Lot 406 Canada #352-354, 357-358 4c-5c Violet & Ultramarine Various Subjects, 1955 Wildlife Week Issue - Prime Ministers Issue, 12 VFNH Singles, Horizontally Ribbed Paper, Different Shades Cream & Yellowish Cream Satin & Semi-Gloss Gum

12 VFNH singles of the 4c-5c violet & ultramarine various subjects from the 1955 Wildlife Week Issue - Prime Ministers Issue. Horizontally ribbed paper, different shades, cream & yellowish cream satin & semi-gloss gum. All the stamps here show subtle shade variations, though the 5c Mackenzie Bowell can be found with some truly outstanding ones. One of the 4c musk ox stamps is on smooth surfaced paper. The other stamps are all on horizontally ribbed paper.

Unitrade values these at $5.95. The stamps offered here grade 80 as follows:

Centering/Margins: 50/70

Paper Freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of Visible Paper Flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10

The 1950's is a very misunderstood and neglected period in Canadian philately. This is due in large part to the fact that the variations that can be collected are quite subtle, and lie in minute to moderate differences in the inks, small differences in the texture of the paper, and differences in the appearance of the gum. Three different types of paper are found during this period, and there is a definite progression whereby two of these papers are gradually phased out, until all stamps were printed using the third type of paper. The first of these types is a horizontal ribbed, fibrous paper that shows obvious ribbing on both the front and back. This type first appears on the later printings of the Postes Postage issue and high value Natural Resources definitives, and is completely gone from Canadian stamp production after 1961. The second type has a smooth surface, but shows horiziontal ribbing on the gummed side. This first appears on a few earlier issues, but consistently on the 1957 Recreational Sports issue, and remains in use until 1962 when the vertical ribbed paper replaces it. The third type is a horizontally woven, thinner vertical ribbed paper, that has a smooth surface, and shows only light ribbing on the gummed side that runs vertically. This paper first appears on the 1955 Scout Jamboree issue, and becomes the standard paper in use after 1961, until other surfaced papers begin to replace it in 1968. Gum tends to be smooth and glossy or semi-gloss on the issues up to about 1957, when we begin to see streaky gum with more of a satin sheen appears. Most issues from 1957 to the 1960's can be found with both basic types of gum. In addition to the smooth/streaky appearance, the colour of the gum can vary from deep yellow to light cream. Finally, shades show considerable variation in the violets, blues and the turquoise green shades. However, even the other colours can be found with collectible variations as well. The examples we offer in this sale are, by no means all the varieties that can be found with patience and attention to detail. Most all of the stamps are printed on either non-fluorescent (NF) or dull fluorescent paper (DF). There is a very bright DF paper, that glows bluish white and which I call LF. It is quite a bit scarcer than the NF and DF papers, but is not listed in Unitrade.