Arn, John (2012). Canada Red Postage Due Issues – The Stamps and Their Usage.

John Arn’s “Canada Red Postage Due Issues – The Stamps and Their Usage” was first exhibited at BNAPEX 1996 in Fort Worth, TX where it received a Silver award with Felicitations of the Jury. It was shown again and received a Vermeil at BNAPEX 2002 in Spokane. While he continued to add to his Red Dues collection in the years since, the exhibit shown in this volume is that displayed in Spokane in 2002. Partly due to a large number of increases in postal rates, during the eleven year production period of the Red Dues – 1967 to 1978 – there were many changes, resulting in four distinct series of stamps. The exhibit shows the thirty one different stamps produced, with a focus on six different levels of paper fluorescence identified by John and other collectors. Inscription blocks from all four sheet corners are shown for all 31 stamps.  There are many examples of use for each stamp, occasionally alone, often in combination with other Red Dues and occasionally with earlier postage due stamps. Commercial usage is emphasized throughout the exhibit. These covers and cards show the practices and rating of unpaid, shortpaid, redirected and undeliverable mail during their period of use. The Red Dues were withdrawn from philatelic sale in mid-1982. In the field they were used until stocks ran out, generally by the end of 1984. Because of changes in how postage due was assessed and indicated, the Red Dues were not replaced with a new series. John Arn founded and was Chairman and Editor of the BNAPS Queen Elizabeth II Study Group from 1992-2000. He was awarded the John Siverts Award three times (1994, 1996, 2000) for the study group’s newsletter, Corgi Times, received the BNAPS President’s Award in 1993, and was Chairman of BNAPEX 2002. He also served on the Committee of the Inland Empire Philatelic Society of Washington, chairing their annual ‘Apple Harvest’ stamp show in 2001 and 2002, and was a member of the PIPEX 2001 host committee. For 19 years he coordinated an annual philatelic weekend for more than 50 collectors at Lake Moses, WA. He passed away in Colbert, WA on 21 April 2012.