Time for a trip to the past by way of an accidental Christmas stamp. Get comfortable in front of the fireplace channel, pour your favourite drink, and settle in for the tale of the first Christmas stamp – the Canadian Imperial Penny Post.

In the early years of international mail service, there was a push to institute a penny postage rate for the British Empire. Discussion about establishing a fixed, uniform fee went on for 15 years with little traction. Enter the hero of our saga, William Mulock (soon to be Sir), Postmaster General of Canada from 1896–1905 and owner of a magnificent set of chin whiskers.

Mulock was an interesting person, worthy a lengthy writeup one day. He was fond of smoking Cuban cigars, loved rye whisky and profanity – often at the same time. He was a character who was well known for his salty approach to the Queen’s English, even while seated as a member of Parliament. When Ontario flirted with prohibition in 1916 and, in a fit of wartime patriotic fervour, passed the Ontario Temperance Act, Mulock was having none of this teetotalling nonsense. He is said to have had a custom built concrete bunker installed in his home and stashed away enough whisky to keep him happy into the afterlife. It was this larger than life legacy that sparked one of the most enduring stories about the origins of the Christmas stamp.

Now, let’s get back to that stamp.

Discussions on a common postal rate, were held at the July 1898 Imperial Conference and committee members approved it. Finally, penny postage rates were a reality, with Great Britain, Canada, Newfoundland, Cape Colony, and Natal agreeing to institute the new low fee first. It was hoped other countries and colonies would soon follow. 

So, where does the Map stamp come in and why did it have the Xmas 1898 inscription? Patience, we’re getting to that.

Did she really say that?

Here’s where the tale takes an apocryphal turn. In an effort to promote universal penny postage, Mulock decided to create a stamp showing the empire (in red) and present it at the conference. The story goes on to say the delegates were told the stamp would be released on November 9, for the Crown Prince’s birthdate. Upon previewing the new penny postage stamp, Queen Victoria is said to have asked “Which prince?” Mulock, realizing what a blunder this could be, given the Queen’s dislike of her own son, piped up with  “why, madam, the Prince of Peace” and hastily changed the release date to closer to Christmas. Thus, accidently creating the world’s first Christmas stamp.

Did this really happen? Given Victoria’s prickly nature and her well known hatred of her eldest, it isn’t unreasonable to believe the story. But no. It’s not true. There are no references in any paperwork I slogged through mentioning this event. It’s one of those stories that sounds great and brings about a chuckle or two. Without Mulock’s reputation as a bigger than life character, it’s doubtful this tall tale would have come about.

The truth is far more mundane, as it usually is.

The original release date was December 7, 1898. An original handwritten note still sits in the Canadian Bank Note Company archives, dating from October of the same year, detailing instructions regarding the creation of this stamp. That places the design idea far too late for the mythical meeting with Queen Victoria. 

Mulock oversaw the stamp’s creation, but Warren L. Green, President of the Canadian Bank Note Co, created the design. He based it on George Robert Parkin’s map, with Charles Skinner doing the engraving duties later. The original memo reads:

“This is a rough idea for the new stamp. Mr. Mulock had a number of designs for this and naturally a great many conflicting ideas. The only way I could get anything definite was to sit right down with a pencil and a brush and work right alongside of him until he got something that approached his idea.” Warren L. Green. 

So, the design was a collaborative effort, with Mulock being the driving force behind the issue. Queen Victoria didn’t put a spanner into the works. It came out as originally planned, and the new penny postage rates were slated to take effect December 25, 1898. 

There is one more twist to the story.  I did a bit of research on the date and found two spins on it. One has it, the original date for the stamp was December 25, 1898, to coincide with the introduction of the new rates. Due to pressure from the public, the date was moved to the 7th, and the inscription left on. Another says the stamp wasn’t planned for Christmas day, and the Xmas 1898 was nothing more than acknowledgment of the start of the Christmas postage rate change. Pick your preferred theory. 

The scan at the top of this article is the first map stamp I acquired. It’s one of those stamps I looked at as a young collector and dreamt of owning. I still remember the pure delight I experienced when I finally had one. I still get a thrill each time I remember the day I put it into my album. 

Here’s another one. I bought it because of the cancel.