unique shapes

Unique Shapes of Selvedge

This page will deal with unique shapes of selvedge of souvenir sheets and booklets, and with special designs within a standard shape.

Unique Shapes of Selvedge began with the Lunar New Year issues of souvenir sheets issued in Canada. Each year a different shape has been used.

#1630 - The first issue was in 1997, the Year of the Ox, with a fan shape. It has two stamps of 45¢ value.

The 12 animals of the Lunar cycle are shown on this and most of the other souvenir sheets. Here they are in light grey around the stamps.

#1708 - Next came the Year of the Tiger in 1998, a diamond shape. It also has two stamps of 45¢ value. No other Lunar animals are shown on it.

#1767 - In 1999, the Year of the Rabbit came in a circle shape, and only 1 stamp, 95¢ value. The small drawings of the 12 animals of the Lunar cycle are easy to see.

#1837 - The Year of the Dragon in 2000 came in a round cornered rectangle, holding a “scroll”, with one 95¢ stamp & what looks like a tab. However, it is just outlined in white, not perforated, so it is part of the selvedge design. There are no other Lunar cycle animals shown.

#1884 - An arch was used for the Year of the Snake in 2001. The $1.05 value stamp, on the left and curved downwards, has a fake tab beside it which curves upwards and is not perforated. It is similar to the 47¢ stamp, but in brown instead of green. No other Lunar animals are shown.

#1934 - The Year of the Horse in 2002 was in an octagonal shape, with a single $1.25 stamp. The 12 Lunar cycle animals are shown in the red part.

#1970 - For the Year of the Ram in 2003, a unique shape was used and is quite odd. Curled horns of a ram maybe? It contains a single $1.25 stamp. The Lunar animal symbols are blind embossed (pressed into the paper but not printed) around the top edge and left side. Top left & bottom right corners of the stamp seem to have no perforations, but really they do. Perfs are slits instead of holes.
Canada Post started putting UPC code tags on souvenir sheets with this one, as is shown. I have hidden them on the others after this.

#2016 - A distorted rectangle was used for the Year of the Monkey in 2004. The $1.40 stamp is continuous with the selvedge, and the Lunar animal symbols are printed along the two sides. The other monkey image in the selvedge is the one used on the 49¢ regular postage stamp.

#2084 - In 2005, the Year of the Rooster had a rounded rectangle shape. A small herd of the Lunar animals are shown to left and right of the central $1.45 stamp.

#2140 - A unique shape of a “cabinet”, with arched top and feet at the bottom is used for 2006, the Year of the Dog. It has a single $1.49 stamp, and a ‘tab’, not perforated, with a puppy image; it is a replica of the 51¢ postage stamp. The Lunar animals are along the bottom of the sheet.

#2202 - For 2007, the Year of the Pig, the souvenir sheet is a unique shape with rounded top and square bottom, and contains the $1.55 pig in red on green background, facing right. The selvedge has a “stamp” with the 52¢ pig in pink on red background and facing left. The other Lunar animals are along the right edge.

#2258 - Year of the Rat stamp from 2008 is a unique shape, a squished rectangle, and the souvenir sheet is a rectangle with decorative designs that enlarge the corners. It shows the $1.60 rat with a fan, facing left and printed on light blue. To the left is a replica of the 52¢ rat with parasol, facing right and printed on gold. The other 11 animals are prominently displayed around the pair.

# 2296 - The series started again in 2009 with the Ox, at 54¢ standard postage, and $1.65 on the souvenir sheet. No other Lunar animals are shown. This bookmark shaped souvenir sheet was also issued with an overprint in gold.

Some booklets also came in non-rectangular shapes, with corresponding souvenir sheets of similar shape.

The booklet for the 4 Popular Singers stamps of 2007 was a circle (disc), as was the souvenir sheet.

The souvenir sheet is #2221a-d, containing:

#2221a – Gordon Lightfoot
#2221b – Joni Mitchell
#2221c – Ann Murray
#2221d - Paul Anka

Booklets of self-adhesive stamps of the same design were issued with 4 different covers, one for each performer. The booklets are all #2222 and the individuals have the same letter designation as above. But the arrangement of stamps in the booklets varied with the cover. If Gordon Lightfoot is on the cover, then his stamp is the first, top left, in the booklet.
#?? – another ‘disc’ of Canadian Recording Artists (not shown here) was issued in 2009 – Robert Charlebois, Édith Butler, Stompin’ Tom Connors and Bryan Adams. They had the same treatment as the 4 above, with 4 different covers for the booklets of self-adhesive stamps.

Special Designs have been used for other topics as well, not always in unique shapes perhaps, but something special about them.

#2003 - Perforations making a bird were done on the souvenir sheet celebrating the works of Jean-Paul Riopelle in 2003. The stamp has a value of $1.25, and the signature of the artist is also shown on the sheet.

Stamps depicting the sailing ship Marco Polo were issued jointly by both Canada & Australia in 1999 for the World Stamp Expo. Both countries had the same souvenir sheet with map in the background. The red dotted line on the map shows the route taken around the globe, from England to Australia via Cape of Good Hope and back to England via Cape Horn. The Australian stamp is 85¢ value, Aus #1631; the Canadian 46¢ stamp is #1779.

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