The Peace Issue of 1946-1952

The stamps were printed by the Canadian Bank Note Company in sheets of 200, which were then guillotined into four post office panes of 50 stamps each. 

However, there are still enough points of interest to make this issue a very viable specialty on its own, or in combination with the low value stamps as discussed above. 

The Stamp Designs, Issue Dates and Quantities Issued

Despite being more limited in scope, there are still several ways that a collector can build a collection out of this issue:

• Shade varieties
• Paper and gum varieties
• Die type differences
• Plate blocks
• Booklets and booklet panes
• Re-entries
• OHMS Perfins, overprints and G overprints
• Proof material
• First day covers and postal history. 

The 10c special delivery, 14c and 50c values of this series have very little in the way of shade varieties, except for some very slight variations in the intensity of the colours. However, there are some excellent shades of the $1 and at several shades of the other values.

8c Red Brown

The above scan shows some of the shades commonly seen on this value. The two basic shades are a lake brown, and red-brown. The basic shades vary slightly in intensity as well. Looking at the above scan, the left stamp, third stamp from the left, and fourth stamp from the left are all shades of red-brown. The left stamp is reddish brown, the third stamp from the left is red-brown, and the fourth stamp from the left is deep reddish brown. The second stamp from the left, and the right stamp are both lake-brown, which contains a good deal more red than it does brown. Reddish brown contains more brown than red, while red-brown is a more perfect balance of the two colours.

10c Olive Green


This colour is an olive green that varies in terms of the amount of brown that is contained in the colour. If you look at the third and fourth stamps from the left, you will be able to see the difference. The third stamp from the left is the standard olive green, whereas the stamp immediately to its right contains quite a bit more brown, being closer to a brown olive.

14c Black Brown

20c Greenish Slate

The 20c is a greenish black, that varies according to whether there is more black or more slate in the colour. I have seen a pure greenish black, which seems to be from the later printings, as this value was not replaced until the 20c Newsprint Industry stamp was released in April 1952. The above scan shows some of the typical variations found, with the stamp at the extreme left having clearly more black than the one on the extreme right, which has more slate, and is more greenish. Unitrade calls this colour slate-black. But I do not think that is an accurate name, as it ignores the fact that all shades of this colour contain some green.

50c Deep Bluish Green

The main way in which this colour varies is both the intensity and the brightness, with the deeper versions of the colour also being slightly brighter. The middle stamp and the stamp on the right are both examples of the deeper and brighter shade, whereas the other three stamps are less intense, and slightly duller by comparison.

$1 Deep Claret

The $1, which Unitrade calls rose violet, is actually either a deep claret, or a brown purple that varies according to how much rose, versus how much brown is in the shade, as well as how intense it is. Like the 3c claret from the previous issue, this is a delightful colour that exhibits more variation than any other. Looking at the above scan from left to right we have: deep claret,  very deep claret, brown purple, deep brown purple, brownish claret, deep brownish claret, and pale maroon. The differences can be quite slight, but as you can see from looking at the middle stamps, it can also be quite stark.

7c Prussian Blue


Unitrade simply refers to this as blue, which is not accurate, as there are a large number of shades, most of which contain either a hint of green, or a hint of grey. The above scan shows some of the many shades that can be found. On the very left, is a deep Prussian blue, that contains a definite hint of green. Then there is a deep bright blue, which you can see on the second stamp from the left, and the second stamp from the right. Finally, the steel blue, which is a deep dull blue containing a hint of grey can be seen in the middle stamp, and the stamp on the right.

17c Bright Ultramarine


This shade also exhibits quite a bit of variation, from a very bright ultramarine, as seen on the right stamp, to a deep dull ultramarine, as seen on the left stamp.

Paper and Gum Varieties



The paper and gum varieties are less obvious on this issue than on previous issues. However, there are still some distinct paper and gum types, which definitely warrant inclusion in any specialized collection of this issue. I have encountered at least the following:

• Streaky brownish cream gum, with a semi-gloss sheen, on thick vertical cream wove paper, showing no mesh, and no ribbing on either the front, or the back. This is shown on the left stamp in the first scan above.
• Smooth cream gum with a satin sheen, on thinner, crisp, vertical wove paper, showing no mesh, and no ribbing on either the front or the back. This is shown on the middle stamp of the first scan above.
• Smooth brownish cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen, on thick vertical cream wove paper, showing no mesh and no ribbing, on either the front, or the back. 
• Smooth cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen on thick vertical cream wove, which shows no mesh, but does show very distinct horizontal ribbing on the gummed side. This is shown on the right stamp in the second scan above. 
• Smooth cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen on thick vertical cream wove, which shows no mesh, but does show very light horizontal ribbing on the gummed side. This is shown on the left stamp in the second scan above. It is very similar to the above paper, differing only in the strength of the ribbing. 
• Smooth white gum with a semi-gloss sheen on thick vertical cream wove, which shows no mesh, but does show very light horizontal ribbing on the gummed side. This is shown on the centre stamp in the second scan above. It is very similar to the above paper, except that it is white instead of cream coloured. 
• Smooth cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen, on thinner, crisp, vertical wove paper, showing no mesh, and no ribbing on either the front or the back. This is shown on the third scan above.
• Streaky cream gum with a satin sheen on thick vertical wove paper showing no mesh, but showing distinct horizontal ribbing on the gum side. This is shown on the fourth scan above. 
• A mottled. smooth yellowish cream gum that looks almost like it was sponged on to the paper. It has a satin sheen and is usually found on crisp vertical wove paper that shows no mesh or ribbing. I have only seen this gum on the 17c airmail special delivery stamp (usually the revised die) and the 10c special delivery stamp. It is shown in the fifth scan above. 
• A smooth deep cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen on thick vertical wove paper that shows no mesh, but clear horizontal ribbing on the face. The 7c airmail with the G overprint that is shown below is an example of this paper. If you look in the selvage on this scan, you can just make out the horizontal ribbing. 

Die Type Differences

On the 17c airmail special delivery stamp two different die types can be found:

• The incorrect circumflex accent above the second "E" of "Expres".
• The corrected grave accent above the second "E" of "Expres".

These two types are shows on the scans below:



Initially when the stamp was released on September 16, 1946, the accent that was above the second "E" of "Express" was a circumflex, as shown in the first scan above.  It was quickly brought to the attention of the authorities that this was not the correct accent to use on this word, and that a grave accent should have been used instead. The die was corrected to show a grave accent, and the stamp was re-issued on December 3, 1946 with the correct accent, as shown in the second scan. Because this was a correction of an error, there were very few first day covers produced, so that first day covers are very scarce and valuable. Also, the number of stamps issued in the corrected die is exactly three times as many in the incorrect die. Surprisingly, the Unitrade values of both stamps are very similar, for both used and mint. In reality, most stamps you will come across, will be mint. Finding nice used examples cancelled in-period, before 1949 can be quite challenging. Finally, the two scans above also show quite nicely the difference in shades between the bright ultramarine of the first printings, and the deep dull ultramarine of the later printing. 

Plate Blocks

• 8c red-brown - 2 plates, 8 blocks.
• 10c olive green - 2 plates, 8 blocks.
• 14c black brown - 1 plate, 4 blocks.
• 20c greenish slate - 2 plates, 8 blocks.
• 50c deep bluish green - 1 plate, 4 blocks.
• $1 deep claret - 1 plate, 4 blocks. 
• 7c Prussian blue -2 plates, 8 blocks.
• 17c bright ultramarine - 1 plate, 4 blocks.
• 17c deep dull ultramarine - 1 plate, 4 blocks.
• 10c deep dull green - 1 plate, 4 blocks.
• 8c 4-hole OHMS perfin - 2 plates, 2 types, 16 blocks.
• 10c 4-hole OHMS perfin - 2 plates, 2 types, 16 blocks.
• 14c 4-hole OHMS perfin - 1 plate, 2 types, 8 blocks.
• 20c 4-hole OHMS perfin - 2 plates, 2 types, 16 blocks.
• 50c 4-hole OHMS perfin - 1 plate, 2 types, 8 blocks. 
• $1 4-hole OHMS perfin - 1 plate, 2 types, 8 blocks.
• 7c airmail 4-hole OHMS perfin - 2 plates, 2 types, 16 blocks.
• 17c airmail special delivery 4-hole OHMS perfin - 1 plate, 2 dies, 2 types, 16 blocks
• 10c special delivery 4-hole OHMS perfin - 1 plate, 2 types, 8 blocks
• 10c OHMS overprint - 2 plates, 2 no period varieties, 10 blocks.
• 14c OHMS overprint - 1 plate, 1 no period variety, 5 blocks.
• 20c OHMS overprint - 2 plates, 2 no period varieties, 10 blocks.
• 50c OHMS overprint - 1 plate, 4 blocks.
• $1 OHMS overprint - 1 plate, 1 no period variety, 5 blocks.
• 7c airmail OHMS overprint - 2 plates, 2 no period varieties, 1 re-entry, 11 blocks.
• 10c special delivery OHMS overprint - 1 plate, 4 blocks.
• 10c G overprint - 2 plates, 8 blocks.
• 14c G overprint - 1 plate, 4 blocks.
• 20c G overprint - 2 plates, 8 blocks.
• 50c G overprint - 1 plate, 4 blocks.
• $1 G overprint - 1 plate, 4 blocks.
• 7c airmail - G overprint - 2 plates, 8 blocks.
• 10c special delivery G overprint - 1 plate, 4 blocks.

• 10c olive green plate 2 - 892-B.
• 14c black brown plate 1-  892-C
• 17c ultramarine plate 1 - 892-H 

• The 8c to be 892-A
• The 20c to be 892-D
• The 50c to be 892-E
• The $1 to be 892-F
• The 7c airmail to be 892-G
• The 10c special delivery to be 892-I

Booklets and Booklet Panes


The only stamp from this series to be issued in booklet form was the 7c Canada Goose Airmail, which appeared along with the 1c, 2c, 3c and 4c War Issue stamps in a special Christmas gift booklet that was released in 1947. The 7c airmail stamp was printed in panes of 4 stamps for inclusion in this booklet. There may be some variation in the shades, paper and gum. 

Re-Entries

There is only one documented re-entry in this issue, though I feel that more must exist, given the very large quantity of stamps that were printed between 1946 and 1951, and the relatively low number of plates. The one documented re-entry occurs on the 7c airmail, and consists of doubling of the right outer frameline. It occurs on 5 positions of the upper right pane of plate 2: positions 14, 19, 24, 29 and 34. All of these appear slightly different, and on positions 14 and 19, the left frameline shows some doubling as well.

Curiously, Ralph Trimble, the renowned re-entry expert, does not illustrate this re-entry on his website. I am not sure why this is, given how well known it is among collectors.

OHMS Perfins, OHMS Overprints and G Overprints

OHMS Perfins

• The first type, which was used until 1946, has a narrow "O", which can be difficult to identify if you are not familiar with these. However, this type can be positively identified by looking at the seventh hole from the top of the "S" and noting where it is in relation to the first and sixth holes. The first and sixth holes are aligned vertically. However, the seventh pin is not quite vertically aligned with these two pins, being just slightly off to the right of them. 
• The second type, which was in use between 1942 and 1949 occurs on seven of the 10 dies used during this period. It is characterized by a wider "O", but also by the fact that the seventh hole of the "S" does line up vertically with the first and sixth holes. 
• The third type is really a subset of the second type above, and was used for three of the 10 dies used from 1942-1949. It is the same as the first type, except that the "O" is wide, like the second type. 

In addition to the usual 8 positions that all three of these perforated initials can be found in, the initials can also be found with various errors like double perforating. For those of you who have not read my other posts in which I talk about the perforated official stamps, the 8 different positions that I am referring to are:

• Upright, reading from left to right.
• Upright reading from right to left.
• Inverted, reading from left to right, 
• Inverted, reading from right to left (illustrated above)
• Sideways, with the OH on the right reading upwards.
• Sideways, with the OH on the right reading downwards.
• Sideways, with the OH on the left reading upwards. 
• Sideways, with the OH on the left reading downwards.

All values of this issue exist with all three types and probably in all eight positions as well. So again, it is possible to make a fairly extensive collection of these (9 basic stamps x 3 types x 8 positions = 216 stamps). Once again, if shades, paper and gum differences are factored in, then the number of possible stamps can be quite staggering.

OHMS Overprint

The above scan shows the black OHMS overprint that was introduced on these stamps late in 1949 to replace the perfins. It was used on the 10c, 10c special delivery, 14c, 20c, 50c, $1 and the 7c airmail stamp. The genuine overprint has the following characteristics:

• The ink used for the overprint is a jet black that has a very slight sheen when the overprint is viewed at an angle to the light. 
• It often, but not always leaves a slight impression in the gum of mint examples.
• The top and bottom of the "O" is narrower than the sides and the left vertical upstroke of the "M" is narrower than the right vertical upstroke. 
• The overprint is 15 mm long, from the left side of the "O" to the right of the last period.
• The letters of the overprint are 2 1/4 mm high. 

G Overprint

The G overprint was introduced in 1950 to replace the O.H.M.S overprint as part of the ongoing efforts to make stamp inscriptions bilingual. Like the O.H.M.S. overprint, the G overprint is found on the 10c, 14c, 20c, $1 and 7c airmail. But unlike the O.H.M.S. overprint, there is no G overprint on the 50c, as that stamp had already been replaced by the 50c oil wells stamp when this overprint was introduced.  The genuine overprint, like the OHMS overprint uses similar ink, and often leaves an impression in the gum. The font is very distinct, and is known to collectors as the Casson font. Its distinguishing characteristic is that the top and bottom of the G are narrower than the sides, and there is a full horizontal cross stroke, as well as a barbed serif at the top of the G where it is open. The other characteristics are that the height and width are both 4 mm.

Both overprints have been extensively forged, especially on used stamps which are abundant and inexpensive. The early, contemporary forgeries that one often encounters were by a fellow named Andre Frodel. They are usually made in a dull black ink and the letters are either the wrong proportions, of they lack the features described here. In recent years, fakers have been forging these overprints on the less expensive values using mint sheets or plate blocks. They have done this with laser printing. The easiest way to detect these again is that the sizes will be off and the ink will appear different.

Forged Versus Genuine OHMS Overprints

The scan below illustrates just how good some of the forged overprints can be. One of the stamps has the genuine overprint, while one has the forged overprint. Can you tell which is which?

The genuine overprint is on the left, while the forgery is on the right. They are very similar in appearance, but the "O" is what gives the forgery away. It is far too thin at the top and the bottom. If you look at the periods you notice that they are not quite the same size. If you actually measure the forgery, it is only 14.5 mm wide instead of the required 15 mm, and the letters are 2 mm high instead of 2.25 mm as on the genuine overprint.  I was actually fooled by this stamp as I bought it on E-bay in 2011 from a seller, thinking it was genuine. In fact, I had it listed in my store at one time until Stampboards called it out as a forgery and convinced me to take it down. However, I argued with them initially, as this overprint is so close to the genuine. But in the end, after I measured it, I realized that they were indeed correct.

Proof Material

http://www.bnaproofs.com/can-air.html

http://www.bnaproofs.com/can-airspec.html

First Day Covers and Postal History



The last aspect I would like to touch on for this issue, is the postal history. These are all higher value stamps, so the vast majority of the covers that you will find them used on will be:

• Foreign registered covers.
• Foreign airmail covers.
• Local registered and overweight registered covers.
• Bulk mailing receipts