Email: czcd@twcny.rr.com

2009 -- OUR 30th Anniversary!!

Happy Spring 2009 to all our great & loyal customers!

We specialize in Canal Zone for beginners and specialists! We also sell Danish West Indies stamps and covers; please email for information.

 NEW as of 6/6/09: Still adding many new stamps: CZ C7, C9-11, C12-14 on combo FDC (see below)! A great CO9 with large margins, new CZ #1 just F, 4-5 on piece with La Boca cancel, 58 VF OG and F/VF NH! UX6 (see below)! 79 F/VF NH, 28 FVF OG, lovely 36-7 NH blocks, likely the best centered #1 in existence, 46 mint, 47 VF used, 48 F/VF OG! NEW 39a variety and 46 ANAL ONE split overprint blocks (see below)! New 51 NH, 89 VF NH from a block! CZ J28 on cover, and CZ 140 used as postage due on post office receipt (see postage due page). New mint 66 (2), mint and used 67s, 89 VF NH, used 94!!  More CO8/12s, 87 VF NH, 71e booklet pane position L, and 117a F/VF to VF full exploded booklet! 43 with partial doubled letter in ovpt., postage due covers! Coming soon: CZ specimen overprints! Any stamp can be scanned and emailed/sent to you; this is easier than my learning html!

Canal Zone Postal Stationery is here! See Pricelists below!

We wish to highlight these six rarities:  

 

CZ UX6, the 1c embossed post card from 1924 (the only embossed postal card ever issued by the US!), extremely fine mint copy of this seldom offered card. It is a hard item to scan, since the scanner tries to darken it, so I apologize for the light color. Rest assured this card is strongly printed and in beautiful condition. Undercatalogued at $1050 in “usual” condition, which this is not! http://canalzonestamps.com/images/czux6mint.jpg   $1085

 

39a variety, part of CANAL only on right selvage, F/VF OG, touch of waxy gum on top edge of stamp. Variety 39a was created by a shift in the sheet to the left, so the left 1^st column of stamps did not receive the overprint; in this way, the right sheet selvage received part of the overprint. Only 10 of 39a exist from one sheet, so only 10 of this variety must exist --  and this is the unique upper right corner stamp with top and right selvage! Nice condition, strong perf, only a very light top selvage bend (not visible from the back). (Scott catalog of 39a is $1250.)     $230

http://canalzonestamps.com/images/cz39avar.jpg

 

 46 two corner blocks with split overprint, the top two stamps from each block show the rare “ANAL ONE” variety (CZSG 46.4) of which only 10 were issued! However, the way these were located makes me thing they could me a new find – still, these represent either 40% or 20% of all those that exist! Both moderate to have severe tropical gum stains, have no or partial gum, the right bock has a creases affecting all but the left ANAL variety. Nonetheless, these are very rare, Scott catalog $1450 as normal for the blocks, and these might be worth $3500 in good condition. http://canalzonestamps.com/images/cz46anal.jpg    http://canalzonestamps.com/images/cz46anal2.jpg    $500

 

  94 used block of 5! Yes, this is a used block of 4 with an additional stamp attached on the lower right --  it has straight edges at the bottom, heavy cancel, the perfs touch at right, there are a few creases, a few missed perfs – in general, it’s pretty tough, BUT…..it is very rare in such a multiple, and has a catalog value of $800+!! See scan at:            http://canalzonestamps.com/images/cz94block.JPG    $55 net

 

Combination First Day Cover for all airmails issued on 11/18/31! Small envelope with C7, C9-11 and C13-14 (with #90 added) sent by registered mail to Wooster, Ohio; backstamped Cristobal 11/18/31, and Wooster 11/25/31. Pencil note on back indicates it was serviced by CZ dealer Nathan Levy. VF and in great condition! C14 on FDC is especially rare; the combined catalog value is $295. This cover is $220 net

                        http://canalzonestamps.com/images/czc514fdc.jpg and http://canalzonestamps.com/images/czc514fdc2.jpg

 

 CZ U2b (UPSS #2c) Head & overprint only! Mint entire of this unusual error. Small light stain and tiny scuff at extreme left, tiny crease at end of flap. Otherwise F/VF & remarkably fresh. Sloan guarantee stamp on reverse.  Only six mint examples are known – extremely rare! Scott catalogue value $1600.  Net $975.

 

CZ UC1 first airmail envelope, first day cover 5/21/28 with pair of #72 and #103 (scarce used!) added, to Kelso, WA (backstamped Pasco WA 5/29/28). F/VF, small UL corner bend, rare and Scott $175, http://canalzonestamps.com/images/CZUC1fdc.JPG            $90 net

Terms of Sale!

• Check or money orders (no credit cards) please – but we accept Paypal (either a transfer of your Paypal balance, or credit/debit card-funded Paypal accounts!)
• Also, please add 50c for orders under $10. We pay postage, but please add for insurance or we send at your risk!!!
• NY Residents please add tax!

Please note these ABBREVIATIONS are used in these lists:
adh adherence prtd printed blk block PU postally used bot botttom PPC picture- ccl cancel post card cert certificate ppd postpaid cr crease pr pair DG disturbed gum reg registered dmg damaged RG regummed DSG dry shiny gum rev reverse env envelope rnd rounded flt fault ret return	gsk gum skip SE str. edge CDS circ. date stamp SF space filler HC heavy ccl. sh sheet LC light ccl. sl slight LL,LR location s/l str.line LH light hinge sm small mc machine ccl. SON socked on NC normal ccl. nose ccl. NG no gum sp short perf.	NH never hinged st stamp np nibbed perfs. stn stain OG original gum TG tropical gum ovpt overprint tr tear pf perforation tth tiny thin pp pulled perf. UL,UR location PG part gum VLC very light ccl. PF Philatelic Fdn. WG waxy gum wr wrinkle

PLEASE NOTE WELL:

• Unless otherwise noted, unused stamps have OG and may have hinge remnants. OG NH means NH!
• Mint stamps are denoted by NH, WG, PG or OG.
• Used stamps are denoted by LC, VLC, MC, NC or HC.
• Used with normal cancel unless noted LC/HC. Normal cancel = an average amount of ink per postmark - not light enough to stand out, nor heavy enough to cover the stamp’s design.
• VLC = very light cancel, barely enough to be noticed.

Certificates? Why does the stamp need one? The CZ first issue, CZ #1-3, were heavily forged, even during their period of use! Therefore, it is imperative that an authority – usually the American Philatelic Society (APS) or Philatelic Foundation (PF) – certify the stamps; they issue certificates of genuine-ness that include a photo of the stamp. I have also seen a forged #15, so that’s important. CZ #46-8 and 67 are often hard to identify and certificates are a good idea; I don’t usually get certs for 46-8 and 67, but if you purchase one of these, you may submit them for certificates and, if not genuine, I will refund the purchase price, cost of certificates and your postage paid to get the cert.

Waxy gum? What’s with the wax!? The climate in Panama is so humid that stamp gum absorbs moisture from the air; wax paper was placed between sheets in post offices to prevent sheets adhering to each other. This wax often stuck to the gum; for some issues, Scott 15 and 18-20 for example, almost no copies survived without waxy gum (unless they were regummed later).

Please order by centering and condition. (ie: VF LC, or F/VF OG sm th).    PLEASE GIVE ALTERNATE CHOICES (or email us first) since many items may be unique.  Thank you!

OUR STRICT CZ GRADING STANDARDS – view our scans to get a visual definition!

VF = PERFECT CENTERING – NOTHING LESS F = off-center perfs that do not cut into design, F/VF = centered VF one direction & F in the other, (ie: Scott VF), F+ is between F/VF and F (ie: our F+ = Scott F/VF). VG = perfs cut on 1 or 2 sides. If you want other dealers’ VF, then order F/VF! One reason we have so many almost VF is that it’s hard to find EXACTLY perfectly centered CZ!

.I update these pricelists often; check periodically and “Refresh” to see new listings! Our lists are organized by Scott number/area (airmails, dues, etc.).

SECONDS!!!!! Yes, we have seconds (boy, do we have seconds!!) Should you like to fill a space with a stamp with slight faults, please write us.

Sheets? Yup, we got ‘em! Send your want list for our quotes. We also have many mint blocks, if you collect them

Organizations:

If you invest time and energy to build a strong CZ collection, you should also invest time to learn more about CZ stamps and postal history through the great organizations that research and publish information on it all! We strongly encourage customers to join the Canal Zone Study Group. Its resources are a great way to learn about CZ collecting. Write us for an application, or visit their website: www.czsg.org . Another group, the Isthmian Collectors Club, distributes a great deal of historic information of Panama and the Canal Zone through a monthly newsletter; email us for information. The US Possessions Philatelic Society (USPPS) is active in other Possessions with many of the same CZSG researchers. Write us also for info on the USPPS.

This website is dedicated to my father Howard, who passed away in 2002. We cofounded C&H Stamps in 1979, and he was an important participant in CZ postal history and philatelic research. We still miss him greatly.

Chris

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