No Boom Seen for Canada’s Recent Issues

Question: Each year the Canada Post Corp. issues a definitive stamp with a high denomination. Such issues of the past have been the $1 Glacier National Park stamp of 1985, the $2 Banff National Park issue of 1985 and the $5 La Maurice Park issue of 1986. Would those issues in blocks of four with plate numbers have good potential for price appreciation?--R.K.

Answer: High-denomination Canadian issues of the past have been better-than-average investments, if purchased for face value during the time they were on sale in the post offices. What the future holds for recent dollar-value definitives is anybody’s guess.

Because Canadian stamps of 40 or more years ago were issued in smaller quantities than those of today, and because current collectors know the values and price increases of Canadian stamps in the philatelic market, it is less likely today that you will make big profits from recent Canadian issues.

Q: The enclosed portion of a cover bears an inscription that reads, “These stamps represent the postage on this letter.” What does this mean? It doesn’t make much sense to me. In the 50 years that I’ve been in contact with the world’s stamps I’ve never seen anything quite like this.--W.R.

A: The cover corner that you sent shows a pair of New Zealand stamps of 18-cent and 40-cent denominations neatly tied (canceled) by a circular “Philatelic Bureau, Wanganui” hand stamp. I’m not exactly sure why the New Zealand postal administration put the inscription that you mention on its mail, but I can think of a few good reasons:

It wants to discourage theft of stamps off mail by indicating that current postal rates are being used. Or it wants to let collector customers know that it uses real stamps, instead of metered or business-reply stamps, on letters so that the recipient gets stamps equivalent to the full postage requirements for the class and weight at which the item is being sent. Or it simply wants to call your attention to the fact that it cares about customers and is fully aware of the appreciation that most philatelists have when they receive mail with interesting stamps affixed.

Q: Can you tell me the value of a set of two air mail Ethiopian stamps showing President Roosevelt, denominations $1 and $2?--P.E.W.

A: Ten dollars mint and $8.50 used are current catalogue prices for this 1947 Ethiopian set.