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The world’s first Christmas stamp, issued on Dec. 7, 1898 by Canada was less a celebration of the season than it was a celebration of Queen Victoria and the empire to which Canada belonged

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OTTAWA – The story of the world’s first Christmas stamp begins in the summer of 1898, in London, England, with a Canadian, William Mulock.

Mulock, Canada’s postmaster general at the time, had joined his Commonwealth counterparts for a conference in the imperial capital, the goal of which was to establish a common postage rate across the Commonwealth.

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Canada Post is quietly preparing for its first annual issue of stamps that mark a religious holiday that is not Christmas

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While in London, Mulock found himself talking to Queen Victoria and told her about a new stamp he had in mind should that common rate be achieved.

Mulock’s stamp would be notable for a few reasons, not the least of which was it would be the first stamp in the 31-year-old Dominion of Canada’s history to be issued without a picture of the Queen or her relatives on it. Mulock thought he should give the Queen a heads up about that. Indeed, by law, he required the Queen’s permission before a queen-less stamp could be issued.