Canada Perforation Change From 1962

When one compares Canada Scott/Unitrade 400 (August 30, 1962) to Scott/Unitrade 401 (February 4, 1963), there is a change of perforation from 11.95 to 11.85 for perforation 12 per 2 cm.

Bringing it closer to the date of 1962 for this change, it can be seen by comparing Scott/Unitrade 400 (August 30, 1962) to Scott/Unitrade 405 (October 3, 1962). These are closer in between dates for it.

However, the key stamp is Scott/Unitrade 399 (August 22, 1962) which is the only commemorative stamp that has both of these perforations and allows for a closer date for it too.

Most perforation 12 stamps from before the above date have the old 11.95 perforation and most stamps from after the above date have the new 11.85 perforation.

All of the other stamps are definitives most with very long runs with postage stamps starting in the 1950's and ending in the 1960's and with postage due stamps starting in the 1930's and ending in the 1960's.

However, this change occurs in 1962 and afterwards which is at the tail end of some of these long running issues which makes them with the perforation change scarcer.

The stamps that so far have been found with both perforations are as follows: Scott/Unitrade 320, 321, 334, 338, 340, 343, 351, 362, 363, 399, 402a, 404a, 405b, 405p, 411, J15, J16, J16B, J17, J18, J19, J20.

The fact that there are many different stamps affected by this perforation change makes this a constant perforation variety, especially for those stamps that have both perforations.

Is it possible (likely) that the manager of the perforator department phased them in? So that #339 was not perforated by two machines serially but in parallel.

The number one rule of wing-walking is "Never let go of one thing until you have a firm grip on the next thing." The manager would want to be certain that the new perforators worked perfectly before tossing out the old ones.

(This manager must exist and might be asked what happened.)

These varieties are hard to find, though some are showing up on ebay.

Yes, it wasn't all changed in 1962 even though that's when it first started to change since Canada 411 was issued in 1963 and J16B was issued in 1965 and both still have mostly the old perforations.

I have started to list some of these different new perforation stamps that I have on ebay for sale since collectors have been asking me about where they can get them from for their stamp collections.

You are not that Julian I suppose...

A lot of good philatelic detective work and good will done by that community pillar.

sak: Thanks.

Galeoptix, do you have a link for where I can get that booklet?

Thanks,
Peter

You can check on ebay for the older version of the booklet or on www.rotaryperforator.com for the newer version of the booklet.

Thanks jogil :)

Well... I finally completed a few "back of the book pages" - early postage dues.
First the singles, with the three hibrite varieties:



Then the new perforations:





It has taken quite a while to acquire the lot. Thanks to Julian Goldberg's pamphlet "The Canadian Stamp Perforation Change of 1962". Although some of the varieties are mentioned in a side box in the 2015 Unitrade (page 148), none have been assigned Scott-derivative numbers.

great sak..Now I will have to check mine....

Robert

sak: Do you think that I should become a stamp dealer in these stamps?

Being a stamp dealer must be a bitter-sweet experience. You have to love stamps, but you have to try to get rid of them as fast as possible.

I would suppose the margin is not all that great. Big inventory, small sales. Always undercut by some guy getting rid of his father's collection.

In the case of the perforations, purchase of stacks of plate blocks for comparison would be necessary. Then, say, 10% are new perf. Another 10% old perf to sell with the new perf. Leaves 80% stock to be sold at regular prices, which would be hard to get rid of unless sold at cut-rate prices.

That being said, we need a dealer in this field, don't we?

I have been putting some on for sale on ebay which can be seen by clicking the ebay symbol above on this posting. These stamps are not as common as most of their counterparts are.