Collectors Corner: Christmas Seals have become integral in the fight against tuberculosis
By Dennis Vickery on December 28, 2019.
medhatcsc@live.com Christmas Seals of course are not a postage stamp but would qualify as a “Cinderella” which is virtually anything resembling a postage stamp but not issued for postal purposes. The idea of Christmas Seals originated in Denmark in 1904 as a means to raise money to aid sick children with tuberculosis. The seals were placed on mail at Christmas time to raise funds and enhance awareness of the disease By 1908 the campaign had reached Canada and the people of Hamilton and Toronto promoted the seals as a fund raiser to build a sanatorium in Muskoka as hospitals to treat TB were then known. In 1927 Christmas Seals became the official fundraising campaign to appeal to the public for funds and a national seal was established. The seals feature the international symbol against TB, the double barred Cross of Lorraine. The seals have paid for millions of Canadians to have chest X-Ray or tuberculin tests. As a result, thousands of TB cases were discovered before the disease spread to others. The initial seals in 1927 were issued in panes of 100 seals of a singular design and of course one in English and another seal in French. In 1954 multiple designs on a sheet became the norm. Catalogue values for single seals are minimal at best, however, a full pane of the 1927 seals in French could bring you upwards of $600. The picture shows the 1940 seal which was issued in booklets of five panes of 20 seals rather than the conventional full panes of 100. This one along with the 1939 is a bit of a rarity and could certainly buy the brew for your coffee crowd some morning. If you would like to learn more about the hobby of stamp collecting or just about that stash of old stamps in the bottom drawer please attend one of our meetings at Victory Lutheran Church on the second and fourth Tuesdays every month at 7:30 p.m. The Medicine Hat Coin & Stamp Club would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Collector’s Corner is contributed by the Medicine Hat Coin & Stamp Club. For questions or comments about coin or stamp collection email medhatcsc@live.com 13-12
