by Larry Margetish
Many modern Canadian stamp collectors have heard of the Opal Manufacturing Company Ltd due to stamp booklets and stamp vending machines. This company started making stamp vending machines for the Post Office Department in 1955 [1]. Opal Manufacturing Company’s headquarters were at 20 Sheffield Street in Toronto, from at least 1964 until 1978 [2]. That site is pictured in Figure 1.
Stamp booklets became more important, as the main purpose of stamp vending machines was to allow the general public to purchase postage stamps in booklets while post office outlets were closed [3]. As of March 1969, Canada Post’s inventory of stamp vending machines totalled 4,017 [4]. Between October 1968 and July 1969, Canada Post reduced or eliminated Saturday service at many post offices, replacing this service by adding about 610 stamp vending machines inside or outside of post offices [5, 6]. This increased the awareness and visibility of stamp booklets to the public.
The Opal Manufacturing Company caught the philatelic community by surprise when their coin-operated equipment dispensed a new 25¢ booklet containing only 20¢ in Centennial postage stamps, first available on October 26, 1970. Figure 2 illustrates this Opal booklet outside cover (cover back, cover front). Previously, on September 9, 1970, Canada Post authorized Opal Manufacturing Company to allow for sale and distribution of these booklets through their private vending machines [7]. The new booklets were unannounced and not available through Canada Post philatelic agency, only through Opal Manufacturing Company and their vending machines [8]. Designed by A. Muller (likely Alois Muller, Opal’s president) to meet Post Office requirements, these sturdy machines were suitable for indoor or outdoor placement, and built to operate in the most severe weather conditions [2, 7, 8]. Serving a commercial need, around 100 of these private vending machines were originally in the Toronto area [8]. The private vending machine cases were to be black with a black face, as opposed to a red case and an aluminum front for Canada Post (shown below in Figure 6) [9].
These Opal booklet panes were printed in sheet form by Canadian Bank Note Company in Ottawa using steel engraving, and line perforated 12. Individual panes were affixed to the cover by selvage strip. The booklet covers were rouletted at the fold and held closed by spot gumming [10]. Collectors became intrigued because the first printing of booklets had a horizontally-perforated gutter between the two panes, demonstrated in Figure 3. Canada Post explained that the reason that the gutter was perforated [11] was “this was done experimentally in order to ease the folding operation.”
From a Canada Post philatelic information bulletin (June 1971) [10] distributed to some collectors, approximately 225,000 Opal booklets initially had a perforated gutter. The extra, horizontal gutter perforation was subsequently eliminated in later printings. Booklets were delivered criss-cross fashion in lots of 50 for insertion into the Opal machines. The Opal machine’s capacity was 200 to 250 booklets[8]. Collectors should beware that this perforated-gutter variety has been faked.
The general public grumbled at the surcharge of 5¢ over face for these Opal booklets. A similar reaction occurred with the 25¢ Centennial booklets containing just four 6¢ black Queen stamps, released also in 1970. While booklets were intended for consumer convenience, public pressure mounted to sell booklet stamps only at face value, without any hidden fees. In December 1971, Canada Post had around 4,030 stamp vending machines in use [1].
Eventually in March 1972, Canada Post announced that no more licences would be issued for the sale of postage stamps above their face value through private vending machines [12]. However, until at least November 1973, some hotel lobbies still had private vending machines selling envelopes of stamps above face value. A sample is displayed in Figure 4, with its contents shown in Figure 5. According to Doug Irwin, upon the death of the vending machine operator (Multiple Housing Services), Opal Manufacturing Company purchased the remainder of these envelopes and distributed them [13].
Canada Post utilized Opal Manufacturing Company’s coin-operated vending machines to dispense postage stamps in Centennial booklets, Caricature booklets and beyond, until at least 1987. Canada Post’s Standard Equipment Catalogue lists an Opal stamp vending machine as 20¼ inches tall, 11⅝ inches wide, 8 inches deep with a shipping weight of 38 pounds (17.3 kg) [14]. The booklet price could be set to either 25¢ or 50¢, requiring either one or two quarters to be inserted, depending on an internal adjustment. Figure 6 illustrates one of these Opal machines.
This article has presented a brief history of the Opal Manufacturing Company’s important role in producing and distributing Canadian postage stamp booklets.
References:
[1]. Letter December 7, 1971 in Library and Archives Canada (LAC), RG3-C-2, Volume 2414, File 76-14-22 Part 12, “Stamp vending machines – Opal – General,” 1970–1971.
[2]. Might’s Toronto City Directory lists Opal Manufacturing Company at 20 Sheffield Street in the years 1964, 1967, 1970, 1974 and 1978–1979. Online at: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/history-genealogy/lh-digital-city-directories.jsp .
[3]. Item “ADPMG – PSB Directive No. 227” dated November 4, 1963 in LAC, RG3-C-2, R169, Accession 1990-91/005, Volume 261, File 83-4-16, “Opal Stamp Vending Machines,” 1963–1972.
[4]. Undated quadrille page titled “Stamp Vending Machines – Maintenance Costs” in LAC, RG3-C-2, Volume 2414, File 76-14-22 Part 11, “Stamp vending machines – Opal – General,” 1969–1970.
[5]. Idem, Service Requirements Division letter of July 8, 1969 “Additional Stamp Vending Requirements – Reduced Weekend Service.”
[6]. Idem, Equipment Division letter of June 27, 1969 to Acting Director of Postal Service, Service Requirements Division.
[7]. Canadian Bank Note letter from A.H. Moody to A. Muller, dated December 11, 1970, in LAC, RG3-G-1, Volume 3852, File 13-21-13 Part 1, “Private manufacture and sale opal vending booklet.”
[8]. Idem, clipped newspaper article by Dr. Allan Hauck, “Canadian Stamps Printed To Private Order.”
[9]. Supra 1, July 13, 1970 Services Requirement Division three-page letter.
[10]. Supra 7, sheet “Information For Philatelists” on “Booklets For Privately-Owned Vending Machines” dated June 1971.
[11]. Postage Stamp Division letter to Peter Wiedemann, dated March 8, 1971, in LAC, RG3-G-1, Volume 3850, File 13-21-1 Part 4, “Postage Stamp Books – Suggestions enquiries and miscellaneous correspondence.”
[12]. Canada Post News Release dated March 20, 1972 in LAC, RG3-G-1, Volume 3851, File 13-21-10 Part 2, “Postage Stamp Books – Policy re postage stamp booklet,” 1969-1972.
[13]. Doug Irwin, “The Centennial Definitives Of Canada, 1967 To 1973—The Stamps And Their Usages,” British North America Philatelic Society Limited (BNAPS), Exhibit No. 120, page 80; see https://bnaps.org/books/bookdetails.php?bookid=305 .
[14]. Canada Post –Standard Equipment Catalogue, Canada Post, EQ1-B040 page 2..1, issued I 74 [January 1974].
Note: A version of this article has been submitted to BNA Topics, the journal of the British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS) and will be published in an upcoming edition. We thank the editors for permission to post it here.