The year 1908 was the 300th anniversary of the founding of Quebec, the first permanent settlement in Canada. The post office issued a set of eight stamps called by collectors the Quebec Tercentenary. The set is beautifully engraved and has long been a favorite with collectors.
After 1908, the stamps of Canada are quite straightforward and are treated excellently by the general stamp catalogues. Canadian stamps have been among the most popular in the world during the decade of the seventies and into the eighties. This is due to a number of factors, not the least of which is their nearly uniform high standard of production. Add to that the great appeal of all British North American stamps in Great Britain as former members of the British Commonwealth; and further, there is a strong native Canadian market.
But the biggest reason for Canada’s rise in popularity has been its discovery by American stamp collectors. This was caused primarily because of the Canadian stamps’ relevance and accessibility to American collectors, and the fact that, with few exceptions, the bulk of Canadian stamps sell at reasonable prices for their rarity. A person of average means can assemble a collection of Canada that is 98 percent complete. Indeed, there are only a few Canadian stamps that sell for over $1,000 in mint condition, and only a few that sell for over $100 in used condition. Canadian stamps, then, are getting more and more popular among Americans priced out of their home stamps. Canadians collect their own stamps, too, manifesting the general nationalistic choice of most collectors.
