December 30, 2004
A new "postage paid" indicia has appeared on some of the Postcard Factory (PCF) prepaid postal cards that were placed on sale in western Canada in the summer of 2004. In addition, a new card with another Vancouver scene has appeared with the same indicia.
The new indicia has the stylized maple leaf used for the current 49c coil replacing the flag and building design, which was used on all previous PCF cards since 1997. In addition, a light blue background, replaces the previous purple shade. All other aspects, including the reference numbers and the UPC numbers remain unchanged.
New
Old
The following PCF postal cards with the new indicia were placed on sale December 29, 2004 at the Fort Langley post office in British Columbia:
Note: See updated list
-
Cards that were previously issued in the summer of 2004 with the old indicia, and now re-issued with the new one:
Capilano Suspension Bridge, Ref: POST57-VAN 060V
UPC ...60179Vancouver's Canada Place, Ref: POST57-VAN 182
UPC ...200016
-
New design not seen before, with the new indicia:
Vancouver's Gastown Steam Clock, Ref: POST57-VAN 086V
UPC and SKU: 260186
According
to a postal clerk in the Fort Langley post office, the above three cards,
along with five others, were listed as "available for ordering" in the
latest Canada Post in-house merchandising catalog. The date of availability
was listed as December 6, 2004.
I was shown the catalogue, and the following were listed, along with small, coloured illustrations:
- Capilano Suspension Bridge
- Mountie on horse
- Mountie in Canadian Rockies
- Vancouver - aerial sykline
- Vancouver - Canada Place
- Canadian Rockies - Maligne Canyon
- Calgary skyline
- Vancouver - Water St. Gastown
The Fort Langley post office had ordered the three Vancouver cards, and the two Mountie cards. However, only the three listed above arrived, the others were indicated as "unavailable yet", without any reason given. The clerk promised to investigate for me.
It is interesting to note that the Vancouver Water Street Gastown card is a descriptive error in the catalogue. The card is actually a new design, showing the Gastown Steam Clock, described and numbered as above. A different Gastown Water Street card WAS issued in the summer of 2004, with the old flag-and-building indicia.
All seven other designs were previously issued in the summer of 2004 with the old indicia, and since Canada Post calls them "new products" available in December 2004, it can only be assumed that they will have the new maple leaf indicia as the three designs I was able to purchase. Some "old" cards may prove to be quite scarce, having a very short life before reprinting. The Vancouver Canada Place and skyline cards with the old indicia proved very hard to find in the Vancouver area, and were not available from Canada Post, found only in various gift shops.
Anyone who has further information on the availability of these cards, please contact me
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