1949 Newfoundland

The Dominion of Newfoundland joined Canada on March 31, 1949, following a referendum held the previous year.  To mark the historic occasion, Canada Post Office issued a 4c commemorative stamp featuring the "Matthew", the ship sailed by John Cabot when he discovered Newfoundland in 1497. It is interesting to note that the stamp makes no reference to Newfoundland joining Canada. Perhaps this was done so as not to upset the 48% of Newfoundlanders who voted to maintain dominion status under a responsible government. Since 1934, Newfoundland had been governed by an unelected "Commission of Government" appointed by the British government.

 The stamp design was based on a model of the "Matthew" which had been built by Ernest Maunder of St. John's in 1947 at the request of the Newfoundland Historical Society.

National Archives of Canada
Photograph of Ernest Maunder's model of the "Matthew"

According to W.L. Aiken in his 1957 Topics article dealing with the Newfoundland stamp, the model used by the stamp designer Herman Herbert Schwartz was a photograph of Mr. Maunder's ship taken on his lawn with "the wind billowing out the sails".

National Archives of Canada
Outdoor photograph of Ernest Maunder's model of the "Matthew" after rigging

National Archives of Canada
Essay

National Archives of Canada
Photograph of Die Proof

First Day Covers

 

 A "FIRST DAY OF ISSUE" cancellation was used at St. John's. This was the first time such a cancellation was produced by Canada Post Office for a first day.

John Labatt

Usages

Domestic

Toronto to Wheatley, April 5, 1949
4 cents forward letter rate

Riding Mountain National Park,Wasagaming, Man., to Port Arthur, May 26,  1949
4 cents forward letter rate

Toronto to Hamilton, July 15, 1949
4 cents forward letter rate

Grand Bank, Nfld., to London, May 1, 1949
7 cents domestic air mail letter rate
3 cent excise stamp not valid for postage
Shortpaid 3 cents and taxed 6 cents
London 6 cents meter tape, May 14, 1949

\Geraldton to Port Arthur, April 19, 1949
4 cents letter rate + 10 cents registration fee

United States

St. John's Nfld. to Cleveland, October 8, 1949
4 cents letter rate + 10 cents registration fee

International

Trois Rivieres to Perpignan, France, May 9, 1949
4 cents preferential surface letter rate to France

Montreal A.M.F. to Orleans, France, April 8, 1949
15 cents one-quarter ounce air mail letter rate to Europe