Canada United States Plans Provinces Blog About

Grizzly Bear

Canadian Wildlife

Stamp Info

Name Value
Date of Issue October 15, 1997
Year 1997
Denomination
$8.00
Perforation or Dimension 12.5 x 13
Series Canadian Wildlife
Series Time Span 1997 - 2003
Printer Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited.
Postal Administration Canada

Buy on ebay

Sorry, our call to ebay returned no results. Click on the button below to search ebay directly.
More Results
PSG earns commission on these links.

Stamp Price Values

Condition Name Avg Value
M-NH-VF
Mint - Never Hinged - Very Fine Only available to paid users
U-VF
Used - Very Fine Only available to paid users
* Notes about these prices:
  • They are not based on catalogue values but on current dealer and auction listings. The reason for this is that catalogues tend to over-value stamps.
  • They are average prices. The actual value of your stamp may be slightly above or below the listed value, depending on the overall condition of your stamp. Use these prices as a guide to determine the approximate value of your stamps.

Stamp Supplies on Amazon

Hidden Date

The hidden date for this stamp can be found below the bear's front paw.

Interesting Details

This stamp contains a few security features that are visible on the stamp. First, the word Mailposte is micro-printed underneath the word "CANADA".

Second, the stamp's blue sky is printed with small bear images.

Third, the stamp's green grass is printed with small bear images.

Fourth, the number 8, the stamp's denomination, is hidden on the bear's back limb by rotating the patterned fur by 90 degrees.

Layouts

Pane of 4 Stamps

Quantity Produced - Unknown
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $32.00
Perforation: 12.5 x 13
Printing Process: Lithography in 3 colours and engraving
Gum Type: PVA
Tagging: None
Paper: Tullis Russell
Add to List

Official First Day Cover

Quantity Produced - Unknown
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Cancellation Location: Banff AB
Perforation: 12.5 x 13
Printing Process: Lithography in 3 colours and engraving
Gum Type: PVA
Tagging: None
Paper: Tullis Russell
Add to List

Appreciation Folder

Quantity Produced - Unknown
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Perforation: 12.5 x 13
Printing Process: Lithography in 3 colours and engraving
Gum Type: PVA
Tagging: None
Paper: Tullis Russell
Add to List

About Stamp

Employing the same extraordinary technique used to create Canada's first postage stamp in 1851, Canada Post is proud to release a steel-engraved definitive issue depicting the grizzly bear - the first in a new series of high-value definitives featuring mammals of Canada. Priced at eight dollars, this issue is the highest-value stamp ever released by Canada Post. Beyond the superior aesthetic quality it delivers, steel engraving is used to prevent counterfeiting.

"We've taken every possible step to keep it from being an easy target for fraud", says design manager Georges de Passillé. "Steel engraving gives the stamp a classic look, and it's difficult to replicate the texture and exquisite detail you get from the thick ink and from the paper being pressed into the engraved lines during intaglio printing. Steel engraving is considered the epitome of the engraver' art, because the quality of the image and the fineness of the lines are so superior to those of softer metals, like zinc or copper. The value of this stamp doesn't come just from the denomination, but from the effort that went into creating it.", says de Passillé.

The Grizzly Bear issue is particularly attractive because of its unique elements. Reflecting the value of the stamp, the number 8 has been incorporated into the bear's rear right limb. In addition, the green grass below and the blue sky above have been crafted using tiny images of bears.

The grizzly bear is the mammal to be featured in this exceptional series. Weighing close to 400 kg, the grizzly has rightly been named "the monarch of the wilderness." Measuring 2.74 m, this majestic mammal ursos arctos is not only capable of killing a cow but also dragging it away! Yes the grizzly eats mostly plants. During peak feeding periods, this omnivore can consume as many as 200,000 berries a day, resulting in daily weight gains of a pound and a half. Until the late 1890s, grizzly were found as far east as Manitoba. Today, the Canadian grizzly population, estimated at between 22,000 and 28,000, is restricted to the Yukon, Northwest Territories, British Columbia and western parts of Alberta.

Creators

Designed by Alain Leduc. Engraved by Jorge Peral.

Similar Stamps

Reference

Canada Post Corporation, Canada's Stamp Details, Vol. 6, No. 5, 1997, p. 20-21.

Improve Stamp Information

Did you notice an error in this stamp's information?
Do you have any interesting information about this stamp that you would like to share?
Please click here to send us an email with the details.