Stamp Investment Tip: Canada 1876 8c Registration Stamp (Scott #F3,F3a)

From 1875 through 1878, Canada issued a set of three registration stamps (Scott #F1-3). The 8c high value, issued in 1876, is the scarcest of the three, with 90,000 issued. It was printed in either dark blue (which Scott calls "dull blue"- #F3) and bright blue (Sc. #F3a). Scott '11 values each at $500.- for unused ($ 1,000.-for NH), and $ 350.- for used.

In all probability, the vast majority of these stamps were used and discarded. At the time, few collectors of Canada were interested in purchasing an obscure and visually uninspiring registered mail stamp.

I favor all better stamps of Canada and B.N.A., because I am very optimistic about Canada's prospects for economic growth. It has an affluent, well-educated population, valuable natural resources, and vast amounts of undeveloped land. It may even benefit from global warming, as much of Canada's frozen tundra may be eventually be naturally defrosted through the manmade "miracle" of the greenhouse effect, and become North America's new agricultural breadbasket, while the former one gradually turns into a wasteland.


With a population of about 31 million, Canada is one of the world's wealthiest countries, and one of the world's top ten trading nations. GDP growth has averaged 2.2% over the past five years, which takes into account the 0% growth of 2009 due to the global financial crisis. Canada's population is expected to age significantly over the next decades, thereby bolstering its population of serious collectors. Canadians over 60 are projected to increase from 16.7% of the population in 2000 to 27.9% in 2025, and 30.5% in 2050. Consequently, in the future, many more Canadians will be spending time working on their stamp collections on cold winter days.