The first meter was installed in August 1923. All stamps have “CANADA” somewhere in the frank. The stamps are grouped according to appearance and function as follows:
A - Scalloped oval with scalloped panel through the center
B - rectangle with simulated perforation border
C - rectangle with straight border, with or without interior panels
D - town mark and frank with crown between
E - town mark and frank with maple leaf ornaments
F - frank inscribed “CANADA POSTES/ POST CANADA” at top
G - frank inscribed “MAIL POSTE” at top
PC - designs generated by online/PC systems
PO - designs used only by post office counter/window machines
PD - designs used only to collect postage due
PP - designs used only for parcel post
PV - designs used only in public access vending machines
NOTE: For specialized information about the meter stamps of Canada, see Canadian Postage Meter Catalog, by Ross W. Irwin, 1972, and 1984, and Canada Meter & Permit Postage Stamps Specialized Catalog, and Addendum, 1986, by Yvon Legris, Yan Philatelic, Montreal.
GROUP A: Frank is scalloped oval with scalloped panel through the center
B1. Franco "Multi-Valor" (MV), 1933. [Very rare on cover, scarce on loose tape]
“CANADA” in curved panel at top with maple leaves in corners.
“METRE” (M# 1021) or “METRE NO.” and M# at bottom. “POSTES” and “POSTAGE” stacked at sides.
A. Small frank (28 mm square), small TM (24 x 17 mm)
M# 1021
M#s 1022, 1023
B. Large frank (30 mm square), large TM (28 x 18 mm)
M#s 1022, 1023, 1024, 1025
TM: DC
V/F: .00 0.00
The Multi-Valor was designed by Wilhelm Friedrichs of Francotyp, manufactured in England by Universal Postal Frankers Ltd., and marketed in Canada by Canadian Postage Meters & Machines Co., Ltd. (the Canadian branch of Pitney Bowes).
Two licences were issued:
Canadian Bank of Commerce, Toronto (14 Sep 1933)
M# 1021, 1022, 1024, 1025 (meters were swapped on multiple occasions between 1934 and 1935 due to technical problems).
Lever Bros. Ltd., Toronto
M# 1023
All machines were reported to have been withdrawn by December 1936, although the actual date may have been earlier.
“POSTES” vertical at left and “POSTAGE” vertical at right of the value figures.
Value figures lowered in relation to date figures.
TM: SC
V/F: 00 00 ≋00 ≋00 .00
V/F: 0 00 0:
a. With “RETURN POSTAGE/ PREPAID” in TM
b. With “PORT DE RETOUR/ PAYE” in TM
c. With “PORT PAYE – RETURN POSTAGE” in TM
d. With “RETURN POSTAGE/ PORT/ DE RETOUR/ PAYE/ PREPAID” in TM
e. Post Office stamp: “P” and “O” at sides of TM
f. Post Office stamp for Postage Due: With boxed, vertical “POSTAGE/ DUE” at left of TM [Scarce]
g. Post Office stamp for Postage Due: With large “POSTAGE DUE” at left of TM [Scarce]
h. Military stamp: with “N.P.O.” in TM
i. Military stamp: with “CAPO” in TM
j. Military stamp: with “RCAF” or “R.C.A.F.” in TM
k. Military stamp: with “CANADIAN A.P.O.” and number in TM
l. Military stamp: with “F.M.O.” in TM
m. Public Vending Machine stamp (“Mailomat”): with M# in 51000 series with or without “P O” in the TM. V/F: .00
n. Official Postal Business stamp: with “DEAD LETTER OFFICE” slogan
o. M# only four digits, with “14” prefix omitted
EA2. Pitney Bowes “RF” (MV), 1952.
As Type EA1 but “POSTES” is in lower left corner outside the TM.
Value box contains “POSTAGE” vertical at left and is blank at right.
TM: SC
V/F: 00 :
EA3. Pitney Bowes “DM” (LV-21), 1949.
Small stamp with “POSTES” and “CANADA” straight across the top Maple leaf between TM and frank.
“METER/ COMPTEUR” above M#. “P.B.” outside TM at bottom left.
M#s 240000 up.
TM: SC
Values: 01 to 21
a. With “RETURN POSTAGE/ PREPAID” in TM
EA4. Pitney Bowes “DM” (LV-21), 1951.
Small like Type EA3 but “CANADA” with curved bottom above crown at left,
and leaves above TM at right.
TM: SC
Values: 01 to 21
a. With “RETURN POSTAGE/ PREPAID” in TM
b. With “PORT DE RETOUR/ PAYE” in TM
EA5. Pitney Bowes “5300” (MV), 1956.
Similar to Type EA1 but frank wider, nearly square,
with single simulated-perforation outer border.
Value figures lowered in relation to date figures.
M#s 156000 up and 163000 up.
TM: SC
V/F: ≋00 ≋.00 ≋00 :00 :00≋
a. With “RETURN POSTAGE/ PREPAID” in TM
b. With “PORT DE RETOUR/ PAYE” in TM
c. Post Office stamp: “P” and “O” at sides of TM
EA6. Pitney Bowes “5300” (MV).
Similar to Type EA5 but frank with straight-line border
added inside the simulated-perforation outer border.
Value figures lowered in relation to date figures.
TM: SC
V/F: ≋.00 ≋.00 : ≋0.00 ≋.00≋
a. With “RETURN POSTAGE/ PREPAID” in TM
b. Post Office stamp: “P” and “O” at sides of TM
c. Post Office stamp for Postage Due: With small, boxed, vertical “POSTAGE DUE” at left of TM [Scarce]
d. Military stamp: with “CFPO” (Canadian Forces Post Office) in TM
e. Official Postal Business stamp: with “CMPM-MPCF” in the TM
f. Official Postal Business stamp: with “E.T.L.C.” in the TM
EA7. Pitney Bowes “6500” (MV).
As Type EA6 but frank is much wider with thick outer border.
Value figures lowered in relation to date figures.
A. Inscribed "METER/ COMPTEUR" left of tall "PB"
B. Inscribed "PB METER/COMPTEUR"
TM: SC
V/F: ≋0.00≋
a. With “RETURN POSTAGE/ PREPAID” in TM
b. With “PORT DE RETOUR/ PAYE” in TM
EA8. Pitney Bowes “5700” (MV).
Similar to Type EA5 but “CANADA” is straight rather than arched.
Value figures lowered in relation to date figures.
TM: SC
V/F: ≋0.00 ≋≋.00
EA9. Pitney Bowes “6900” (MV).
Similar to Type EA5 but with larger frank.
Date and value figures are on the same level.
“PB” is at right of “METER/ COMPTEUR”.
TM: SC
V/F: ≋.00≋
EA10. Pitney Bowes-GB “6500” (MV). [Rare]
Similar to Type EA9 but frank has complete simulated perforation border at the sides, and maple leaves are closer to the frank than the TM. “PB” is above “METER/ COMPTEUR”.
A. Frank with inner frame line across bottom and up the sides. The bottom outer frame line has simulated perforations
B. Inner frame line is complete around the frank. Both frame lines are straight along the bot-tom except for two indentations
TM: SC
V/F: ≋000
NOTE: This stamp appears to have been used only by Canadian Forces stationed overseas. All TMs contain “CFPO”.
EA11. Postalia “D2” (MV), 1960.
Very similar in appearance to Type EA1, the first Pitney Bowes stamp of this sub-group.
The most noticeable difference is that the date and value figures are on the same level with the Postalia stamp.
A. With “P” above “METER/ COMPTEUR”
B. With “P” at right of “METER/ COMPTEUR”
TM: SC
V/F: 0.00 ≋.00
a. Military stamp: with “CFPO” in TM
Sub-group EB: Frank with “maple leaves stacked along right side
Frank with double straight-line outer border with rounded corners.
Crown at upper left, maple leaf at upper right.
Frame lines broken by panels containing “CANADA” at top and PO ID# with M# at bottom.
M# with “N” prefix.
Value figures tall, oval
A. M# in 3000000 series
B. M# in 4000000 series
C. M# in 2000000 series (error) [Scarce]
TM: SL
V/F: 000.00
PO2. Siemens Nixdorf (digital-laser), 1990.
Similar to Type PO1 but frame lines with square corners.
Value figures are shorter and more angular than with PO1.
M# in 3000000 and 5000000 series.
A. Printed on plain white label
B. Printed on label with silver-gray underprint
V/F: 000.00
PO3. Siemens (digital), 1997.
Redesigned frank with single outer frame line, and single panel across top and three panels side-by-side across bottom.
“MAIL (LOGO) POSTE” in top panel, and three numbers in the bottom panels (M# at left in 6000000 series).
Below top panel is an inscription reading “Canada Post Corporation/Societe canadienne des postes”.
Printed on label with silver-gray underprinting.
A. Inscribed “POSTE (LOGO) MAIL” at top
B. Inscribed “MAIL (LOGO) POSTE” at top (shown)
V/F: (00)0.00
PO4. Siemens (digital).
Similar to Type PO3 but inscribed "CANADA / POST (LOGO) POSTES / CANADA”
at top with circled postal logo at center.
A1. Printed on label with silver-gray underprinting, inscribed "Postage - Port" above the value figures (shown)
A2. As A1 but inscribed "Port - Postage" above the value figures
B1. Printed on wide white label with silver strip at top. With slogan at left “From anywhere... to anyone / De partout... jusqu’a vous”
B2. As B1 but the slogan inscriptions are reversed, French above English
B3. Printed on wide white label with silver strip at top. With slogan at left “Spirit of the season / La magie des Fêtes”
C. Printed on wide label as with B but with large "O/S" (variable in size) above "G/F" at left, both above small "Stream/Flot de courrier"
D. Printed on wide label, with four chevrons pointing out at right, postal information at both left and below
E. As D, label with chevrons, with large "O/S" and small "Stream" over large "G/F" and small "Flot de courrier"
F. Label wider than D and E, 98 mm wide, without chevrons at right. (image reduced)
G. Similar to D but in heavier font and on white label with serrations at top and bottom and without rounded corners. V/F with "$" prefix and "CAD" suffix.
V/F: (00)0.00
V/F: $(00)0.00 CAD
Note: Labels may bear a pink/red strip containing the Canada Post logo along the top as they approach the end of the roll.
PO5. Siemens (digital).
Printed on wide label as with PO4B/C/D/E but the text format is entirely different.
The point-of-sale text is divided into three sections separated by straight lines, a large one across the top with two smaller ones below.
The top section contains the “to” address and two small square barcode matrixes at lower left and upper right.
The lower left section contains the destination postal code in large characters.
The lower right section contains the origin post office identification, value figures, weight and date plus other numeric codes all in small characters.
* Although designed for franking parcels, the stamps were used occasionally to frank letter mail.
PP1. National Cash Register “1100” (MV), 1930.
Tall, narrow label inscribed as follows:
CANADA POSTAGE PAID or variation at top
value figures
meter number, town line, year
impression counter and date or date alone at bottom
A. Top section reads: “CANADA" / "POSTAGE" / "PAID” [Rare on cover]
B. Top section reads: “CANADA" / "Postage Paid:" / "Port Paye” [Very rare on cover]
C. Top section reads: “Canada Postage" / "PAID" / "House of Assembly" / "P.C.” [Exceptionally rare on cover]
D. Top section reads: “CANADA POSTAGE" / "PAID/ PORT-PAYE” [Exceptionally rare on cover]
V/F: 0.00 $0.00 $00.00
a. Without year below town line
b. Value figures without "$"
NOTE: There are many variations among the NCR “1100” model stamps (Types PD1 and PP1-PP4). The examples shown for PP1 above and PP2-PP4 below are representative.
PP2. National Cash Register “1100” (MV). [Very rare on cover]
As Type PP1 but sequence of elements is as follows:
"CANADA" / "POSTAGE" / "PAID"
date and impression counter
meter number and year / town line
value figures
V/F: $00.00
PP3. National Cash Register “1100” (MV), 1928 or earlier. [Rare on cover]
As Types PP1-2 but sequence of elements is as follows:
date and impression counter
CANADA" / "POSTAGE" / "PAID"
value figures
meter number / town line / year
V/F: $0.00
a. with “POST/ OFFICE” instead of “POSTAGE PAID” below “CANADA” [Extremely rare]
PP4. National Cash Register “1100” (MV).
As Types PP1-3 but sequence of elements is as follows:
meter number / town line / year
value figures
"CANADA" / "POSTAGE" / "PAID"
impression counter and date
V/F: $0.00
PP5. National Cash Register “1900” (MV), 1931. [Scarce on cover]
Stamp printed on rectangular label wider than tall.
Date at top followed by oval design with “CANADA POSTAGE” at top.
Through the center are the value figures and an impression counter.
Below the value figures are “PAID” and the M# above “NCR METER”.
The town line is below the oval.
Paper color variable (as shown).
V/F: .00 –.00
a. With package sequence number left of the value figures
b. "PAID" in different font, with serifs
c. Underprint inverted
PP6. National Cash Register “1900” (MV), 1931. [Very scarce on cover]
As Type PP5 but inscribed “POSTES – CANADA” at top of oval.
Below the value figures are “No. and the meter number above “Porte Paye”.
A. Meter number above "Port Paye"
B. Meter number below "PORT PAYE", with "N.C.R. PERMIS" prefix
V/F: .00 –.00
a. With package sequence number left of the value figures
GROUP PV: Designs used only in public access vending machines