Books and Handbooks

Philately

Canadian Philately - An Outline - John Burnett, Gray Scrimgeour, and Victor Willson
Survey of collecting interests of BNA philatelists, including stamps, postal history, and collateral material of Canada and the provinces.

Canada ● Stamps

Canadian Stamps with Perforated Initials, 6th edition, with 01 August 2021 updates - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
Origin and use of perfins and listing of all known perfins on Canadian stamps. Sections with the latest updates are identified by the date 2021 08 01.

Timbres canadiens avec initiales perforées, 5e édition, mise à jour le 1 décembre 2018 - BNAPS Perfin Study Group
L'origine et l'utilisation des perfins et une liste de tous les perfins connus parmi les timbres canadiens. Les sections mises à jour le plus récemment sont identifiées par la date : 2018 12 01.

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:

Canada ● Postal History

The Canadian Posted Letter Guide for Letters Mailed in the 1851 - 1902 Period, 2nd edition - Victor L. Willson and Charles G. Firby
Pricing guide to BNA covers between 1851 and 1902.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Articles

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.

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.

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

Philately ● Exhibiting

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

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

Philately ● Stamp production

The Goebel Press Era of Canadian Stamps - Ken Sargent with Leopold Beaudet
The BABN Goebel press - history, stamp production, and the people behind it.

Canada ● Stamps ● 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.

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.

Canada ● Stamps ● 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.

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.

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.

Canada ● Stamps ● 1911 Admiral Issue

Guide to the Admiral Stamps of Canada (html) - Randall W. Van Someren
Dies, printing, paper, straight edges, coils, fakes, forgeries, varieties, cancellations, rates, and bibliography.

The Admirals after Marler (5.0 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.

Canada ● Stamps ● Elizabethan definitives

Modern Flower Coil Definitives (20 MB pdf) - Jim Watt
Also available as a PowerPoint presentation (39 MB)
Printing and die cut varieties on the coils issued between December 2004 and December 2007.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Canada's National Park Motor Vehicle Licences, 1923 to 2015, Version 3, Aug. 2015 (4.0 MB pdf) - Clayton Rubec
Motor vehicle card licences, metal licence plate toppers, metal radiator badges, self-adhesive decals, rearview mirror shields, and paper receipts issued by Parks Canada.

Canada ● Postal History

Crashes, Fires, and War Interrupted the Mail (html) - John Burnett
Illustrates examples of interrupted mail due to airplane crashes, fires, and war, and the markings applied to such mail.

Paquebot Covers: Mailed on the High Seas (html) - John Burnett
Describes paquebot mail and some of the postal markings found on paquebot covers.

Some Early Postal History of Brandon, Manitoba (html) - Robert K. Lane
Illustrates the important role the mail played in the early days of settlement in the Brandon area, dating from when the post office was established on 1 August 1881.

Re-enactment of Western Canada's First Airmail Flight by Katherine Stinson (html) - Robert K. Lane
Commemorative covers marking the 9 July 1918 flight and photos of the re-enactment.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Canada ● Postal History ● Military Mail

Canadian National Vimy Memorial (html) - Mike Street
Unveiling the Memorial on 26 July 1936 at the site of the battle of Vimy Ridge.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Newfoundland

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.

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.

Fascinating Covers

An Extraordinary Canadian Cover - Norris (Bob) Dyer and Leopold Beaudet
The controversial New Carlisle "Postmaster's Provisional Envelope".

Now That Was Service - Pete Jacobi
Story of a cover mailed 1.5 years after the recipient had moved.

A Scarce Example of the War Exchange Tax on Periodical Publications - Christopher D. Ryan
1942 mailing label from the U.S. with three Canadian revenue stamps.

A BNA Cover Challenge
Complex BNA covers are shown and described.

Newfie 1897 Provisional Surcharge on Cover - Norris (Bob) Dyer
Cover with 1¢ 1897 provisional surcharge with rare sans serif font overprint.

An Alberta and a Saskatchewan Cover - Gray Scrimgeour
Two covers from the territorial period of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Calgary Covers - Calgary Regional Group
Reflections of Calgary's history and postal history.

Exhibits

Philately ● Newfoundland

Newfoundland Stamp Dealers (html) - Terrance R. Harris
Newfoundland's philatelic history through its stamp dealers.

Canada ● Stamps

1 Cent Yellow Large Queen Stamp of Canada - 1869 (0.5 MB pdf) - Vic Willson
Plate proofs, plate varieties, paper, shades, cancellations, and postal usage.

The Chemistry of the War Time Admiral (html) - Richard Judge
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 Centennial Booklets of Canada 1967 - 1973 (html) - Joel Weiner
Detailed study of the printing, paper, and tagging varieties and plate flaws on the Centennial booklets. Includes all the key items and many previously unrecorded varieties.

My Favourite Elizabethan Varieties (html) - Leopold Beaudet.
Varieties from the Elizabethan era that are distinctive and/or reveal information about stamp production.

Canada ● Revenue

Canadian Law Stamps (html) - Edward Zaluski
From 1765 to 1970: embossed "AMERICA", Lower and Upper Canada, and post-Confederation stamps and usage.

Canada ● Postal History

Postal History and Usages of the Canada Post Card 1871-1928 (7 MB pdf) - Vic Willson

Sovereignty, Substances, Small Centres and Subs: Closed Post Offices of the Northwest Territories - Kevin O'Reilly
Shows all the closed post offices in the Northwest Territories operated by Canada, the U.S., and Great Britain.

Ottawa Dead Letter Office Handstamps 1872 to 1950 (html) - Gary W. Steele
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.

Dead Letter Office Wax Seals & Boxed Registration Handstamps (html) - Gary W. Steele
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 Victoria Post Office and Undeliverable Mail 1874 - 1925 (html) - Brian C. Plain
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.

19th Century Brandon Post Office Postmarks (1.5 MB pdf) - Robert K. Lane

RPOs on the Mysterious Estevan Line (2 MB pdf) - Robert K. Lane
One of the earliest mail-carrying branch lines built by the CPR in western Canada.

The West of Winnipeg RPO Hammers (1.4 MB pdf) - Robert K. Lane
The 17 "West of Winnipeg" RPO hammers, the first RPO postmarks used on the CPR main line in western Canada.

Railway Post Offices Postmarks Used in Southern Manitoba (6 MB pdf) - Robert K. Lane
CPR and Canadian Northern Railway/CNR RPO postmarks from southern Manitoba.

Canada ● Postal History ● Military Mail

Epic of Vimy - A Canadian Pilgrimage (13.6 MB pdf) - 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.

Canada ● Illustrated Mail

Postal History of Imperial Oil Atlantic Perspective (html) - Brainard Fitzgerald
Formation and growth of Imperial Oil from 1880 to 1980, especially in Atlantic Canada, using advertising covers, postcards, and related material.

Newfoundland ● Stamps

Newfoundland Plate Numbers - 1897-1947 (html) - John M. Walsh
Relatively few Newfoundland stamps have plate imprints in the pane margin and some of those were undocumented. This exhibit shows all the stamps with plate numbers including some first discovered by the exhibitor.

Newfoundland - Edward and Alexandra (2 MB pdf) - Norris (Bob) Dyer
1897-1901 Royal Family issue, 2¢ and 3¢ values honoring the Prince and Princess of Wales - proofs, specimens, stamps, and usages.

The 1¢ Newfoundland "Heap of Cod" Stamp 1932-1949 (html) - Anthony Thompson
1932-1949 Resources issue, 1¢ value - dies, printers, plates, watermarks, perforation, usage.

The Blitz Stamps of Newfoundland (html) - Clarence Stillions
The first recorded printing of the Industrial Issue by Waterlow & Sons was in February 1942. Four stamps printed by Waterlow are known used prior to this printing.

Newfoundland ● Stamps ● Perfins

Perforated Initials & Insignia on Stamps of Newfoundland (html) - Barry Senior
Comprehensive eight-frame exhibit showing 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.

Newfoundland ● Postage Meters

Newfoundland Postage Meters 1928-1949 (html) - Robin Moore
Presents 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.

Newfoundland ● Revenue

Newfoundland Fiscal Stamps and Usages (html) - Terrance R. Harris
Inland Revenue, War/National Savings, Customs Duty, Beer Excise Duty, Transportation Tax, Money Order Tax, Tobacco Tax.

Newfoundland ● Postal History

The Oval Duplexes of Newfoundland and Their Look-alike (html) - Carl Munden
The 12 known (as of 2013) Newfoundland oval duplex cancels, issued between 1898 and 1901.

Nova Scotia ● Postal History

Cross-border Mail via the Cunard Line (1.9 MB pdf) - David D'Alessandris
Mail Between the United States and Nova Scotia, 1840-1867.

Prince Edward Island ● Postal History

Internal Mail of Prince Edward Island (6 MB pdf) - Mike Salmon

Internal Mails and Postage Rates of Pre-confederation Prince Edward Island (html) - Robert Lunn
Explores by-favour covers, including one of the earliest dating back to 1792, and the stampless, pence, and decimal periods.

Noteworthy BNA material on other websites

Canada ● Stamps

Canada's Picture Postage^TM (html) - Darlene Burt
Website devoted to Canada's Picture Postage^TM 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 Postage^TM first day covers.

Canada ● Postal History

The Canadian Advanced Posting Service 1926-1949 - P. Charles Livermore
Christmas cards posted early in December would receive special cancels and be delivered just before Christmas.

Thanks for the Smokes - P. Charles Livermore
Canada - World War II overseas tobacco distribution scheme.

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

Toronto Postal History - P. Charles Livermore

Peterborough's Transorma Sorting Marks - P. Charles Livermore
High tech mail sorting machine installed in Peterborough, ON, in 1955.

Newfoundland ● Stamps

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 and posted on his website. Besides Newfoundland, there are two files of Canadian material covering the early issues and revenue stamps.