To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), Canada Post has issued a single domestic rate ($0.48) stamp, which is available in a pane of 16.

Founding of the Toronto Stock Exchange
In 1852, a dozen citizens met in Toronto to trade for half an hour each morning. These citizens operated as a partnership until 1878, when the TSE, as it was then known, was incorporated by an act of the Ontario Legislature.

Growth and Change
In the early days of the Exchange, Canadians had difficulty obtaining new capital for their expanding economy. London was the financial centre of the world and was skeptical of Canada as a sound investment. With the formation of the TSE, Canada provided a market to attract new capital to the country, an important step in the economic development of Canada.

In 1878, the Exchange moved into its first permanent headquarters at 24 King Street East. In 1913, it relocated to 234 Bay Street, where in 1937, an 'ultra-modern' three-storey building was opened. Its trading floor was known as the 'temple of trading.' In 1983, the TSE moved to First Canadian Place and the Exchange Tower, and was on its way to becoming fully electronic. Six years after the TSE Board of Governors voted for full electronic trading, the floor closed in 1997. It was the first major exchange in North America to take this innovative step.

The TSX Today
Today, the TSX is the world's seventh-largest stock exchange, and investors may buy or sell more than 1,600 issues of over 1,300 listed companies. In 1955, the Exchange traded 1 billion shares worth $2.6 billion, and in 2000, more than 40 billion shares were traded, worth more than $944 billion.

In August 2001, the TSX, Canada's senior equities market, agreed to buy the Canadian Venture Exchange, Canada's junior equities market. In April 2002, the combined organization was named TSX Group. TSX Group collectively manages all aspects of Canada's senior and junior capital markets, and is a leader in a global industry.

A Bullish Design
Designed by Ivan Novotny, John Taylor and Patrick Sayers of Taylor|Sprules Corporation in Toronto, the stamp features visual icons depicting the past, present and future of the TSX. A detailed segment of the frieze from the old Bay Street building is juxtaposed with a representation of electronic ticker tape, while a hovering globe superimposed with crosshairs positions the TSX and Toronto in the global market.