Canada 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway invert in May 5 Doyle sale

By Charles Snee

The Doyle New York auction firm will conduct a sale of stamps, coins, banknotes and sport collectibles May 5 at its gallery in New York City.

Featured in the sale will be the collection of 1851-1999 Canadian postage stamps formed by Robert J. Barish.

“The Robert J. Barish Collection of Canadian Postage Stamps 1851 to 1999 consists of many rarities, with strong emphasis on the Large and Small Queen issues,” Doyle said.

“Dr. Barish was a life-long collector who began acquiring stamps as a youngster, continuing his passion until his passing in 2019.”

Among the many stellar stamps in the Barish collection is a mint, never-hinged example of Canada’s most famous major printing error: the 1959 5¢ St. Lawrence Seaway stamp with center inverted (Scott 387a).

A small number of panes of the error were shipped to post offices.

Error panes were discovered in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Picton, Ontario; and Peterborough, Ontario, according to the Postage Stamp Guide.

The invert error in the Doyle sale possesses excellent centering and full perforations on all four sides. Doyle is offering it with an estimate of $7,500 to $10,000.

Canada Scott 387a is valued at $9,000 in mint condition in the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue. The value is italicized to indicate an item that trades infrequently and can be difficult to value accurately.

For more information about the May 5 Doyle auction, including online bidding options, visit the Doyle website or write to Doyle New York, 175 E. 87th St., New York, NY 10128. 

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