Canadian Bank Note Co Imprint Plate Block First Day Cover

OVERVIEW

This offering features an attractive, well-preserved 1963 Canada First Day Cover commemorating the 3-cent Queen Elizabeth II Cameo definitive issue.

Cancelled in Ottawa, Ontario, on May 2, 1963, this cover boasts a classic purple Rosecraft pictorial cachet and showcases a highly desirable top-right corner margin inscription plate block, making it an excellent exhibition piece.

FRANKING & POSTAL HISTORY

The cover is franked with a complete top-right margin plate block of four of the 3-cent purple Queen Elizabeth II Cameo definitive stamps.

This block features the prominent two-line printer's imprint "CANADIAN BANK NOTE CO., LIMITED. OTTAWA No 1" across the top selvage.

The franking is tied by an "OTTAWA ONTARIO / 10 AM / 2 V / 1963 / CANADA" circular date stamp alongside a bilingual "DAY OF ISSUE / JOUR D'EMISSION" wavy machine cancellation.

The envelope remains unaddressed, prioritizing the clean aesthetic of the pictorial cachet.

Catalog numbers for this issue include Scott 403, Stanley Gibbons SG 529, Michel 350, and Yvert 330.

CONTEXT & COLLECTOR APPEAL

The Queen Elizabeth II Cameo Series, introduced in 1962 and 1963, replaced Canada's long-running Wilding definitive issue with a more modern portrait and became one of the most recognizable Canadian series of the 1960s.

Plate blocks bearing the Canadian Bank Note Company imprint document the production format of Canada's definitive issues and are collected separately from ordinary multiples. Collectors frequently pursue complete imprint positions by denomination and printer number, making intact First Day Cover usages considerably scarcer than mint examples.

The matching purple Rosecraft cachet elevates this appeal by depicting the Queen alongside symbols representing Canadian commerce and industry, including bundled timber, gears, a leaping salmon, and a wheat sheaf.

This combination creates a premium presentation for specialists of Canadian definitives, royal themes, and plate block usages.

ITEM SPECIFICS

Country: Canada

Year: 1963

Type: First Day Cover (FDC)

Topic: Queen Elizabeth II Cameo Definitives

Theme: Canadian Commerce Industry and Plate Blocks

Subject: HM Queen Elizabeth II

Era: Elizabeth II (1963)

Occasion: First Day of Issue

Region: Ottawa, Ontario

Stamp Color: Purple

Denomination: 3c (x4) Block of Four (12c Total)

Currency: Canadian Dollar / Cents

Perforation: 12

Printing Method: Engraved (Canadian Bank Note Company)

Cover Stock/Paper Type: Standard Wove Envelope

Closure: Sealed Flap

Cancellation Type/Date: Ottawa CDS and Bilingual Day of Issue Slogan (May 2 1963)

Catalog Numbers: Scott 403 (SG 529 Michel 350 Yvert 330)

SKU-CAN-1963-SC403-PLATE-BLOCK-FDC

CONDITION

This vintage unaddressed First Day Cover is in attractive, well-preserved collectible condition.

The imprint plate block remains complete and securely attached, with the top-right printer's inscription margin fully intact.

Light age toning is present, most noticeably within the top selvage surrounding the imprint, along with minor handling wear typical of a sixty-year-old cover.

The Rosecraft cachet remains crisp and well-centered, while the Ottawa First Day cancellations are sharply struck and highly legible.

The reverse flap is sealed and clean.

Please review all available high-resolution scans on the individual listing to verify the exact condition, paper quality, margins, and postal markings prior to bidding or purchase.