Canadian Air Mail First Flight Covers

The First Air Mail Services. These were provided by small companies flying into remote Northern areas in support of prospectors and miners. The Post Office allowed these companies to charge for the letters carried, and to issue their own stamps. These stamps had a "semi-official" status, as they were sold from post offices, but the post offices did not assume responsibility for delivery of the mail or help with the cost of the service. 

                                        

Semi-Official Stamp, 1924, Laurentide.

 

Historic flight from Calgary to Edmonton, 9 July 1918.

On 9 July, aided by a compass and a map of Alberta, Katherine Stinson, an exceptional female pilot successfully piloted her Curtiss Special plane from Calgary to Edmonton with a mailbag containing 259 letters. The plane had been custom built using parts from a number of other First World War aircrafts. It was the first time in the West and the second in all of Canada that mail had been transported by air. It was a two-hour flight. The first one was from Montreal to Toronto on 24 June 1918.  

                                      

The commemoration of the flight on 9 July 2018.      

                                             

Katherine Stinson's exceptional flying skills and winning personality made her an instant hit with early aviation enthusiasts, a field generally regarded at that time as the exclusive domain of male pilots.

First Canadian Government Air Mail Flights. The first of the services funded by the Post Office began in September 1927. It received mail from incoming steamers at Rimouski, where the St Lawrence River pilot boarded ships, and flew it to Montreal in order to speed up mail from Europe to Canada. In October 1927, the Post Office also began paying for airmail services to some remote locations which were often cut off during the winter.                                                

First Flight Covers. In August 1928, the Canadian National Exhibition decided to organize an air show, as part of the celebrations for its 50th Anniversary. The events included special flights carrying mail to and from Toronto. Actually, the 1920's were a time of great interest in everything to do with aviation. It was also a time when stamp collecting was a very popular hobby. On the opening day of the air show flights carried mail from Windsor and Quebec City to Toronto. A fee of 5 cents was charged for each envelope carried compared to the normal cost of 2 cents to send a letter. Over 30,000 pieces of mail were carried on the flights and more than 27,000 on the return flights including the flight from Toronto to Kingston on 29 August 1928. 

                                        

Golden Jubilee Flight, 29 August,1928, Toronto to Kingston

                                              

Golden Jubilee Flight, Stamped 24 to 28 August 1928, Windsor to Toronto.                                                

On 1st October 1928, the Post Office inaugurated an airmail service between Montreal and Albany,

                                             

First Flight Cover, 1 October 1928, Montreal to Albany.

  

On 28 January 1929, the First Flight mail services, from Ottawa to St John.

                                           

First Flight Cover, 28 January 1929, Ottawa to St John

The Post Office would send out details of future First Flights to collectors. The flights were also announced in newspapers, and in stamp magazines, that were very popular. 

In August 1929, the Post Office announced the inauguration of airmail service along the Mackenzie River from Fort McMurray to Aklavik, north of the Arctic Circle. There would be 12 intermediate stops. Aklavik had grown around Hudson's Bay Company trading post and became the Centre of the region. Though in 1930 its population was only about 400. 

                                                 

26 November 1929, Fort McMurray to Aklavik

 In 1929 by the end of October, the Post Office at Edmonton had received about 120,000 covers to be carried on the inaugural flights. The Edmonton to Calgary First Fight commenced in 1930.

                                               

Edmonton to Calgary, First Flight Cover, 1930 

The First Flight from Toronto to Calgary, on 1st March,1939.

                        

First Flight, Toronto to Calgary, March 01, 1939.

References from 'The Philatelic Database'

Article by Chris Hargreaves

American Air Mail Society.

War Tax Stamps (World War I)

 

To help fund the war effort, postal stamps were taxed by overprinting regular issues with WAR, WAR TAX or WAR STAMP. The War Tax stamp was in addition to regular postage. They were produced during and immediately after the war and were rarely seen after that period.

In Canada, the War Revenue Act of 1915 imposed a levy of one cent on all mail, and it was estimated that this would raise $ 8,000,00 for the war effort. Initially three stamps, the 5 cent blue, 20 cent olive green and 50 cent sepia, were overprinted in black or red with the words "WAR/ TAX" in a diagonal format. They were released on 12 February 1915. They had been intended for tax purposes, rather than postal, but there was ambiguity in the official circular, and for a time it was believed that they were valid for postal purposes. Then, the 1 cent and 2 cent were reprinted with the words "WAR TAX". They were followed in 1916 by the 2 cents design redrawn to include the inscription 1Tc, thus combining 2 cents postage with the 1 cent tax, the stamp being sold for 3 cents. War Tax stamps were discontinued in July 1918.

New Zealand imposed a tax of a halfpenny on all letters, parcels and packets in 1915 by overprinting "WAR STAMP"and placed on sale on 24 September 1915.

                                             

       Canada, WAR TAX in a diagonal format, 5 cents. (1915)

   

                 

                   Canada,1 cent                    New Zealand, half penny, War Stamp

                                         

                                Canada, 2 cents, 1Tc (1916)

Similar overprint was applied in 1916 to the stamps of Fiji. Beginning with Jamaica in April 1916, the West Indian colonies introduced a tax on postal matters and telegrams to assist the war effort. Antigua, Dominica, British Honduras, Grenada, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia, Virgin Island and St Helena too introduced war tax stamps with different overprints like WAR, WAR TAX and WAR STAMP.

                  British Honduras, 1c.                   Dominica, one and half pence          

                            St Lucia, 1d.                                Virgin Island, 1d.                       

                      St Kitts-Nevis, half penny                          Fiji, 1d.                                    

  

                   Grenada, 1d.                             St Helena, 1d. 

                             

                    Jamaica, half penny                            Antigua, half penny (Sep 16)  

In 1917, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, St Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and Malta also followed.

                                             Cayman Island, one and half d.

        Turks and Caicos Island, three pence.            Trinidad & Tobago, half penny.

                             Barbados, 1d.                            St Vincent, 1d.

                                 

                             Montserrat, half d.                       Malta, half d.

                                      

  Bahamas, three pence and one penny, two different overprints in 1917 and 1918                           

In 1918, Gilbert & Ellice Island, Gold Coast, Gibraltar, Falkland Island, British Guiana and Bermuda too introduced the War Tax on postage.

                     Gilbert & Ellice Island, 1d.               Gold Coast, one penny.

  

                                    

                       Gibraltar, half penny                    Falkland Island, half penny.

    

                           British Guiana, 2c.                    Bermuda, 1d.

A week after the war ended, Ceylon adopted war stamps and postage rates were increased to defray war expenditure.

After Portugal entered World War I, in March 1916, several of its colonies issued war tax stamps as well. Most of these produced by overprinting "TAXA DE GUERRA" on the existing stamps, though Mozambique issued a set depicting figures of history and the republic. Portuguese India and Timor issued war tax stamps.

Great Britain and Australia imposed war taxes on mail, but did not issue war tax stamps, instead they used regular stamps to pay the fees. In the United States, which also imposed a war tax following its entry into the war in 1917, the rate for a first-class letter was raised from 2 cents to 3 cents and the added cent was used to pay the tax. A special stamp depicting the allegorical figure of Victory and flags of the Allies was issued to pay this rate.

                                       

North Borneo issued war tax stamps in February 1941, unlike other countries that imposed taxes on mail during World War II.

                                                           Ceylon, 2c.

               Portuguese Guinea ( issued 1919)      North Borneo, ( Issued in 1941)

                        Mozambique,                                    Portuguese Africa,( issued 1919)                 

Jesus Christ and Coins

                         

Some Biblical coins are mentioned in the Bible, while few other coins have over the past centuries got associated with Jesus Christ either through research by numismatists or as they have an image of Jesus Christ on them.   

                                 

              
                             

The Widow's Mite. The lesson of the widow's mite or the widow's offering is presented in the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 12:41, Luke 21:1) in which Jesus is teaching at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Gospel of Mark specifies that two mites (In Jesus's time called lepta) are together worth a quadrans, the smallest Roman coin. A lepton was the smallest and least valuable coin in circulation in Judea, worth about six minutes of an average daily wage. The biblical narrative states " He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow put in two small coins". Calling his disciples, he said ' Amen. I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all others. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood'.                                            

Bronze Star/ Anchor Prutah of Alexander Jannaeus 104- 76 BC, weight 2.01 gm. Obverse: Paleo-Hebrew between the rays of star "Yehonatan the king", Reverse: Greek legend around anchor.                                   

 

As Jesus watched, a poor woman came to give her offering.

     

The Tribute Penny. This was the coin showed to Jesus when he made the famous speech "Render unto Caesar." In Matthew 25:15-21, a Jewish high priest tries to trick Jesus into a statement of treason by inquiring whether it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar. Jesus knew their evil intent and said, 'Show me the tribute money'. They brought him a penny. Then he asked them " Whose is the image? And whose superscription? They answered, Caesar's. Aware of the priests' plot, he said, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. It was called a penny because in 1611, when the Bible was translated into King James version, the British word penny replaced Denarius. The penny in those days was abbreviated as d. (for Denarius)

There is much debate over which coin Jesus was describing. Although there are a number of possibilities, numismatists after a lot of research have traditionally identified the standard silver denarius of Tiberius (14 AD-37 AD) as the most likely one.

                                          

Tiberius 14 AD - 37 AD, silver denarius, " Tribute Penny", weight 3.7 gm, Obverse: Laureate head right, legend CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS. Reverse: PONTIF MAXIM, Livia seated right.

                  

                             The Tribute Money                                  

Thirty Pieces of Silver. Matthew 26:15-16, 27:3 and 27:5-6 describe how thirty silver coins were promised to Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus." Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, what will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver" Matthew 26:14-15. After the deed Judas sank into remorse and cast aside the coins he had received. These events are significant to Biblical history, and it is generally accepted that the coins paid to Judas were shekels from the mint of Tyre, a coastal city in Phoenicia. At that time in history Tyre was the only producer of high purity silver coins in the region, and it is unlikely that any other coin, including Roman tetradrachms, which were debased silver would fit the description. At that time Jews paid their annual half shekel contribution to the Jerusalem temple in its only accepted form, silver coins of Tyre.

                                     

Silver shekel, 78-77 BC, Tyre, Phoenicia, weight 14.2 gm, Obverse: Laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin around neck, Reverse: Greek legend, eagle left, Aramaic letter between legs.

                                      

Bronzes of Pontius Pilate. As related in John 18:33-35 and in Matthew 27;1-2, 27:22-26 and 27:57-58, Pontius Pilate, the notorious Roman procurator of Judaea was a central figure in the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Christ. Though none of the small bronzes issued bear his name, they do have the dates that allow their attribution. The Greek inscriptions indicate that Tiberius was the reigning emperor of Rome. The dates include the 16th to 18th year of rule of Tiberius, AD 29 to 31. Even though Pilate's was appointed governor of Judea in 26 AD, his governorship lasted ten years, but local coinage was produced for just these three years.                                       

Prutah, AD 30 (Year 17) weight 2.2 GM. Obverse: symbol of the simpulum (roman wine container), Greek legend TIBEPIOY KAICAPOC meaning Emperor Tiberius, Reverse: symbols in the three stalks of grain, with legend.   

                                       

Antonio Cisero's depiction of Pilate presenting Jesus to the people of Jerusalem

Other Coins depicting Jesus Christ

Star of Bethlehem Coin. Astronomer and a Numismatist Michael Molnar, believes a bronze coin of Roman Syria, issued by Quintus Caecillius Metellus Creticus Silanus, who was governor of Syria from 13 AD to 17 AD, depicts the celestial events described as the Star of Bethlehem. Molnar presents the case in his book titled 'The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of Magi' published in 1999, which has now been translated into several languages. He relates this coin to the birth of Christ and presents his research in astronomical calculations, that I too seem to get convinced.

                                       

Star of Bethlehem, Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch mint, Date 12/13 AD. Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus right, with Greek legend. Reverse: Ram running right, looking back, monogram below, star above. 

                                                 

Azes Coins . The biblical story of the three wise men appears in the New Testament, Matthew 2:1-12. It speaks of three wise men who came from the East, bearing gifts. According to Matthew, they were guided by a star to Jerusalem, the birthplace of Jesus. It is now widely acclaimed by historians that the silver tetradrachm coins of Azes II, who reigned from 35 BC to 5 AD, and who was the last Indo-Scythian king in Northern India signify the representative he sent to the holy land seeking the birth of the Christ child and the individual may have been one of the three wise men (Magi).

                                            

Azes II, 35 BC - 5 AD, Tetradrachm, Obverse: Emperor on horseback right, Reverse: Athena standing right, arm extended, spear and shield, monogram to left and right.

                                       

Depiction of the Three Wise Men following the Star

 

Byzantine Empire coins with Christ's image. This empire was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during the Middle Ages. Its capital was Constantinople (present day Istanbul, formerly Byzantium). It survived the fall of the western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and continued till it fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453.

Christ's image appeared on the coinage during the first reign of Justinian II (685 AD to 695 AD) about 250 years after Christianity became the state religion of the Romans. The most familiar images of Christ occur on copper follis of the 10th and 11th centuries AD, which were described as 'anonymous' because the image of Christ and the inscription dedicated to him replace those that formerly had been devoted to the emperor.

                           

Basil II and Constantine VIII (both brothers) follis, Constantinople, 976 AD- 1025 AD, weight 12.48 gm, Obverse: Christ holds the Book of Gospels with raised right hand in benediction, Reverse: The Greek inscription in four lines that translates to " Jesus Christ, King of Kings."                                              

                                    

Byzantine Scyphates. Later in the 11th and 12th centuries scyphate (cup shaped) coins known as Trachy were issued in both electrum (gold based) and billon (debased silver). The exact reason for such coins is not known, though generally theorized that they were easy to stack in this shape. 

                                         

Alexius III, Angelus-Comnenus, 1195 AD - 1203 AD, billon aspron Trachy " Scyphate", weight 1.62 gm, Obverse: Bust of Christ facing, wearing nimbus, pallium and columbarium, holding scroll and raising hand in benediction, Reverse; Alexius and St Constantine holding cross and labarum.

                                          

Manuel I Comnenus, 1143 AD-1180 AD, billon Aspron Trachy, "Scyphate", weight 3.26 gm. Obverse: Christ enthroned facing, star to either side, Reverse: Manuel standing facing, wearing loros, being crowned by the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) standing left MANUHL DECPO.

  

Biblical coin of Herod Agrippa. He was the grandson of Herod the Great. He was born in 11 BC and was just a few years older than Christ. The coin includes the name "Agrippa' in Greek and three branches of wheat, representing the third generation of the Herodian dynasty. His friend Emperor Caligula, of Rome granted him amongst other territories, Judea too. 

Judea, Agrippa I, prutah, 37- 44 AD, weight 2.3 gm. Obverse: AGRIPA BACILEWC, umbrella like canopy with fringes, Reverse: Three ears of barley between two leaves, date L (year 6) at side.

 

Jesus Christ and Coins

Biblical Coins