What Is A Good Reference Book For Canada?

I recently reawakened my interest in Canada. I have seen inexpensive copies and reprints of Canada references, mostly Boggs and Jarrett. Can someone experienced suggest which would be better? I would like t have something helpful in sorting printings on the Queen issues, etc. Does either go to 1940 in coverage? Thanks.

Boggs covers up to a later period than Jarrett does.

Also good is Clifton A Howes Canadian Postage Stamps and Stationary. Originally published in 1911 but reprinted by Quarterman Publications in 1974. Has chapters on all the major issues to date.

If you are interested in the classic period, the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation has some excellent works up through the Small Queen time period - http://www.greenefoundation.ca/books.htm#books. I would also recommend the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue which illustrates many varieties. You might want to consider membership in the British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS - http://www.bnaps.org/) which allows members access to all of their 500+ journal issues on line. They also have a number of informative philatelic works available.

Boggs is more comprehensive and its information is still useful today.

Interesting true story, hope I get it right: Jarrett was somewhat of a jokester and would sometimes create covers to fool fellow collectors. As the story goes, the famous collector Alfred F. Lichtenstein was in Toronto one night attending a stamp meeting and fell for one of Jarrett's creations, purchasing it for a large sum. Jarrett later embarassed him by revealing how an astute collector would deduce why the cover must be fake. Lichtenstein never forgave the slight, and that is why Boggs - not Jarrett - authored the book that Lichtenstein bankrolled.

Thanks all for the tips and information. It sounds as if Boggs might be the way to go with Howes. I belong to the BNAPS. My understanding is that their archive of back issues is not limited to members, but non members have to join to access more recent ones.

Jarrett was quite a character. He had a long run as an active dealer, I think into the 1960's. For some reason I seem to recall reading that at one time in his younger days he was the typing champion of Canada; He could type an ungodly number of words a minute. Great for his dealer correspondence, I guess.

I don't know enough about Canadian stamps to compare volumes, but there's also the fifth volume of Robson Lowe's Encyclopaedia of British Empire Postage Stamps - North America. Published in 1973, and often pops up at auctions here @ £10-15.

Stick with the latest Unitrade catalogue and you can't go wrong.

Archerg: Your story as I heard it from Horace Harrison is mostly correct. According to Horace the cover was faked and made by Jarrett and it was a trap set up by Jarrett. The cover was left on a table in plain sight. When Lichtenstein asked to buy it, Jarrett would not sell it. Lichtenstein kept insisting and finally threw money or a check (not sure I remember which) on the table and grabbed the cover. Horace said that this cover lead Lichtenstein to fund Winthrop Boggs writing his work on Canada.

I would prefer Boggs work over the Howe book as the information is later and more detailed. A combination of Boggs Canada and the Unitade Catalogue should provide you with a sufficient amount of information to get started. If you are not concerned about current pricing buy an older Unitrade on E-Bay. Many varieties are illustrated in there which are neither noted nor illustrated in Boggs.

My vote is for Boggs also. More detail, more information, more pictures and more completeness. An excellent book that is extremely informative, especially for a specialist. Something that is an encyclopedia and reference.

But getting the Unitrade catalog provides alot of information as well as pricing.

Thanks, all- I guess it's Boggs. Maybe also supplemented by my 2014 Unitrade.

I do also have a 1954 edition of Holmes' work on Canada. Good basic information, a bit lacking IMO in detail, not much on cancellations.

Horace Harrison was a great storyteller, sort of like a Canadian Herman Herst.