Settle-Bed

Three new stamps depict objects used in everyday life in Canada during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The 39¢ stamp illustrates a settle-bed, the 50¢ stamp a sleigh and the 68¢, a spinning wheel. A symbol of the spirit of hospitality of Canadians of yesteryear, the settle-bed, also known as the "beggar's bench," was usually placed close to the fireplace. When the village beggar or some other visitor was invited to spend the night, the bed was opened up and the mattress, made of cotton or linen and containing straw or wheat, was pulled out. The next morning, the mattress was quickly cleaned and the bed closed, to be used once again as a bench. The three artifact stamps were designed by Jean-Pierre Beaudin and Jean Morin. The stamp designs employ the same duotone technique for the artifacts as was used on the other stamps of this series issued in 1982 and 1983. The rich but subtle background colours represent the humble circumstances of the average Canadian pioneer home.