3d., vermilion (shades).
6d., purple-black ( ” ).
12d., black.
_Remarks._—In _The Halifax Philatelist_ for July, 1888, a copy of the
official order notifying the issue of these three stamps is given. It is
as follows:
“P.O. DEPARTMENT. (ORDER NO. 4.)
“P. O. DEPARTMENT, TORONTO, _1st April, 1851_.
“_Stamps for Prepayment of Postage on Letters._
“Postage Stamps are about to be issued, one representing the
beaver, of the denomination of 3 pence; the second representing
the head of Prince Albert, of the denomination of 6 pence;
and the third representing the head of Her Majesty, of the
denomination of 1 shilling, which will shortly be transmitted
to the postmasters at important points.”
Issue II. 1852.
_Three values._ Identical in type with the preceding, but printed upon
white wove paper. The paper varies considerably in substance, especially
in the Three Penny value, which ranges from stout to nearly pelure.
The latter value is also found printed upon closely-ribbed thin paper.
(_Illustrations 8, 9, 10._)
(A) _Wove paper._
3d., vermilion, orange-vermilion (shades).
6d., black, olive-black, dull purple, dull violet (shades).
12d., black.
(B) _Closely-ribbed thin paper._
3d., vermilion.
_Remarks._—The Twelve Pence has not been catalogued before as found upon
wove paper, but undoubted used copies have been seen by members of the
Society.
Issue III. 1855-57.
_Three values._ Engraved and printed in _taille-douce_ by Messrs.
Rawdon, Wright, Hatch, and Edson on white wove or closely-ribbed
paper; brownish gum. Designs: TEN PENCE.—Profile bust portrait of
Jacques Cartier to right, on ground of horizontal lines, within an
oval, coloured border, inscribed with white Roman capitals. A cluster
of leaves on the left and a beaver on the right separate the upper
inscription from the lower; cross-hatched spandrels. In the upper “8d.
STG.,” or sterling; in the lower “10 CY.,” or currency, in white. Outer
border of two plain, coloured lines. SEVEN PENCE HALFPENNY.—The same
portrait of Queen Victoria as in the Twelve Pence of the first issue,
within coloured oval frame, inscribed with white block letters, the
upper inscription now reading “CANADA PACKET POSTAGE.” The upper and
lower left spandrels are inscribed “6d. STG.,” or sterling; and the
upper and lower right spandrels “7½d. CY.,” or currency, all in white,
on coloured cross-hatched ground. Outer border of two plain lines.
HALFPENNY.—Diademed profile of Queen Victoria to left, on ground of
horizontal lines, in oval frame, lettered with white Roman capitals;
reticulated spandrels; outer border of two plain lines. Shape, small
upright rectangular. (_Illustrations 11, 12, 13._)
T. “CANADA POSTAGE.” B. “TEN PENCE,” “SIX PENCE STERLING,” “ONE
HALF PENNY.”
(A) _Wove paper._
1st April, 1855, 10d., Prussian-blue (shades).
2nd June, 1857, 7½d., grass-green ( ” ).
18th July, 1857, ½d., rose ( ” ).
(B) _Closely-ribbed thin paper._
½d., rose.
_Remarks._—Two _soi-disant_ provisionals have been chronicled; viz., the
Halfpenny surcharged in black—one with an Arabic numeral “1,” and the
other with “8d. STG.” The Society can furnish no information concerning
these two stamps; but supposing the surcharges to be genuine, they are
probably only notifications of insufficient postage applied after the
letters were posted.
With regard to the portrait on the Ten Pence, tradition has always
assigned it to Jacques Cartier; but in the Catalogue of the Collection
of Stamps, &c., in the Museum at the Berlin Post Office, it is given
as that of Sebastian Cabot. However, as the same catalogue pronounces
the portrait on the Six Pence of issue I. to be that of Lord Elgin,
it is probably equally incorrect in the former case, more especially
as a writer in _The Halifax Philatelist_ for July, 1888, says “it is
identically the same as that of all the existing portraits of Jacques
Cartier, and totally unlike those existing of Sebastian Cabot.”
In the same article on _Canadian Stamps_ in _The Halifax Philatelist_ an
extract from the Postmaster-General’s Report for the year 1855 is given,
showing us the reason for the issue of the Ten Pence value. It was, “To
promote the general convenience in prepaying letters to Great Britain at
the new rate, postage stamps of the value of 10 pence currency, equal to
8 pence sterling, were procured and issued for sale.” The same article
gives the following extracts from the Postmaster-General’s Report for
1857: “To facilitate the prepayment of letters passing from Canada to
England by the Canadian steamers, a new stamp bearing the value of 6
pence sterling, or 7½ pence currency, being the Canadian Packet rate,
has been secured and put in circulation.” The article goes on to say,
“This stamp was rendered necessary on account of the contract between
the Canadian Government and the Allan Line of Steamers in regard to
carrying the mails, and by which contract the postage was reduced.” The
other extracts read: “A new stamp has also been introduced of the value
½ penny to serve as the medium for prepaying transient newspapers.”
“Moreover, the Department has been led by the increasing use of postage
stamps to take measures for obtaining the Canadian Postage Stamps on
sheets perforated in the dividing line in the manner adopted in England,
to facilitate the separation of a single stamp from the others on a sheet
when required for use.”
Issue IV. 1857.
_Three values._ Previously described, but machine-perforated.
(_Illustrations 8, 9, 13._)
(A) _Laid paper. Perforated 12._
6d., dull purple.
(B) _Closely-ribbed thin paper. Perforated 12._
½d., rose.
3d., vermilion.
(C) _Wove paper. Perforated 12._
½d., rose (shades)
3d., vermilion (shades)
6d., violet-black (shades).
_Sub-variety. Perforated 13._
3d., vermilion.
_Remarks._—The Seven Pence Halfpenny, green, and Ten Pence, blue,
perforated, exist in the collection of a well-known Parisian collector.
The authenticity, however, of the perforations appears to be doubtful.
Issue V. 1st July, 1859, and 1st August, 1864.
_Six values._ Printed by the American Bank Note Co., and consisting of
the previous designs, slightly modified in order to change the currency
from pence, to cents. ONE CENT.—The same as the One Halfpenny, save
for the alteration in value. TWO CENTS.—Almost the same design as
the One Cent, but differing somewhat in the spandrels, each of which
contains an oval, with Arabic numeral of value. This stamp was not
issued until 1st August, 1864. FIVE CENTS.—Same design as the Three
Pence, with substitution of the new value and numerals of value and
small ornaments between the two portions of the inscriptions. Spandrels
cross-hatched. TEN CENTS.—Same design as the Sixpence, with substitution
of the new value, and the Roman numeral “X” in each spandrel. TWELVE
AND A HALF CENTS.—Same design as the Seven Pence Halfpenny of 1857,
with substitution of the new value in the spandrels only. SEVENTEEN
CENTS.—Same design as the Ten Pence of 1835, with substitution of the
new value in the oval, and in the lower spandrels. The leaves and
beaver which separate the inscription in the Ten Pence are replaced by
small oval ornaments. The paper of this issue varies considerably in
substance, and the perforation is 12. Shapes: small oblong rectangular
for the Five Cents; small upright rectangular for the other five values.
(_Illustrations 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19._)
1 c., rose (shades).
2 c., ” (shades).
5 c., vermilion (shades).
10 c., brown, black-brown, brown-lilac, reddish-lilac, purple (many
shades).
12½ c., green, emerald-green (shades).
17 c., Prussian-blue (shades).
_Varieties._—(A) The Five Cents has been met with imperforate. (B) The
Five Cents is also known cut in half and used with a Ten Cents to make up
the “packet” rate of 12½ Cents.