| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | September 21, 1928 |
| Year | 1928 |
| Quantity | 5,050,000 |
| Denomination |
5¢
|
| Perforation or Dimension | 12 |
| Printer | Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited. |
| Postal Administration | Canada |
In conjunction with the regular sovereign and pictorial issue of 1928, the Department issued Canada's first airmail stamp. The inauguration of official airmail services and the necessity of providing a means of readily identifying airmail made this step necessary. This first officially issued airmail stamp of Canada was symbolic and pictorial in character. It was released at a time of intensive activity in Canadian airmail development when service was reaching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and into the far northern regions.
An allegory of flight, from a drawing by a staff artist of the Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited. Two winged figures, symbolic of flight, are poised against a globe representing the northern half of the western hemisphere, on which is indicated in shaded outline a map of Canada. The subject is classical and has been treated with a geographical background.