This is the earliest Christmas overprint I’ve encountered on a Toronto Litho card, on a Halifax Type 1 card, initially printed with the year 1898-9 in the Xmas greeting, but then subsequently overprinted in black with the years 1899–1900. This demonstrates that Toronto Litho had made use of the Xmas design from the outset of the appearance of the series in 1898.
The card was mailed from Halifax on January 4, 1900 to Herr Aug Goetze, Bahnhof, Zittau YS, Germany (a city in the south east of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, very close to the border tri-point of Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic) with a Zittau Jan 17 1900 receiver. The sender was A. Burnham of New York City.
The card was mailed from Halifax on January 4, 1900 to Herr Aug Goetze, Bahnhof, Zittau YS, Germany (a city in the south east of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, very close to the border tri-point of Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic) with a Zittau Jan 17 1900 receiver. The sender was A. Burnham of New York City.
Here is a Christmas overprint on a Toronto Litho Halifax Type 1 card with the year 1900-1 in the Xmas greeting.
The card was not postally used but bears a 1¢ Jubilee stamp.
The card was not postally used but bears a 1¢ Jubilee stamp.
This much less elaborate Christmas overprint on a Toronto Litho card, on a Montreal Type 1 card, was likely printed between 1898 and 1900. It is similar to the greeting applied to the fronts of the Series 2 cards.
The card is postally unused.
The card is postally unused.
Here is a Christmas overprint on a Toronto Litho Montreal Type 1 card with the year 1900-1 in the Xmas greeting.
The card was not postally used but bears a 1¢ Jubilee stamp.
The card was not postally used but bears a 1¢ Jubilee stamp.
This is a Christmas overprint on a Kingston Type 1 card, postally used after the season in April 1901 to Cote d’Or, France, using initially for the 1900-01 Xmas season.
A second Kingston Type 1 card, wishing New Year’s Greetings, mailed in October 1900.
A version of the Toronto Litho Cities Series card with the “Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” overprint on a Type 2 card, with the stamp and address on the reverse.
This card was not postally used, although it bears a 1¢ Jubilee stamp.
Below, the reverse of the card.
This card was not postally used, although it bears a 1¢ Jubilee stamp.
Below, the reverse of the card.
Above, a second Toronto design with a Christmas overprint. Below, the reverse of the card, postmarked in Toronto December 16, 1902 sent via New York to Taunton, England with a 2¢ QV Numeral stamp
All the Toronto Litho Cities Series cards with the “Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” overprint were on Type 2 cards, with the stamp and address on the reverse.
This card was sent December 22, 1903 to Glasgow, Scotland using a 1¢ QV Numeral stamp which was insufficient postage, and thus the card attracted short paid markings of 1d and T5.
Below, the reverse of the card.
This card was sent December 22, 1903 to Glasgow, Scotland using a 1¢ QV Numeral stamp which was insufficient postage, and thus the card attracted short paid markings of 1d and T5.
Below, the reverse of the card.
Above, a second copy of the same Christmas/New Year’s card sent to Scotland, this time with the correct postage (reverse shown below).
