Collins White Circle Modified Numbering Part I

The first 265 (of 459) books Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd published in their White Circle imprint had a simple numbering system - just the number. But with book 347 a "CD" was added to the front of the number. Books 348 and 349 don't have the CD but all books from 350 to 545 do. Early on the prefix was "CD" then "C.D." and sometimes "C.D". The change happened mid way through 1948.

What does it mean? There is no obvious connection with the publisher or imprint name. I believe the CD stood for Curtis Distributing Company of Canada, one of the largest wholesalers of magazines and paperbacks in Canada. The American parent was part of the company that published the Saturday Evening Post. Collins earliest distributors for the White Circles were American News Company east of BC and a local distributor in BC. Sometime in the mid 1940s Collins switched to Curtis.

White Circle 346 - 1948

White Circle CD 347 - 1948

White Circle C.D. 545X - 1952