Varieties of Canadian Stamps ~ Lots of Fun, and Sometimes Financially Rewarding Too!

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, many different Canadian stamps have varieties, but those varieties aren't always mentioned in the Scott catalog. Many of them aren't worth much more than the "standard" version of the stamp, but some are worth quite a bit more. But whether they're valuable or not, varieties are always fun to find, and searching for them can be rewarding in more ways than one.

Here are a few examples of Canadian stamp varieties that are specifically identified in the Unitrade Catalog, but not in Scott:

Scott No. 593, an 8 cent Queen Elizabeth II ultramarine definitive stamp, has a number of varieties. The "weeping Queen" variety, numbered 593x in Unitrade, has a black dot at the bottom of her right eye. Number 593xi, the "tear on side of nose" variety, has a black dot between the right eye and the nose. A third variety of this same stamp, No. 593xii, is the "spur on 8" type, and features a spur on the numeral 8 in the denomination of the stamp.

Scott No. 715, the 14 cent Parliament definitive, also has a number of different varieties beyond the "standard" stamp. Unitrade No. 715iii is the "missing spire" variety. The right spire on the tower is missing on this stamp. Unitrade No. 715iv is the "missing brick" variety, and Unitrade No. v is the "light in window" variety.

The Suzor-Cote commemorative stamp, Scott No. 492, has the following varieties. Unitrade No. 492i is the "line from knee" variety. Another one is Unitrade No. 492ii, the "bird in sky" variety.

Here's a variety that's not that difficult to find: Scott No. 553, the stamp that features Paul Kane's painting of the Indian Encampment, has a variety that's been catalogued by Unitrade as No. 553i. It's called the "stroke on teepee" variety. The stroke is at the top of the center teepee.

There are a lot more varieties than just these few, but that should get you going. Don't throw out (or trade away) your extras of what you think are common Canadian stamps - they may not be as common as you think!