Comment

Schering Corporation, a prominent pharmaceutical company originally founded in Germany in 1851, expanded into Canada in 1926, establishing operations in Montréal. In the 1960s, the company took an unconventional approach to marketing by issuing First Day Covers (FDCs) — specially designed envelopes featuring newly released Canadian postage stamps and official first-day-of-issue postmarks. These collectible pieces served as a distinctive and memorable way to engage clients and stakeholders.

While pharmaceuticals and philately may seem like an unlikely combination, Schering’s use of FDCs was a strategic marketing and relationship-building tool. By offering these culturally relevant keepsakes to medical professionals, industry partners, and employees, the company reinforced its connections in a thoughtful and elegant manner. Many of these covers showcased refined typography, intricate cachets (illustrated or printed designs on the envelope), and informative text related to the stamp’s theme.

This FDC is dedicated to Expo 67 and was issued on April 28, 1967, the exhibition’s opening day. It showcases a striking typographic design, printed in red ink with blue overprinting, with the Expo 67 symbol reversed out in white. Below, two columns of supporting text appear in English only (it is unclear whether a French version was also produced). The official postal stamps, designed by Harvey Thomas Prosser, are arranged in a block of four in the upper right corner and feature the Canadian Government Pavilion. Notably, the cancellation for this FDCs was processed in Montréal at the Canada Post Office within Expo 67, rather than bearing the customary Ottawa postmark from the capital.

All Archives