Postage Stamps

Uniqueness Of Canadian Postage Stamps

Canadian postage stamps are highly collectable. One of the reasons for their collectability is their unusual beauty. This beauty is a result of the unique stamp production method.

There are two types of stamps issued in Canada. The first is the definitive stamp used for regular mailing. The second is the commemorative stamp which recognizes special events throughout the year.

The definitive stamp is actually a series of stamps representing a range of monetary values. This series is usually a grouping of design types that will remain in place for a specific period of time.

The works of famous artists are often used as stamp designs. In addition, Canada features living people on definitive stamps. This is in stark contrast to the US where it is against the law to feature living people on stamps.

The process for creating Canadian postage stamps has evolved over the years. The current production process has resulted in some of the most visually stunning stamps ever created. In fact, Canada routinely wins major awards for stamp design excellence.

Prior to 1967, Canadian postage stamps were printed in a manner similar to that of banknotes. This engraving method was purposefully designed to prevent duplication and forgery of stamps.

The modern production method continues the process established after 1967 that allows unrestricted use of color in stamp design. As a result, stamp designs are no longer restricted to one-color or two-color models. Stamp designers have a more complete color palette from which to work.

This has led to the creation of some of the most incredible stamp designs that include and often times combine embossing, silver and gold elements, and foil stamping. This combination produces visual enrichments in Canadian postage stamps. Holograms have even been designed for several stamps.

In addition to the actual design of the stamps, Canada has experimented with various types of paper. Combined with the printing methods described, this has resulted in unusual Canadian postage stamps.

Canada has also created a plethora of themes of stamps in various colors. Canadian postage stamps often depict Canada's history in the form of minute pictures. This has led many collectors to establish collections that focus on this history, much of which is directed toward the country's postal record.

There are other subjects that are of particular interest to collectors. One such subject is Canadian ships. Another subject is famous people. Stamps in these subject areas are highly coveted by stamp collectors around the world.

For additional information, visit the Canadian Postal Museum online. The Museum preserves all things associated with postal history in Canada. The National Stamp Collection is located at the Museum. The Collection includes examples of each and every Canadian postage stamp issued in the history of Canada.