George VI Period : 1937 - 1953
Stamps with perforated intitials (perfins) have been produced by companies since the late 1890s as a means of limiting the theft of postage stamps. The Post Office regulation dealing with perfins is found at the bottom of this page.
This post shows a selection (about 20%) of the different perfins in use from 1937 to 1953. The OHMS perfins produced by the federal government of Canada are not included, but will be the subject of a future post dealing with the official stamps of Canada. Covers bearing perfins from the following sources are shown:
BT : Bell Telephone
CBC : Canadian Broadcasting Company
C/GE : Canadian General Electric Company
CHI : International Harvester Company of Canada
CMS : Consolidated Mining and Smelting
CNR : Canadian National Railways
CPR : Canadian Pacific Railway
E : T. Eaton Co.
FS/&CO : Finley, Smith & Co.
IHC : International Harvester Co.
LA : Province of Ontario
NLY : New York Life Insurance Co.
PS : Province of Saskatchewan
Q/CLQ/C : Quebec Liquor Commission
R&Q/COC : Royal & Queen's Insurance Cos.
SC/C : The Steel Company of Canada
TRAV : Travelers Insurance
WR/CO : Wm. Rennie Seeds
BT
Bell Telephone
Kingston, January 31,1942
2 cents local letter rate
Gravenhurst to Toronto, November 27, 1947
4 cents forward letter rate + 10 cents registration fee
Cornwall local correspondence, May 16, 1951
3 cents local letter rate + 20 cents registration
CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Company
Sackville to Chicago, December 1952
C/GE
Canadian General Electric Company
Toronto to Ingersoll, November 14, 1944
4 cents forward letter rate
Toronto local letter, October 15, 1947
3 cents local letter rate
Toronto to Hamilton, November 16, 1950
4 cents forward letter rate
CHI
International Harvester of Canada
Hamilton local letter, February 11, 1941
2 cents local letter rate
Ottawa to Williamsburg, May 27, 1943
4 cents forward letter rate
Hamilton to Tillsonburg, February 17, 1944
4 cents forward letter rate
CMS
Consolidated Mining and Smelting
Trail to Toronto, December 13, 1938
3 cents forward letter rate
Trail to Victoria, October 6, 1943
4 cents forward letter rate + 10 cents registration
Trail to Ingersoll, January 31, 1945
4 cents forward letter rate
CNR
Canadian National Railways
Winnipeg to Washington, March 23, 1943
4 cents letter rate to the United States
National Railways Munitions Ltd.
Montreal to Ingersoll, January 23, 1945
4 cents forward letter rate
Canadian National Steamships
Toronto to Hamilton, June 13, 1946
Toronto to Hamilton, June 2, 1952
2 cents printed matter rate
Toronto to St. Thomas, September, 1951
CPR
Canadian Pacific Railway
Toronto to Kingsville, November 30, 1938
1 cent printed matter rate
Ottawa to Port Burwell, November 14, 1941
3 cents forward letter rate
Toronto local letter, April 30, 1951
3 cents local letter rate
Quebec Central Railway Company
Sherbrooke to Philadelphia, June 29, 1944
Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Co.
Vic. and Court. RPO, October 24, 1941
Canadian Pacific Airlines
Vancouver to St. Paul, August 27, 1949
7 cents air mail letter rate to the United States + 10 cents special delivery fee
E
T. Eaton Co.
Montreal to Cookshire, May 12, 1942
FS (and) CO
Finley, Smith and Co.
Montreal local correspondence, June 6, 1941
2 cents local letter rate
LA
Province of Ontario (Legislative Assembly)
Toronto to Picton, November , 1937
5 cents letter rate (2 oz.) + 10 cents registration fee
Fire Marshall`s Office
Toronto to Sarnia, April 16, 1944
4 cents forward letter rate
Motor Vehicles Branch
Toronto to Whitby, March 5, 1953
4 cents forward letter rate
NLY
New York Life Insurance Co.
Montreal, June 23, 1943
Quebec to Beauce, July 14, 1943
4 cents forward letter rate
PS
Province of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly
Regina to Swift Current, March 1, 1948
4 cents forward letter rate
The Saskatchewan Hospital Services Plan
Regina, May 26, 1948
Saskatchewan Government Purchasing Agency
Regina, March 17, 1952
Q/CLQ/C
Quebec Liquor Commission
Montreal, July 31, 1938
2 cents local letter rate
R&Q/COC
Royal & Queen's Insurance Cos.
Halifax, March 3, 1942
SC/C
The Steel Company of Canada
Hamilton to Phillipsburg, November 29, 1937
3 cents surface letter rate to the United States
Hamilton January 31, 1943
2 cents local letter rate
TRAV
Travelers Insurance
Toronto, June 1, 1942
2 cents local letter rate
WR/CO
Wm. Rennie Seeds
Toronto, July 5, 1937
2 cents local letter rate
Toronto to Port Burwell, May 8, 1940
3 cents forward letter rate
Golf and Estates Department
Toronto to Newark, May 3, 1948
4 cents surface letter rate to the United States
Regulation dealing with perfins
Section 230 of the Postal Guide reads as follows:
No objection is made by the Department to the perforation of postage stamps or post cards with the distinctive marks (initials or other) of the individual or firm using them, but it must be understood that the designs employed shall be for the purpose of identification, and not for advertising.
The perforation shall not exceed one thirty-second of an inch in diameter, and the whole space occupied by the identifying device shall not exceed one-half inch square... individuals or firms desirous of using perforated postage stamps or post cards must first make application to the Postmaster General (submitting their proposed design) and obtain permission for their use.