H & E Stamp Company cachet bilingual Day of Issue slogan cancel
OVERVIEW
Offered is an original 1959 Canada first day cover commemorating the bicentenary of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. Cancelled in Ottawa, Ontario on September 10, 1959, the official day of issue, this unaddressed cover features a bi-color H & E Stamp Company cachet honoring General James Wolfe and the Marquis de Montcalm, along with a bilingual “DAY OF ISSUE / JOUR D’ÉMISSION” machine slogan cancel.
The well-known H & E Stamp Company attribution adds collectible value, as they were one of the major Canadian private first day cover cachet makers of the classic Queen Elizabeth II era, making this more specific than an unattributed patriotic cachet.
FRANKING & POSTAL HISTORY
The cover is franked with a single 5 cent crimson rose and dark green commemorative stamp, positively identified as Canada Scott 388.
Produced via intaglio engraving on unwatermarked wove paper featuring gauge 12 perforations by the Canadian Bank Note Company, the adhesive gum is inherently affixed to the envelope, rendering it inaccessible for verification.
The stamp shows Canadian national and colonial emblems tied to the 1759–1959 bicentenary theme.
It is cleanly tied by an Ottawa, Ontario circular datestamp dated SEP 10, 10 AM, 1959, alongside the bilingual machine-applied first day slogan cancel.
CONTEXT & COLLECTOR APPEAL
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, fought outside Quebec City in 1759, was a decisive conflict in the Seven Years' War that altered the colonial trajectory of North America.
This cover celebrates that event via an illustrated cachet by the well-known H & E Stamp Company (founded by Earl Graziadei and Harold Crick), depicting Wolfe and Montcalm flanked by the British Union Jack and French fleurs-de-lis.
Prepared as an unaddressed philatelic first day cover, it preserves the clean paper stock and striking inks for philatelic exhibition.
The combined alignment of an identifiable premium maker, bilingual cancellation mechanics, and clean presentation creates a standout entry for Canadian historical and FDC collections.
ITEM SPECIFICS
Year: 1959
Country: Canada
Type: First Day Cover
Theme: Military History
Subject: Battle of the Plains of Abraham
Era: QEII
Occasion: Stamp First Day of Issue
Region: Ottawa Ontario
Denomination: 5 Cents
Currency: Canadian Dollar
Color: Crimson Rose and Dark Green
Scott Number: 388
Topic: Canada Plains Abraham Wolfe Montcalm H & E FDC
Cancellation Type: Bilingual Machine First Day Slogan Cancel With Circular Datestamp
SKU: CANADA-1959-SC388-PLAINS-BE-FDC-OTTAWA
CONDITION
Original 1959 unaddressed first day cover in clean collectible condition with light uniform age toning and minor handling wear consistent with storage and age.
The H & E cachet remains attractive, the stamp is well presented, and the bilingual Ottawa Day of Issue slogan cancel is clearly legible.
The envelope structure appears sound with the reverse flap intact.
No major tears or repairs are visible in the provided images.
Please review all high-resolution photographs carefully for exact condition, paper tone, stamp, cancel, cachet, edges, corners, and reverse.