The Stamps of Canada Part 10

The perforation used for the stamps of this series was the usual 12--the work of single-line or guillotine machines. All values are reported to exist perforated 11-1/2 by 12, as mentioned in connection with the issues of 1868, but this statement requires verification before it can be accepted as authoritative. All values are known entirely imperforate, the 3c in this condition being first recorded in the _Philatelic Record_ for December, 1882. Writing in the _London Philatelist_ in 1907 Mr. M.

H. Horsley says with regard to these varieties:--"Imperforated copies of various values were sold over the Post-office counter in Montreal about the years 1891-3 at their face value, and have been good for postage whenever people cared to use them." Writing a little later on the same subject Mr. C. L. Pack also vouches for them, viz.:--"I quite agree with Mr. Horsley in regard to the various imperforate copies of the issues of 1882 to 1895. There are a good many specimens of these stamps imperforate, and they were on sale at a Canadian Post Office." Curiously enough Gibbons' catalogue entirely ignores these imperforate stamps though Mr. Howes is able to adduce doc.u.mentary evidence in support of the statements made by philatelists of such undoubted authority as Messrs. Horsley and Pack.

Scott's catalogue records the 1/2c as existing in a horizontal pair imperforate between.

The same work records the 2c bi-sected diagonally or vertically and the halves used for 1c stamps, while Mr. Howes adds the 6c, cut vertically and used for 3c. But as the "Canadian Postal Guide" declares that "a mutilated stamp, or a stamp cut in half, is not recognised in payment of postage" such freaks can only have pa.s.sed through the mails by carelessness or favor and their philatelic interest is negligible.

In 1875 an Act of Parliament was pa.s.sed making the prepayment of letters by postage stamp obligatory and imposing a fine of double the deficiency on all insufficiently prepaid letters. At the same time local or drop letters (accepted for 1c) were restricted to 1/2 oz. in weight.

The Postmaster-General's Report for 1879 says:--

A reduction has been made, from the 1st September last, in the postage rate on closed parcels sent by post within the Dominion, from 12-1/2 cents per 8 oz. of weight to 6 cents per 4 oz. Under this change small parcels not exceeding 4 ounces in weight are admitted to pa.s.s for 6 cents instead of 12-1/2 cents as before.

It will thus be seen that this change did away with the chief use of the 12-1/2c value and made it practically useless. Hence the reason it was never included among the series of small "cents" stamps.

In 1889 another Post Office Act increased the limit of weight of single letters from 1/2 oz. to 1 oz., and at the same time increased the postal rate on local or drop letters from 1c to 2c, though a weight of 1 oz.

was allowed under the new schedule. An official notice recording these changes was published as follows:--

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

CHANGES IN POSTAGE RATES UNDER AUTHORITY OF POST OFFICE ACT 1889.

The rate of postage upon Letters posted in Canada, addressed to places within the Dominion or in the United States, will be 3 cents per ounce instead of 3 cents per half ounce as heretofore. Upon Drop Letters posted at an Office from which letters are delivered by Letter Carrier, the postage rate will be 2 cents per ounce, instead of 1 cent per half ounce. The rate of postage upon Drop Letters, except in the Cities where free delivery by Letter Carrier has been established, will be 1 cent per ounce.

The fee for the Registration of a letter or other article of mail matter, will be five cents upon all cla.s.ses of correspondence pa.s.sing within the Dominion. For the present and until further instructed, the registration fee may be prepaid by using the 2 cent Registration Stamps and Postage Stamps to make up the amount.

Letters insufficiently prepaid will be charged double the deficiency as heretofore, provided at least a partial payment has been made. Letters posted wholly unpaid will be sent to the Dead Letter Office for return to the writer.

JOHN G. HAGGART, _Postmaster-General._

Post Office Department, OTTAWA, 8th May, 1889.

_Reference List._

1870-82. Engraved and Printed by the British American Bank Note Co. of Montreal and Ottawa. Wove paper. Perf. 12.

26. 1/2c black, Scott's No. 40.

27. 1c orange, Scott's No. 32.

28. 2c green. Scott's No. 33 or 41.

29. 3c red. Scott's No. 34 or 42.

30. 5c grey, Scott's No. 38 or 43.

31. 6c brown, Scott's No. 35 or 44.

32. 10c magenta or brown red, Scott's No. 36 or 45.

CHAPTER XI.--_The 20c and 50c Stamps of 1893._

The Postmaster-General's Report for 1892 states that "Postage stamps of the value of 20 cents and 50 cents are about to be issued. These will be useful in prepayment of parcel post." These high values were, of course, intended to be used in making up relatively large amounts of postage.

They were not issued to be used in prepayment of any specific rates though a study of the postal rates of the period show that the postage on a parcel weighing up to one pound sent to the United Kingdom would require a 20c stamp, while a 2 lb. parcel sent to j.a.pan would take the 50c denomination. The same rates show that the postage on 1 lb. parcels sent to Newfoundland was 15c, though no stamp of this value had been issued subsequent to the series of 1868 nor has one ever since been included in the regular series.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

These new 20c and 50c labels were issued on February 17th, 1893, and while alike in design, except as regards the denotation of value, they are quite dissimilar from any of the previously issued postage stamps of the Dominion both as regards size and design. The portrait shows Queen Victoria in her widow's weeds and is similar to that shown on the Bill stamps which were first issued in 1868. Above the portrait CANADA POSTAGE is curved, and on straight labels at the foot is the value in words, while between this inscription and the lower part of the medallion are figures of value.

The stamps were, as usual, produced by the line-engraved process, and they were printed in sheets of 100 at the Ottawa establishment of the British American Bank Note Company. The manufacturer's imprint was shown twice on each sheet--in the centre of the upper and lower margins. This imprint consisted of the words "British American Bank Note Co. Ottawa,"

on a strip of solid color measuring 38 mm. in length and 2-1/2 mm. in height. This colored strip has square ends and is enclosed within a pearled border.

Both values were printed on the wove paper used for the other denominations then current and the perforation was the usual 12 made by single-line machines.

Evidently these values were but sparingly used, for Mr. Howes tells us:--

Both were ordered to the number of half a million copies in 1893, and in 1895 25,000 more of the 20 cent and 30,000 more of the 50 cent were delivered, with a final 200 copies in 1896. These quant.i.ties were sufficient to last until the 20 cent was superseded by the newer type in 1901, and the 50 cent by the King's head stamp in 1908. Some 1500 of the 20 cent were returned for destruction and about 10,000 of the 50 cent.

It seems hardly possible that but 200 copies of each were supplied in 1896--_i.e._ two sheets of each value--if they were the normal perforated stamps. Possibly this small supply consisted of the imperforates--both values being known in this condition--and if so they may have been printed to fill a special requisition. The imperforate 20c is on the normal shade but the 50c is, as Mr. Howes observes, in a "peculiar black blue" shade. There are no marked varieties in shade as can easily be understood from the few printings which took place.

_Reference List._

1893. Engraved and Printed by the British American Bank Note Co. of Ottawa. Wove paper. Perf. 12.

33. 20c vermilion, Scott's No. 46.

34. 50c deep blue, Scott's No. 47.

CHAPTER XII.--_The 8c Stamp of 1893._

Until 1889 the registration fee had to be prepaid by means of the special stamps issued for the purpose. When, in 1889, a uniform registration fee of 5c was adopted the public were given permission to use the ordinary postage stamps in making up the difference between the old rate of 2c and the new one. This was done largely to enable the old 2c labels to be used up. In 1893 it was decided to discontinue the use of special registration stamps altogether and to permit the payment of the registry fee by means of the regular postage stamps. As the rate of domestic postage was 3c at that time and the registration fee was 5c, a new stamp, by means of which both postage and registration could be paid together, it was decided, would be useful. Consequently an 8c denomination was issued, this being recorded in the _Philatelic Record_ for October, 1893, though, judging from the following extract from the WEEKLY for August 10th, 1893, it would appear that the new value was in general circulation at least as early as August 1st:--

The following orders were posted up in all Canadian post-offices on August 1st:

A new postage stamp of the value of 8c is now being put into circulation. This stamp will be available for the prepayment either of registration fee and postage combined, or of postage only. The 5c registration stamp, when the present supply is exhausted, will be withdrawn.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The new denomination, as stated in the _Philatelic Record_, "resembles in design the 3 cents of the current series; but the head of the Queen has been turned the other way, and is now to the left."

This stamp was of similar size to the other values of the set then current (excepting the 20c and 50c, of course) and it was printed from steel plates in sheets of 200 arranged in ten horizontal rows of twenty stamps each. According to Mr. Howes, there were no marginal imprints of any kind. This denomination was printed on wove paper and perforated 12 like the others. The variety with gauge of 11-1/2 x 12 is reported in connection with this value but, like the similar varieties of the earlier issues which we have already mentioned, the statement requires verification before it can be definitely accepted.

The 8c is known entirely imperforate in the blue-grey shade, which was one of the earliest if not the first shade for this stamp. The _Philatelic Record_ calls it "slate-grey" but evidently the tint now generally cla.s.sified as "blue-grey" was meant.

This stamp provides a large number of very distinct shade varieties.

Just 13 months after it was first chronicled the _Philatelic Record_ says:--"Whether by accident or intention does not appear to be quite clear, but copies of the present 8 cents are found in much darker color than we have hitherto seen. Messrs. A. Smith & Son have shown us copies that are slate-black of the darkest kind."