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Bluenose (postage stamp)
Encyclopedia
The Bluenose is the nickname
for a 50-cent definitive postage stamp
issued by the Canadian Post Office on 8 January 1929 as part of the King George V
"Scroll Issue”. Scott
number is 158 with a perforation of 12. The stamp depicts the fishing schooner
Bluenose
and the design, by the Canadian Bank Note Company
, Ottawa
, is a montage
of two different images of the vessel, racing off Halifax
Harbour. The stamp is considered a classic
even though it was issued after 1900 and some people consider it to be the most beautiful stamp in the world, but certainly it is the favourite Canadian stamp.
Three printing plates were made; plate 1 (of 200 impressions) was never used because of defects found, but plates 2 and 3 (of 100 impressions) were used to print 1,044,900 copies of the stamp. The photographs for the handsome engraved stamp were taken by W.R. MacAskill in 1922 and the vignette was engraved by the American Bank Note Company
, New York
.
In 2001 a Bluenose first day cover
sold for CAN $
3,650.
Stamps issued in 1982 and 1999 show all, or part, of the original Bluenose stamp in their designs. The 1982 stamp is a stamp-on-stamp design while the 1998 issue was in commemoration of the naval designer William James Roué of the original schooner.
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
for a 50-cent definitive postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
issued by the Canadian Post Office on 8 January 1929 as part of the King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
"Scroll Issue”. Scott
Scott catalogue
The Scott catalogue of postage stamps, published by Scott Publishing Co, a subsidiary of Amos Press, is updated annually and lists all the stamps of the entire world which its editors recognize as issued for postal purposes. It is published in six large volumes and is also produced in...
number is 158 with a perforation of 12. The stamp depicts the fishing schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Bluenose
Bluenose
Bluenose was a Canadian fishing and racing schooner from Nova Scotia built in 1921. She was later commemorated by a replica Bluenose II built in 1963. A celebrated racing ship and hard-working fishing vessel, Bluenose became a provincial icon for Nova Scotia as well as important Canadian symbol in...
and the design, by the Canadian Bank Note Company
Canadian Bank Note Company
The Canadian Bank Note Company is a Canadian security printing company. It is probably best known for being one of two private companies holding contracts with the Bank of Canada to supply it with Canada's paper currency. The company's other clients include private businesses, national and...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, is a montage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
of two different images of the vessel, racing off Halifax
Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
Harbour. The stamp is considered a classic
Classic stamp
A classic stamp is a postage stamp of a type considered distinctive by philatelists, typically applied to stamps printed in the early period of stamp production, e.g., before about 1870. However, as L. N. Williams puts it, "the term has never been satisfactorily defined"...
even though it was issued after 1900 and some people consider it to be the most beautiful stamp in the world, but certainly it is the favourite Canadian stamp.
Three printing plates were made; plate 1 (of 200 impressions) was never used because of defects found, but plates 2 and 3 (of 100 impressions) were used to print 1,044,900 copies of the stamp. The photographs for the handsome engraved stamp were taken by W.R. MacAskill in 1922 and the vignette was engraved by the American Bank Note Company
American Bank Note Company
The American Bank Note Company was a major worldwide engraver of national currency and postage stamps. Currently it engraves and prints stock and bond certificates.-History:Robert Scot, the first official engraver of the young U.S...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In 2001 a Bluenose first day cover
First day of issue
A First Day of Issue Cover or First Day Cover is a postage stamp on a cover, postal card or stamped envelope franked on the first day the issue is authorized for use within the country or territory of the stamp-issuing authority. Sometimes the issue is made from a temporary or permanent foreign or...
sold for CAN $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
3,650.
Stamps issued in 1982 and 1999 show all, or part, of the original Bluenose stamp in their designs. The 1982 stamp is a stamp-on-stamp design while the 1998 issue was in commemoration of the naval designer William James Roué of the original schooner.
External links
- Bluenose info
- Bluenose: A National Symbol of Canada
- Canadian Postal Museum Original rejected artwork and links to elements used in design process]
- Imperforate horizontal pair Bennett Stamps auction Jan 2005 (realised $290)
- Marginal block-of-four Bennett Stamp auction Jan 2005 (realised $500)