large-selvedge

Large Selvedge

Large selvedge sections make space for interesting artwork around stamps. This section deals with full sheets of stamps, not souvenir sheets. Several of them were issued for Canada Day.

I will also show some diagonal printing, and other variations on the large areas of selvedge.

#1278 - For Canada Day in 1990, the Post Office printed large selvedge areas, and repeated the fireworks design from the stamps. The stamp celebrates the 35th Anniversary of the Canadian Flag’s adoption.

#1316 - This is an entire sheet of 16 stamps with large selvedge. It seems to be paint squiggles in the selvedge, but those marks make a Maple Leaf in the stamps. At the top it says “Canada Day 1991”.

These two high value $2 stamps were issued in 2005.

#1691, the Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus: both are on the left, and the background selvedge is an enlarged image of the bird. This bird is also listed in my Endangered Wildlife page.
#1692, the Sable Island Horse, Equus caballus: both are on the right, with a close-up of the faces of 2 horses in the selvedge behind.

Did you notice the Traffic Lights at the bottom right?

#1755a-i - Housing in Canada was depicted in the mini sheet of 9 housing styles in 1998. Each stamp shows a type of dwelling, with detail of a tool or floor plan, construction detail or map layout. On either side of the 9 stamps are short descriptions of each, with English on the left and French on the right (not shown).

#1838a-f - This mini sheet of NHL All Stars from 2000 has tabs with the larger pictures of the players on the outside, and the 46¢ stamps in the middle 6 squares.The red and blue lines of the rink are shown behind the stamps and pictures, and Maple Leaf Gardens and the Air Canada Centre appear in the top selvedge.

#1885a-f - The second sheet of 6 NHL All Stars, from 2001, has three labels with six pictures on the inside, with the 47¢ stamps on the outside. Top & bottom selvedge on this sheet shows game action.

Other NHL sheets are listed in Labels.& Continuous Designs.

#1868-71 - This is a full sheet of 12 stamps of whales and then just the top corner with a kayak on the water’s surface.

This joint issue with the USA, of Samuel de Champlain, has 2 x 39¢ US stamps and 2 x 51¢ from Canada (#2156). It has a map of Nova Scotia to Maine made by Champlain, from 1606.

Printing on the diagonal was experimented with:

#1420-31 - In 1992, the Canada Day stamps were printed on a diagonal, with alternating tabs continuing the background rainbow lines. Each of the 12 stamps is a picture from one of the provinces or territories.

A large top section was a variation for a series of mini sheets.

#1472-83 - In 1993, the first of a number of stamp sheets with a large top section of selvedge art were issued. It provided a space for additional information and art about the stamp topic. This sample is for National & Provincial Parks, 12 stamps.

#1524a-l - Another sheet with a large top section was issued in 1994, the Maple trees. The designer and printers names are at the bottom, under the 12 different Maple trees.
The bottom image is the top part of the sheet, enlarged to see that the art in the top section shows a stylized countryside of Canada from the Pacific Ocean to Atlantic Ocean.

#2118 - OK, one souvenir sheet. Oscar Peterson "mini sheet" shows his hands playing the piano in the large selvedge. This is the one with piano keys as Traffic Lights.

Sheets of self-adhesive stamps, usually in 16 or 20 per page, frequently have large selvedge areas and the whole backing paper to cover with art or information.

Return from Large Selvedge

footer for large selvedge page