The Stamps of Canada Part 8

We are now in possession of, as we presume, the entire series of stamps for the Dominion of Canada, consisting of seven values--1/2 cent, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12-1/2, and 15 cents. It would be indeed odious to compare them with the issues for another confederation lately formed. They are the work of a newly-formed colonial company, and are worthy to take rank beside any which have been manufactured by the rival companies of New York. The design, as we stated last month in noticing the 15c--the first of the set to appear--bears a resemblance to that of the lower values of Nova Scotia, but shows the Queen's head turned to the right. The new "British American Bank Note Company, of Montreal and Ottawa", has done well to copy so good a device, and certainly has not spoilt it, as the English engravers did in the four penny South Australian. Moreover, whilst retaining the central figure, by enclosing it in a differently-patterned frame for each value, they have given greater variety to the series. In all, care has been taken to make the numerals distinct; and it is as well that this has been done, as two of the values a.s.similate considerably in shade. The half cent is distinguished from the rest by its smallness--it is quite one-third less in size, but the device is the same. The stamps are all printed on substantial paper, are perforated, and of the following colors:

1/2 cent black 1 " dull red 2 " green 3 cents vermilion 6 " brown 12-1/2 " deep-blue 15 cents mauve

The two lowest values are for newspapers, and are far from being acceptable, notwithstanding their beauty of design, to the journalists. It had been expected that newspapers would be sent throughout the Canadian provinces free of charge; and there has been in consequence, a loud but ineffectual outcry against the general imposition of even a reduced rate of postage, and more especially at the enactment, that the charge must be paid by senders. "Proprietors of journals," says the _Quebec Chronicle_, "find it hard enough at present to collect the simple subscription, without demanding postage in advance. People who writhe at present under the payment of their bare paper account, will find forwarding postage, in advance, an excruciating sacrifice." The 2 cents is no doubt primarily intended for soldiers' letters. The 3 cents pays the new single rate for postage; the 6 cents the charge on letters to the United States. The 12-1/2c represents the postage to England; and the 15c the rate for letters sent via New York.

Possibly a 10c will yet be added to the series, but the old 17c will find no subst.i.tute in it. The new rates came into operation on the 1st April, and we suppose on that date all the pre-existing stamps of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were withdrawn.

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The stamps of this series provide quite an extensive range of shades, especially as regards the 2c, 6c, and 15c. In the case of the latter value the range of tints is so great that it is difficult to know what was its originally intended color. The first shade was evidently mauve, as given in the _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ chronicle, but, as is so frequently the case with mauves, lilacs and violets, tint variations were soon noticed. Shades varying from deep red lilac to grey and blue-grey are known. It is difficult to draw the line, in some instances, between true shades and "fades" but the grey would appear to be undoubtedly a true color variety and one that should be recognised as a provisional, if wholly unintentional, color change. Scott, in fact, lists it as a separate issue under the date 1875-77, but this is an arbitrary cla.s.sification which has, apparently, no foundation in fact, and the best plan is to include the variety in its logical place with the rest of the 1868 series.

The paper used for this set of stamps is what is generally known as "wove" and it varies, as Mr. Howes states, "from a very thin, almost pelure quality to a quite hard and thick variety." Mr. King, who was evidently untiring in his efforts to discover varieties of paper, says, "This series is of a most interesting nature, having a very large number of varieties of paper, all quite distinct, and specimens of some are of considerable rarity." Mr. King then lets himself go and describes some _seventeen_ varieties of paper but, with the exception of two well marked varieties to which we shall make extended reference shortly, they all seem to resolve themselves into minute variations of the wove paper such as can be found in connection with most stamps of the 'sixties and 'seventies with the aid of a micrometer and a well trained imagination!

We doubt whether any specialist, however willing and enthusiastic, could follow Mr. King through his intricate listing.

Scott's catalogue lists a sub-variety of all values except the 1/2c on "watermarked" paper. The watermarked letters found in these stamps were known at least as early as 1870 and much speculation was rife as to their meaning. Mr. John N. Luff finally solved the problem by a.s.sembling a large number of the watermarked stamps so that he was able to reconstruct the complete watermark, viz:--

E. & C. BOTHWELL CLUTHA MILLS

The letters are large double lined capitals 12-1/2 mm. high with the exception of the initial letters E, C and B of the upper line, which are 13 mm. high. The "watermark" is, of course, the trademark of the paper manufacturer and, like other watermarks of a similar nature, it is not of very great philatelic importance. It is very generally presumed that the paper watermarked in this manner was used provisionally--an opinion with which Mr. Howes seems to concur by his statement that "the watermarked paper must therefore have been used sometime during the course of the year 1868, probably the middle, when supplies of all values except the 1/2c were printed." But we fail to find from any evidence so far adduced that this watermarked paper was in use only during some well defined period. The fact that it is not found in connection with the 1/2c proves nothing for this value was of a different size from the others and doubtless paper of a different size, but the same quality was used so as to prevent unnecessary waste in cutting into sheets for printing. At best, as we have already stated, it is but a papermaker's trade mark, and it is difficult to understand on what grounds it is included in the catalogue as a variety to the exclusion of similar and well known examples in the stamps of other countries. We must confess that more importance seems to be attached to the variety than is warranted by its philatelic status and we commend to our readers' attention Major E. B. Evans' pertinent comments regarding it, viz:--

We feel bound to state that, unless the paper itself is of a different nature from the plain wove, this watermark seems to us to possess no interest whatever. It is evidently entirely unofficial, and it is quite possible that it only occurred in one sheet out of several of identically the same paper.

The other variety of paper which calls for special mention is a "laid"

paper found in connection with the 1c and 3c values. It is obviously a true "laid" paper, the laid lines being very distinct, fairly wide and quite evenly s.p.a.ced. While the use of this paper was, no doubt, quite unintentional, it is a distinct variation from the normal wove which cannot be ignored by specialists, though we hardly think it is ent.i.tled to rank as a "major" variety as shown by the cla.s.sification followed in Scott's catalogue. The 3c was discovered first and was mentioned in the _Philatelic Record_ for March, 1882, as follows:--"Mr. Tapling informs us that he possesses the 3 cents red, issue of 1868, on laid paper." A few months later Mr. Corwin discovered a copy of the 1c which he described in the _National Philatelist_ for January, 1883, as follows:--

Some time since I saw noted in the _Philatelic Record_ the existence of a 3 cent Canada stamp, emission of 1868, on laid paper. In looking through my Canadian varieties, after reading this note, I discovered also a copy of the one cent red, same emission, on laid paper.

This laid paper was evidently used during the printing of the early supplies of the 1c and 3c denominations. Scott's catalogue lists the varieties under the date "1870" but we can find no evidence of any kind in support of this cla.s.sification. Messrs. Corwin and King record a copy of the 1c postmarked November 27th, 1868, and the 3c is known dated August 31st, 1868, all of which points to the early use of this laid paper. The 15c on "thin paper, horizontally laid" was mentioned in the _American Journal of Philately_ for October, 1892, on the authority of Mr. F. de Coppet but as the variety is not now catalogued and no copy seems to be known we presume its authenticity is a debatable question.

The 1c, orange, was at one time listed on laid paper but this has been satisfactorily proved to be simply a "figment of the imagination".

In his article in the _London Philatelist_ Mr. C. L. Pack describes the 15c as existing on "distinctly soft ribbed paper". Mr. King gives "ribbed" varieties for all values on both thin and thick soft paper but, as in the case of the earlier Canadian stamps found on ribbed paper, we think a lot of proof is yet necessary before these varieties can be accepted as anything better than accidental vagaries of printing.

The perforation used for the stamps of this series had a gauge of 12, as with the stamps of the preceding issue, and was the work of single line or guillotine machines. That is, each line of perforation, both horizontally and vertically, represented a separate stroke on the machine. The _Monthly Journal_ for February, 1899, lists a minor variety of perforation in the 2c, 3c, 6c, 12-1/2c and 15c denominations in which the measurement is 11-1/2 x 12. Whether a machine with a gauge of 11-1/2 was in temporary use at some time or other is uncertain but if such was the case it seems strange that no copies are known perf. 11-1/2 all round or perf. 12 x 11-1/2. Even if it were due to a slight error in the placing of the perforating needles in some part of the full row it is strange that specimens gauging 12 x 11-1/2 are not known. We have been unable to find any further references to these varieties other than that stated above so that, until more information is forthcoming on the subject, they should be accepted with reserve.

The 15c of this series is known entirely imperforate and Mr. Howes records the 1/2c as existing in a horizontal pair, imperforate between.

The only "split" found in connection with this series occurs in the case of the 6c denomination, diagonal halves of which are known to have done postal duty as 3c. These appear to have been entirely unauthorized though, as they undoubtedly pa.s.sed through the mail, they have an interest to collectors of stamps on cover.

_Reference List._

1868. Engraved and Printed by the British American Bank Note Company, at Ottawa. Wove paper. Perf. 12.

16. 1/2c black. Scott's No. 21.

17. 1c brown red. Scott's No. 22.

18. 2c green, Scott's No. 23.

19. 3c red, Scott's No. 24.

20. 6c brown, Scott's No. 25.

21. 12-1/2c blue, Scott's No. 26.

22. 15c lilac, Scott's No. 27.

23. 15c gray, Scott's No. 39.

CHAPTER VIII.--_The 1c Orange of 1869._

The 1c and 3c stamps of 1868 were so alike in color that it was soon found that confusion was easily possible between the two values. Early in 1869, therefore, the color of the 1c was changed to orange to prevent further mistakes. The exact date at which this change took place is not known, but in the _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ for March 1st, 1869, we read:--

We have just received copies of the one cent printed in brilliant orange. No doubt this colour has been adopted in order better to distinguish it from the 3 cents, which it has. .h.i.therto too nearly approached.

From the above extract it would seem that the orange colored stamps were in use at least as early as February and though it has been a.s.serted that the change took place on January 1st, 1869, we believe there are no official doc.u.ments or early dated specimens in existence that would substantiate this statement.

These 1c stamps may be found in both orange and yellow shades as well as a combination of both. So far as is known they were printed from the same plate or plates as the earlier brown-red stamps.

The paper is the same as that used for the other denominations, _i.e._ wove, and the fact that this variety is not known with the watermark of the papermaker's trade mark is generally adduced as the strongest evidence in support of the theory that this watermarked paper was only of a provisional nature and was used some time during 1868.

The perforation is the usual 12 and specimens are known entirely imperforate.

_Reference List._

1869. Change of color. Wove Paper. Perf. 12.

24. 1c orange, Scott's No. 31.

CHAPTER IX.--_The Large 5c Stamp._

Although it somewhat interrupts the chronological sequence of our narrative, before dealing with the small "cents" stamps, first appearing in 1870, it will be as well to give the history of the large 5c stamp which, though not issued until 1875, really belongs by virtue of its type and general appearance to the series of 1868.

It is known that the die for this 5c stamp was engraved in 1867 at the same time the dies for the 1/2, 1c, 2c, 3c, 6c, 12-1/2c and 15c values were prepared for, in the _American Journal of Philately_ for June, 1868, it is stated:--

The Canadian Government have had a 5 cent stamp prepared, engraved of the same type as the present set, the most noticeable difference being the circle round the head which is corded. The specimen sent us is printed in brown on India paper, bearing the Company's imprint underneath.

Though the die was all ready, as amply proved by the above extract, no plate was made as there was then no postal rate which required such a denomination. In 1875, however, the single letter rate between Canada and Great Britain was reduced to 5c as stated in the Postmaster-General's Report for 1875, viz.:--

A treaty for the formation of a General Postal Union, and for the adoption of uniform postal rates and regulations for International correspondence, was arranged and signed at Berne, Switzerland, in October, 1874, by the representatives of the Post Offices of the chief Nations of the world. This agreement took effect between all the countries which were directly parties to the Treaty in July last. The Treaty did not include the British Possessions beyond the sea, but Canada has, with the concurrence of the Imperial Government, applied for admission as a member of this Postal Union.

Meanwhile the letter rate of postage between Canada and the United Kingdom has, by arrangement with the Imperial Post Office, been reduced to the International rate of 2-1/2 pence sterling--5 cents currency--established by the Union Regulations; and this reduction has also been made applicable to correspondence pa.s.sing by way of New York, making the rate between Canada and the United Kingdom uniform at 5 cents by whatever route conveyed.

Although the Report alluded to above is dated June 30th, it must have been published at a later date as the "July last" mentioned refers to July, 1875, and when the 5 cent rate came into operation stamps to fit this new rate were wanted in such a hurry that, as a temporary expedient, a plate was made from the die engraved in 1867 pending the preparation of a die conforming to the small sized stamps then in general use. There was only one printing and the total number issued is believed to have been about one million. Mr. Howes says it was issued on October 1st, 1875.

In 1877 the 5c single letter rate was, by treaty, extended to embrace the German states of Prussia, Baden, Bavaria, Hanover, Saxony and Wurtemberg and in the same year the rate on a single letter to Newfoundland was reduced from 6c to 5c. At this time, of course, the small sized 5c stamps were in use but it will better preserve the continuity of our study of the postal rates to make one more extract from the Postmaster-General's Reports--that for 1878,--viz.: