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Sable Island horse

Canadian Animals

Stamp Info

Name Value
Date of Issue December 19, 2005
Year 2005
Quantity 2,250,000
Denomination
$2.00
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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Layouts

Pane of 16 stamps - 2 stamps se tenant

Quantity Produced - 250,000
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $32.00
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
Original Purchase Price: $8.00
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: $5.00
Cancellation Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
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
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About Stamp

Framed on the wall of Jorge Peral's office is a large drawing of a horse, a beautiful piece Peral created for pleasure in 1991. Imagine his delight, then, when he was asked to engrave an image of Sable Island horses for one of Canada Post's new $2 definitive stamps.

Now Vice-President of Design at Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited, Peral studied graphic design before specializing in engraving, and he brings an artist's sensibility to his work. He steel engraved all four high value definitives issued by Canada Post this fall as part of its ongoing wildlife series. The new $2 definitives feature Sable Island horses and a peregrine falcon.

Engraving, Peral explains, developed centuries ago with jewellers who inscribed designs onto precious metals, then inked the cuts to increase the design's visibility. Eventually, presses were developed to imprint ink from inscribed metal onto paper. With steel engraving, paper is actually pressed into the inscribed lines to create relief. "Intaglio was one of the first techniques used for security printing, and it's still one of the best," Peral says. "This is partly due to the tactility that results from steel engraving, but it's also because the very finest lines and detail can be reproduced precisely. The engraver's technique becomes a security feature."

Peral's technique is evident in the Sable Island horses, crafted entirely of finely calibrated lines, some tightly cross-hatched, some loosely flowing. "I didn't outline the shapes, for soft edges, and I used both thick and thin lines in the manes for texture," he explains. "The sense of volume comes from lines moving over the horses' bodies, revealing more and less light, to create a three-dimensional effect. Heavier lines are cut deeper - they hold more ink, so they appear darker. Finer lines are shallow - they hold less ink, so they look lighter. Working this way, you actually gain another tone with the same colour of ink."

As he engraved the horse image, Peral looked forward to beginning the peregrine falcon. "It's a more detailed image that I'll have to create feather by feather," he says.

The two stamps are printed on both intaglio and offset presses, with background colours in lithography. For the falcon, the ochre sky appears overcast, a subtle contrast to the grey sea glimpsed behind the bird's rocky perch, a detail included to ground the image. This cool palette provides colour tones distinct from other stamps in the series.

Both $2 definitives are being released in conjunction with coins issued by the Royal Canadian Mint bearing similar images. The new stamps replace the $2 polar bear definitive issued in 1998, which remains available until existing stocks are depleted.

Creators

Illustrated and engraved by Jorge Peral.

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Reference

Canada Post Corporation. Canada's Stamp Details, Vol. 14, No. 4, 2005, p. 20-21.

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