1964 Christmas

Canada's first Christmas stamps were issued on October 14, 1964. Although Canada produced a stamp bearing the words "Xmas 1898" in 1898, the 1964 issues were the first Canadian postage stamps intended for use on Christmas mails.

The stamps showed a family group of a man, a woman and two children in silhouette, walking off towards a Christmas star in a typical Canadian winter scene. The design was intended to express the feeling of Christmas as a religious and family occasion, and at the same time to portray the scene in a Canadian environment. It was also meant to tie in with the study of the family's place in contemporary Canadian life which was held last summer under the sponsorship of the Governor General and Madame Vanier.
The stamps were printed tagged and untagged. A 3 cents miniature pane was also printed, tagged and untagged.

Essays

National Archives of Canada

National Archives of Canada

National Archives of Canada

National Archives of Canada

National Archives of Canada

National Archives of Canada

National Archives of Canada

Approved Model

Designer : Harvey Thomas Prosser

National Archives of Canada

First Day Covers

Kolor Kover






Grover




Canada Post Office Publicity Cover


Canadian Post Office first day cover. The CPO used "Rosecraft" envelopes to announce the release of the Christmas stamp. This announcement was mailed to Portugal.


Tagged Stamps








Usages

Domestic Printed Matter


Vancouver to Clinton, November 20, 1964
3 cents printed matter rate


Military : NATO Forces in Europe


Air Division Headquarters, Metz, France, CFPO 109 to Vancouver, January 28, 1965

1973 An interesting Australia - UK -Canada Cover


The 1973 cover shown below addressed from Melbourne, Australia to Downside Cobham, England is a postage due collector's gem. In this article I provide an explanation of the various postal markings applied by the Australian, British, and Canadian post offices.




Stage 1 :Australia to England

1) Shortpaid Surface Letter

The letter was sent by surface mail from "The Royal Melbourne Hospital" and addressed to Downside Cobham, England. The Royal Melbourne Hospital meter was used to frank the letter The amount prepaid was 7 cents. The surface letter rate to the UK was 10 cents, thus the letter was shortpaid 3 cents.


7 cents
May 4, 1973

2) Australian Post Office Tax Fraction

The Australian post office applied this tax fraction (partially covered by an air mail etiquette subsequently applied in England):



6/10

The fraction is explained as follows:



(An explanation of the tax fraction system can be found in my earlier article. Click HERE)

3) British Tax 3p

The British post office used the Australian tax fraction to calculate the amount due in British currency. The British international letter rate (5p) was multiplied by the tax fraction (6/10):



The amount due in British currency was 3p. The post office applied the 3p handstamp. (The handstamp is in the correct denomination but the reason provided on the handstamp is incorrect):




The amount due was paid:



The Australian and British tax assessments were correct.

Stage 2 :Australia to Canada

1) The letter was re-posted by air mail to Canada:




2) An air mail etiquette was applied and a British 7 1/2 p stamp affixed:



Kingston-Upon-Tyme, June 17, 1973
7 1/2 p was the correct air mail rate to Canada


3) Canadian Postage due marking !

Upon arrival in Canada, this properly franked air mail letter was incorrectly taxed 7 cents by the Canadian post office:



I have no idea how the Canadian postal official arrived at 7 cents; however, had the error not been made, the cover wouldn't be as interesting.

1964 Royal Visit
On October 5, 1964, the post office issued a commemorative stamp to honour Queen Elizabeth's 1964 visit. The Queen was scheduled to visit Charlottetown and Quebec City, the sites of the famous 1864 political conferences which ultimately led to Canadian Confederation in 1867.
It was a difficult time for the Queen to visit Quebec City and celebrate the creation of the Canadian nation. Quebec nationalism was becoming a growing force in the province, and Quebec sovereignists such as Pierre Bourgeault and his organization the Rassemblement pour l'Independence Nationale (RIN) were vehemently opposed to Elizabeth's trip to Quebec City. Bourgeault warned months before the visit, "either Ottawa cancels the Queen’s trip to Quebec or we can’t make any promises about the attitude that French-Canadians will take before this provocation."
The Queen's Visit to Quebec City
Queen Elizabeth's trip to Quebec City was not cancelled. When the Queen arrived at Quebec City she was greeted by demonstrators who lined the route of her procession showing their backs to her. She delivered a speech to the Legislative Assembly in both English and French praising Canada's two "complementary cultures" and the strength of Canada's two founding peoples. Following her departure from the Quebec Parliament, demonstrators marched through the streets. They were dispersed by police, with 36 persons arrested, leading to the day being called Samedi de la matraque ("Truncheon Saturday").
This episode foreshadowed the divisive political turbulence that was to follow in Quebec and Canada.

Stamp Design

The Royal Visit stamp, from a photograph by Anthony Buckley of London, England, showed the Queen in a seated position, wearing a simple white gown and a tiara.




First Day Covers




Canada Post Office Announcement Cover



The post office mailed announcements of new issues inside first day covers. The Royal Visit stamp announcement was enclosed in a Rosecraft envelope in this mailing to Jamaica.

Overseas Mailers embellishment of a Chickering designed cachet




Usages

Domestic Letter


Toronto to Bancroft, October 23, 1964

Forward Letter rate.....................5c
Registration fee............................35
Special Delivery fee.....................25
TOTAL.........................................65c


International Air Mail Letter


Stratford to Newcastle upon Tyne, November 2, 1964
15 cents air mail letter rate to Great Britain