Recent Additions : March 2014

Kapuskasing

The Northern Tribune

A local newspaper that has since ceased publication.

Kapuskasing to Toronto, October 8, 1938
13 cents paying 3 cents forward letter rate + 10 cents registration

A view from the Kap Bowling Green

Centennial Slogans

Two philatelic exhibition covers with interesting cachets:

28th NORTHWEST
PHILATELIC
EXHIBITION
MAY 24, 25 1968

 New Westminster, May 24, 1968

ESCPEX 69
PHILATELIC
EXHIBITION
MARCH 22ND

Edmonton, March 22, 1969

Commemorative Usages

1951 William Lyon Mackenzie King

Petrolia broken circles add to this usage.

Petrolia to London, September 19, 1951

4 cents domestic forward letter rate + 20 cents registration fee

1964 World Peace

Kelowna to Uusikaupunki, Finland, May 4, 1964

15 cents paying the half ounce air mail letter rate to Europe

The next two covers were sent to Australia. Multiples of the commemoratives bring life to the envelopes.

1967 Vote for Women

Montreal A.M.F to Neutral Bay, Australia  July 9, 1967

50 cents paying the one ounce double weight air mail letter rate to Australia

(25 cents each half ounce)

1968 Henri Bourassa

Vernon to East Ringwood, Australia, September 23, 1968

50 cents paying the one ounce double weight air mail letter rate to Australia

(25 cents each half ounce)

First Day Covers

1950 Petroleum Industry Definitive

1952 Forestry Products Industries

Velvet was not just for Elvis paintings. The Dargis Velvatone flocked cachets are delightful creations.

1952 Red Cross

1953 Wildlife

1954 Prime Ministers

1955 Wildlife

1955 Prime Ministers

1957 Wildlife

A nice Sanders cachet for this issue. Identified and  shown in the Perkins FDC handbook:

Perkins,Bruce, Canadian First Day Cover Handbook 1950 -1959, American First Day Cover Society, Fairlawn, Ohio, 1994

Mr. Perkins is a leading figure in the field whose dedicated efforts have popularized serious first day cover collecting.

1959 50th Anniversary of Flight

Phila Coin (Perkins)

1968 Voyage of the Nonsuch

1980 Lake Placid Olympics

1980 Dr. Lachappelle

Illustrated Commercial Covers

Timmins Silver Jubilee

A lovely commercial usage of the commemorative envelope tide with the "Old Home Week" slogan.

Tinmins to Hamilton, April 29, 1937

3 cents forward letter rate

Bertrand, Foucher, Bélanger Inc.

Lovely church ornaments are featured on this envelope.

 Montreal to Lyons, France, February 10, 1940

3 cents preferential surface letter rate to France

Saskatoon Brewing Company Limited

Colour adds so much to a cover.

Saskatoon to Herrsching, U.S. Occupied Zone Germany, February 25, 1947

15 cents air mail rate for the 1st quarter ounce

Woolings Forest Products

Englehart to Sudbury, December 6, 1952

4 cents domestic forward letter rate

Sinclair and Stewart, Limited, General Merchants

Summerside.P.E.I., to Kitchener, July 9, 1944

4 cents forward letter rate

Bieber Motors

Coloured cachets are not often seen on Karsh period covers.

Rolling Hills, Alberta, to Kitchener

4 cents domestic forward letter rate

Connors Bros. Limited

Black Harbour, May 5, 1956

5 cents forward letter rate

Riley and McCormick Ltd.

Calgary to St. Louis, Mo., March 9, 1966

7 cents air mail rate to the United States for the first ounce

Stirling Fruit Farms, Ltd.

Wolfville to Kentville, June 19, 1980

17 cents domestic letter rate for 1 ounce

Barrel Cancellations

Vancouver and Montreal British and  Foreign  Registration.

This September 1957 registered cover from Vancouver to Copenhagen has  Vancouver and Montreal barrel backstamps. The Montreal cancel is interesting because the August indicium VIII was not advanced to IX for September.

Vancouver to Copenhagen, October 17, 1957

15 cents air mail rate + 20 cents registration fee

Vancouver, October 17, 1957

Montreal British and  Foreign  Registration

Incorrect month: VIII instead of  IX

 Halifax 1955


This 1955  cover below from Windsor, N.S., to Toronto was deposited in the letter box on the Halifax-bound train.  Upon arrival in the Halifax, the lettter was taken out of the box and the post office applied the "THIS MAIL WAS CARRIED IN TRAVELLING LETTER BOX TO HALIFAX, N.S" and cancelled the stamp with the Halifax barrel.

Windsor to Toronto, December 17, 1955

Halifax, December 17, 1955

Halifax 1961

Halifax to Ebingen, Germany, APril 10, 1961

15 cents air mail letter rate to Europe

Centennials

International Surface Post Card : November 1, 1968 - June 30, 1971

The card below illustrates two applications of UPU regulations. Air mail service was requested (etiquette) for this card to Italy but the 10 cents rate was shortpaid. Air conveyance was only given if 75 % of the air mail fee was prepaid, otherwise the card would be sent by ship. Only 60 % of the air mail fee was prepaid so the card was sent by surface mail. The instructional handstamp provided information to account for the slow travel time.

 Since the surface post card rate to non-preferred UPU destinations,in effect from November 1, 1968 to June 30, 1971, was 7 cents the card was underpaid 1 cent.  Canada Post Office correctly taxed the card 2/10 : 2 cents double deficiency/12 cents international letter rate.

Canada Post Office taxe fraction

Toronto to Pavie, Italy, May 28, 1969

Shortpaid for air transmission and sent by surface at the 7 cent post card rate

Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 2/12

No indication that the Italian Post Office charged the addressee

Civilianized Military Stations in Canada

This cover was mailed from the Canadian Forces Station Mont Apica, Quebec.

Mont Apica to Fort Worth, February 21, 1969

10 cents air mail letter rate to the United States

Uprated and Registered Aerogramme from Anticosti Island

Registered aerogrammes are not commonly found. This one was mailed by a student enrolled in a correspondence course who had not received any feedback for the first five assignments and wanted to receive some idea how she was doing. The urgency and importance of the message prompted the sender to send the aerogramme by registered mail.

The aerogramme rate had increased from 10 cents to 15 cents on July 1, 1971. The old 10 cent aerogrammes continued to be used but required a 5 cents uprate.

A final interesting aspect to this mailing is that it was sent from Anticosti Island, off the Gaspé peninsula. Although Anticosti Island is the 90th largest island in the world there are only about 300 inhabitants. More on Anticosti in a future post.

Port Menier, Anticosti Island, to Paris, March 20, 1972

10 cents aerogramme uprated to 15 cents + 50 cents registration fee

International Surface Printed Matter

The 8 cents international surface printed matter rate for the first ounce was introduced on July 1, 1972

Toronto to Turjankatu, Finland, November 18, 1973

8 cents printed matter rate

Admiral Issue

Domestic Letter Rate : 1915 - 1926

The domestic letter rate was 3 cents for the first ounce (2 cents postage + 1 cent War Tax), and 2 cents for each additional ounce. A rate not often seen is the 9 cent four oz. rate shown below.

Vancouver to Montreal, Febraury 23, 1925

9 cents paying the 4 ounce letter rate : 3 cents for the 1st ounce and 6 cents for the next 3 ounces at 2 cents each added ounce

9 cents paying the 4 ounce letter rate

Wilding

Registered to the United States

 Ottawa to New Bedford, Mass., June 25, 1959

46 cents paying the 8 ounce registered letter rate to the United States

Official "G" overprint stamps used by the Royal Canadian Mint

46 cents paying the 8 ounce registered letter rate to the United States

 
Cameo

Returned Undeliverable Third Class Mail

Undeliverable third class mail with a return address was returned to the sender and charged the amount of the third class postage. The  2 cents third class mail rate for the first two ounce was increased to 3 cents on April 1, 1964.

The above printed matter franked with a 2 cent Cameo definitive stamp was mailed from Simcoe to Hamilton on February 13, 1964. Since there was no such Rural Route in Hamilton, the cover was returned to the sender and charged 2 cents for this service.

The 2 cents return charge was paid with a 2 cent Cameo definitive stamp, postmarked Simcoe, February 15, 1964.

2 cents paying the return charge

Simcoe, February 15, 1964

Parliamentary Free Mail

17th Parliament: Sept. 8, 1930 - August 14, 1935

The cover below from Edgar Rhodes, the Minister of Finance Ottawa, received an Ottawa machine free cancellation, September 29, 1934.

Edgar Nelson Rhodes was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Richmond-West Cape Breton, N.S.and served as Minister of Finance from 1932 to 1935

Edgar Nelson Rhodes

George VI Wilding Period

International Air Mail

The air mail letter rate to Europe was 15 cents for each quarter ounce ( 7 g). Although there were no Canadian taxe markings, the Dutch post office charged the addressee 120 cents because at 10 g, this was a 2nd weight step letter.

 Terrace, B.C, to s'Gravenhage, January 26, 1952

15 cents for each quarter oz.

Taxed 120 cents by Netherlands Post

Forwarding by Bank of Montreal, London

The London branches of Canadian Banks provided mail forwarding services to their clients. The cover below prepaid sent to the addressee c/o the Bank of Montreal branch, Waterloo Place, London at the 4 cents surface letter rate to Britain. The Bank redirected the letter to Berne Switzerland  adding a  1/2d. stamp to make up the rate difference to Switzerland (The rate from Canada directly to Switzerland was 5 cents).
 

Victoria to London, March 21, 1950

4 cents surface letter rate to the United Kingdom (3cents postage + 1 cent War Tax)

Bank of Montreal perfin

Dogteam Mail

Dogteam mail was an interesting method of mail conveyance available on the north shore of the St, Lawrence River during the winter months and was authorized by the Canada Post Office from 1926 to the late 1940s. Here are covers prepared by collectors. The transit markings are fascinating.

1942

The 1942 cover shown below from Havre St. Pierre received several transit postmarks as it journeyed by dogteam.

1946

 Kegaska, P.Q. February 9, 1946

1991 Commemorative Mail Run : Carcross Yukon to Atlin, B.C.

Carcross, March 16, 1991

North Bend Aerial Automobile Ferry

R.W. Franklin of North Bend used the aerial ferry cachet on his philatelic mailings,

North Bend to Waterloo, Iowa, April 10, 1957

Halifax 1945 : Bedford Explosions

The  Air Letter shown below was sent from Jack Sissons,H-Block, HMCS Scotian (Halifax dockyard), July 29, 1945, to a member of the U.S. 539th Amphibious Tractor Batallion which was located in the Philippines at that time. The air letter is loaded with news. There is a personal account of the Halifax explosions of July 18 -19, 1945, and a reference to the VE-Day riot in Halifax. On top of that, as the letter was being written, radio news reported that an airplane had crashed into the Empire State building.

N.P.O. 618 HMCS Scotian to APO 81 (Philippines), July 29, 1945

10 cent air letter rate (1 cent overpayment)

1. Bedford Magazine Explosions : July 18-19, 1945

In the evening of July 18, 1945, an ammunition barge blew up at the naval magazine jetty on Bedford Basin, Halifax harbour. Fire spread quickly to adjacent piles of ammunition causing a chain reaction of fire, explosion and concussion rocked Halifax for a day.

 "Bedford Magazine Explosion, The Canadian Encyclopedia". Historica Foundation. 2012.

Jack Sissons' Eye-Witness Account of the Bedford Explosions

This is the account written by Sissons in his air letter:

2. V-E Day Riots : May 7-8, 1945

Sissons writes about the effect of the explosions on Halifax : "Poor Halifax. It was just recovering from VE Day." Sissons was referring to the V-E Day riots in Halifax described as follows by the Canadian War Museum on its web site:

The population of Halifax nearly doubled during the war as service personnel poured into the port city by the tens of thousands. Many of the military resented the overcrowding and strained facilities, and the way they believed themselves ignored by Halifax's permanent residents. Bad feelings, combined with the poor preparations of military and local authorities for VE Day, turned spontaneous celebrations into a rampage. Liquor stores and restaurants had been closed so that everyone could enjoy the holiday, leading thousands of sailors and soldiers, along with many civilians, to "liberate" liquor and beer on a big scale. This in turn fuelled large-scale vandalism and looting, both in Halifax and next-door Dartmouth. 564 businesses suffered damage and 207 shops were looted. Three rioters died. Some of the rioters received lengthy prison sentences from the local criminal courts, but most sentences were later reduced. A federal inquiry later blamed the navy for poor discipline of its personnel. The navy's top officer on the east coast was fired.

3. Bomber Crash Into Empire State Building, New York City, July 28, 1945

On Saturday, July 28, 1945, a B-25 Mitchell bomber lost in fog over Manhattan crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building, killing 14 people.

 This is Sisson's brief account in his letter

It just came over the radio that an aiplane flew into the 70th or so story of the Empire State Bldg starting a fire with casualties.

4. News from Alberta

Sissons and the addressee Sam Albro were both from Alberta and Sissons shares news he has received from his mother.

I just got a letter from mother. She said it was really hot out there. Averaging over 70 all week at over 90 on Thursday when it had the highest in Canada.

. . . . . . . . . .

Gordon and Isabelle are apparently well settled in the Grenada Apts ( up from Eaton's store). They will be there until the end of September, when they hope to have their house of first street built. Gordon has bought a 1930 Ford coupe converted into a truck for his use in getting to the plant and for hauling lumber ( stored at the plant) for his house when he starts building.

 . . . . . . . . . .

Lorna just got back from her holidays last Sunday. She and a friend went by train up to Waterways or Ft. McMurray near Lake Athabaska in Northern Alberta. They apparently has a grand time all the way.

 . . . . . . . . . .

Minor (?) is at scout camp out from Edmonton. I guess he's really having a grand time because he's sent no letters home telling them about it mother said.

 . . . . . . . . . .

Tom is still at Kingston taking his army course. They appear to be working him hard, but he seems to be enjoying it.

Questions After 70 Years

Reading the Sisson letter makes me want to know more.  Why did Sam wind up serving with American forces in the Philippines ? Did Gordon and Isabelle enjoy their new home? What happened to Jack after the war?  What was Lorna's relation to Jack?

Post-1976 British Postage Due Calculations on Underpaid Mail From Canada

An earlier post has described the Lausanne Handling Charge System of dealing with international unpaid and underpaid mail in effect on January 1, 1976 : International Taxation of Unpaid and Underpaid Mail: 1976 Lausanne Handling Charge System

This post shows how the British Post Office applied the Lausanne system in the late 1970s and 1980s.


The Lausanne System

The Lausanne system required the county of origin to mark the letter with a T stamp along with a fraction in which the numerator was single the amount of the underpayment and the denominator was the country of origin's international letter rate.

The country of delivery would then multiply the tax fraction by its international letter rate to calculate the charge and add a handling fee.

11p Handling Fee

Bridgewater to Birmingham, February 24, 1976

20 cent international letter rate

Short paid 4 cents : Canadian Taxe fraction 4/20

British handstamp "13P TO PAY"

Canadian T fraction

Numerator 4 ( 4 cents deficiency)

Denominator 20 ( 20 cent international letter rate

British Calculation

The British international letter rate was 10p.

Postage Due = (4/20 x  10p)  + 11p= 13p

15p Handling Fee

Edmonton to Tovil, Maidstone, April 2?, 1979

35 cents international letter rate

Shortpaid 18 cents : Canadian Taxe fraction 18/35

British handstamp "20p TO PAY'

Canadian T fraction

Numerator 18 (18 cents deficiency)

Denominator 35 ( 35 cents international letter rate

British Calculation

The British international letter rate was 10 1/2p.

Postage Due = (18/35 x  101/2p)  + 15p = 20p

 20p Handling Fee

Calgary to Bury St. Edmunds, England, January 24, 1983 

64 cents international letter rate

Shortpaid 4 cents : Canadian Taxe fraction 4/64

British handstamp : "21p TO PAY"

Canadian T fraction

Numerator 18 (18 cents deficiency)

Denominator 35 ( 35 cents international letter rate

British Calculation

The British international letter rate was 19 1/2 p.

Postage Due = (4/64 x 19 1/2  p)  + 20p = 21p

Reference

Furfie, Michael, British Civilian Postage Rates of the 20th Century, Published by Michael Furfie, Ashford, England, 2000

Another Example of Incorrect 1966 International Taxation

 This post deals with another interesting shortpaid item which was incorrectly taxed by Canada Post Office in the January- June 1966 period, and incorrectly charged by the destination country. Fortunately for the addressee, the two mistakes cancelled each other out and the amount due was just about right.

The above card was sent from Vancouver to Osijek, Yugoslavia (now Croatia) on April 14, 1966. Franked with a 4 cent Cameo definitive this card was shortpaid 2 cents as the international surface post card rate had increased from 4 cents to 6 cents on January 1, 1966. The Canadian tax fraction 4/6 was incorrect. The amount due in Yugoslavia was 40 dinars.

Canada Taxation

The fractional UPU Vienna System of taxation had just come into effect on January 1, 1966, and several countries, including Canada did not understand how they should tax shortpaid letters. The country of origin was to mark a T (for taxe) with a fraction. The numerator was to be double the deficiency in the country of origin's currency, and the denominator was supposed to be the country of origin's international letter rate, again in the country of origin's currency. In this case this is what the T fraction should have been:

Canada Post Office did not use the correct value in the denominator. Instead of the international letter rate, the denominator used for shortpaid post cards was the international surface post card rate. A common sense way of thinking perhaps but mathematically unsound when we understand how the receiving country was supposed to calculate the amount due in its currency.

This is how Canada Post Office came up with its fraction:

 The tax fraction should have been 4/10

  (Eventually, Canada Post became aware of its taxation error and in July, 1966, began to tax shortpaid international mail correctly.)

Yugoslavia Postage Due Charge

Here is the important point to know about the fractional system of taxation:

We assume that both countries are charging the basic letter rate set by the Universal Postal Union. In 1966, the Yugoslavian and Canadian international letter rate were 85 dinars and 10 cents respectively. What we are saying is that 85 dinars was equal to 10 cents. Was this the real currency equivalence? Probably not, but it was close enough for the Yugoslavian post office to determine the amount due.

The use of the fraction enabled the Yugoslavian post office to convert 4 cents Canadian into dinars, using the 85 dinars/10 cents relationship.This is done by multiplying the Yugoslavian international letter rate by the Canadian fraction.

Assuming the correct Canadian fraction this is the correct Yugoslavian calculation:

34 dinars was the correct amount due if Canada Post Office and the Yugoslavian post office had applied the Vienna system correctly.

The Yugoslavian Post Office Incorrectly  Converts  to Dinars

This is a case of two wrongs making a right! The actual amount charged by the Yugoslavian post office , 40 dinars, is reasonably close to the correct amount, but was arrived at in error.  The Yugoslavian office probably multiplied the Canadian tax fraction by its international post card rate instead of its international letter rate. I know this makes a lot of sense to do this but it isn't the way the system was meant to operate. Here is what they probably did:

Why did this work? It's because 6 cents , the Canadian international post card rate is about equal to 60 dinars, the Yugoslavian international post card rate.

If Yugoslavia had understood the Vienna taxation system,  this is how they would have converted the 4/6 fraction into dinars:

Rounded up, this comes to 60 dinars as opposed to 40 dinars.  Fortunately for the addressee, the Yugoslav post office did not understand the Vienna system any better than did Canada Post Office. In the end however, the two wrongs did make a right and the amount collected, 40 dinars,  was close to the correct value, 34 dinars.

 Postage Due : 40 dinars

Of course, I am assuming that the Yugoslavian post office used the 4/6 fraction to calculate the amount due, but perhaps they may have charged 40 dinars because it was the minimum amount to be charge on short paid international mail.


Confused?

Don't worry. It took Canada Post Office 6 months to figure it out. It's like time travel in the movies. At some point it doesn't make sense.