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Catalogue of Canadian Duplex Cancellations, Third Revised Edition, by Stéphane Cloutier,
spiral bound, 228 pages, 8½ x 11 inches. Published by Conestoga Press, Thornbury, Ontario.
Cdn $39.95 plus shipping ($9.00 to Central Canada, $12.00 to Western Canada,
$10.00 to Maritimes, $9.00 to USA, and $17.00 Overseas).
Available from the author at 255 Shakespeare Street, Ottawa, ON K1L 5M7 or
e-mail at cloutier1967@sympatico.ca.
Payable by cheque or PayPal using the author’s e-mail.
Stéphane Cloutier has updated the duplex catalogue that was published by
Bob Lee in 1993. For those not owning the previous editions, this catalogue
lists every known duplex cancelling device used in Canada, from the 1860
Berri duplexes to those still in use. Each is given a three-letter–numeral
code, with the letters based upon the province where it was used. Each hammer
is described so that it can be identified, and the proof, early use, and
late use dates are listed. The early and late dates have been amended
for many of the hammers, especially for those used in the cities.
The five known World War II black-out duplexes have been added to the
Armed Forces section. There are some newly-reported duplex hammers. The
entire DUU (Unconfirmed Unofficial Duplex) section has been removed;
those DUUs that have been verified have been moved to the DUN
(Unofficial Duplex) section. The potential DUUs that probably were made
by separate dater and killer devices have been put on hold for now, and
await supporting strikes before being properly termed duplexes.
Another change has been the elimination of the listing of known strikes
of each hammer. Stéphane gives a number of reasons for this, the principal
one being that large collections previously counted have been broken up,
so there is no way at present to ensure that strikes are not reported
again by their new owners. Keep your Second Edition for its data on
reported postmarks.
Illustrations of a few dozen covers with duplex postmarks are included.
There are six pages of photographs with descrip-tions of duplex
cancelling devices. A typical hammer is shown, and also an unusual
self-inking duplex, a short-handled duplex from Newfoundland, and the
heads from two Ontario hammers from early in the 20th century are
illustrated. There is a useful three-page bibliography.
There have been a number of small but important improvements in
presentation. The portrait (rather than wide, landscape) page
presentation and the spiral (rather than looseleaf) binding makes
this edition much easier to use and also more resistant to wear.
The revised electronic typesetting of the data is excellent;
the material is very easy to read. Any special notes have been
put below the listing line, and the presence of hyphens and side
dots is now incorporated into the title of the hammer
(not printed as an added note).
All collectors of duplex postmarks will need this book. General
collectors who do not have the previous edition should buy this book.
Many general postal history collectors will want it for the updated
early and late use dates. It is a standard reference for Canadian
postal history.
Gray Scrimgeour
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