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