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Atlantic walrus

Canadian Animals

Stamp Info

Name Value
Date of Issue October 20, 2005
Year 2005
Quantity 2,250,000
Denomination
$1.00
Perforation or Dimension 12.5 x 13
Series Canadian Animals
Series Time Span 2005
Printer Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited.
Postal Administration Canada

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Stamp Price Values

Condition Name Avg Value
M-NH-VF
Mint - Never Hinged - Very Fine Only available to paid users
U-VF
Used - Very Fine Only available to paid users
* Notes about these prices:
  • They are not based on catalogue values but on current dealer and auction listings. The reason for this is that catalogues tend to over-value stamps.
  • They are average prices. The actual value of your stamp may be slightly above or below the listed value, depending on the overall condition of your stamp. Use these prices as a guide to determine the approximate value of your stamps.

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Hidden Date

The hidden date for this stamp can be found below one of the walrus's flippers.

Interesting Details

This stamp contains a few security features that are visible on the stamp. First, the Atlantic Walrus's scientific name, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, is micro-printed underneath the word "CANADA".

Second, the stamp's purple sky is printed with small images of walrus tusks.

Layouts

Pane of 16 stamps - 2 stamps se tenant

Quantity Produced - 250,000
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $16.00
Perforation: 13+
Dimension: 48 mm x 39.65 mm (horizontal)
Printing Process: Lithography in 6 special colours plus steel engraving in 3 colours
Gum Type: P.V.A.
Tagging: General, 4 sides
Paper: Tullis Russell Coatings
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Souvenir sheet of 4 stamps se tenant

Quantity Produced - 125,000
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $4.00
Perforation: 13+
Dimension: 130 mm x 160 mm (vertical)
Printing Process: Lithography in 6 special colours plus steel engraving in 3 colours
Gum Type: P.V.A.
Tagging: General, 4 sides
Paper: Tullis Russell Coatings
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Official First Day Cover

Quantity Produced - Unknown
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $3.00
Cancellation Location: Hall Beach, Nunavut
Perforation: 13+
Printing Process: Lithography in 6 special colours plus steel engraving in 3 colours
Gum Type: P.V.A.
Tagging: General, 4 sides
Paper: Tullis Russell Coatings
Add to List

About Stamp

"It's amazing the quality that was achieved 100 years ago with intaglio presses," says David Craib of Ottawa's Parable Communications. "I've enjoyed working within this tradition, with such a classic, craft-based printing technique and such high production values."

In another nod to the past, this fall Canada Post issues four new high value definitives in its ongoing wildlife series. David Craib designed all four stamps, which feature beautiful wildlife portraits steel-engraved by Jorge Peral of Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited. This traditional approach honours our philatelic history, as the wildlife engravings present a modern tribute to Canada's first stamp, the 1851 three-penny beaver.

This heritage was on Craib's mind as he worked on the new stamps. "These designs are about continuity and change, about respecting tradition but also bringing in something new."

The $1 definitives feature engravings of two animals indigenous to Canada, the white-tailed deer and the Atlantic walrus. The two stamps are printed on both intaglio and offset presses, with background colours in lithography, so colour is a big part of what's new. "Traditionally, engraved stamps were very simple in colour terms, and very easy to look at," says Craib. "Even though our approach to colouration is different, we tried to suggest this simplicity with subtle colour changes. For the white-tailed deer, for example, we used multiple greens and blues to avoid colour shifts that were too obvious."

Subtle colours solved some practical problems as well. "Registration challenges always exist when you're combining two printing techniques," says Craib. "To avoid misregistration, the printers at Canadian Bank Note worked with our design team to find soft colours, and we were cautious about colour density. The printers also paid extra attention to where the intaglio colours broke."

The two $1 stamps are available in panes of 16 and souvenir sheets of four. On the souvenir sheet an entirely different, more contemporary approach was taken. Colourful photographs of the featured animals appear in the selvage area, making it clear that despite traditional production techniques, these stamps belong in the 21st century.

A similar souvenir sheet is available for the new $2 definitives. In fact, the four stamps work well as a set, though each engraved portrait is distinctive within the group. "There is a family resemblance between the $1 and $2 definitives, a continuity of style," says Craib. "But we made an effort to ensure that each one has its own unique look and feel."

The new $1 definitives are being released in conjunction with coins issued by the Royal Canadian Mint bearing similar images. They replace the $1 loon definitive issued in 1998, which remains available until existing stocks are depleted.

Information about the Atlantic Walrus can be found on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website.

Creators

Based on an illustration by Pierre Leduc. Illustrated and engraved by Jorge Peral.

Similar Stamps

Reference

Canada Post Corporation. Canada's Stamp Details, Vol. 14, No. 4, 2005, p. 14-15.

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