Carcross Yukon Maxi Card

I'm not a huge fan of maximum cards but sometimes, with the right combination of stamp, cancel and postcard, they look alright. While looking through some of the commemorative cancels available in Canada I came across one from Carcross YT for the White Pass 'Golden Spike'. The White Pass is a rail line that runs from Skagway Alaska to Whitehorse Yukon. Although Carcross lies about 2/3 of the way from Skagway, the last spike or 'Golden Spike' was driven here 29 July 1900. The cancel on this card commemorates the 100th anniversary of the event.

I found this postcard which apparently is of a locomotive traveling on the White Pass line. Finding a suitable stamp wasn't easy and it never seems to be really. I wish Canada Post would put out nice generic 'Canadiana' definitives that just have a flag or maple leaf on them. These days it's all about flowers and flags over mills and such. Anyhow, the Red Fox stamp from the recent Wildlife Photography booklet seemed to be a good choice since their range does extend that far north.

The post master in Carcross did an excellent job getting the cancel on the card for me. No smudging and well placed. I've received a few covered from Carcross and the cancels always turn out looking great.

New Canadian Beneficial Insects

On October 19, Canada Post issued a new series of low value definitives to extend the existing series of low value stamps depicting beneficial insects. This time the values are 4,6,7,8 and 9 cents showing the paper wasp, assassin bug, large milkweed bug, margined leatherwing and the dogbane beetle respectively. As with the first series, these are available together on a limited run souvenir sheet (400k) and also 5000 uncut press sheets. Each uncut sheet has full panes of each value. But unlike the previous issue, these sheets are not signed or numbered.

Hopen, Norway

I received this back from the the MET station on Hopen Island. Hopen is part of the Svalbard archipelago. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute has had a weather station operating on the island since 1948. The station is manned with a staff of four in six month rotations with the Coast Guard resupplying the station twice a year, usually n July and September. This cover was cancelled on September 16.

New TAAF stamp for November 2010

This TAAF stamp is being issued to coincided with the stamp show to be held at "Espace Champerret" in Paris 4 to 7 November 2010. What's interesting about this stamp is that it will be issued in perforated and self-adhesive formats. Both in sheets of 10 stamps. This will be the first self-adhesive TAAF stamp.

Hay River, Northwest Territories

Hay River is a community of 3500 in the Northwest Territories on the south shore of Great Slave Lake.

Canada 2010 Blue Whale Definitive

On 4 October 2010, Canada Post will be issuing a new high value definitive stamp featuring the Blue Whale. This will be the largest stamp Canada Post has ever produced: 128 x 49mm. This high value definitive is also the highest valued stamp ever produced by Canada Post at $10. Being of such a high value it is loaded with security features. They are also making available a limited run of 1000 uncut press sheet of nine two-stamp panes, numbered and signed by the engraver Jorge Peral.



Taylor, British Columbia

Taylor is a small town of 1400 in British Columbia Canada located at mile 38 on the Alaska Highway

Britt Iowa National Hobo Convention Commemorative Cancel

Recent 2010 TAAF Stamps

I recently acquired these but they were issued a few months ago. The "Albatrosses of Amsterdam" sheet was issued 12 June 2010 and is made up of 4 0.56€ values. And the "Pavillion Gabriel - Paris" stamp was issued 28 May 2010. It's a rather large stamps and was issued to commemorate the TAAF postal administrations participation in the 2nd stamps show to be hosted by the "Club Philatélique de l'Elysée" at the Gabriel Pavilion in Paris.

USS Seadragon Commorative Cancel

This is a cover I received from Nome Alaska. The cancelation commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the USS Seadragon (SSN 584) becoming the third submarine to surface through the ice at the North Pole.

Base Presidente Eduardo Frei 40th Anniversary

This sheet issued by Correos Chile on 4 May 2010 commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Chilean Antarctic Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva.

Trout Creek Montana Huckleberry Festival

I don't normally try to acquire USPS commemorative cancels but I saw a few I thought I would "try" in the last USPS bulletin. This Trout Creek MT cancel was one of them. Trout Creek is a small town of 300 in Western Montana. It's known as the Huckleberry Capital of Montana and every year they hold a Festival to commemorate that fact. This year was the 31st and was held on August 13th, as commemorated by the cancel on this envelope. I like this one because it's similar to the the circular commemorative cancels CanadaPost uses.