Canadian Hidden Dates & Designer's Initials

Nice litho...I could not find it on my stamp!

I was just looking over some from the late sixties and early seventies and boy are they small. On some I know they're there but I can't find them. Like on the 1967 Centennial definitives, I can spot them all except for the 50c, maybe it's because of the orange colour.
I should have made a list years ago when I originally located them.

Terrific topic and posts. Not only are we seeing many beautifully engraved stamps, but also a very interesting detail on Canadian stamps.
I never had an idea about this, and never thought it was this consistently done back then.

Iceland also had some amazing engravings back in the 60s-70s-80s, mostly because of Slania's involvement and inspiration. I think nowadays only Sweden does engravings consistently. Not sure about Denmark. Engraved stamps aren't cheap.

Here is the 1967 Centennial 50c. I scanned the set a few years ago, planning on putting it on my website, but never got around to it...







Date in lower right

Litho: we share a lot of similarities. I am definitely going to computer search Slania but will wait until I bring my collection of Scandinavian stamps into some semblance of order. My concentration has always been Canada, the provinces and the stamps of Newfoundland from its days as a colony. My next level of concentration has been the US and then the rest of the countries of the world. The latter, however, are in what can only be called disarray. My next project will be to select either Great Britain or one of the Scandinavian countries to tackle.

A personal aside related to your great scan of the 10c Drying Skins stamp (Canada Scott#301). I once worked out of a birch bark tent similar to the one portrayed on the stamp. It was on the Winisk River on the edge of the Hudson Bay Lowlands.

Thanks BC I see it know, are you going to tackle the rest of the Centennial set since you already have them scanned ? Perhaps you could also show the early ones from 1935 onward since I don't have those.

Talking about earlier ones, I was as down at the CSDA show in Toronto today so I inquired at one of the dealers about the price of the Bluenose Plate Block of 6.
Guess I won't get that one either since I didn't have $3,000 on me.

I agree with you cynical regarding organizing for I've got stuff all over the place and half the time I can't find it. I know I have it...but where?

The 7c Canada Goose issued in 1952 was the first one that not only showed the date but also the initial of the designer.
In this case H for Emanuel Otto Hahn. The engraver Sila Robert Allen got no credit as is usual on Canadian stamps.


Scott 320

Litho: in light of some of my comments I am feeling a bit ignorant (but laughing about it) having just found the "engraved stamps" thread that shows your great submission of Swedish engraved stamps. I knew it was one of those Scandinavian countries.

cynical, there have been a few people posting great stuff on the engraved stamps thread but not much lately. Why don't you show some of your scans?

Litho: I have had a scanner for quite awhile, however, my abilities using it are somewhat limited. My scans were mostly simple stuff. Coming on to the stamp community site was a big step for me. After seeing the quality of the scans I'm a bit embarrassed by my skills. I intend to improve them though after seeing stamps as large detailed works of art rather than small. When I came on board a few days ago I made my first post to the US Classic Stamps forum in the "3cent stamp,grill" thread. It seemed like the appropriate place to ask a question about one of my 3 cent Washington stamps and piggy-back off one of the images already there. I described my problem and had an excellent response from khj but he called my bluff and suggested I put on an image of my stamp (i had hoped I might coast for awhile). Anyway I did it and placed it (actually two versions) at the bottom of that thread but with no responses so far. I may have been better to have started a separate thread. I scanned them just the way I have always scanned making no adjustments for resolution, etc. Having said all this I am inspired to improve my abilities in this regard.

Great thread Litho.
Great scans too.

There have been mention of this before about US and other countries but no details.

Well done

If I can get some good scans, I'll start a GB thread.
But I probably need to practice !!

In the USA and UK it's called Microprinting...why the more specific title in Canada I wonder.

Londonbus1

As far as scanning, once you have the basics it's no problem plus I picked up some tips here on how to improve my scans and I'm still learning.

Some (a lot?) depends on the quality of the scanner too I guess.

What make is yours ?

Hi LB

It's called Microprinting in Canada too as for example on the $10 whale and on the Flags over the Lighthouses, Mills etc. like below for example.

CANADA

Scott 2252

Warren Landing MB




Whereas now microprinting is done for security reasons this wasn't the case for the hidden dates which for the most part during the fifties where quite visible to the naked eye, if you knew where to look.