951, during the reign of George VI. The stamps were designed by Herman Herbert Schwartz and based on photographs supplied by the Public Archives of Canada.

John Abbott

The image used for the John Abbott stamp was based on the photograph below.

National Archives of Canada


National Archives of Canada

Alexander Mackenzie

National Archives of Canada

Essay

National Archives of Canada

 First Day Covers



























Usages

Local Letter Rate


Aurora, local letter, December 1, 1952
3 cents local letter rate


UPU Printed Matter

The surface UPU printed matter rate was 2 cents for the first two ounces. The envelope below was unsealed and the date of mailing (November 26, 1952) suggests that it contained a Christmas card. The letter was franked with a 3 cent stamp and was thus overpaid. The Swiss post office however treated it as an underpaid surface letter and taxed it accordingly.



Bradwell, Sask., to Sagendorf, Switzerland, November 26 1952
No Canadian tax marking (this was overpaid printed matter)
Swiss Tax : 35 (Swiss centimes) in black pencil
Postage dues affixed and cancelled December 13, 1952

A Possible Explanation for the Swiss Taxation:




International Air Mail


Thornhill to London, January 9, 1953
15 cents one-half ounce air mail rate to Great Britain


Domestic Forward Letter


London, Ont., University to Woodstock, December 3, 1952
4 cents surface forward letter rate



Amherstburg to Toronto, January 6, 1953
4 cents forward letter rate + 20 cents registration fee


Air Mail to the United States


Windsor to Cleveland, January 19, 1953
7 cents air mail rate + 10 cents special delivery fee


International Surface Letter : Preferential Rate

The surface letter fee to Great Britain was 4 cents for the first ounce.


New Westminster to London, November 17, 1952
4 cents preferred surface letter rate to Great Britain


UPU Surface Letter

The UPU surface letter rate was 5 cents.


Aroostock Jct., N.B., to Skijrn, Denmark, December 1952
5 cents UPU surface letter rate