1987 CAPEX '87 Toronto, Canada Souvenir Card SC117 SCCS: PS-64 CTO

This official USPS souvenir card was issued to honor CAPEX '87, an international philatelic exhibition held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The card highlights the importance of wildlife conservation and features iconic animal imagery from both American and Canadian postal history.

Year of issue: 1987

Designation: CAPEX '87 / Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 13–21, 1987

Scott number: SC117 (also designated as SCCS: PS-64)

Format: Single souvenir card

Cachet producer: USPS / BEP (Bureau of Engraving and Printing).

Cancellation detail: This is a CTO (Cancelled-to-Order) version, featuring a special "CAPEX '87" pictorial exhibition cancel from Toronto, Canada dated June 13, 1987. It includes an affixed and cancelled 22-cent Blue Jay stamp (from the North American Wildlife series).

Stamp design:

• Top Left: A reproduction of the 1923 10-cent U.S. Buffalo stamp, notable for being the first U.S. regular issue to feature American wildlife.

• Top Right: A reproduction of the 1981 17-cent Canadian stamp from the Endangered Wildlife series, depicting the Vancouver Island Marmot.

Collectibility: This card is highly valued by collectors of Wildlife/Nature topicals and Canadian-American philatelic relations. It is frequently cited as a key piece for those documenting the evolution of animal portraiture on stamps.

Fun unknown facts about CAPEX '87 and wildlife philately

• A Philatelic First: The 1923 U.S. Buffalo stamp reproduced on the card is a historic milestone because it marked the first time the U.S. Postal Service used a wild animal as the primary subject for a regular-issue postage stamp.

• Protecting the Marmot: The Canadian stamp reproduced on the right was part of a specific series dedicated to endangered wildlife, drawing attention to the Vancouver Island Marmot, one of Canada's most endangered mammals.

• Bilingual Documentation: Consistent with the requirements of international exhibitions held in Canada, the narrative on this card is provided in both English and French.

• The Blue Jay Connection: The affixed 22-cent Blue Jay stamp continues the card's nature theme, perfectly complementing the buffalo and marmot reproductions with a vibrant example of North American avian wildlife.

• Exhibition Significance: CAPEX '87 was a major international event that drew collectors from around the world to Toronto, and this souvenir card was designed to highlight the beauty of the natural world shared by both the United States and Canada.