_Remarks_.—The Eight Cents was withdrawn from circulation in January,
1878. The Five Cents imperforate is taken from _The Halifax Philatelist_
for November, 1888. With regard to the much disputed Two Cents, brown,
the members of the Society think they cannot do better than reproduce
here the interesting article published in the above-mentioned paper for
January, 1888, upon this stamp.
“THE CANADIAN ERROR.
“The Canada Two Cent brown registration, is at this time
mentioned frequently in the _Figaro_ and several other
philatelic publications. As there seems to be considerable
doubt as to the origin, and as I was in the main instrumental
in introducing them to the philatelic public, I have decided to
give the information I possess on this subject to them.
“About the beginning of January, 1887, I was shown a registered
letter received from Miscou Lighthouse Post-office, in New
Brunswick. It had a BROWN Two Cent registration stamp on
it—a clear unmistakable dark brown. I immediately wrote the
postmaster there for information relative to them. He answered
and said that he had twenty-three on hand; that he had
originally received fifty from the Post Office Department at
Ottawa; and that they were BROWN when he received them. This he
stated positively. I then sent to him for them, but before my
letter reached him he had used two of them, so that I received
only twenty-one.
“Those stamps I showed to several philatelists, and could not
get two to agree as to their origin. Some said the change in
colour was due to the gum, others to chemical changes, others
again said it was due to the atmosphere from the salt water.
Very few would allow a misprint. In the meantime Mr. F. C. Kaye
came across another registered letter with brown registration
stamp. This time it was from the Post-office of New Ross, in
Lunenburg Co., N.S. From this office about fifty were obtained.
The postmaster at this office was also positive as to having
received them from the Department at Ottawa in brown. The
same objections were raised to those as to the others, as to
whether they were genuine misprints or not. In this case the
atmosphere of salt water was not the cause, as New Ross is
in the interior. If the gum was the cause of their changing
colour, it is peculiar we do not get more of them. Changes by
chemical means were also tried. The only thing which would turn
the red of the genuine colour to brown was sulphuric acid mixed
with water, and this did not give a good clear colour, having
a somewhat greyish shade in it. Those experiments have, in my
opinion, confirmed their genuineness. And now as if to make
assurance in regard to their genuineness more sure, we find a
third Post-office with them. This was Beauly, in Antigonish
Co., N.S. There were, however, only six received from there.
The postmaster had the same story as the others—he had received
them from the Department at Ottawa in a brown colour.
“After reading this, I do not think that any reasonable-minded
person will doubt their genuineness.
“The Department at Ottawa was written to in regard to them,
but, as was to be expected, knew nothing of them whatsoever. No
doubt if they had been seen they would not have been allowed to
be issued to the public.
“We do not deny that time does change the colour in stamps,
but with those we do not think that it had anything to do. A
friend of ours informed us that in looking over a lot of old
letters which he had taken out of a trunk, and which had not
been opened for several years, he found among them several
registered letters, one with the Two Cent registration stamp
almost a black, all the others having their normal colour. With
due consideration and deference to better judges than myself,
I have no doubt in saying that it is my firm belief that those
Canada Two Cent, brown, registration stamps are a genuine
misprint.
“DONALD A. KING.”
The members have not had an opportunity of examining any of the specimens
referred to in Mr. King’s paper, so they are unable to give an opinion
upon them. At the same time it should be stated that copies of this
stamp are frequently met with showing traces of oxidation; some changed
completely to brown or even black in colour. It seems therefore probable
that the specimens described by Mr. King may be referred to the same
category.