Anne of Green Gables Postage Stamps From Canada and Japan

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Anne of Green Gables Stamps, A Symbol of Anne's Enduring Popularity At Home and Abroad

In 2008, the 100th Anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables, Canada Post issued two collectible Anne of Green Gables Stamps featuring Anne Shirley and Green Gables. The postage stamps are 52-cent domestic rate stamps which means that they are good for all mail being sent within Canada.

The postage stamps feature artwork that was authorized by the heirs of L.M. Montgomery. The picture of Anne was painted by Ben Stahl and the picture of Green Gables, by Christopher Kovacs. The stamps were designed by Dennis Page.

"Anne is such a unique character, so full of life and so inspired by nature," says designer Page. "These paintings represent her story well - the images are surrounded by nature, and Anne appears lost in her thoughts."

The stamps were issued jointly with Japan to celebrate the wonderful Japanese connection to Anne of Green Gables. "In Japan, readers have formed a fan club called the 'Buttercups,' named for Anne's favourite flower," says Joy Parks, Research Officer, Stamp Services, at Canada Post. Therefore, these flowers are shown on the envelope seals that come with the stamp booklets.

In my opinion, these stamps are absolutely beautiful and I believe that they were enhanced by the digital work that went into making them look like the pages of a book printed in 1908. Read on for more information, more pictures and great sources of these stamps. They would be a totally unique gift for any Anne of Green Gables collector or fan!

Official Issue Date in Canada: June 20, 2008

Anne of Green Gables Postage Stamp Showing Ben Stahl's "Anne of the Red Hair" 

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The pictures use warm colors from Anne's hair and from the sandbars you will find in Prince Edward Island plus the blues of the water and the sky which represent Anne's personality and P.E.I.'s land and sea. Parlour wallpaper accents the backs of the Official First Day Cover and the Souvenir Sheet.

Christopher Kovacs' Green Gables Postage Stamp 

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The commemorative issue includes two stamps, an Official First Day Cover and other related postal products. The Official First Day Cover was postmarked with a cancel from the Cavendish, Prince Edward Island post office (the town that was the inspiration for the novel's setting) and a cancel from Avonlea (the fictional town of Anne of Green Gables.) The text on the back is in English, French and Japanese.

The Anne of Green Gables Stamp Showing Both The Cavendish and the Avonlea Cancel 

2008 Anne of Green Gables OFDC 2
Picture by 33035342@N06.


2008 Anne of Green Gables sheet
Picture by 33035342@N06.


2008 Anne of Green Gables OFDC 3
Picture by 33035342@N06.

Canada Post created a cancellation mark for the fictional town of Avonlea! This was the first time they have ever created a cancellation for a town that exists only in the minds of millions of Lucy Maud Montgomery fans around the world.

Animated Anne of Green Gables Appears On Japanese Stamps 

People around the world love Anne but no one more so than the Japanese people. The original book, Anne of Green Gables, was taken to Japan in the 1930s by Canadian missionary Loretta Shaw. When she left the country at the onset of the Second World War, she left the novel behind with a friend who transferred it to Akage no An or Anne of the Red Hair. When the war was over and the Japanese school system wanted to promote Western books, this novel was suggested. In 1952 it was part of school curriculum and has been loved ever since. Every year, thousands of peole from Japan travel to see Anne's fictional home in Cavendish, P.E.I. It is at least in part for this reason that Anne of Green Gables has a huge following in Japan.

In the top of the following photo, you can just see the Japanese version of our stamps. The Japanese have also issued a collection of postage stamps from pictures of a 1970s anime-style animated Anne of Green Gables. The Japan Post Service that states that 10 million of the 15 million stamps made sold in the first month.

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Picture by AnDReA.LpcK.

Six million self-adhesive stamps featuring seven colors and printed on Tullis Russel paper were issued in Canada to be sold in books of 10.

Anne of Green Stamps (Both the Canadian and the Japanese Ones) Can Be Purchased Online Through eBay 

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More Anne of Green Gables Reading 

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Blogs About Anne of Green Gables Stamps in Canada 

Anne of Green Gables Postage Stamps | The Stamp Collectors Corner
anne of green gables In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the publication the widely popular book Anne of Green Gables, the Canada Post issued two collectible postage stamps. One stamp featured the main character, Anne Shirley, ...
mental_floss Blog ยป All About Anne (of Green Gables)
In 2008, Canada and Japan created anime-style Anne stamps featuring characters from the book. The stamps were so popular in Japan that they sold 10 million of the 15 million run in the first month of their release. ...
collecting stamps and coins - Anne of Green Gables, Downy ...
"The diversity and creativity of these products are sure to appeal to a wide audience, in Canada and around the world". The following describes some of the featured products that are now available: Anne of Green Gables ...
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Blogs About Anne of Green Gables Stamps in Japan 

Anne of Green Gables Postage Stamps | The Stamp Collectors Corner
Besides being beautifully produced, one of the interesting facts about these particular stamps is that they were issued jointly with Japan. The Japanese people have had a long standing love for this particular novel. Their postage stamp ...
Anne of Green Gables Postage Stamps From Canada and Japan
Anne of Green Gables Postage Stamps From Canada and Japan.
December Stories and Songs, Part 2
She also taught school and had early ambitions to be a writer; Anne of Green Gables was published in 1908, but she had published magazine and newspaper stories before that. She is much honored in Canada, having appeared on postage ...
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Links to Official Pages About These Stamps 

Collecting Stamp Stories, Canada Post
June 20, 2008 Press Release. The full story about the creation of these stamps can be seen at the following Canada Post link.
Canada Post Stamp Quest Stamps : Anne of the Green Gables
In 2008, this beloved novel, Anne of Green Gables, turned 100 years old, and to celebrate, Canada Post issued two special stamps-one featuring a portrait of Anne and the other showing an image of Green Gables.
Christopher Kovacs Fine Art
Full size prints of my original "Green Gables House%u2122" painting are available. A signed and limited (to 500) edition print is available with the pair of Canadian stamps inset into the double-matte. As well, a signed and limited (to 20) edition print is also available which will have both the Canadian and Japanese pairs of stamps inset into the double-matte. Unsigned prints and art cards of my "Green Gables House%u2122" painting remain available as well.
Japan Post Service
Although the page this link goes to is in Japanese, it does provide a particularly good photo of the Japanese version of our stamps.

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by Treasures-By-Brenda

These Anne of Green Gables stamps are absolutely beautiful. They should be made into posters for Anne fans to buy!

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