Centennial Definitive Booklets:
1967 -1968


This post looks at the stamp booklets printed during the 5 cent domestic forward letter rate period. Five booklets were issued in that period.

Canadian Bank Note Company (CBN) Booklets

CBN had the contract to print the booklets when the Centennial definitives were first issued and printed two different 25 cent booklets.

1. 25 cents : 1 cent and 4 cent stamps
The booklet contained one pane of five 1 cent stamps and one pane of five 4 cent stamps, perforated 11.8 and issued in February, 1967.

















The 1 cent CBN booklet stamps have a straight edge and may be attached to an advertising label.


CBN booklet stamps on post card mailed from Georgetown to Portland, Ore., October 17, 1967
4 cents surface post card rate to the US


Positive identification of the 4 cent CBN booklet stamp on cover is a bit more difficult because the 4 cent Miniature Pane is also perforated 11.8 and has straight edges. A pair of the stamps or a stamp attached to the advertising label would be required for positive identification if the 1 cent booklet stamp is not on the same cover.



4 cent CBN booklet stamp attached to advertising label
Toronto to Brighton, June 23,1968


Covers with both the 4 cent and 1 cent straight edged stamps, perforated 11.8, are probably from the CBN booklet.



1 cent and 4 cent booklet stamps
Calgary to Rochester, August 26, 1968




St. Joachim-de- Shefford to Grebin, Germany, December 16, 1968
15 cents air mail letter rate to Europe


2. 25 cents Booklet : 5 cents


This booklet contained one pane of five 5 cent stamps, perforated 11.8., and issued in March, 1967.










Positive identification of the 5 cent CBN booklet stamp is possible if there is a pair of stamps or if the stamp is attached to the advertising label, since the 5 cent Miniature pane also perforated 11.8 has straight edges on all sides.

The stamp on the cover shown below cannot be positively identified as a CBN booklet stamp.



Strathcona, N.S., to Barrie, September 23, 1967
5 cents domestic forward letter rate


Lower right corner stamp


British American Bank Note Company (BABN) Booklets

In 1967, BABN was awarded the contract to print booklets, replacing CBN. BABN purchased a new printing machine, a Goebel press, which could print booklets of multi-coloured stamps in one operation. BABN tested the new press by printing test booklets using a design referred to as the "Baby Sisters":





3. 25 cent Booklet : 1 cent/4c se-tenant

This booklet consisted of a single pane of 1 cent and 4 cent stamps, perforated 10. There were five rows of se-tenant 1 cent and 4 cents stamps, with the 1 cent and 4 cent denominations on the left and right sides of the pane respectively. The booklet appeared in September, 1968.









Row 1 se-tenant pair
Ottawa, October 30, 1968



Row 2. 3. or 4 se-tenant pair
Ottawa, February 2, 1969



Row 2, 3, or 4 se-tenant pair



Row 5 se-tenant pair
Verona to Cornwall, January 2, 1969


Row 5 se-tenant pair


4. $1.00 - 4 cents

The 4 cent $1.00 booklet consisted of one pane of twenty-five 4 cent stamps, perforated 10. This booklet appeared in June, 1968.







Jasper Park Lodge to Florence, Mass., June 21, 1968
4 cents surface post card rate to the US



The 4 cent BABN booklet stamp was perforated 10, without a straight edge


5. $1.00 - 5 cents

This booklet consisted of a single pane of twenty 5 cent stamps, perforated 10, straight edges on both sides and the bottom. The booklet appeared in April, 1968.






5 cent BABN booklet single, November 1, 1968



Perforated 10



"Extended Lobster Trap" variety

1967 Centennial Definitives:
Coils


1. February 8, 1967 - October 31, 1968
The first Centennial definitive coils consisting of the the 3c, 4c, and 5c values were issued on February 8, 1967, the same day as the sheet stamps. The coils, printed by the Canadian Bank Note Company, were sold in rolls of 500 for use primarily by bulk mailers. The 3 cent precancelled coil was released in April, 1967. (The 5 cent coil was issued precancelled as well but after October 31, 1968.)

3 cents


The precancelled coil was issued in April, 1967



Hamilton to St. Catharines, July 4, 1968
3 cents third class rate



The Atlantic, Montreal


4 Cents





Hamilton, October 31, 1968
4 cents local letter rate (last day of rate)


5 Cents





Hamilton to Burlington, October 10, 1968
5 cents forward letter rate


In addition to being sold in rolls of 500, the 5 cent coil was sold to tourists in smaller quantities in Niagara Falls (probably from a vending machine).




Postcard "Niagara, 4.10.67" was mailed in Toronto (October 5, 1967) to Munich
Two 5 cent coils paid the 10 cents air mail post card rate



Niagara Falls to Bayeux, France, September 15, 1969

The sender affixed a strip of four 5 cent coils and a single 5 cent coil in the lower left corner. The air mail letter rate to Europe was 15 cents.


2. November 1, 1968 - 1973

During this period, the Post Office issued coils in 6 cent, 7 cent and 8 cent denominations In addition, the 5 cent coil was issued precancelled.


5 cents : Precancelled

The 5 cent precancelled coil was issued after November 1, 1968 in rolls of 500 stamps.




The third class first weight step rate increased from 3 cents to 5 cents on November 1, 1968.


Winnipeg Executive Association mailing, February 24, 1969
5 cents printed matter rate


Quantity Rate (Bulk Mail Rate) : From July 1, 1971

The bulk mail rates were amended on July 1, 1971. For more details see my earlier posting on bulk mail rates. A common bulk mail rate was 5 cents per item ( standard printed matter was 6 cents).


Bulk Mail
5 cent rate-mailed after June 50, 1971


CBN Test Coils



6 cents Orange

The 6 cents orange transportation stamp (sheet and coil formats) was issued when the domestic first class letter rate increased from 5 cents to 6 cents on November 1, 1968. The 6 cent coils were sold in rolls of 100 stamps and marketed to the general public.






Meaford to Scarborough, December 22, 1969
6 cents domestic letter rate


Hi-Brite Stamp

The 6 cent coil printed on Hi-Brite paper ( high fluorescence) appeared in June, 1970.


The Hi-Brite paper on the right is distinguishable from the regular paper on the left even without the use of an ultra-violet lamp.






Victoria, October 25, 1975
6 cent Hi-Brite stamp


Imperforate Stamps

In 1968, Canadian Bank Note Co. introduced a new perforator for the coil printing machine. The perforator perforated 12 rows of stamps with one strike. A missing strike produced 11 completely imperforated stamps per coil.



6 cents Black

As explained in an earlier post, the 6 cent stamp was changed from orange to black to permit easier detection of the stamp's location on the envelope by facer-canceller machines. The 6 cent black coil stamp was issued in July, 1970, only on Hi-Brite paper.





Ottawa to St. John, April 20, 1971
6 cents domestic letter rate



A strip of six 6 cent coils on this return letter to stamp dealer W.T. Pollitz
Edmonton to Boston, April 27, 1971
6 cents surface letter rate to the U.S. + 50 cents registration fee


7 cents

The domestic letter rate increased from 6 cents to 7 cents on July 1, 1971. The 7 cent stamp (sheet and coil) was issued on June 30, 1971, only on Hi-Brite paper.





Blythe to Montreal, November 2, 1971
7 cents domestic letter rate


Imperforated Stamps




8 Cent : Untagged


The domestic letter rate increased from 7 cents to 8 cents on January 1, 1972. The 8 cent untagged coil stamp was issued December 31, 1971, on non-fluorescent paper. However the coil has been found printed on a range of paper fluorescences, a topic which is beyond the scope of this posting.





Montreal, January 21, 1972
8 cents untagged coil


8 cent : Tagged

In February 1972, an Ottawa tagged version (OP-2) of the 8 cent coil stamp was issued as part of the mechanization trials underway at the Ottawa post office.


The tagged stamp on the right has been tagged with fluorescent bars on both sides of the stamp. The tagging is visible under ordinary light.







Local Winnipeg letter, March 4, 1974


The fluorescent bars glow brightly under ultra-violet light.