Online Resources and Exhibits

Latest additions to Online Resources and Exhibits

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September 2024

Book: Canada ● Postal History

Census of 8¢ Small Queen Covers with Squared Circle Postmarks (8.4 MB PDF) - Rick Friesen
This census is a compilation of covers franked with the 8¢ Small Queen issue of 1893, postmarked with Squared Circle hammer strikes. The 8¢ Small Queen was issued in August 1893. Its primary use was to pay the first class mail rate (3¢) plus registration (5¢). The census is organized according to hammer type, with the Type 2 hammers ordered by province/RPO as in the Squared Circle Postmarks of Canada handbook. The September 2024 initial release of the census lists 489 covers from 184 different hammers.

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● Perfins

The History of Canada’s OHMS Official Perforated Postage Stamps 1939-1949 (18.6 MB PDF) - J. D. Graham
This article provides a detailed account of the adoption of stamps perforated OHMS by Federal Government departments beginning in 1939, their use over a ten-year period, the regulations surrounding their use, and their eventual replacement by stamps overprinted OHMS. Illustrations include OHMS perfins on and off cover during their period of use and a Cummins Model 53 perforating machine such as the one used to create the OHMS perfins. This fascinating history draws on primary reference sources, the files from the Post Office Department Financial Branch held by Library and Archives Canada.

July 2024

Exhibit: Canada ● Postal History ● Dead Letter Office

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
Ottawa Dead Letter Office Handstamps 1872 to 1898 Decentralization
Gary W. Steele (email)

With Confederation in 1867, a new Post Office Department was created, but Dead Letter Office (DLO) handstamps were not produced until the early 1870s. Initially, only one office was set up. It was in Ottawa. On 1 July 1898, the DLO was decentralized. Branches were opened across Canada. This exhibit shows the evolution of Ottawa Dead Letter Office (DLO) handstamps from 1872 up to the decentralization on 1 July 1898.

The exhibit won a Large Gold and the One-frame Grand at ORAPEX 2024.

June 2024

Article: Canada ● Stamps

Constant Plate Flaws on Elizabethan Stamps (6.8 MB PDF) - Leopold Beaudet
During the Elizabethan period, 1953 to 2022, Canadian stamps were printed by several different methods: engraving, lithography, photogravure, and combinations thereof. This presentation describes the types of flaws produced by each printing method. During the 70-year Elizabethan period, printing methods underwent major changes. The presentation looks at how the evolution of the printing processes affected the types of flaws.

The presentation was given to the Dutch Society for USA and Canada Philately (USCA) in December 2023 and to the BNAPS Elizabethan II Study Group at ORAPEX in May 2024.

Exhibit: Canada ● Postal History

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
Canadian Mail Sent via the Empire Air Mail Scheme 1938 - 1939
Gary W. Steele (email)

The exhibit shows Canadian first class letters and post cards mailed and transported via the Empire Air Mail Scheme (EAMS). The use of air mail to carry all first-class mail from Great Britain to certain Empire countries was inaugurated by Great Britain on 29 June 1937. The service extended to South Africa. On 23 February 1938, the second stage was implemented. The EAMS service was extended to Canadian mail per the notice in the Canadian postal guide supplement dated 5 February. In the third stage, the service was extended to Australia and New Zealand. Additional destinations were admitted at various times.

The exhibit won Vermeil and the Canadian Aerophilatelic Society’s Best Airmail Exhibit award at BNAPEX 2023 Halifax.

April 2024

Exhibit: Canada ● Postal History ● Dead Letter Office

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
Canadian Dead Letter Office Reorganization Handstamps
Gary W. Steele (email)

The exhibit shows the new style rectangle Dead Letter Office handstamps due to a major Post Office reorganization in 1948. Onward, all mail directed to several Dead Letter Offices were to be sent only to Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver depending upon the point of origin and destination. Mail containing valuables that could not be redirected and mail suspected of being illegal or of a fraudulent nature would be forwarded to the Dead Letter Office in Ottawa.

The exhibit won a Large Vermeil at CANPEX 22 in Toronto, 9-12 June.

January 2024

Book: Canada ● Postal History

Squared Circle Postmarks of Canada, December 2023 update to the 6th edition published in January 2020 (html) - Prepared by the BNAPS Squared Circle Study Group. Edited by Rick Friesen.
The Handbook is organized according to hammer type and province. In over 680 pages, it provides an exhaustive treatment of each hammer: period of use, time marks, indicia information, stamp issues on which the hammer is found, rarity factors, and illustrations of hammer usage. Section 1 of the Handbook provides an introduction to these fascinating postmarks.

The December 2023 update replaces all the sections of the October 2022 update to the Handbook.

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Census of Large Queen Covers by Rates, End of 2023 update (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of 1868 Large Queen covers, over 8,000 of them, sorted by postal rate and destination. Domestic mail: over 5,000 covers. Foreign mail to Newfoundland and PEI: almost 100 covers. To the United States: over 1,500 covers. To Great Britain: over 1,000 covers. To other foreign destinations (broken down by country): over 250 covers.

175 covers added since the end-of-2021 update.

Article: British Columbia ● Postal History

British Columbia Numeral Grid Cancel Census, January 2024 update (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of numeral grid cancels, on and off cover, used by the colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. 36 grid cancelling devices were issued to the colonies in 1860. The census lists 407 covers and 2,981 off-cover cancels.

9 covers and 208 cancels were added since the initial census release in September 2020. One the 9 covers added is the only one reported with grid 34.

Article: New Brunswick ● Postal history

New Brunswick Numeral Grid Cancel Census, January 2024 update (html) - Wayne Smith and Charles Verge
The census describes 1,066 known covers with New Brunswick numeral grid cancels. It also lists 2,367 known off-cover cancels. The document includes information about New Brunswick stamps and postal rates when the grid cancels were in use and the origin and use of the hammers.

73 new covers and 243 off-cover cancels were added since the initial census release in April 2021.

October 2023

Exhibit: Newfoundland ● Stamps

Exhibit icon
5 Fr
Newfoundland Royal Family 1897-1901
Jean-Claude Michaud (email)


The Royal Family Issue of 1897-1901 consisted of eight stamps, including two colour changes. This exhibit shows the evolution of the stamps and their usage. It is organized in six sections: 1) die proofs, 2) plate proofs, 3) specimen overprints, 4) issued stamps including single usages, 5) multiple/mixed usages, and 6) E. R. Krippner Patriotic covers.

The exhibit was displayed at BNAPEX 2023 Halifax where it won Gold.

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● 1870 Small Queen Issue

BABN Co. and the Small Queens Moved from Ottawa to Montréal in October 1871 (html) - Christopher D. Ryan
Points out that the British American Bank Note Company moved its production facilities from Ottawa to Montréal in October 1871. Refutes the commonly held belief that the move occurred in 1873.

Exhibit: Canada ● Stamps

Exhibit icon
3 Fr
Canada: Three Cent Small Queen, Printing Classes - The First Ottawa Period - 1870 to 1873
Raymond J. Dubeau (email)

This exhibit illustrates and describes the 3 cent Small Queen colour variation, paper type and perforations during the period 1870 to 1873 known as the “First Ottawa” printing period. An emphasis is placed on colours and shades related to a given printing class.

The exhibit won a Gold medal at BNAPEX 2015 Niagara Falls, ON.

See also "Canada: Three Cent Small Queen, Printing Classes - The Montreal Period - 1873 To 1888" by the same exhibitor.

September 2023

Search tools

Canadian Philatelic Bibliography - Cimon Morin
This online bibliography includes more than 12,600 references on stamps, postal stationery, postal history and postal markings of Canada and British North America. It contains references to documents such as monographs, brochures, specialized catalogues, auction catalogues, as well as articles published in periodicals, exhibition programs and more general works. Both English and French documents are indexed. The bibliography indexes documents published between 1864 and 2006.

Cette bibliographie en ligne réunit plus de 12 600 références bibliographiques sur les timbres, les entiers postaux, l'histoire postale et les marques postales du Canada et de l'Amérique du Nord britannique. On y retrouve des références aux documents tels que des monographies, brochures, catalogues spécialisés et catalogues de vente aux enchères, ainsi que des articles parus dans les périodiques, les catalogues d'expositions et les ouvrages plus généraux. Les documents de langue français et anglais sont répertoriés. Cette bibliographie indexe les documents publiés entre 1864 et 2006.

August 2023

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials
The 1 August 2023 edition of the Perfin Handbook is available. Newly updated sections are identified by the date 2023 08 01. Individual sections as well as compressed and uncompressed editions of the complete handbook with the most recent edition of each section are available for downloading.

July 2023

Article: Canada ● Priority Courier and Xpresspost

Non-prepaid Priority Courier and Xpresspost Envelopes - Earle L. Covert
Detailed list of non-prepaid Priority Courier and Xpresspost envelopes. The list also includes Purolator envelopes that mention Canada Post.

April 2023

Article: Canada ● Postal Stationery

Addendum and Update to the Section of Webb’s Postal Stationery Catalogue of Canada and Newfoundland 2019 for Canadian Postage-Prepaid Postcard Factory® Cards (6.7 MB pdf) - Robert Lemire
This addendum to Webb’s Postal Stationery Catalogue contains corrections and additions to the listing of postage-prepaid Postcard Factory® cards, primarily for cards prepared using dies IIIc and IIId (pages 238-259 of the catalogue). It is anticipated that the addendum will be updated as new material is reported. The current addendum update was compiled on 16 Jan. 2023 and posted to the website on 3 April 2023.

March 2023

Article: Canada ● Permit Mail

Illustrated Permits (html) - Earle L. Covert
Listing of illustrated indicia for permit mail with an image of each one. The indicia date from 2006 when Canada Post introduced the feature. The listing also includes forerunners, indicia with illustrations that appeared before 2006.

15 March 2023 update: this update adds 76 new bulk mailers and 859 new permit mail indicia to the 15 February 2022 listing.

November 2022

Article: Canada ● Stamps

Canadian Varieties: Pence Issue (5.0 MB pdf) - Arnie Janson
This presentation describes re-entries, plate flaws, and paper varieties on three stamps of the 1851 Pence Issue: 1/2d Queen Victoria, 3d Beaver, and 10d Jacques Cartier. It also discusses a 6d Prince Albert with fake perforations and a 1/2d Queen Victoria with the scarce four-ring #48 cancel.

Book: Canada ● Postal History

Squared Circle Postmarks of Canada, October 2022 update to the 6th edition published in January 2020 (html) - Prepared by the BNAPS Squared Circle Study Group. Edited by Rick Friesen.
The October 2022 update replaces all the sections of the 6th edition of the Handbook. The Handbook is organized according to hammer type and province. In over 680 pages, it provides an exhaustive treatment of each hammer: period of use, time marks, indicia information, stamp issues on which the hammer is found, rarity factors, and illustrations of hammer usage. Section 1 of the Handbook provides an introduction to these fascinating postmarks.

Exhibit: Canada ● Stamps

Exhibit icon
2 Fr
Canada: Three Cent Small Queen, Printing Classes - The Montreal Period - 1873 To 1888
Raymond J. Dubeau (email)

This exhibit illustrates and describes the 3 cent Small Queen colour variation, paper type, and perforations during the period 1873 to 1888 known as the "Montreal" printing period. An emphasis is placed on colours and shades related to a given printing class.

The exhibit won a Silver medal at BNAPEX 2021 Virtual.

See also "Canada: Three Cent Small Queen, Printing Classes - The First Ottawa Period - 1870 to 1873" by the same exhibitor.

October 2022

Exhibit: Newfoundland ● Postal History

Exhibit icon
5 Fr
Newfoundland: 1840-1949 Postal Markings Issued to St. John's General Post Office and Sub Post Offices
Robin J. Moore


This exhibit displays the known postal markings pertaining to St. John's, Newfoundland. The markings are broken down into 17 classifications.

The exhibit includes 16 markings not reported in the philatelic literature. It displays about 50 items of which less than 10 are known to exist. The reason there are so many is that the volume of mail in St. John's was quite low in relation to other larger centres, with an average population of only 32,000 people for this period. Much of St. John's postal history was destroyed during two great city fires in the late 1800s.

The exhibit won Gold and the PHSC Postal Markings Award at the 2018 PHSC Symposium in Hamilton, ON. It won Silver at the London 2022 International.

July 2022

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials
The 1 August 2022 edition of the Perfin Handbook is available. Newly updated sections are identified by the date 2022 08 01. Individual sections as well as compressed and uncompressed editions of the complete handbook with the most recent edition of each section are available for downloading.

Article: Canada ● Stamps

The Canadian Stamp Perforation Change of 1962 (5.2 MB pdf) - Julian J. Goldberg
A small but measurable change in the gauge of the perforations on Canadian postage stamps appeared in 1962. At the time, Canadian Bank Note Co. printed all of Canada's postage stamps, and perforated them with a line perforator. This article discusses the perf change and illustrates all the stamps known to exist with the two perforations.

June 2022

Article: Canada ● Postal History

1859 Cents Issue Used on Cover after April 1, 1868 (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of covers with 1859 Cents Issue stamps mailed after April 1, 1868, when the Large Queens were issued. The census is broken down by domestic mail and registered domestic mail and by foreign destination (U.S., Great Britain, and other destinations). Latest update: May 2022.

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Census of Large Queen Covers by Rates, End of 2021 update (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of 1868 Large Queen covers, almost 8,000 of them, sorted by postal rate and destination. Domestic mail: over 5,000 covers. Foreign mail to Newfoundland and PEI: 88 covers. To the United States: over 1,500 covers. To Great Britain: over 1,000 covers. To other foreign destinations (broken down by country): almost 250 covers.

The end-of-2021 update added 103 covers.

Article: Canada ● Postal history

Canada Four Ring Numeral Cancel Census (html) - Wayne Smith
This census catalogues four-ring numeral cancels found both on and off cover. It lists the number of cancels by the numeral in the cancel and by the stamp issue it occurs on (Pence, Cents, Large Queen, Small Queen) as well as stampless covers. For each numeral, the earliest and latest recorded dates are given. Latest update: May 2022.

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Early Use of Two-ring Numeral Cancels on the Large Queen Issue (html) - Wayne Smith
Listing of the earliest recorded use of each of the 60 two-ring numeral cancels. The first strikes appeared in March 1869 during the Large Queen period. The latest update, May 2022, has two new earliest dates.

February 2022

Article: Canada ● Permit Mail

Illustrated Permits (html) - Earle L. Covert
Listing of illustrated indicia for permit mail with an image of each one. The indicia date from 2006 when Canada Post introduced the feature. The listing also includes forerunners, indicia with illustrations that appeared before 2006.

15 February 2022 update: this update adds 24 new bulk mailers and 333 new permit mail indicia to the 15 November 2021 listing.

Book: Canada ● Postal history

Barred Circle Postmarks of Canada on the 1898 Canadian 2¢ Imperial Penny Postage Issue (The ‘Map Stamp’): A Cover Census (1.8 MB pdf) - Rick Friesen
This is a census of Map Stamp covers with Barred Circle postmarks, often referred to as precursors of Squared Circle postmarks. The hammers, introduced in 1892, were issued to nine towns in Canada (Halifax, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, St. John, Seaforth, Toronto, and Winnipeg) and St. John’s, Newfoundland. The census currently documents 72 covers with Montreal strikes and one with a St. John’s, Newfoundland, strike.

January 2022

Article: Canada ● Postal history

Canada Pence Issue 1851 – 1859 Cover Census, January 2022 revision (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of over 4,500 Pence Issue covers. The census is presented in two ways:
1) By stamp/paper variety – lists the number of covers known for each rate paid by the stamp.
2) By rate – lists the number of covers known for each way to pay the rate.

The January 2022 update adds about 40 covers to the previous version, dated February 2021.


Articles from Saskatoon Stamp Centre website

Last October, well known and highly regarded stamp dealer John Jamieson, owner of Saskatoon Stamp Centre (SSC), announced his retirement after 56 years in the business. Saskatoon Stamp Centre was famous for handling rare stamps from Canada and the provinces and its extensive offerings of stamp varieties. As John Jamieson noted when interviewed by Canadian Stamp News about his retirement, during his career, he handled “every stamp worth owning” as far as Canadian philately goes (Vol. 46, No. 16, 23 Nov. 2021).

SSC will be remembered for the rare stamps and varieties it offered, the important collections it helped form and bought and sold, its monthly catalogues (valuable additions to the philatelic library), its attention to collector wants lists, and its website. The website was more than a venue for stamp sales. It featured noteworthy articles and online exhibits. While many of the articles were written in-house, there were contributions from well known philatelists such as Robin Harris, James E. Kloetzel, Michael O. Nolan, and Charles J.G. Verge.

The SSC website went offline last December; however, the articles and exhibits live on. John Jamieson agreed to have BNAPS host them in the Online Resources & Exhibits area of its website. The 22 articles (plus an extra one inspired by an SSC article) are available now. The exhibits will appear soon.

Article: Philately

Kasimir Bileski — 14 September 1908 to 19 January 2005 (html) - John Jamieson
Memorial to one of Canada's foremost stamp dealers.

Philatelic Literature is the Heart of the Hobby (html) - Michael O. Nolan
Describes the benefits of having a philatelic library, and recommends some additions to it.

Article: Canada ● Stamps

Proofs — The Printers’ Finest Work (html) - John Jamieson
Discusses die and plate proofs and how they enhance a collection.

Paper Expansion & Shrinkage Affects Perfins and Perforations (html) - John Jamieson
Soaking stamps can affect the perforations. What to do about it?

Fake Double Perf Coils Uncovered (html) - John Jamieson and Leopold Beaudet
Describes fake extra perf "varieties" on coils and sheet stamps, and how to detect them.

Canada’s Most “Superb” Stamp (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
The title says it all.

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● 1851 Pence Issue

Analysis of Paper Thickness on 3d Beavers (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
Results of measuring 125 1852-1857 3d Beaver stamps on wove paper in the Saskatoon Stamp Centre inventory between 1987 and 1999.

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● 1868 Large Queen Issue

2¢ Large Queen, Laid Paper, Sold on 28 January 1998 (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
Behind the scenes story of the sale of Canada's rarest stamp.

Updated Story of the 2¢ Large Queen on Laid Paper (html) - Leopold Beaudet
Provenance of the three known copies of Canada's rarest stamp.

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● 1930 Arch Issue

1930-1933 Arch Issue & Commemoratives Collection (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
Illustrates die essays, die proofs, and major varieties of the 1930 Arch Issue and other stamps from the same period.

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● Elizabethan definitives

1953 $1 Totem Production File (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
Illustrates die essays, die proofs, and other pre-production material for the 1953 $1.00 Totem Pole definitive.

Die Proofs of the 50¢ Textile Issue of 1953 (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
Illustrates progressive die proofs in several colours of the 1953 50¢ Textile definitive.

Missing Colour on the 1983 32¢ Maple Leaf Definitive (html) - Leopold Beaudet
Story behind the discovery of the "Winter Leaf" missing colour error on the 1983 32¢ Maple Leaf definitive.

Spotted 45¢ Flag, a.k.a. “Snowstorm Variety” (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
The “Snowstorm Variety” on the 1995 45¢ Flag definitive isn't really a variety.

Faked 1995 45¢ Flag Definitive (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
The 1995 45¢ Flag definitive with the blue colour doubled turns out to be not such an attractive variety.

Canada Post Announces Smaller Dimensions for the Current Canadian 45¢ Flag Definitive (html) - Charles J. G. Verge
Discusses the decision by Canada Post to reduce the size of the 1995 45¢ Flag definitive and all the collectables it produced.

$2 Truro Provincial Normal School Inverted Inscriptions (html) - John Jamieson
Background behind the discovery of the 1995 $2.00 Truro Provincial Normal School definitive with inverted inscriptions.

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● Commemoratives

St. Lawrence Seaway Invert Errors (html) - John Jamieson
History and illustrated list of 1959 5¢ St. Lawrence Seaway invert errors on cover and on piece.

The Many Faces of Canada 1977 Christmas 12¢ (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
Illustration of printing, perforation, and tagging varieties on the 1977 Christmas 12¢ stamp.

Canada’s Most Amazing Error (html) - James E. Kloetzel
Re-evaluation of the errors resulting from a major corner fold on the 1982 Christmas 30¢ stamp.

The 1994 Christmas Varieties (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
The 1994 Christmas stamp denominations were 43¢, 50¢, and 88¢. So, why do 52¢ and 90¢ stamps exist?

Self-Adhesive Greeting Booklets (1994-1997) (html) - Robin Harris
Detailed review of the 1994-1997 self-adhesive Greeting booklets, the stickers that went with them, their usage, and the printing errors.

Article: Canada ● Revenue

City of Winnipeg Wildlife Conservation (html) - Saskatoon Stamp Centre
Unusual perforation varieties plus fluorescent paper varieties exist on the City of Winnipeg Wildlife Conservation stamp.

December 2021

Article: Canada ● Permit Mail

Illustrated Permits (html) - Earle L. Covert
Listing of illustrated indicia for permit mail with an image of each one. The indicia date from 2006 when Canada Post introduced the feature. The listing also includes forerunners, indicia with illustrations that appeared before 2006.

15 November 2021 update: this update adds 18 new bulk mailers and 113 new permit mail indicia to the 15 July 2021 listing.

October 2021

Book: Canada ● Postal History

Railway Post Office (RPO) Postmarks of Canada on the 1898 Canadian 2¢ Imperial Penny Postage Issue (The ‘Map Stamp’): A Cover Census and a Roster of Off-Cover Cancellations (5.5 MB) - Rick Friesen
Lists Map stamp covers postmarked with RPO hammer strikes. About 250 covers are listed. The listing for each cover includes an illustration (if an image is available), RPO cancel identification, origin (if known), destination, and provenance. The census also updates the 1987 Lew Ludlow roster of RPO cancellations on off-cover Map stamps.

External website: Canada ● Stamps

Website icon Finding Images for Marler ... and Beyond (html) - William G. Burden
Provides detailed images (over 2,000 of them as of October 2021) of re-entries, retouches, and other plate flaws on Admiral stamps. Accompanying each image is a description (taken from Marler for re-entries and retouches described by Marler) and, where known, the plate position and Marler design type. All the text fields are searchable. If you have discovered a constant plate variety on an Admiral stamp and are curious about whether it has been reported previously or you want to plate it, here is a great resource.

September 2021

Book: Canada ● Postal History

Squared Circle Postmarks of Canada, June 2021 update to the 6th edition published in January 2020 (html) - Prepared by the BNAPS Squared Circle Study Group. Edited by Rick Friesen.
The June 2021 update replaces all the sections of the 6th edition of the Handbook. The Handbook is organized according to hammer type and province. In over 680 pages, it provides an exhaustive treatment of each hammer: period of use, time marks, indicia information, stamp issues on which the hammer is found, rarity factors, and illustrations of hammer usage. Section 1 of the Handbook provides an introduction to these fascinating postmarks.

Article: Canada ● Postal Stationery

Addendum and Update to the Section of Webb’s Postal Stationery Catalogue of Canada and Newfoundland 2019 for Canadian Postage-Prepaid Postcard Factory® Cards (6.7 MB pdf) - Robert Lemire
This addendum to Webb’s Postal Stationery Catalogue contains corrections and additions to the listing of postage-prepaid Postcard Factory® cards, primarily for cards prepared using dies IIIc and IIId (pages 238-259 of the catalogue). It is anticipated that the addendum will be updated as new material is reported. The current addendum update was compiled on 16 Jan. 2023 and posted to the website on 3 April 2023.

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials,
The 1 August 2021 edition of the Perfin Handbook is available. Newly updated sections are identified by the date 2021 08 01. Individual sections as well as compressed and uncompressed editions of the complete handbook with the most recent edition of each section are available for downloading.

August 2021

Article: Canada ● 1859 First Cents Issue

1859 5 Cents Beaver Plate Flaws (html) - Pence-Cents Era Study Group
According to Geoffrey Whitworth, one plate of 100 subjects was prepared for the 1859 5 Cents Beaver stamp. The plate was reworked ten times, and thus exists in 11 states. This article displays images of the plate flaws, and provides easy navigation to any stamp position and plate state.

This article is the result of an ongoing project by the Pence-Cents Era Study Group, led by Jim Jung, to compile an online, searchable database of all the plate flaws on the 1859 5 Cents Beaver stamp and illustrate them with actual stamps. As examples of flaws become available, they will be added to the database. The August 2021 release contains 200 stamp images.

Article: Canada ● Permit Mail

Illustrated Permits (html) - Earle L. Covert
Listing of illustrated indicia for permit mail with an image of each one. The indicia date from 2006 when Canada Post introduced the feature. The listing also includes forerunners, indicia with illustrations that appeared before 2006.

15 July 2021 update: this update adds nine new bulk mailers and 71 new permit mail indicia to the 31 March 2021 listing. It also sees the introduction of a new indicia layout.

June 2021

Article: Canada ● Postal History

1859 Cents Issue Used on Cover after April 1, 1868 (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of covers with 1859 Cents Issue stamps mailed after April 1, 1868, when the Large Queens were issued. The census is broken down by domestic mail and registered domestic mail and by foreign destination (U.S., Great Britain, and other destinations). Several more covers were added to the June 2021 update.

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Census of Large Queen Covers by Rates, End of 2020 update (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of 1868 Large Queen covers, over 7,800 of them, sorted by postal rate and destination. Domestic mail: almost 5,000 covers. Foreign mail to Newfoundland and PEI: 86 covers. To the United States: almost 1,500 covers. To Great Britain: over 1,000 covers. To other foreign destinations (broken down by country): almost 250 covers.

The end-of-2020 update added 256 covers.

May 2021

Article: Canada ● Postal history

Canada Four Ring Numeral Cancel Census (html) - Wayne Smith
This census catalogues four-ring numeral cancels found both on and off cover. It lists the number of cancels by the numeral in the cancel and by the stamp issue it occurs on (Pence, Cents, Large Queen, Small Queen) as well as stampless covers. For each numeral, the earliest and latest recorded dates are given.

April 2021

Article: Canada ● Revenue

Revisions and New Listings for Catalogue of Canadian Hunting and Fishing Revenue Stamps - April 2021 (1.0 MB pdf) - Clayton Rubec and Dale Stover
Part One of this document provides revisions and corrections to the BNAPS book Catalogue of Canadian Hunting and Fishing Revenue Stamps published in 2015. Part Two provides listings of new material released from 2016 to 2021 or noted since the book was released.

Article: Canada ● Permit Mail

Illustrated Permits (html) - Earle L. Covert
Listing of illustrated indicia for permit mail with an image of each one. The indicia date from 2006 when Canada Post introduced the feature. The listing also includes forerunners, indicia with illustrations that appeared before 2006.

31 March 2021 update: this update adds 23 new mailers and 179 new permit mail indicia to the 31 December 2020 listing.

Article: New Brunswick ● Postal history

New Brunswick Numeral Grid Cancel Census (html) - Wayne Smith and Charles Verge
The census describes 993 known covers with New Brunswick numeral grid cancels. It also compiles 2,024 known off-cover cancels. The document includes information about New Brunswick stamps and postal rates when the grid cancels were in use and the origin and use of the hammers.

February 2021

Article: Canada ● Postal history

Canada Pence Issue 1851 – 1859 Cover Census, February 2021 revision (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of over 4,500 Pence Issue covers. The census is presented in two ways:
1) By stamp/paper variety – lists the number of covers known for each rate paid by the stamp.
2) By rate – lists the number of covers known for each way to pay the rate.

The February 2021 update adds more than 50 covers to the census.

January 2021

Article: Canada ● Permit Mail

Illustrated Permits (html) - Earle L. Covert
Listing of illustrated indicia for permit mail with an image of each one. The indicia date from 2006 when Canada Post introduced the feature. The listing also includes forerunners, indicia with illustrations that appeared before 2006.

31 December 2020 update: this update adds 37 new mailers and 201 new permit mail indicia to the 30 September 2020 listing.

Exhibit: Newfoundland ● Stamps ● Perfins

Exhibit icon
8 Fr
Perforated Initials & Insignia on Stamps of Newfoundland
Barry Senior

The exhibit shows the use of perforated initials and insignia (perfins) by companies based in Newfoundland and perfins on Newfoundland stamps by companies from outside Newfoundland. Includes many discovery items.

It also examines the use of perforation devices to cancel Newfoundland revenue stamps and the use of SPECIMEN perfins by stamp printing companies.

This exhibit was shown at NOVAPEX 2012, a National level exhibit in Halifax, NS, where it won Gold.

October 2020

Article: Philately

Stamp Books for a Weekend Read (html) - Clayton Rubec
Books with philately in mind.

Article: Canada ● Permit Mail

Illustrated Permits (html) - Earle L. Covert
Listing of illustrated indicia for permit mail with an image of each one. The indicia date from 2006 when Canada Post introduced the feature. The listing also includes forerunners, indicia with illustrations that appeared before 2006.

This 30 September 2020 update adds 92 new permit mail indicia and 14 new mailers to the 31 May 2020 listing.

September 2020

Article: British Columbia ● Postal History

British Columbia Numeral Grid Cancel Census (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of numeral grid cancels, on and off cover, used by the colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. 36 grid cancelling devices were issued to the colonies in 1860. The census lists 399 covers.

August 2020

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials, 6th edition Revised, August 2020 (html) - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
The August 2020 revisions can be identified by the date code 2020 08 01 in the Table of Contents.

June 2020

Article: Canada ● Permit Mail

Illustrated Permits (html) - Earle L. Covert
Listing of illustrated indicia for permit mail with an image of each one. The indicia date from 2006 when Canada Post introduced the feature. The listing also includes forerunners, indicia with illustrations that appeared before 2006.

This 31 May 2020 update adds 241 new permit mail indicia and 33 new mailers to the Feb. 2020 listing.

May 2020

Article: Canada ● Postal History

1859 Cents Issue Used on Cover after April 1, 1868 (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of covers with 1859 Cents Issue stamps mailed after April 1, 1868, when the Large Queens were issued. The census is broken down by domestic mail and registered domestic mail and by foreign destination (U.S., Great Britain, and other destinations).

May 2020 update:

  • New covers added
  • Comments added to existing covers
  • Census document converted from web page to PDF file

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Census of Large Queen Covers by Rates, End of 2019 update (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of 1868 Large Queen covers, almost 7,600 of them, sorted by postal rate and destination. Domestic mail: 4,700 plus covers. Foreign mail to Newfoundland and PEI: 86 covers. To the United States: 1,450 covers. To Great Britain: over 1,000 covers. To other foreign destinations (broken down by country): almost 250 covers.

The end-of-2019 update added 144 covers. Covers to PEI were split out into a separate table.

March 2020

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Canada Pence Issue 1851 – 1859 Cover Census, March 2020 revision (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of over 4,300 Pence Issue covers. The census is presented in two ways:
1) By stamp/paper variety – lists the number of covers known for each rate paid by the stamp.
2) By rate – lists the number of covers known for each way to pay the rate.

The March 2020 update adds covers with perforated Pence stamps. This increases the total by about 200.

February 2020

Article: Canada ● Permit Mail

Illustrated Permits (html) - Earle L. Covert
Listing of illustrated indicia for permit mail with an image of each one. The indicia date from 2006 when Canada Post introduced the feature. The listing also includes forerunners, indicia with illustrations that appeared before 2006.

This Feb. 2020 update adds 386 new permit mail indicia and 59 new mailers to the June 2019 listing.

Book: Cinderella stamps

100 Years of Union Dues Stamps in Canada and Newfoundland, 1880 to 1980 (12.3 MB pdf) - Clayton Rubec and Ron Lafrenière
Describes, lists, and illustrates the stamps issued by unions in Canada and Newfoundland for the payment of dues by union members. Includes international unions based in the U.S. with locals in Canada and Newfoundland. 152 pages.

Book: Newfoundland ● Postal History

Post Offices of Pre-Confederation Newfoundland (html) - Carl Munden. Formatting and editing: Malcolm Back and John M. Walsh.
Traces the history of Newfoundland's outport post offices. The listing for each post office includes its location by bay and map reference, population, opening and closing, postmasters and general information, and illustrations of the various markings used. There are also sections describing the mail distribution to and from the outports and the types of town date stamps used. 479 pages.

Article: Canada ● 1859 First Cents Issue

Whitworth’s Plate Flaws on the One Cent Decimal Issue (6.5 MB pdf) - Michael D. Smith
Close-up illustrations from an early plate proof and issued stamps with detailed annotation of plate flaws reported by Geoffrey Whitworth in the 1960s. Version 2, revised in Jan. 2020. This revision adds descriptions and illustrations of Whitworth's flaws 9 and 10.

January 2020

Book: Canada ● Postal History

Squared Circle Postmarks of Canada, 6th edition, January 2020 (html) - Prepared by the BNAPS Squared Circle Study Group. Edited by Rick Friesen.
This 6th edition of the handbook builds upon the 5th edition published in 2001. The handbook is organized according to hammer type and province. In over 680 pages, it provides an exhaustive treatment of each hammer: period of use, time marks, indicia information, stamp issues on which the hammer is found, rarity factors, and illustrations of hammer usage. Section 1 of the handbook provides an introduction to these fascinating postmarks.

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials, 6th edition Revised, January 2020 (html) - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
The January 2020 revisions can be identified by the date code 2020 01 01 in the Table of Contents.

November 2019

Book: Canada ● Postal Stationery

Addenda to Webb's Postal Stationery Catalogue of Canada & Newfoundland, 8th Edition, 2019 - Canada Premium Products (html) - Earle L. Covert
The 500-page Webb Catalogue, 8th Edition, is available only in a print edition published by Unitrade Associates. The addenda to the Catalogue consist of an additional 150 pages that have been separated from the main catalogue, and are available as a set of freely-downloadable PDF files. The addenda list Canada Premium Products, which include the following:

  • Registered Prepaid Envelopes
  • Priority Post and Priority Courier Envelopes
  • Private Order Priority Post Certified Mail
  • Regular Special Letter Envelopes
  • Private Order Special Letters and Official Special Letter Envelopes
  • Lettermail Selfmailers
  • Request For Additional Delivery
  • Prepaid Flat Rate Boxes
  • Xpresspost of all types
  • Prepaid Parcel Labels

September 2019

Exhibit: Newfoundland ● Postage Meters

Exhibit icon
3 Fr
Newfoundland Postage Meters 1928-1949
Robin J. Moore


Displays a study of the four types of postage meters used by Newfoundland businesses before Confederation on 1 April 1949. Includes information on, and photos of, the meter machines with their denomination values and rates. Displays an imprint of every known meter number in use.

The exhibit was shown four times:

1) Royal *2019* Royale, Mississauga, ON, where it won Gold and the BNAPS Best BNA 2 to 4 Frame Exhibit
2) BNAPEX 2018 Quebec City, QC, where it won Gold
3) Royale *2017* Royal, Boucherville, QC, where it won Gold and the PSSC Specialization Award
4) BNAPEX 2016 Fredericton, NB, where it won Gold

Article: Canada ● Revenue

Federal and Quebec Revenues: A (very) brief overview (4.6 MB pdf) - Dave Schurman
Illustrates revenue stamps and their use on documents. Issued by Canada: Canadian Law and Bill stamps. Issued by Quebec: Law, Registration, Insurance, Prohibition, Unemployment, Licence, and Stock Transfer Tax stamps.

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● Admiral Issue

The Admirals after Marler (12.2 MB pdf) - Leopold Beaudet
Describes discoveries made after Marler's 1982 book, The Admiral Issue of Canada, was published. Topics covered include plates, lathework, pyramid lines, booklets, re-entries and retouches, design types, plate flaws, and fluorescent ink.

August 2019

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● 1859 First Cents Issue

Canada's Five Cents Beaver Plate Proofs with Various Plate Flaws (13.0 MB pdf) - Michael D. Smith
Illustrates plate flaws found on the 1859 Five Cents Beaver stamp. The flaws are on plate proofs from states 1, 4, and 10/11 of the plate.

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Canada Pence Issue 1851 – 1859 Cover Census, June 2019 revision (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of over 4,200 Pence Issue covers. The census is presented in two ways:
1) By stamp/paper variety – lists the number of covers known for each rate paid by the stamp.
2) By rate – lists the number of covers known for each way to pay the rate.
The June 2019 update adds 3 pence single use covers to the census, increasing the total by 1,200. Other enhancements include a new section on the various rates of the Pence era, and clarifications to the headings and tables.

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials, 6th edition, August 2019 - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Origin and use of perfins and listing of all known perfins on Canadian stamps. The 6th edition incorporates information gathered by Conrad M. Tremblay in the 1980s and 1990s. The information was added by Ron Pazdzierski and Jim Graham. All sections of the handbook have been revised.

July 2019

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Census of Large Queen Covers by Rates (as of end 2018) (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of over 7,000 1868 Large Queen covers, sorted by postal rate and destination. The census begins with domestic mail (4,700 plus covers), and then lists foreign mail to Newfoundland (40 covers), United States (1,400 covers), Great Britain (1,000 covers), and other foreign destinations broken down by country (200 covers).

The 2018 census has 127 more covers than that of 2017. It has been extensively reformatted, and representative cover illustrations have been added.

Article: Canada ● Postal History ● Military Mail

First Special Service Force 1942 – 1944 (html) - Ken Ellison
Story of the joint USA-Canada First Special Service Force (also known as the "Black Devils") formed in 1942 during WW II and disbanded in December 1944. The story is told through covers from its Canadian members showing usage from all points where the F.S.S.F. served.

June 2019

Article: Canada ● Permit Mail

Illustrated Permits (html) - Earle L. Covert
Listing of illustrated indicia for permit mail with an image of each one. The indicia date from 2006 when Canada Post introduced the feature. The listing also includes forerunners, indicia with illustrations that appeared before 2006. The listing reflects the explosion in the number of illustrated indicia since 2014 as bulk mailers adopted the concept.

April 2019

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Canada Pence Issue 1851 – 1859 Cover Census (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of over 3,000 Pence Issue covers. The census is presented in two ways:
1) By stamp/paper variety – lists the number of covers known for each rate paid by the stamp.
2) By rate – lists the number of covers known for each way to pay the rate.

January 2019

Exhibit: Canada ● Stamps

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
The Chemistry of the War Time Admiral
Richard Judge (email)

This exhibit studies the ink used for the 1911 Admiral 2¢ carmine stamp using reflectance, X-ray fluorescence, and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy. Discusses aniline ink and shade varieties.

The exhibit won Vermeil and the Ed and Mickey Richardson Award at BNAPEX 2018, Quebec City, QC.

December 2018

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials, 5th edition, with 01 December 2018 updates - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Multiple sections of the Perfin Handbook have been updated. The updated sections are dated 2018 12 01.

Timbres canadiens avec initiales perforées, 5e édition, mise à jour le 1 décembre 2018 - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Il y a une mise à jour de plusieurs sections du Manuel des perfins. Ces sections sont identifiées par la date : 2018 12 01.

November 2018

Article: Canada ● Postal History

1859 Cents Issue Used on Cover after April 1, 1868 (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of covers with 1859 Cents Issue stamps mailed after April 1, 1868, when the Large Queens were issued. The census is broken down by domestic mail and registered domestic mail and by foreign destination (U.S., Great Britain, and other destinations). Up to November 2018, 160 covers were recorded.

Article: Philately

Library and Archives Canada Private Philatelic Fonds/Collections and Accruals (html)
Lists recent fonds/collections and accruals available for consultation at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). The list was provided by James Bone, Archivist, LAC. Also describes how to conduct online searches of the private fonds at LAC, and how to request material for on-site consultation.

Article: Philately

Philately at LAC / La philatélie à BAC (2.5 MB pdf) - James Bone, Archivist, Archives Branch, Library and Archives Canada
Describes the philatelic and postal history collections at Library and Archives Canada (LAC), the access and research tools LAC offers to the philatelic community, and how to cite LAC items in documents and articles. Provides links to Canadian Postal Archives research material such as the database of post offices and postmasters. This presentation was given at BNAPEX 2018 Québec.

Article: Canada ● Revenue

Canada’s Provisional War Tax Revenue Stamps (revised Nov. 2018) (html) - Christopher D. Ryan
Describes the events behind the issue of the Admiral 5¢, 20¢, and 50¢ stamps overprinted War Tax and Inland Revenue War Tax. Includes the 5¢ reprint from plates 9 and 10. Notes that the stamps were ordered and issued by the Inland Revenue Dept., not the Post Office.

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Census of Large Queen Covers by Rates (as of end 2017) (html) - Wayne Smith
Census of over 7,000 1868 Large Queen covers, sorted by postal rate and destination. The census begins with domestic mail (4,700 plus covers), and then lists foreign mail to Newfoundland (40 covers), United States (1,400 covers), Great Britain (1,000 covers), and other foreign destinations broken down by country (200 covers).

Article: Canada ● Postal History

Early Use of Two-ring Numeral Cancels on the Large Queen Issue (html) - Wayne Smith
Listing of the earliest recorded use of each of the 60 two-ring numeral cancels. The first strikes appeared in March 1869 during the Large Queen period.

External website: Canada ● Stamps

Website icon Canada's Picture PostageTM (html) - Darlene Burt
Website devoted to Canada's Picture PostageTM stamps. Has many illustrations going back to when the stamps were first issued. Includes Greetings stamps dating back to 1994 and the 2003 Alaska Cruise stamps. Also includes Canada Post Commemorative Envelopes and Picture PostageTM first day covers.

October 2018

Article: Canada ● 1851 Pence Issue

Canada’s ½d Plate Varieties (12.4 MB pdf) - Michael D. Smith
Re-entries and plate flaws with clear illustrations taken from the plate proof. References the plate of 120 for the imperforate stamp and the cut-down plate of 100 for the perforated stamp. Presented at the Re-entries and Constant Plate Varieties Study Group meeting at BNAPEX 2018 Quebec.

Article: Canada ● 1851 Pence Issue

Three Pence Beaver Selected Re-entries and Plate Varieties (2.9 MB pdf) - Michael D. Smith
Description, including plate position, of selected re-entries and plate flaws with detailed illustrations to aid identification. Presented at the Re-entries and Constant Plate Varieties Study Group meeting at BNAPEX 2015 Niagara Falls.

Article: Canada ● 1859 First Cents Issue

Whitworth’s Plate Flaws on the One Cent Decimal Issue (5.2 MB pdf) - Michael D. Smith
Close-up illustrations from an early plate proof and issued stamps with detailed annotation of plate flaws reported by Geoffrey Whitworth in the 1960s.

September 2018

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials, 5th edition, with 12 September 2018 updates - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Multiple sections of the Perfin Handbook have been updated. The updated sections are dated 2018 09 01.

Timbres canadiens avec initiales perforées, 5e édition, mise à jour le 12 septembre 2018 - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Il y a une mise à jour de plusieurs sections du Manuel des perfins. Ces sections sont identifiées par la date : 2018 09 01.

June 2018

Exhibit: Canada ● Postal history ● Dead Letter Office

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
Dead Letter Office Wax Seals & Boxed Registration Handstamps
Gary W. Steele (email)

This exhibit studies the Dead Letter Office (DLO) Wax Seals and Boxed Registration handstamps used only on registered Canadian DLO return envelopes. The exhibit includes several previously unknown, unreported, earliest and latest reported dates.

The exhibit won Gold at BNAPEX 2015, Niagara Falls, ON.

Exhibit: Canada ● Postal history ● Dead Letter Office

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
The Victoria Post Office and Undeliverable Mail 1874 - 1925
Brian C. Plain (email)

This exhibit shows the handling of undelivered mail by the Victoria post office from 1874 to the discontinuance of the service in the mid-1920s. A variety of posted items, date stamps and regulatory markings illustrate the activity of this office.

The exhibit won Vermeil at BNAPEX 2012, Calgary, AB.

May 2018

Exhibit: Newfoundland ● Stamps

Exhibit icon
5 Fr
Newfoundland Plate Numbers 1897-1947
John M. Walsh (email)


This exhibit is a comprehensive study of Newfoundland postage stamps whose printing plates have a plate number engraved on the outer edge of the plate. It contains discoveries resulting from the exhibitor's original research.

The exhibit won Gold at BNAPEX 2000 Shaumburg, IL.

Exhibit: Canada ● Postal history ● Dead Letter Office

Exhibit icon
5 Fr
Ottawa Dead Letter Office Handstamps 1872 to 1950
Gary W. Steele (email)


The Dead Letter Office processed mail matter that could not be forwarded to its final destination. This included domestic mail, mail from foreign countries, and mail to foreign countries that was returned because of insufficient forwarding information. This exhibit shows the evolution of the handstamps - small and large circular, oval, and rectangular - used by the Ottawa Dead Letter Office from 1872 to 1950.

The exhibit was shown at ORAPEX 2013, Ottawa, ON, where it won Gold and the BNAPS Best Researched BNA Exhibit. It was also shown at BNAPEX 2016, Fredericton, NB, where it won Gold and the Ed and Mickey Richardson Award.

Book: Canada ● Postal history

Timothy Eaton Company: Philatelic Notes (13.4 MB - pdf) - Clayton Rubec
The Timothy Eaton Company was in operation for 138 years, from 1861 to 1999. During its heyday, it had department stores in over 100 cities and a highly developed mail order business. This monograph explores the company's use of postage stamps, perfins, precancels, postal stationery, postage meter machines, mailing permits, bulk mail, and revenue stamps.

April 2018

Exhibit: Canada ● Stamps

Exhibit icon
7 Fr
The Centennial Booklets of Canada 1967 - 1973
Joel Weiner (email)


This exhibit focuses on the booklets of the 1967 Centennial definitives. 18 distinct booklet types were produced. The Canadian Bank Note Co.(CBN) produced the first booklets, but lost the contract in 1968 to the British American Bank Note Co. (BABN). BABN introduced many innovations including first se-tenant bi- and tricolor booklets.

The complexity of the Centennial stamps extends to the booklets. There are numerous printing, paper, perforation, gum, and tagging varieties.

A previous version of this exhibit was shown at BNAPEX 2012 Calgary where it received a Vermeil. This version, a complete re-organization of the last, was shown at BNAPEX 2017 Calgary where it won a Gold, the John D. Arn White Queen Award, and the APS Medal of Excellence (1940-1980).

March 2018

Exhibit: Canada ● Postal history

Exhibit icon
4 Fr
Sovereignty, Substances, Small Centres and Subs: Closed Post Offices of the Northwest Territories
Kevin O'Reilly (email)


The exhibit shows all the closed post offices in the Northwest Territories as defined by the boundary set from 1912 to 1999. Post offices operated by Canada, the U.S. and Great Britain are shown. It is divided into four parts:

1) Sovereignty - RCMP detachments, weather stations, military bases.
2) Substances - Mining company towns.
3) Small Centres - Small communities in remote locations.
4) Subs - Special post offices.

This exhibit was shown at Royale 2011 Royal in Dorval, QC, and the Edmonton Spring Show 2011. A fourth frame was added to include U.S. and U.K. military post offices. It was then shown at the Edmonton Spring Show 2013 and BNAPEX 2013 in Charlottetown, PE. It won Gold at each show.

January 2018

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials, 5th edition, with 1 January 2018 updates - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Multiple sections of the Perfin Handbook have been updated. The updated sections are dated 2018 01 01.

Timbres canadiens avec initiales perforées, 5e édition, mise à jour datée le 1 janvier 2018 - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Il y a une mise à jour de plusieurs sections du Manuel des perfins. Ces sections sont identifiées par la date : 2018 01 01.

August 2017

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials, 5th edition, with 1 August 2017 updates - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Multiple sections of the Perfin Handbook have been updated. The updated sections are dated 2017 08 01.

Timbres canadiens avec initiales perforées, 5e édition, mise à jour le 1 aout 2017 - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Il y a une mise à jour de plusieurs sections du Manuel des perfins. Ces sections sont identifiées par la date : 2017 08 01.

Exhibit: Prince Edward Island ● Postal history

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
Internal Mails and Postage Rates of Pre-Confederation Prince Edward Island
Robert Lunn

The exhibit looks at the internal mails and associated postage rates of pre-Confederation Prince Edward Island, beginning with very early mail.

The exhibit won Gold at BNAPEX 2013 Charlottetown. It won Gold, the One-Frame Grand, and the BNAPS Best BNA One-frame Exhibit at ORAPEX 2014 in Ottawa.

External website: Newfoundland ● Stamps

Website icon Slides of the Robert H. Pratt Newfoundland collection - Robert H. Pratt
The 4,000 plus slides of the Pratt Newfoundland collection owned by the Collectors Club of Chicago and digitized by BNAPS were assembled by subject matter and stamp issue into approximately 30 pdf files by John M. Walsh with assistance from Andrew L. Winter. Besides Newfoundland, there are two files of Canadian material covering the early issues and revenue stamps.

March 2017

Exhibit: Canada ● Postal History ● Military Mail

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
Epic of Vimy - A Canadian Pilgrimage
Don Hedger
Explores the voyage of some 6,000 Canadian veterans to participate in the unveiling of the Vimy Ridge monument in France on 26 July 1936.

January 2017

Exhibit: Canada ● Stamps

Exhibit icon
4 Fr
My Favourite Elizabethan Varieties
Leopold Beaudet (email)
This exhibit shows Elizabethan varieties chosen because of their distinctiveness and/or their revealing insights about stamp production.

The exhibit marked the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. It was shown in the Court of Honour at ORAPEX 2012 in Ottawa, ON, and BNAPEX 2012 CALTAPEX in Calgary, AB.

December 2016

Article: Canada ● Revenue

Canada’s Inland Revenue and Postal War Tax Stamps did not Finance its War Expenditures during the First World War (html) - Christopher D. Ryan
What purpose did the Admiral War Tax stamps actually serve?

October 2016

Article: Newfoundland

Perkins Bacon & Company Their Trade Samples and Other Mysteries (2.9 MB pdf) - Clarence A. Stillions, based on a slide program prepared by Robert H. Pratt. The original Pratt slides are owned by the Collectors Club of Chicago.
Explores the Pratt collection of trade samples produced by Perkins Bacon from 1902 to about 1930 with particular emphasis on those that reproduce Newfoundland stamp designs.

August 2016

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● Commemoratives

The 1917 3¢ Confederation Commemorative (1.8 MB pdf) - Leopold Beaudet
Based on a study of the 1917 3¢ Confederation stamp by Richard M. Morris. Presentation made at the Admiral Study Group meeting at BNAPEX 2008 Halifax.

Article: Philately ● Stamp production

The Goebel Press Era of Canadian Stamps (html) - Ken Sargent with Leopold Beaudet
History, stamp production, and the people behind the BABN Goebel press used to print Canadian stamps between 1968 and 1989.

Article: Canada ● Stamps ● First Day Covers

Errors, Freaks and Oddities on Canada Post Official First Day Covers (3.1 MB pdf) - Andrew Chung
OFDC EFOs: on the cachet, on the cancellation, and on the stamp or stamps. Presentation made to the BNAPS Golden Horseshoe Regional Group and to the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada.

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials, 5th edition, updated on 8 August 2016 - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
The 5th edition of the handbook, updated to 8 August 2016.

Timbres canadiens avec initiales perforées, 5e édition, mise à jour le 12 aout 2016 - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
La cinquième édition du manuel, mise à jour le 12 aout 2016.

August 2015

Article: Canada ● Revenue ● Parks Canada Permits

Canada's National Park Motor Vehicle Licences, 1923 to 2015, Version 3, Aug. 2015 (4.0 MB pdf) - Clayton Rubec
Version 3 has significant additions and revisions, the listings are extended to 2015, and more references have been added.

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials, 5th edition - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
A consolidated version of the handbook has been posted.

Timbres canadiens avec initiales perforées, 5e édition - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Une version consolidée du manuel est maintenant disponible.

February 2015

Article: Newfoundland ● 1897 Royal Family & 1908 2¢ Map stamps

Newfoundland ABN Plate Proofs of the 1897 Royal Family and 1908 2¢ Map Stamps (html) - John M. Walsh, from the collection of Ed Wener
Update contains corrections and new information about the ABN printing proofs. Original article posted in August 2013.

Article: Canada ● Revenue

An Introduction to Canadian Revenue Stamps (html) - Christopher D. Ryan. Also available as a pdf file (5.7 MB).
Describes the many different types of Canadian Revenue stamps, both federal and provincial, and their usage.

November 2014

Book: Canada ● Perfins

Timbres canadiens avec initiales perforées, 5e édition - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
L'origine et l'utilisation des perfins et une liste de tous les perfins connus parmi les timbres canadiens.
French translation of Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials.

February 2014

Article: Canada ● Revenue ● Alberta Hunting Stamps

A New Listing of Alberta Hunting, Resource Development and WISE Foundation Revenue Stamps,and Stampless Licence, Authorization and Special Quota Licence Stamps and Cards 1964 to 1997, Version 2, Jan. 2014 (2.1 MB pdf) - Clayton Rubec and Dale Stover
Revised listing with new catalogue numbers corrects descriptive errors in previous listings, flags non-existent stamps, and adds newly discovered ones.

Article: Canada ● Revenue ● Parks Canada Permits

Ninety Years of Canada's National Parks Motor Vehicle Licences, 1923 to 2013, Version 2, Jan. 2014 (3.4 MB pdf) - Clayton Rubec
Superseded by Version 3 posted in August 2015.

December 2013

Exhibit: Canada ● Illustrated Mail

Exhibit icon
3 Fr
A Postal History of Imperial Oil Atlantic Perspective
Brainard Fitzgerald (email)


This exhibit traces the formation and growth of Imperial Oil during its first 100 years, from 1880 to 1980, with an Atlantic Canada perspective. It does so using Imperial Oil advertising covers, postcards, and other related postal material.

The exhibit won a Vermeil at ORAPEX 2012 in Ottawa and a Silver at BNAPEX 2013 in Charlottetown, PEI.

Article: Postal History ● Military

The 1936 'Vimy Ridge' Issue (html) - Mick Bister
The issue and usage of stamps and postal stationery from France to commemorate the unveiling of the Vimy Memorial.

October 2013

Article: Philately ● Exhibiting

Exhibit Synopsis Template (0.1 MB pdf)
Suggested synopsis outline for BNAPEX exhibits.

Article: Philately ● Exhibiting

BNAPS Judging Guidelines for Juries and Exhibitors (0.1 MB pdf)
Judging guidelines that apply specifically to BNAPEX exhibits.

Exhibit: Newfoundland ● 1932-1949 Definitives

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
Blitz Stamps of Newfoundland
Clarence A. Stillions (email)

A small subgroup of the last Industrial Issue of Newfoundland, the 2¢, 3¢, 4¢, and 5¢, are known used prior to their first recorded printing by Waterlow & Sons in February 1942. These are known as the Blitz Stamps and examples of all are shown. Except for the 5¢ Caribou, they can only be distinguished from subsequent Waterlow printings by dated examples or from dated covers.

This exhibit won a Vermeil at BNAPS 2013 in Charlottetown, PEI.

Article: Canada ● 1911-1928 Admiral Issue

Guide to the Admiral Stamps of Canada (html) - Randall W. Van Someren
New page explains the terminology Marler used in his 1982 book, The Admiral Issue of Canada.

September 2013

Exhibit: Newfoundland ● Postal History

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
The Oval Duplexes of Newfoundland and Their Look-alike
Carl. F. Munden

The exhibit shows the 12 known (as of 2013) Newfoundland oval duplex cancels, and describes research regarding same, including four unlisted towns. They were issued between 1898 and 1901.

The exhibit won Silver-Bronze at BNAPS 2013 in Charlottetown.

Article: Canada ● Revenue ● Alberta Hunting Stamps

A New Listing of Alberta Hunting, Resource Development and WISE Foundation Revenue Stamps,and Stampless Licence, Authorization and Special Quota Licence Stamps and Cards 1964 to 1997 - Clayton Rubec and Dale Stover
Superseded by Version 2 posted in February 2014.

Article: Canada ● Revenue ● Parks Canada Permits

Ninety Years of Canada's National Parks Motor Vehicle Licences, 1923 to 2013 - Clayton Rubec
Superseded by Version 3 posted in August 2015.

August 2013

Article: Newfoundland ● 1897 Royal Family & 1908 2¢ Map stamps

Newfoundland ABN Plate Proofs of the 1897 Royal Family and 1908 2¢ Map Stamps (html) - John M. Walsh, from the collection of Ed Wener
Slides of the ABN proofs acquired by Ed Wener, and the results of his studies.

June 2013

Exhibit: Canada ● Revenue ● Law stamps

Exhibit icon
7 Fr
Canadian Law Stamps
Edward Zaluski (email)
The exhibit displays Law Stamps from 1765 to 1970: embossed "AMERICA", Lower and Upper Canada, and post-Confederation stamps and usage.

This exhibit was awarded a Vermeil at BNAPEX 2001, Ottawa, ON, 31 Aug. - 2 Sept. Edward Zaluski is the author of a seven-volume reference on Canadian Revenue stamps that was released on CD between 2010 and 2013

April 2013

Exhibit: Newfoundland ● 1932-1949 Definitives

Exhibit icon
1 Fr
The 1¢ Newfoundland "Heap of Cod" Stamp 1932-1949
Anthony Thompson (email)

The exhibit examines the Newfoundland 1932-1949 1¢ Heap of Cod definitive. It looks at the dies, printers, plates, watermarks, perforation, and usage.

This exhibit won Gold and the Grand award for the BNAPS best one-frame exhibit at NOVAPEX 2010, Dartmouth, NS, 24-26 September. It was exhibited in the Champion of Champions category at APS AmeriStamp Expo 2011, Charleston, SC, February 11-13, where it received a Prix d'Honneur award.

February 2013

Exhibit: Newfoundland ● Revenue

Exhibit icon
4 Fr
Newfoundland Fiscal Stamps and Usages
Terrance R. Harris


This exhibit shows the stamps issued by Newfoundland for the purpose of collecting fees and taxes. Also shown is proper usage as intended by law.

The exhibit shows Inland Revenue, War/National Savings, Customs Duty, Beer Excise Duty, Transportation Tax, Money Order Tax, and Tobacco Tax. Also shown are regular postage stamps used for revenue collection.

This exhibit won Gold at ORAPEX 2009, Ottawa, ON, 2-3 May.

Note: the second PDF file illustrates revenue stamps affixed to packages as opposed to documents.

Exhibit: Philately ● Newfoundland ● Stamp dealers

Exhibit icon
5 Fr
Newfoundland Stamp Dealers
Terrance R. Harris

This exhibit reveals Newfoundland's philatelic history through its stamp dealers from the 1800s to 1949. It won Silver at BNAPEX+2008+NOVAPEX, Halifax, NS, 29-31 August.

January 2013

Article: Postal history ● Stampless ● Quebec

An Extraordinary Canadian Cover - Norris (Bob) Dyer and Leopold Beaudet
The controversial New Carlisle "Postmaster's Provisional Envelope".
(Revision of an article posted in 2003 by Norris (Bob) Dyer)

December 2012

External website: Postal history ● Airmail service ● Toronto

Website icon Evolution of Air Mail - Toronto, Canada - From Biplane to Jet - Neil Hunter
Posted on the Canadian Aerophilatelic Society website.


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