Thursday, January 5, 2012

Stamps With Perforated Initials
George VI Period : 1937 - 1953

Stamps with perforated intitials (perfins) have been produced by companies since the late 1890s as a means of limiting the theft of postage stamps. The Post Office regulation dealing with perfins is found at the bottom of this page.

This post shows a selection (about 20%) of the different perfins in use from 1937 to 1953. The OHMS perfins produced by the federal government of Canada are not included, but will be the subject of a future post dealing with the official stamps of Canada. Covers bearing perfins from the following sources are shown:

BT : Bell Telephone
CBC : Canadian Broadcasting Company
C/GE : Canadian General Electric Company
CHI : International Harvester Company of Canada
CMS : Consolidated Mining and Smelting
CNR : Canadian National Railways
CPR : Canadian Pacific Railway
E : T. Eaton Co.
FS/&CO : Finley, Smith & Co.
IHC : International Harvester Co.
LA : Province of Ontario
NLY : New York Life Insurance Co.
PS : Province of Saskatchewan
Q/CLQ/C : Quebec Liquor Commission
R&Q/COC : Royal & Queen's Insurance Cos.
SC/C : The Steel Company of Canada
TRAV : Travelers Insurance
WR/CO : Wm. Rennie Seeds


BT
Bell Telephone







Kingston, January 31,1942
2 cents local letter rate



Gravenhurst to Toronto, November 27, 1947
4 cents forward letter rate + 10 cents registration fee



Cornwall local correspondence, May 16, 1951
3 cents local letter rate + 20 cents registration


CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Company







Sackville to Chicago, December 1952


C/GE
Canadian General Electric Company








Toronto to Ingersoll, November 14, 1944
4 cents forward letter rate



Toronto local letter, October 15, 1947
3 cents local letter rate


Toronto to Hamilton, November 16, 1950
4 cents forward letter rate


CHI
International Harvester of Canada








Hamilton local letter, February 11, 1941
2 cents local letter rate



Ottawa to Williamsburg, May 27, 1943
4 cents forward letter rate


Hamilton to Tillsonburg, February 17, 1944
4 cents forward letter rate


CMS
Consolidated Mining and Smelting







Trail to Toronto, December 13, 1938
3 cents forward letter rate


Trail to Victoria, October 6, 1943
4 cents forward letter rate + 10 cents registration



Trail to Ingersoll, January 31, 1945
4 cents forward letter rate


CNR
Canadian National Railways









Winnipeg to Washington, March 23, 1943
4 cents letter rate to the United States


National Railways Munitions Ltd.




Montreal to Ingersoll, January 23, 1945
4 cents forward letter rate


Canadian National Steamships




Toronto to Hamilton, June 13, 1946





Toronto to Hamilton, June 2, 1952
2 cents printed matter rate





Toronto to St. Thomas,  September, 1951


CPR
Canadian Pacific Railway








Toronto to Kingsville, November 30, 1938
1 cent printed matter rate



Ottawa to Port Burwell, November 14, 1941
3 cents forward letter rate





Toronto local letter, April 30, 1951
3 cents local letter rate


Quebec Central Railway Company




Sherbrooke to Philadelphia, June 29, 1944


Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Co.




Vic. and Court. RPO, October 24, 1941


Canadian Pacific Airlines




Vancouver to St. Paul, August 27, 1949
7 cents air mail letter rate to the United States + 10 cents special delivery fee


E
T. Eaton Co.








Montreal to Cookshire, May 12, 1942


FS (and) CO
Finley, Smith and Co.







Montreal local correspondence, June 6, 1941
2 cents local letter rate


LA
Province of Ontario (Legislative Assembly)








Toronto to Picton, November , 1937
5 cents letter rate (2 oz.) + 10 cents registration fee


Fire Marshall`s Office




Toronto to Sarnia, April 16, 1944
4 cents forward letter rate


Motor Vehicles Branch




Toronto to Whitby, March 5, 1953
4 cents forward letter rate


NLY
New York Life Insurance Co.







Montreal, June 23, 1943





Quebec to Beauce, July 14, 1943
4 cents forward letter rate



PS
Province of Saskatchewan







Legislative Assembly


Regina to Swift Current, March 1, 1948
4 cents forward letter rate


The Saskatchewan Hospital Services Plan




Regina, May 26, 1948


Saskatchewan Government Purchasing Agency




Regina, March 17, 1952


Q/CLQ/C
Quebec Liquor Commission







Montreal, July 31, 1938
2 cents local letter rate


R&Q/COC
Royal & Queen's Insurance Cos.








Halifax, March 3, 1942


SC/C
The Steel Company of Canada









Hamilton to Phillipsburg, November 29, 1937
3 cents surface letter rate to the United States




Hamilton January 31, 1943
2 cents local letter rate


TRAV
Travelers Insurance







Toronto, June 1, 1942
2 cents local letter rate


WR/CO
Wm. Rennie Seeds








Toronto, July 5, 1937
2 cents local letter rate






Toronto to Port Burwell, May 8, 1940
3 cents forward letter rate


Golf and Estates Department




Toronto to Newark, May 3, 1948
4 cents surface letter rate to the United States



Regulation dealing with perfins

Section 230 of the Postal Guide reads as follows:

No objection is made by the Department to the perforation of postage stamps or post cards with the distinctive marks (initials or other) of the individual or firm using them, but it must be understood that the designs employed shall be for the purpose of identification, and not for advertising.

The perforation shall not exceed one thirty-second of an inch in diameter, and the whole space occupied by the identifying device shall not exceed one-half inch square... individuals or firms desirous of using perforated postage stamps or post cards must first make application to the Postmaster General (submitting their proposed design) and obtain permission for their use.