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Year of the Pig

Chinese New Year

Stamp Info

Name Value
Date of Issue January 5, 2007
Year 2007
Quantity 700,000
Denomination
$1.55
Perforation or Dimension 13.5
Series Chinese New Year
Series Time Span 1997 - 2021
Printer Lowe-Martin Company Inc..
Postal Administration Canada

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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.

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Hidden Date

The hidden date for this stamp can be found along the left edge of the stamp.

Interesting Details

The image of the pig is embossed onto the stamp.

Layouts

Souvenir Sheet

Quantity Produced - 700,000
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $1.55
Perforation: 13+
Dimension: 98 mm x 97 mm (horizontal)
Printing Process: Lithography in 9 colours plus two foil stampings and embossing
Gum Type: P.V.A.
Tagging: General, 4 sides
Paper: Tullis Russell Coatings
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Uncut press sheet of 12 souvenir sheets

Quantity Produced - 15,000
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $26.95
Perforation: 13+
Printing Process: Lithography in 9 colours plus two foil stampings and embossing
Gum Type: P.V.A.
Tagging: General, 4 sides
Paper: Tullis Russell Coatings
Add to List

Official First Day cover - Souvenir Sheet

Quantity Produced - Unknown
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $2.55
Cancellation Location: Toronto, Ontario
Perforation: 13+
Gum Type: P.V.A.
Tagging: General, 4 sides
Paper: Tullis Russell Coatings
Add to List

About Stamp

You are a "pig person" if you were born in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995 or 2007.

The sun had already set as the last of the animals crossed the river. The Jade Emperor held his lantern above the pig's head and sighed in resignation as the pig explained: "I was hungry and stopped to eat. After the meal, I was so tired that I had to take a nap."

And thus, according to popular Chinese legend, we learn how the pig became the final animal of the 12-year lunar cycle. The other animals, upon hearing that the Emperor would name each lunar year in order of each animal finishing the race across the river, had feverishly responded to his challenge.

This tale is beautifully expressed within Canada Post's soon-to-be-released "Lunar New Year: Year of the Pig" stamp, the eleventh issue within a 12-year series. From the lantern-inspired shape of the souvenir sheet to the shadowed figure of the Jade Emperor, Vancouver-based Signals Design has carefully integrated the detail and spirit of both the legend and the pig into the stamp's design.

"We were focusing on two conceptual elements. The first was the legend of the race, and so we incorporated the river and the Jade Emperor into the stamp's design. The uncut press sheet goes further still - it retells the legend in three languages, expresses four good luck wishes in traditional Chinese characters, and includes symbols of each of the twelve animals of the lunar cycle," says John Belisle of Signals Design. "We also found that the pig itself was such an amusing aspect of the tale that we tried to integrate a little whimsy into the overall feel."

The second conceptual element that the stamp's design reflects is that of cloisonné, a unique art form that is thought to have originated in Beijing during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Alain Leduc, Manager of Stamp Design and Production at Canada Post, notes that "this sophisticated enameling technique integrates gold or bronze metal strips and is an extremely popular technique still used today in Chinese porcelain beads, vases and artwork. Just as flowers are often a focal detail in cloisonné art, the stamp's pig mimics this art form with foil-stamped flowers covering his body."

Working closely together, Leduc and the designers at Signals followed through on these conceptual elements until the last drop of ink was dry on the press sheet. From undertaking focus groups with members of the Chinese community to testing unique printing processes that would replicate the cloisonné style, both parties were committed to producing an exceptional product.

The result is a thoughtful design, which aptly commemorates 2007, the Year of the Pig, in a celebration set of collectibles that includes a domestic stamp, an international stamp, a souvenir sheet, an official first day cover (OFDC), a souvenir sheet OFDC, an uncut press sheet and a Royal Canadian Mint coin.

Pig People
People born in the Year of the Pig are considered to be kind and caring in nature, with a jovial and easygoing character that belies their resistance and tenacity. At the same time social and self-reliant, pig people are dependable, extremely determined and perfect friends. But beware-pigs love luxury and can be susceptible to excesses of pleasure!

You are a "pig person" if you were born in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995 or 2007. Famous pig people include: Louise Arbour, Bryan Adams, Lucille Ball, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Henry Ford, Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock, Elton John, Evelyn Lau, Henri Léon Lebesgue and Sandra Oh.

About Stamp Series

Canada Post started issuing Chinese New Year stamps in 1997. Since then, Canada Post has been issuing a stamp for the Chinese New Year each year.

2009-2021

From 2009 to 2020, Canada Post issued an exquisite Chinese New Year stamp that was part of one of Canada Post’s most popular and longest-running series, which featured such elaborate techniques as gold and silver foiling and multi-level embossing.

In 2021, Canada Post issued a special tribute to the culmination of more than a decade of award-winning stamps. This retrospective brought together in a single issue all the stamps from their 2009-2020 Lunar New Year series.

The Lunar New Year cycle showcased all of the animals in the Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Conceived well before the series was launched, this collection features 24 stamps based on the designs of all the previous domestic and international rate stamps in the last 12 years.

“Even before we began this series of Lunar New Year stamps, we envisioned bringing them all together for a grand finale,” explains Jim Phillips, Director of Stamp Services. “That required a plan from the very beginning. We developed standardized specifications that made the stamps consistent across issues in terms of dimension, format and palette, but still allowed sufficient creative freedom for each to be spectacular in its own right.”

Brought together by Paprika from Montréal, these eye-catching stamps feature the work of the many design firms and designers who contributed to the series over the years. The result is a unique collectible that is a fitting tribute to Lunar New Year celebrations everywhere.

Creators

Designed and illustrated by John Belisle. Designed by Kosta Tsetsekas.

Similar Stamps

Reference

Canada Post Corporation. Canada's Stamp Details, Vol. 16, No. 1, 2007, p. 8-10.

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