Isle of Man Post Office is pleased to present an overprint of its Sapphire Anniversary of HM Queen miniature sheet, originally issued in February, in celebration of Canada's 150th Anniversary of its confederation, where the current ruling monarch is Queen Elizabeth II. The sheet is due for release on Saturday, 1st July, and features the Canada 150 logo.
Canada was officially born on July 1st, 1867 and tomorrow marks the nation's 150th anniversary, when the Constitution Act joined three provinces into one country, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Canada province, which then split into Ontario and Quebec. The overprint miniature sheet celebrates Canada's 150th Anniversary and depicts the eclectic array of gifts Her Majesty's has received whilst on state visits during her 65 year reign, that were either put on display at royal palaces or loaned out to museums, zoos or galleries, the main gift being featured is Burmese the horse. The sheet includes black and white and colour imagery, and a black and white £3.75 stamp showing HM The Queen being presented with the horse Burmese by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police when they came to the UK to perform in the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1969. Burmese went on to have huge ceremonial importance having been ridden by HM Queen for the Trooping the Colour from 1969 until 1986. There is also a statue of Her Majesty riding Burmese at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina, Canada.
Maxine Cannon, Isle of Man Stamps & Coins General Manager, said: "We are pleased to celebrate Canada's 150th Birthday as an independent nation with this special overprint miniature sheet."
The miniature sheet is available to order from today and can be purchased at www.iompost.com.