POSTMARKS of

CANADA A Brief Overview

FLAGS OF CANADIAN

PROVINCES AND

TERRITORIES

CANADA’S CURRENT

POSTAL ZONES

EARLIEST STYLE- Manuscript cancellation

EARLY STYLES “FANCY CANCELS”—hand -cut

devices

FANCY CANCEL VARIETIES

EARLY STYLES BULLSEYE or TARGET

OTTAWA CROWN

HANDSTAMP

DUPLEX CANCELS

RINGS, NUMERALS &

LETTERS

SQUARED CIRCLE

SPLIT RING

or BROKEN CIRCLE

CIRCULAR DATE

STAMPS

COMMEMORATIVE

CANCELS Victoria’s Jubilee and

George VI Coronation

COMMEMORATIVE

CANCELS Royal Train 1939

WW II

MILITARY POST OFFICES “M.P.O.” with camp Number

OTHER MILITARY

CANCELS -Field Post Office, Canada Militia

-P.O.W.

-R.C.A.F. Station, Summerside, P.E.I.

WW II ‘MUTE

CANCELS’

RAILWAY POST

OFFICES (R.P.O.) Post offices on trains

processed mail en route.

Often two towns listed,

Often abbreviated

R.P.O. CATALOG of

POSTMARKS:

RECENT STYLES

MOON (Money Order Office

Number)

ANOTHER RECENT

STYLE POCON– (Post Office Computer

Identification Number)

MOST RECENT STYLE Spray-on (Ink jet) cancel

THIS AND THAT #1

ASSINIBOIA (ASSA.) Indian Head and Medicine Hat

THIS AND THAT #2 Interesting Town Names:

Berlin ON, Porcupine Plain SK,

Middle Musquodoboit NS,

Head of Chezzetcook NS

THIS AND THAT #3

Quebec: Most letters per town name!

St.Prosper de Dorchester,

Ange Gardien de Rouville,

Ste. Agathe de Lotbiniere

THIS AND THAT #4a Vanishingly small (& vanishing) towns!

Acadia Valley AB(100)

Waterton Park AB(88)

Red Willow AB(40)

Nisku AB (30)

THIS AND THAT #4b The ‘vanishingest’ small town:

Reno AB, population 5

• Population in 2011: 5 Population in 2006: 15 2006 to 2011 Population Change Here: -66.7%

• Alberta: 10.8%

• Total private dwellings: 6 Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 4 Land area (km2): 0.29

THIS AND THAT #4c Views of Reno AB

Why Collect Postmarks of

Canada? • Lots of interesting types and styles.

• Many 1000’s of different towns.

• Insights into geography, history, and social change.

• Challenge of deciphering the town name from faint and/or incomplete postmarks.

• Used stamps don’t need expensive mounts!

• Why not, eh?

• Presented by David Elfman, Riverside Stamp Club,

December 2014 (or maybe January 2015!)