Canada and the Chinese Year of the Aries

Collectors of Canadian stamps know that the Canadian Post is good at issuing unusual shapes of blocks and stamps. This was also the case for the stamp issued on January 3, 2003, to commemorate the Chinese Year of the Ram. Many people of Chinese descent live in Canada, and virtually every major city has its own Chinatown. The Chinese year begins on February 1 and ends on January 31 of the following year. The Chinese start buying gifts, decorations, fireworks, food, and clothing early in the month of January. Windows and doors are adorned with sayings relating to good fortune, prosperity, a long life, and so on. The Canadian Post Office celebrates the Chinese New Year every year by issuing a special stamp. In 2003, the Year of the Ram, it was a 48-cent stamp, the rate for a standard letter in domestic mail. The block contained a 1 dollar and 25 cent stamp, the rate for a letter destined for outside Canada.The block has a strange shape, but so does the stamp itself. The face value of the stamp in the block is $1.25. The blocks were printed in sheets of 12. The print run was 1.600.000 blocks. One could even buy uncut sheets at a price of $26.95 per sheet.The barcode label attached to the block can be torn off the block by means of a perforation. The block features an embossed print. This is clearly visible and palpable. The reverse side of the stamp in the block clearly shows the relief of the ram's outlines under special lighting. The spots next to the ram's horns are derived from the gold Chinese characters on the obverse.Another ram is depicted on the block, next to the stamp. This image has an orange-red color, whereas the other animals on the block, all 'symbols' of Chinese years, are only included in relief. Such as the monkey, the rooster, and so on.The stamps, with a face value of $0.48, were printed in sheets of 25. The print run was 10.000.000 sheets. The stamps and blocks were printed by Lowe-Martin in Ottawa, Canada.Relief printing was also used for the stamps, for both the ram's head and the Chinese characters. However, the other animals also appear in relief printing. A ram is depicted again in the upper left margin of the sheet.Furthermore, details regarding the production of the stamps, as well as a series of color blocks. Eight printing colors and the gold color as the ninth printing. In the margin at the bottom, the animals corresponding to the Chinese New Year are again depicted in relief. The perforation is shaped very peculiarly, with a small section in the lower right of the stamp remaining partially unperforated in the form of a slit. All in all, a costly process.Naturally, a first-day cover was produced featuring individual stamps, stamps in blocks of four, with and without sheet margins, pairs, and also the entire block. The first-day-issue cancellation—naturally—includes an image of a ram once again.The back of the envelope is printed with explanatory texts in English, French, and Chinese. Even framed blocks were sold by the Canadian Post. Featuring an imprint of the first-day stamp and a signature. The retail price in 2003 was $58.88, but now they are on sale for $14.72. The design of the stamp and the block was created by 'Three Degrees Creative' from Vancouver. This design agency consists of designers Rosina Li, Christopher Reid, and Jason Li. Christopher Reid created two small sculptures that were used as images on the stamps. The colors bright red and gold-orange are characteristic of the Chinese New Year. The photographs of the sculptures were taken by Raeff Miles, also from Vancouver. He used diffused lighting, causing the figurines to radiate calm and peacefulness. The Chinese characters on both the stamp and the block mean 'Year of the Ram'. Chinatown in Vancouver is the third largest Chinese neighborhood in a city in North America, after New York and San Francisco.