Date of Issue: 14 October

Note video further down. Click on any picture for a larger version.

Updated October 13th:

[press release]
Christopher Plummer honoured with new commemorative stamp
The legendary stage and screen actor played a leading role in selecting the stamp that celebrates his 70-year career

TORONTO – Canada Post is proud to pay tribute to one of the world’s most distinguished actors, Christopher Plummer (1929-2021).

In a career that spanned seventy years, Plummer appeared in more than 200 films, television movies and mini-series, and performed on stages from Broadway to the Stratford Festival, where he captivated audiences in a long list of impressive leading roles including Henry V, Macbeth and Hamlet.

Pane of sheet stamps

While Plummer – who was born in Toronto and raised mostly in Montréal – distinguished himself among his peers as one of the most accomplished classical stage actors of his time, his film career was no less impressive.

From Stage Struck (1958), to The Insider (1999), to the movie that made him a household name,The Sound of Music (1965), Plummer appeared in an incredibly diverse range of films. He enjoyed playing unexpected roles, too – from voicing the obsessive villain Charles Muntz in the animated film Up (2009) to bringing panache to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) as the Shakespeare-quoting Klingon, General Chang. His popularity grew as he embraced his golden years, winning praise for stand-out

booklet pane

performances, including All the Money in the World (2017) and Knives Out (2019).

Plummer earned countless awards and honours for his work. He is among a select group – and the only Canadian – to achieve the triple crown of acting, in his case by taking home two Emmys, two Tonys and an Academy Award, which he won at age 82 for his supporting role in Beginners (2010). He was also appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada.

When Canada Post first approached Plummer in 2019, he was thrilled at the prospect of being featured on a Canadian stamp. He was consulted in the process from the very beginning and personally approved the stamp design.About the stamp issue
Designed by Stephen Slipp and printed by Colour Innovations, the stamp features illustrations by Spooky Pooka depicting the actor in several of his most celebrated roles, chosen by Plummer himself (from left to right):

• King Lear in King Lear
• Rudyard Kipling in The Man Who Would Be King
• Prospero in The Tempest (foreground)
• Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music
• John Barrymore in Barrymore

The moody, tempestuous background of the stamp design is symbolic of the drama he brought to the stage and screen. The stamp issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps, an Official First Day Cover (OFDC), a pane of six stamps and a limited edition framed pane.

reverse of the OFDC

Specifications:

Canada Post video of Plummer talking about his work (in English):

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Un nouveau timbre commémoratif rend hommage à Christopher Plummer
L’acteur légendaire a participé à la sélection du timbre qui célèbre ses 70 ans de carrière

TORONTO – Postes Canada est fière de rendre hommage à l’un des plus célèbres acteurs au monde, Christopher Plummer (1929-2021).

Au cours de ses 70 ans de carrière, il joue dans plus de 200 films, téléfilms et miniséries, et il se produit sur scène, de Stratford à Broadway, où il enchante le public grâce à de nombreux rôles principaux dont Henry V, Macbeth et Hamlet.

Pane of sheet stamps

Christopher Plummer, qui est né à Toronto et a grandi principalement à Montréal, se distingue parmi ses pairs comme l’un des comédiens de théâtre les plus accomplis de son époque, mais sa carrière cinématographique n’en est pas moins impressionnante.

Du film Les Feux du théâtre (1958) à L’initié (1999), en passant par La mélodie du bonheur (1965) qui fait de lui une vedette, M. Plummer apparaît dans des œuvres très variées. Il aime aussi interpréter des rôles inattendus que ce soit en donnant sa voix au méchant Charles Muntz dans le film d’animation Là-haut (2009) ou en apportant du panache au personnage du général Chang qui cite du Shakespeare dans Star Trek 6 : La Conquête du nouveau monde (1991). Sa popularité ne décline pas avec l’âge, bien au contraire, et il remporte des éloges pour ses performances exceptionnelles, notamment dans Tout l’argent du monde (2017) et À couteaux tirés (2019).

booklet pane

Christopher Plummer reçoit de nombreux prix et honneurs pour son travail. Il est le seul Canadien à faire partie du groupe sélect d’artistes ayant remporté la triple couronne d’interprétation, c’est-à-dire deux prix Emmy, deux prix Tony et un Oscar, qu’il obtient à l’âge de 82 ans pour son rôle de soutien dans Les débutants (2010). Il est également nommé Compagnon de l’Ordre du Canada.

Lorsque Postes Canada a communiqué avec M. Plummer pour la première fois en 2019, l’acteur était ravi qu’un timbre canadien soit créé en son honneur. Il a participé au processus dès le début et a personnellement approuvé le motif.

À propos du timbre
Conçu par Stephen Slipp et imprimé par Colour Innovations, le timbre propose des illustrations de Spooky Pooka représentant l’acteur dans cinq de ses rôles les plus célèbres qu’il a lui-même sélectionnés (de gauche à droite):

• Le roi Lear dans Le Roi Lear
• Rudyard Kipling dans L’homme qui voulut être roi
• Prospero dans La Tempête (en avant-plan)
• Le capitaine von Trapp dans La mélodie du bonheur
• John Barrymore dans Barrymore

L’arrière-plan sombre et orageux du motif de timbre symbolise le sens dramatique de Christopher Plummer à l’écran comme sur scène. Cette émission comprend un carnet de 10 timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur, un pli Premier Jour officiel (PPJO), un feuillet de six timbres et un feuillet encadré à tirage limité.

reverse of the OFDC

Announced October 8th:

[press release]
Canada Post to pay tribute to acting legend Christopher Plummer with new stamp

in “The Sound Of Music”

TORONTO – Canada Post invites you to attend a special stamp event and tribute to legendary actor Christopher Plummer. Attendees will be able to watch the small, live event being broadcast from Toronto’s Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre on Wednesday, October 13.

WHO: In attendance at the live event will be the following:

• Elaine Taylor Plummer, wife of Christopher Plummer
• Lou Pitt, manager and long-time friend
• Des McAnuff, director and long-time friend
• Peter Mansbridge, master of ceremonies
• Beth Hanna, CEO, Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre
• Anthony Wilson-Smith, President and CEO, Historica Canada / Chair, Stamp Advisory Committee
• Franco Chirichella, Chief Digital Officer, Canada Post

WHERE: Live webcast access is available here.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the in-person live event is restricted to invited guests only. It will take place at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, 189 Yonge Street, in Toronto.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 13 at 11 am, Eastern Time

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Postes Canada rend hommage à l’acteur légendaire Christopher Plummer avec un nouveau timbre

TORONTO – Postes Canada vous invite à assister à un événement qui rendra hommage à l’acteur légendaire Christopher Plummer. Les invités pourront découvrir le timbre et assister à cet événement qui sera diffusé en direct du Centre des salles de théâtre Elgin et Winter Garden à Toronto, le mercredi 13 octobre.

QUI: Invités présents:

• Elaine Taylor Plummer, épouse de Christopher Plummer
• Lou Pitt, gérant et ami de longue date
• Des McAnuff, réalisateur et ami de longue date
• Peter Mansbridge, maître de cérémonie
• Beth Hanna, présidente-directrice générale, Centre des salles de théâtre Elgin et Winter Garden
• Anthony Wilson-Smith, président et chef de la direction, Historica Canada, et président du Comité consultatif sur les timbres-poste
• Franco Chirichella, chef de la stratégie numérique, Postes Canada

OÙ: Pour accéder à la diffusion en direct de la webémission, cliquez ici.

Compte tenu des restrictions liées à la COVID-19, seules les personnes qui ont reçu une invitation pourront se présenter à l’événement, qui aura lieu au Centre des salles de théâtre Elgin et Winter Garden, au 189 rue Yonge à Toronto.

QUAND: Le mercredi 13 octobre, à 11 h (HE)

Christopher Plummer on IMDb
Christopher Plummer on Wikipedia

[press release]
Minnesota Artist James Hautman Wins 2021 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest
Federal Duck Stamp Supports Wildlife Conservation

After two days of competition, James Hautman of Chaska, Minnesota, emerged as the winner of the 2021 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with his painting of a pair of redheads floating in the water. The announcement was made via live stream at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia.

Hautman’s acrylic painting will be made into the 2022-2023 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or “Duck Stamp”, which will go on sale in late June 2022. The Service produces the Federal Duck Stamp, which sells for $25 and raises approximately $40 million in sales each year. These funds support critical conservation to protect wetland habitats in the National Wildlife Refuge System for the benefit of wildlife and the enjoyment of people.

This year, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, chaired by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, approved the allocation of more than $111 million from the fund, made up partly of Duck Stamp dollars, to support the acquisition of lands from willing sellers for the Refuge System. The new areas provide additional access to the public to some of the most spectacular places available for hunting, fishing, birdwatching, hiking, and other outdoor activities.

“The talent at this year’s Duck Stamp contest was incredible,” said Service Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams. “The remarkable attention to detail showcases the birds’ beauty in their natural environment. The sale of Duck Stamps plays a major role in the conservation of public lands and is an essential component of the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative to conserve 30 percent of our land and waters by 2030. Buy a Duck Stamp and help conserve habitat that protects wildlife and provides recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, birdwatching, and hiking.”

Since it was first established in 1934, sales of the Duck Stamp to hunters, bird watchers, outdoor enthusiasts, and collectors have raised more than $1.1 billion to conserve over 6 million acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife and provide countless opportunities for hunting and other wildlife-oriented recreation on our public lands.

Waterfowl hunters age 16 and older are required to purchase and carry the current Federal Duck Stamp. Many non-hunters, including birdwatchers, conservationists, stamp collectors, and others also purchase the stamp in support of habitat conservation. Additionally, a current Federal Duck Stamp can be used for free admission to any national wildlife refuge that charges an entry fee.

In addition to James Hautman, Robert Hautman of Delano, Minnesota, placed second with his acrylic painting of Ross’s geese, and Joshua Spies of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, took third place with his acrylic painting of a flying drake redhead.

[Hautman’s brothers Robert (who placed second this year) and Joe have also won the duck stamp competition multiple times. Together, the three brothers have won 14 of the last 32 competitions. Jim has won 5 of those, starting in 1990. They have a joint website, Hautman.com, where they sell prints.—VSC]

Per the 2020 final rule requiring a theme of “celebrating our waterfowl hunting heritage,” this contest had a mandatory requirement that each entry had a waterfowl hunting scene and/or accessory. Of 137 entries judged in this year’s competition, 14 entries made it to the final round of judging. Eligible species for this year’s Federal Duck Stamp Contest were the greater white-fronted goose, Ross’s goose, blue-winged teal, king eider, and redhead. View the online gallery of the 2021 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest entries.

The judges for this year’s Federal Duck Stamp Contest were: Paul Rhymer, artist; Dave Goyer, philatelist; Wayne Hubbard, conservation partner; Larry Richardson, artist; and Dixie Sommers, conservation partner.

You can contribute to conservation and America’s great outdoors tradition by buying Federal Duck Stamps at many national wildlife refuges, sporting goods stores, and other retailers, through the U.S. Postal Service, or online at http://www.fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp/buy-duck-stamp.php.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov, or connect with us through any of these social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

[press release]

Wild Coasts

Issue Date: 22nd July 2021 Product Range Summary
Set AS7400 £8.50 4
Sheet MZ165 £5.10 5
First Day Envelope AE430 / ME157 £0.30 11
Presentation Pack AP493 £14.50 1
First Day Cover – Stamps AF475 £10.85 7
First Day Cover – Stamp Sheet MF161 £6.80 8
Press Sheet PZ055 £78.55 12
Collector’s Sheet AT128 £9.70 3
Souvenir AW191 £10.85 13
Stamp Sheet Souvenir AW192 £6.80 15
1st Class Stamp Book UB445 £5.10 6
Framed Stamps N3259 £29.99 2
Framed Collectors Sheet N3261 £29.99 9
Postcards AQ309 £6.75 10
Full Sheet (x50) -NG AS7400AFS £42.50 14
Half Sheet (x25) – NG AS7400AHS £21.25 17
Full Sheet (x50) – TLSS AS7400BFS £42.50 16
Half Sheet (x25) – TLSS AS7400BHS £21.25 18

Reason and Inspiration
Nowhere in the UK is more than 70 miles from the coast, and our waters team with incredible marine life. This stamp issue celebrates the beautiful and surprising animals of our coastal seas and shores, with the UK waters and British Isles providing unique habitats for a multitude of species.

Stamps
A ten-stamp stamp set showcasing wildlife across the UK’s coastlines; from mammals (Grey Seal, Bottlenose Dolphin, Orca), to fish (Long-snouted Seahorse, Cuckoo Wrasse), anemones (Fried-egg Anemone), crustaceans (Spiny Spider Crab), birds (Northern Gannet), molluscs (Common Cuttlefish) and Cold-water Coral Reef.

All 1st class stamps

• Northern Gannet
• Common Cuttlefish
• Grey Seal
• Bottlenose Dolphin
• Spiny Spider Crab
• Long-snouted Seahorse
• Orca
• Fried-egg Anemone
• Cuckoo Wrasse
• Cold-water Coral Reef

Technical details – stamps
Number of stamps: Ten
Value of Stamps: 1st class
Design: Steers McGillan Eves
Acknowledgements: Northern Gannet © Tim Slater/Alamy Stock Photo; Common Cuttlefish © Alex Mustard/2020VISION/ naturepl.com; Grey Seal © Robin Chittenden/naturepl.com; Bottlenose Dolphin © Graham Eaton/naturepl.com; Spiny Spider Crab © Sue Daly/naturepl.com; Long-snouted Seahorse © Alex Mustard/naturepl.com; Orca © Hugh Harrop; Fried-egg Anemone © Sue Daly/naturepl.com; Cuckoo Wrasse © Scotland: The Big Picture/naturepl.com; Cold-water Coral Reef © Prof J Murray Roberts, University of Edinburgh
Stamp Format: square
Number per sheet: 25/50
Stamp Size: 35mm x 35mm
Printer: International Security Printers
Print Process: lithography
Perforations: 14.5 x 14.5
Phosphor: bars as appropriate
Gum: PVA

Miniature Sheet
A four-stamp miniature sheet showcasing the Marine food chain; the transfer of energy from algae to top predator, beginning at Level 1; Photoautotrophs (e.g. Phytoplankton) to Level 4; Secondary Carnivores (Harbour Porpoise).

• 1st class Phytoplankton
• 1st class Zooplankton
• £1.70 Atlantic Herring
• £1.70 Harbour Porpoise

Number of stamps: Four
Value of Stamps: 2 x 1st, 2 x £1.70
Illustrations: Maïté Franchi
Stamp designs: © Royal Mail Group Ltd 2021
Sheet Size: 192mm x 74mm
Format: landscape
Size: 41mm x 30mm
Perforations: 14.5 x1 4
Printer: International Security Printers
Print Process: lithography
Format: landscape
Phosphor bars: as appropriate
Gum: PVA

First Day Cover – Stamps
The First Day Cover is a unique time-limited and personalised collectible which includes the Wild Coasts stamp set postmarked on its first day of issue – 22nd July 2021

The envelope can be personalised with a name & address of the customer’s choice.

• Includes the ten-stamp set
• Postmarked on the stamp set’s first day of issue
• Personalised with name and address of customer’s choice
• Choice of 2 postmark designs; Coast, Achnasheen or Talents House, Edinburgh
• Includes an information card that includes brief insight into the coastal and marine wildlife found in the UK, key facts and the impact of human behaviour of marine life.

First Day Cover extension: Royal Mail is extending the First Day Cover deadline for this issue due to the uncertainty and restrictions on movement arising from COVID-19. This applies until further notice to First Day Covers ordered directly from Royal Mail as well as to those submitted from Post Office® branches for cancellation at a Special Handstamp Centre.

First Day Cover – Miniature Sheet
The First Day Cover is a unique time-limited and personalised collectible which includes the Wild Coasts miniature sheet postmarked on its first day of issue – 22nd July 2021 The envelope can be personalised with a name & address of the customer’s choice.

• Includes the four-stamp miniature sheet
• Postmarked on the miniature sheet’s first day of issue
• Personalised with name and address of customer’s choice
• Choice of 2 postmark designs; Coast, Achnasheen or Talents House, Edinburgh
• Includes special edition envelope for the issue
• Includes an information card that includes brief insight into the coastal and marine wildlife found in the UK, key facts and the impact of human behaviour of marine life.

First Day Cover extension: Royal Mail is extending the First Day Cover deadline for this issue due to the uncertainty and restrictions on movement arising from COVID-19. This applies until further notice to First Day Covers ordered directly from Royal Mail as well as to those submitted from Post Office® branches for cancellation at a Special Handstamp Centre.

Presentation Pack
The double-sided presentation pack dives into the wild coasts of British waters. With the UK fringed by a patchwork of unique and beautiful marine habitats, the pack explores the places that support the incredible diversity of wildlife, as well as some of the species that interact in complex and often fascinating ways.

The pack expands on the wildlife chosen for the ten stamps, with a special carrier card for the miniature sheet that details the four levels of Marine food chain; from Photoautotrophs to Secondary Carnivores.

The pack includes both Wild Coasts stamp set & miniature sheet on a separate carrier.Postcards
A set of 15 postcards featuring enlargements of each of the stamps in the collection, including one of the composite miniature sheet (1 of the 15 images is shown here).

Most major stamp collecting shows in the U.S. in March, if not all, have been postponed or canceled. Many events in April and even May have already been affected.

The international show in Britain this year, London 2020, has been postponed to 2022.

The American Philatelic Society headquarters and the American Philatelic Research Library in Bellefonte, Pa., have been ordered closed, as part of Pennsylvania’s shutdown measures.

U.S. first-day (launch) ceremonies for new issues have been postponed or canceled, although the stamps are still being released and put on sale on schedule.

If you know of other schedule changes, please post them here as “comments.”

Meanwhile, there are many online philatelic activities. The Virtual Stamp Club‘s Facebook group has seen a surge recently in new-member requests. Give a visit for a more unstructured discussion.

Added April 1st: NAPEX 2020, scheduled for June 5-7, has been canceled, because Virginia has banned all public gatherings through June 10th.

Also canceled PIPEX (Pacific Northwest) May 8-10, Plymouth (Michigan) April 25-26, ROPEX (New York State) May 15-16, Rocky Mountain May 22-24, Westpex (California) April 24-26, Wiscopex May 2-3, Gulfpex April 17-18.

Postponed: Philatelic Show (Massachusetts) May 1-3 postponed to July 24-26, St. Louis Stamp Expo May 27-29 to August 14-16.

The APS is maintaining a comprehensive list on its website here.

Added March 27th: Gulfpex 2020, scheduled for April 17-18, has been canceled. It may be rescheduled in October. (Thanks to VSC member Lefty Dundee.)

Added March 23rd:

The U.S. Postal Service has canceled three first-day ceremonies for four stamps:

• Contemporary Boutonniere and Garden Corsage (April 2, Crestwood, KY)
• Earth Day (April 18, Denver, CO)
• American Gardens (May 13, Winterthur, DE)

The stamps will still be issued (put on sale) on the first-day dates, listed above.

“Typically, Postal Service stamp events attract 200 or more attendees,” the USPS said in a press releae. “The Postal Service will try to reschedule the dedications at a later date.”

•

The American Philatelic Society is holding twice-daily live chats: •

Canada Post is making changes: “We will reduce hours of service, opening one hour later and closing one hour earlier to clean, restock and provide some relief to employees,” it said in a full press release, which you can find here.

Updated September 23rd: Official FDCs, booklet pane, sheet illustrations at bottom of page.

Updated September 21st:
[press release]
Canada Post pays tribute to the masterful Leonard Cohen
Three stamps celebrate world-renowned songwriter and his workMONTRÉAL – Canada Post today unveiled three stamps honouring Leonard Cohen, whose songs over a five-decade career distilled the desire and pain of romantic love and explored the darkness and light of the human experience.

The stamps were unveiled in the city of his birth, as Cohen’s record label, Sony Music, announced the release of new music from Cohen and a forthcoming album release titled Thanks for the Dance.

The stamps will be available tomorrow, September 21, on what would have been Cohen’s 85th birthday. The images on the stamps and the Official First Day Covers highlight three periods of this accomplished Canadian’s music career:

• his impressive debut in the 1960s, including two songs that became enduring favourites, “Suzanne” and “So Long, Marianne”;
• the resurgence of his popularity in the 1980s and the early 1990s, with his unforgettable and oft-covered “Hallelujah” (1984);
• and his performances on an 18-month world tour he undertook in his seventies, followed by a final burst of creative genius. A month after the October 2016 release of his critically acclaimed album You Want It Darker, Cohen died at 82. He was posthumously awarded the JUNO Award for Artist of the Year in 2017, as well as Album of the Year; the title track of You Want It Darker won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance.

Born on September 21, 1934, in Montréal, Cohen took an unlikely path into pop music. In the mid-1960s, the income from writing four books of poetry and two novels left him struggling “to pay my grocery bill,” he once recalled. After returning to Canada from the Greek island where he’d lived for years, the self-taught guitarist discovered the folk music movement sweeping North America. He tried his hand at writing songs. He played some privately for singer Judy Collins, who loved them. A folk and pop star, she sang two of them on her next album, becoming one of the hundreds of artists who would record Cohen’s songs during his life. He released his first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, in 1967.

After several albums, Cohen’s place in the pantheon of the world’s great songwriters was secure, and he was inducted into several music halls of fame. He earned a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

A warm, spiritual and intellectual man, Cohen also had a self-deprecating sense of humour. When he died, countless singers, musicians and others publicly mourned his passing, expressing their respect for his work and their deep affection for him. Leading papers around the world published obituaries, reflecting his global stature.

“Leonard was always deeply appreciative of his Canadian heritage, and would have been moved by this honour from Canada Post,” says Robert Kory, Cohen’s manager, estate trustee and friend.

“Canada Post is proud to pay tribute to this memorably gifted man whose words and music have touched Canadians and people around the world,” says Jessica McDonald, Chair of the Board of Directors, Canada Post.

The stamps were unveiled in the Glass Court at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, overlooking the Leonard Cohen mural that rises 21 storeys above Crescent Street.

The Permanent domestic-rate stamps, designed by Paprika of Montréal, with photographs by Jack Robinson, Claude Gassian and Platon, and printed by Lowe Martin, are available in a book of nine, with three of each design. Other collectibles, including a four-pack of Official First Day Covers, a collectible pane and a folded uncut press sheet packaged in a simulated album cover and liner, are available at selected post offices or at www.canadapost.ca/shop.

[en Francais]
Postes Canada rend hommage au grand Leonard Cohen
Trois timbres célèbrent l’auteur-compositeur de renommée mondiale et son œuvre

MONTRÉAL – Aujourd’hui, Postes Canada a dévoilé trois timbres en l’honneur de Leonard Cohen, dont les chansons, créées pendant une carrière qui a duré cinquante ans, parlent du désir et de la douleur que suscite l’amour romantique et explorent les revers sombre et heureux de l’expérience humaine.

Les timbres ont été dévoilés dans la ville natale de Leonard Cohen, alors que la maison de disques de l’artiste, Sony Music, a annoncé le lancement de nouvelles chansons et la parution prochaine d’un album intitulé Thanks for the Dance.

Les timbres seront en vente dès demain, le 21 septembre, date à laquelle l’artiste aurait eu 85 ans. Les motifs des timbres et des plis Premier Jour officiels illustrent trois périodes de la carrière musicale de ce Canadien accompli :

• Ses débuts impressionnants dans les années 1960 et deux chansons qui ont marqué à tout jamais l’histoire de la musique,Suzanne et So Long, Marianne;
• Son regain de popularité dans les années 1980 et au début des années 1990, quand il a écrit l’inoubliable et souvent reprise Hallelujah (1984);
• Ses spectacles dans le cadre d’une tournée mondiale de 18 mois qu’il a entreprise passé ses 70 ans, suivie des derniers élans de son génie créatif. Un mois après le lancement de l’album acclamé par la critique You Want It Darker, en octobre 2016, Leonard Cohen est décédé à l’âge de 82 ans. En 2017, il a reçu à titre posthume un prix JUNO pour l’artiste de l’année ainsi que pour l’album de l’année, et la chanson titre You Want It Darker a remporté le prix Grammy 2018 pour la meilleure performance rock.

Né le 21 septembre 1934 à Montréal, Leonard Cohen suit un parcours inusité vers la musique pop. Il aurait mentionné une fois que vers le milieu des années 1960, il avait peine à payer l’épicerie avec les revenus tirés de ses quatre recueils de poésie et de ses deux romans. Après de nombreuses années passées sur les îles grecques, ce guitariste autodidacte revient au Canada et découvre le vent de musique folk qui balaie l’Amérique du Nord. Il se met alors à écrire des chansons. Il en joue quelques-unes en privé à la chanteuse Judy Collins, qui les adore. Cette étoile de la musique folk et pop inclut par la suite deux de ces chansons dans son album, ce qui fait d’elle l’une des centaines d’artistes à avoir enregistré des chansons de Leonard Cohen en son vivant. L’artiste lance son premier album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, en 1967.

Après avoir lancé plusieurs albums, la place de Leonard Cohen dans le panthéon des auteurs-compositeurs les plus éminents dans le monde est assurée, et il est intronisé plusieurs fois. Il reçoit le Prix du Gouverneur général pour les arts du spectacle (PGGAS) de la réalisation artistique et un prix Grammy Lifetime Achievement.

De nature chaleureuse, spirituelle et intellectuelle, Leonard Cohen pratiquait aussi l’autodérision. Quand il est mort, d’innombrables chanteurs et musiciens ainsi que d’autres personnes ont publiquement pleuré son décès et exprimé leur affection profonde pour cet homme et leur respect pour son œuvre. Les plus grands journaux du monde publient sa nécrologie, ce qui témoigne de sa stature internationale.

« Leonard a toujours été fier de ses racines canadiennes et il aurait été touché par cet hommage que lui rend Postes Canada », affirme Robert Kory, gérant, exécuteur testamentaire et ami de l’artiste.

« Postes Canada est fière de saluer la mémoire de cet homme remarquablement doué dont les paroles et la musique ont touché les Canadiens et des gens de partout dans le monde », dit Jessica McDonald, présidente du Conseil d’administration de Postes Canada.

Les timbres ont été dévoilés au Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, dans la verrière ayant vue sur la grande murale de 21 étages de Leonard Cohen qui surplombe la rue Crescent.

Les timbres Permanents au tarif du régime intérieur, conçus par la maison Paprika de Montréal, ornés des photographies de Jack Robinson, Claude Gassian et Platon, et imprimés par Lowe Martin, sont offerts en carnets de neuf vignettes, trois pour chaque motif. D’autres articles de collection, dont un jeu de quatre plis Premier jour officiels, un feuillet et une planche non coupée présentée dans un emballage imitant une couverture et une pochette d’album, sont offerts dans certains bureaux de poste et à www.postescanada.ca/achat.

Original announcement:
[press releases]
Canada Post to unveil stamp set honouring Leonard Cohen

MONTRÉAL – Canada Post will unveil a stamp set honouring Leonard Cohen at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, overlooking the grand Cohen mural on Crescent Street, on Friday, September 20.

The stamps will be available to the public on September 21, on what would have been Cohen’s 85th birthday.

WHAT: Unveiling of a stamp set celebrating the life and work and Leonard Cohen

WHERE: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Glass Court
1380 Sherbrooke Street West
Montréal

WHEN: Friday, September 20, 5 pm

Postes Canada présentera un dévoilement de timbre rendant hommage à Leonard Cohen

MONTRÉAL – Postes Canada tiendra le dévoilement de timbre rendant hommage à Leonard Cohen au Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, dans la verrière ayant vue sur la grande murale de Leonard Cohen sur la rue Crescent, le vendredi 20 septembre.

Les timbres seront en vente dès le samedi 21 septembre, date à laquelle l’artiste aurait eu 85 ans.

QUOI: Dévoilement de timbre rendant hommage à Leonard Cohen

OÙ: Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, la verrière
1380, rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Montréal

QUAND: Le vendredi 20 septembre à 17 h

Updated September 23rd:

The Scott catalogue numbers for this stamp and its varieties are:

RW85 $25 Mallards Hunting Permit Stamp, self-adhesive
b. Souvenir sheet of 4
RW85A $25 Mallards Hunting Permit Stamp, self-adhesive, souvenir sheet of 1

Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp

On June 29, 2018, in Hanover, MD, the U.S. Department of the Interior will issue the $25 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation stamp for the 2018–2019 waterfowl hunting season. The stamp will go on sale nationwide June 29, 2018, and is valid through June 30, 2019.
Distribution: Item 335800, 2018–2019 $100 85th Anniversary Commemorative Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, PSA Souvenir Sheet of 4

The 2018–2019 $100 85th Anniversary Commemorative Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) souvenir sheet of 4 stamps will only be distributed to Stamp Fulfillment Services (SFS) in Kansas City, MO, and by consignment via Amplex Corporation.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 335900, 2018–2019 $25 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, PSA Pane of 1: SFS will not make an automatic distribution to Post Offices.
Distribution: Item 336000, 2018–2019 $25 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, PSA Pane of 20

The 2018–2019 $25 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation PSA pane of 20 stamps will only be distributed to SFS in Kansas City, MO, and by consignment via Amplex Corporation.

Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:

• 335806 Migratory Bird Uncut Press Sheet (Pane of 4), $2,600.00.
• 335906 Migratory Bird Uncut Press Sheet (Pane of 1) $1,170.00.
• 336006 Migratory Bird Uncut Press Sheet (Pane of 20), $5,850.00.
• 541818 Migratory Bird Silk Cachet, $35.00.
• 541819 Migratory Bird Printed 85th Anniversary Cover, $35.00.
• 541825*. Migratory Bird Commemorative Card, $70.00.

No locally produced items are authorized. Only merchandise that has been approved and assigned an item number by Headquarters Retail Marketing may be produced and sold.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp
Item Number: 335800
Denomination & Type of Issue: $25, Special
Format: Pane of 4 (1 design)
Series: Federal Duck
Issue Date & City: June 29, 2018, Hanover, MD 21076
Art Director: Suzanne Fellows, FWS
Artist: Robert Hautman
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint “FWS”
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 4
Print Quantity: 50,400 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Invisible Fluorescent
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.762 x 1.289 in./44.75 x 32.74 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.89 x 1.417 in./48.01 x 35.99 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.00 x 5.125 in./152.40 x 130.18 mm
Press Sheet Size
(w x h): 25.50 x 27.00 in./647.70 x 685.80 mm
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Selvage Text: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 85th Anniversary, Migratory
Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, Artist: Robert Hautman • U.S. Department of the Interior logo • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service logo • Silhouetted Image of Duck • Plate Number (1 position)
Back: Verso-text • Barcode • Black and white Sandhill Cranes image • 4 x $25.00

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp
Item Number: 335900
Denomination & Type of Issue: $25, Special
Format: Pane of 1 (1 design)
Series: Federal Duck
Issue Date & City: June 29, 2018, Hanover, MD 21076
Art Director: Suzanne Fellows, FWS
Artist: Robert Hautman
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint “FWS”
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 1
Print Quantity: 2,155,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Invisible Fluorescent
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.762 x 1.289 in./44.75 x 32.74 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.89 x 1.417 in./48.01 x 35.99 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.125 x 2.625 in./155.58 x 66.68 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 25.50 x 27.00 in./647.70 x 685.80 mm
Plate Size: 36 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: N/A
Marginal Markings:
Front: Selvage Text: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2018–2019 Migratory Bird Hunting & Conservation Stamp • Peel Here • Artist: Robert Hautman, Mallards© • If applicable sign your stamp • Conserve habitat for the future…Buy Duck Stamps! • Informational Text
Back: Verso-text • Barcode • Black and white Sandhill Cranes image • Ordering information • U.S. Department of the Interior logo • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service logo

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp
Item Number: 336000
Denomination & Type of Issue: $25, Special
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Federal Duck
Issue Date & City: June 29, 2018, Hanover, MD 21076
Art Director: Suzanne Fellows, FWS
Artist: Robert Hautman
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint “FWS”
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 200,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Invisible Fluorescent
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.762 x 1.289 in./44.75 x 32.74 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.89 x 1.417 in./48.01 x 35.99 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 8.25 x 8.25 in./209.55 x 209.55 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 25.50 x 27.00 in./647.70 x 685.80 mm
Plate Size: 180 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: P followed by five (5) digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Selvage Text: “Artist: Robert Hautman” (4 positions) • “Department of the Interior 20 x $25.00” (2 positions) • Silhouetted Image of Duck (2 positions) • Plate number (4 locations)
Back: Verso-text behind each stamp • Barcodes (4 positions)

Updated July 11th: The Scott catalogue editors have decided to assign just one number to all formats of this stamp, RW85.

In one of the most contested American Philatelic Society elections in recent years — while maintaining an air of civility — Mick Zais of South Carolina (right) has been elected President for a three-year term that begins at APS StampShow 2016 in August. [Links go to the candidates’ statements.]

Zais defeated Ken Nilsestuen of Ohio by a mere 3.5% of the vote.

For Board of Vice Presidents, the three-person ticket of Trish Kaufmann, Jeff Shapiro, and Bob Zeigler upset the slate that included incumbents Alex Haimann and Yamil Kouri, plus newcomer John Barwis. The “BVP” is the disciplinary body of the APS, hearing cases that cannot be resolved by an APS staffer.

For Secretary, a position that is rarely contested, Steve Schumann defeated Mark Butterline.

Former president Peter McCann (left) returns to the Board as a Director-at-Large, polling significantly more votes than any other candidate. He will be joined by Mark Schwartz, Rich Drews and Michael Bloom. The one candidate not elected was Gordon Eubanks, but less than 5 percent of the vote separated Eubanks from Schwartz.

Kristin Patterson and Steve Zwillinger, both coming off terms as Directors-at-Large, easily won election to the American Philatelic Research Library Board of Trustees. Hugh Lawrence was also elected to the APRL Board, in voting by Founders, Patrons and Fellows of the Library.

Here are the complete voting results released by the APS:

President

Board of Vice President (run as a team of 3)

Secretary

Treasurer

Director-at-Large (Four Open Seats)

APRL Board of Trustees

APS Member-elected (Two Open Seats)

APRL Founder/Patron (Elected by Founders, Patrons, and Fellows of the APRL)

Sundman Also Decides To Extend Reward Offer

June 2, 2016 — The recovered Jenny Invert stamp, stolen in 1955 from a major stamp show, was turned over Thursday to its owner, the American Philatelic Research Library. Making the announcement and then displaying the stamp was APRL executive director Scott  English, while standing in front of an actual JN-4 biplane on display at World Stamp Show-New York 2016. (Behind English, left to right, APRL president Roger Brody, Mystic Stamp Company president Donald Sundman, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.)

There was no amplification for the event, unfortunately.

The stamp was part of a block of four owned by Ethel McCoy. The block was removed from a display at the American Philatelic Society convention in Richmond, Va. McCoy left the stamps, if ever recovered, to the APRL. One was found in 1977, another in 1982, and then, for 34 years, it was a “cold case.”

Mystic Stamp Company president Donald Sundman in September 2014 offered a $50,000 reward for the recovery of the two missing stamps, and “I thought it would be found right away with the initial press coverage,” he told The Virtual Stamp Club. It wasn’t.

“Sundman probably never expected having to write a check,” English told the reporters and onlookers.

Then, last month, Keelin O’Neil (right) of Belfast, Northern Ireland, brought the stamp in to the Spink USA auction house in New York, seeking to sell it. He had found it in his grandfather’s collection. Spink sent it to the Philatelic Foundation for an appraisal, and it was determined that it was one of the two missing stamps, although it had been altered to hide its identity.

O’Neil’s reaction? “Shock, more than anything,” he told The VSC. “When I found out it was stolen, I wanted to return it to its rightful owner.”

“I don’t think he had a choice,” Sundman says. “When the Philatelic Foundation recognized that the stamp was stolen, they contacted the FBI, so he wasn’t getting the stamp back, once it went to the Foundation.”

However, O’Neil is getting the $50,000 reward, as presented by Sundman during the news conference.

The U.S. Justice Department then took a few weeks to determine who that “rightful owner” was.

“This was good citizenship,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. “They did the right thing and they ought to be commended for it.”

O’Neil tells The VSC he’s surprised at all the attention the recovery of the stamp is getting, and also how much attention stamp collecting is getting at WSS-NY.

“Now I actually feel kind of hopeful” that the one remain stamp from the “McCoy Block” will surface, Sundman said in The VSC interview, because of the press coverage for the return of the stamp. Among those covering the news conference were the local affiliates for CBS, NBC and Fox, New York 1, and Reuters print and television.

Sundman’s original reward offer ran through the end of World Stamp Show-New York 2016, which is Saturday, June 4.

“I told Roger [Brody, president of the APRL], ‘I’ve got to have a time limit on this, because I don’t want my grandkids to have to pay off this reward,” Sundman told The Virtual Stamp Club. (At left, Brody receives the recover stamp, Jenny Invert position 76, from Diego Rodriguez, Assistant Director in Charge, New York Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation.)

However, he is now extending it through the end of 2016, at the request of English.

“The more I thought about it, I think it’s great for the hobby and great for the APS, and so I’ve decided to do that today,” he said.

To mask the stamp’s identity, someone altered the left-side perforations and regummed the stamp, which removed the penciled number applied in 1918. However, because the two-color printing process in 1918 was so rudimentary, the centering of each stamp is different enough that the Philatelic Foundation was able to identify it anyway.

The stamp will reside at APS/APRL headquarters in Bellefonte, Pa., “to share it with our members for awhile,” English told reporters.

How much is the recovered stamp worth? While the best-condition copy of the error stamp sold during this show for $1,175,000, another not-as-good copy, also “reperfed” sold the following day (June 1) for $190,000. “We won’t know [the value of the recovered stamp] until we sell it,” English said.

From Canada Post’s Details magazine:
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA Commemorative envelopeIssue date: June 6th

We honour the 100th anniversary of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) by showcasing some of the many cutting-edge Canadian inventions it has fostered over the past century. From advances in early aviation safety and nuclear medicine to vaccines and space-based engineering, they represent NRC’s dedication to the science and innovation that builds new industry, enhances national security, and improves the well-being of Canadians

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Missouri, is calling on the U.S. Postal Service to issue stamps in 2017, 2018 and 2019 commemorating the country’s involvement in World War I. He has been active in commemorating World War I in other ways, from commemorative coins to designating existing monuments and parks as national monuments for the war.

“These stamps will allow us to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of World War I,” Cleaver said in a press released posted on his Congressional website.

Why 2019, when the war ended in 1918?

“The Treaty of Versailles, formally ending the war, was signed by Germany and the Allied Nations on June 28, 1919,” the press release says.

In a letter to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, Cleaver says, “no stamp exists to honor the brave veterans of World War I.” He or his staff must have missed Sc. 2154, issued in 1985, and shown on the left, or some of the other World War I-related stamps, such as the “I Want You” Uncle Sam poster in the Celebrate the Century series.

He may also be unaware that the USPS would never (well, hardly ever) announce plans for a stamp this far in advance. We’ll learn about 2017 stamps in 2016 or, more likely, 2017.

We talked about why the U.S. hasn’t yet issued any World War I stamps a year ago in a radio feature.

Here’s the complete text of his letter:

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of being present at the White House when President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously to Army Sergeant William Shemin and Army Private Henry Johnson for conspicuous gallantry during World War I. The year 2017 will mark the centennial of America’s first engagement in World War I and commemoration of the anniversary will consist of educational and interactive events nationwide, including the construction and dedication of the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Mint will begin circulation of a WWI Commemorative Coin in 2018 to celebrate those who served. It seems fitting for the United States Postal Service to join in honoring the memory of World War I, its role in American and world history, and its veterans with a commemorative series of stamps from 2017-2019.

The United States Postal Service has a history of memorializing significant historical events through stamps, including the 100th Anniversary of the Civil War, World War II, Vietnam War Veterans, Korean War Veterans, Desert Storm-Desert Shield, Rough Riders 50th Anniversary, and the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, but no stamp exists to honor the brave veterans of World War I.

More than four million men and women from the United States served in uniform during World War I and over two million American soldiers served overseas in our pursuit for peace. Issuing a series of stamps would allow us to pay tribute to the diversity of American involvement in World War I hostilities while honoring the memory, service, and sacrifice of over four million outstanding Americans.

Once again, I ask the Committee to give careful consideration to a series of postage stamps commemorating World War I. Between the World War I Centennial Commission, the National World War I Museum and Memorial, and the hundreds of state and local organizations working on this effort, I believe there would be significant interest in these stamps. It is time to pay tribute to the great sacrifices made by these brave Americans.