Xmas 1898

Have yet to see this stamp with the overprint,
anyone have an image?

What overprint?

You're right...this is the world's first politically correct Xmas stamp. There will be no Christ in my Xmas =) hehe

Nope Canadian Philatelist, X means Christ.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas

I consider it a Christmas stamp.

If I recall correctly, the stamp was not originally issued as a Christmas stamp. But as time passed, it came to be regarded as the first Christmas stamp. Does anyone remember just why the word and date were included on the stamp in the first place? Some how in my mind, Queen Victoria is involved.

Try this link
http://www.mapstamp.org/

Terrific site. Unfortunate typo on the 'Map Stamp' page

...25th day of December, 1858...

You'd think BNAPS would be more careful about that sort of thing.

Canada Post issued this stamp in 1998:




It was described as follows in Canada Post Corporation, Canada's Stamp Details, Vol. 7, No. 3, 1998, p. 15-17:

It was a momentous time in postal history; one hundred years ago, imperial penny postage was introduced, allowing Canadians to send letters anywhere in the British Empire at the rate of one British penny - just two cents Canadian! It was a huge triumph for Canada, Postmaster General Sir William Mulock played a pivotal role in negotiating this change from the previous levy of five Canadian cents. The penny-postage stamp is one of the most revered by collectors. It was the world's first Christmas issue. The stamp featured a collage of Queen Victoria's crown, a map of the world with the British Empire displayed in red, "Xmas 1898" and the phrase, "We hold a vaster empire than has been". Produced in three colours and by two different processes by the American Bank Note Company of Ottawa, it was the most expensive issue in Canadian philatelic history to that date. Recognizing the significance of the stamp for collectors, Canada Post will issue a single domestic-rate stamp. Queen Victoria's crown, a portrait of Postmaster General Sir William Mulock, and a reproduction of the original stamp are together depicted against a dark backdrop with "Canada" boldly displayed. Designed by François Dallaire of Montreal, this commemorative stamp will be released May 29 in Hamilton, Ontario. For collectors who may only have dreamed of having an authentic penny stamp in their private collections, this new issue may be an affordable consolation.

From Canadian Postal Archives Database

http://data4.collectionscanada.ca/n...=POST&p=1&u=http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020117/020117030414_e.html&r=1&f=G&SECT3=POST

According to my 2012 Unitrade catalogue this stamp was issued on 07 December 1898 and the Official First Day Cover was on Christmas 25 December 1898. It also says XMAS 1898. As a result, I am satisfied that Canada Scott 85 & 86 are truly the world's first christmas stamps.

Here is another way of looking at the 1898 xmas map...See all the differences from a scanned original that I worked with.

so...is it it considered an overprint?

Thanks wert. You have only reinforced my laziness in doing web searches. Fascinating website. Again--thanks

Anytime rohumpy....Always glad to help as others have helped me...

The World's first Christmas stamp is from Denmark. From 1904.



A Christmas stamp has no postal value in itself.

@ jamesw While I always appreciate the discovery of a typo, that fault lies with the owner of the Map Stamp website, NOT with BNAPS. Thanks for yet another reminder of the wealth of info that is linked through the BNAPS Study Groups page on the website at http://www.bnaps.org/study.htm Please note that the volunteer webmaster and I are now updating all of the study group info on that page this week, so please check again soon, and come back as often as you'd like!

Peter, BNAPS VP of Study Groups