Not above ½ oz. “direct” 7½d.
Ditto, by United States and British Packet 10d.
Ditto, by United States Packet 1s 5½d.
The present Inspector of Post-offices is Mr. C. J. Macdonald, and the
Postmaster at Halifax Mr. H. W. Blackader. The stamps of this Colony
became obsolete on May 27th, 1867, the date of the formation of the
Dominion of Canada.
Before giving a detailed list of the stamps of Nova Scotia, the Society
thinks it would be advisable to reproduce here the excellent articles
upon the stamps of this Colony from the pen of Mr. Donald A. King, which
were published in _The Halifax Philatelist_ for December, 1887, January
and December, 1888. Most of the information Mr. King gives is entirely
new to collectors, and he traces back the date of the first issue from
1857, the year it has previously been put down at in the catalogues, to
September 1st, 1851.
“ISSUING OF THE FIRST POSTAGE STAMPS IN NOVA SCOTIA.
“In looking over any of the standard stamp catalogues, the
reader will see that the date for the issue of postage stamps
in Nova Scotia is 1857, and New Brunswick in 1851. It always
seemed to me as very peculiar, considering the nearness of the
two countries and the resemblance in their Governments, that
Nova Scotia should be so long behind New Brunswick in issuing
stamps.
“I determined to turn the matter up on the first possible
occasion, and see if the dates were in reality correct.
“On enquiring at the Provincial Secretary’s office in Halifax,
I found that all records of the Nova Scotian Post Office
Department had, at the confederation of the British North
American provinces, been transferred to Ottawa. However,
through the kindness of the Hon. W. S. Fielding, the Provincial
Secretary, I found in the legislative library the yearly
reports of the Postmaster-General of the province for the years
previous to confederation. Starting with 1857—the supposed date
of issue—I found that postage stamps were regularly mentioned
in all parts of the Departmental accounts.
“It was the same in 1856, 1855, and 1854. A person would
imagine from the way the accounts read that stamps had been
used for twenty years previous.
“In the Reports dated January 7th, 1854 (being the work for
1853), I found an item of information which is not given in any
catalogue. It is as follows:
“‘ONE PENNY postage stamps having recently been received from
London and put into circulation are now to be had in nearly
every Post-office in Nova Scotia.
“‘There are at present stamps for One Shilling, Six Pence,
Three Pence, and One Penny; and the public have thus every
facility afforded them to prepay their letters to any place
to which stamps can free them. His Excellency’s Government
having at considerable outlay introduced into the country
the system of prepayment by stamps, it is a subject of
gratulation that the public at large are beginning to feel
and appreciate their convenience and advantages, a much
larger amount having been issued from my office during the
past than the previous year, being an increase of over 25 per
cent., as will be seen by reference to Report I.’
“Thus finding that the One Penny had not been issued till some
time after the other values were, I then turned to the Report
dated January 2nd, 1853 (being the report for the year 1852),
in which he says:
“‘Postage stamps valued at One Shilling, Six Pence, and
Three Pence have been procured from Trelayney Saunders,
Esq., stationer, of London, and supplied to stationers,
postmasters, merchants, and others at a discount of 5 per
cent. allowed on sums of £5 and upwards. During the past year
there have been issued from my office postage stamps to the
value of £355 2s. 6d. This is a much smaller circulation than
was anticipated at the time of their introduction into the
provinces, the public generally, I apprehend, not yet clearly
understanding their use, nor appreciating their advantages.
“‘They are deposited with the Receiver-General for safe
keeping, from whom I procure them when a supply is needed.
Application has been made for One Penny stamps, which are
expected to arrive shortly.’
“Then taking the Report for January 5th, 1852, I find among the
accounts of the Post Office Department for the quarter ending
the 5th January, 1852, the following issues:
“‘By amount of postage stamps on hand £100
By amount due Receiver-General for postage stamps 100
Consisting of 3 penny to value of £52
” ” 6 ” ” 24
” ” 1 shilling ” 24’
“Also in same Report accounts for quarter ending 5th October,
1851.
“‘By amount of postage stamps £100
Cash paid to Hon. Jos. Howe, being amount remitted by
him to Trelayney Saunders, Esq., for postage stamps
for Nova Scotia £221 14s. 8d.’
“These extracts from Postmaster General’s Reports and from Post
Office Department Accounts will positively decide the question
as to date of issue.
“The Three Penny, Six Penny, and One Shilling were, I should
think, issued to the public in the second quarter of 1851; and
the One Penny were probably put out about the last part of 1853.
“In the same Reports I also found the following:
“‘To remedy to some extent the serious inconvenience said
to be experienced by merchants and others in consequence
of there being no Seven and One Halfpenny currency postage
stamp, by which parties who feel desirous could thus prepay
their letters to England, and not wishing to put the province
to any further expense in having another ‘die’ prepared,
I considered it expedient to allow half stamps to be used
with those now in use, to obviate the want of accommodation
complained of; and a circular was accordingly forwarded to my
deputies, and a notice issued to the public, to the effect
that letters could be prepaid to England by stamps by parties
using a Six Pence or two Three Penny stamps together with
half a Three Penny stamp. The Three Penny stamp to be cut
diagonally, and the Half to be equivalent to 1½d. The Three
Penny stamp alone to be used for that purpose.’
“The Three Penny stamp I have never seen cut and used in that
manner. This order was issued after the reduction of the packet
postage to England from 1 shilling to 7½ pence.
“Major Evans in his Catalogue mentions the Three Penny
surcharged ‘PAID 5 CENTS,’ and also overprinted ‘5 CENTS.’
This I think can be easily explained, as will be seen by the
following: About 1854 (I think, but am not sure) an agreement
was entered into between the Postmasters-General of Nova Scotia
and the United States for the exchange of correspondence
between their respective countries. It was agreed upon that the
postage should be 5 cents, the Nova Scotian Three Penny stamp
to be equal to that value.
“All letters going to the United States from Nova Scotia, west,
to be stamped on the face, whether they were paid or not, by
the office which despatched the mail to the United States.
The stamp which was used for that purpose corresponds in all
particulars with the supposed surcharges. This stamping I have
no doubt has occasionally been done on the postage stamps, and
thus those so-called surcharges have become known.
“All the efforts that I made to find out who first proposed
the introduction of postage stamps in Nova Scotia were in
vain. But I presume, judging from the accounts of the Post
Office Department, that the Hon. Joseph Howe was instrumental
in doing so. This indeed was an act worthy of the liberal and
enlightened mind of one of Nova Scotia’s greatest sons.
“DONALD A. KING.”
“NOVA SCOTIA STAMPS.
“In the December number of this paper I had an article on the
proper date of issue of the Pence stamps of Nova Scotia. In it
I ventured to assert that they were issued in the middle of
1851. Since then, on further investigation, I have discovered
the exact date of issue. The proof is obtained in the following
extract from the _Chronicle_ of the 30th of August, 1851:
“‘NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC.
“‘Postage stamps having been received from England, notice
is hereby given that stamps of Three Pence, Six Pence, and
One Shilling can be purchased at this office on and after
_Monday, the 1st day of September next_.
“‘NOTE.—Postage stamps before being used should be examined
to ascertain that they will firmly adhere (as in the event of
their falling off the letters become charged with postage),
they should then be placed on the front of the letter, _and
upon the right hand corner of the upper side_. Should this
direction not be attended to, from the rapidity with which
the duty must be performed, letters which bear stamps will
frequently be taxed, while the parties receiving them will
be put to much trouble in obtaining a return of the postage
improperly charged.
“‘In all cases of complaint, whether of any irregularity,
the covers of the letters (and contents in all practicable
cases) must invariably be kept and sent to the post-office as
affording the only means of investigating the complaint.
“‘A. WOODGATE, D.P.M.G.
“‘GENERAL POST OFFICE, HALIFAX, _August 25th, 1851_.’
“This will, I think, settle the matter as to the proper date of
issue.
“While on this subject it would be as well to give the same
information in regard to the Cent issue of Nova Scotia,
although there is no error in regard to the date of those as
there is to the first issue. The extract following is taken
from the Report of the Postmaster-General of Nova Scotia for
1860. He says:
“‘Postage stamps of a new design, and adapted to the decimal
system, were obtained, with the consent of the Governor
in Council, from the New York American Bank Note Co., and
circulated on the 1st of October last (1860). The design,
colour, and value of the stamps are as follows: One Cent,
black; Five Cent, blue; Eight and a Half Cent, green; Ten
Cent, scarlet; and Twelve and a Half Cent, black.
“‘A supply of 19,000 sheets, or 1,900,000 stamps, equal in
value to 132,000 dollars, has been obtained from the above
firm, costing for their manufacture and incidentals 901.50
dollars.’
“It will be seen that there is no mention made of the Two Cent
stamp. This value was not issued till some time after the other
stamps had been, for the reason that there was no use for it
until what was called the ‘County Postage Act’ came into force.
The following extract from the Postmaster-General’s Report is
self-explanatory:
“‘To enable me to carry out that part of the Act, passed
during the last session, in reference to the Post-office
reducing the postage to two cents on a letter posted in a
county for delivery within the said county, it was necessary
to procure for the public convenience a stamp for the
prepayment of this particular class of letters. Application
was accordingly made to the New York American Bank Note Co.
for a supply, and 5000 sheets were procured at a cost to the
Department, including die, of 226 dollars.
“‘The reduced rate came into operation on the 11th May
last, and has yielded for the first five months, ended 30th
September last (as far as I have been enabled to glean from
the returns in my possession) a revenue of 450 dollars, a
less amount, in my opinion, than would have been realized
under the higher rate for the same period.’
“The following list will give us the precise date of all except
the One Penny. Of it I can do no more than give the year, and
about the probable time, judging from the Postmaster-General’s
Report. The list is as follows:
3 pence }
6 ” } Issued 1st September, 1851.
1 shilling }
1 penny ” about 3rd quarter, 1853.
1 cent }
5 ” }
8½ ” } Issued 1st October, 1860.
10 ” }
12½ ” }
2 ” ” 11th May, 1863.
“Those extracts will, I think, finally settle the date of the
stamps of Nova Scotia.
“DONALD A. KING.”
“THE SURCHARGED AND PROVISIONAL STAMPS OF NOVA SCOTIA.
“The title of this is no doubt startling, but it is true
nevertheless. It is a well-known fact in Philately that nearly
every country has some stamps, provisional or error, that are
not found in catalogues, but which are nevertheless known to
exist, as the St. Pierre Miquelon P.D., the Bremen Marken
error, and so in Nova Scotia we have the so-called surcharges.
In February of this year I received a parcel of old Nova Scotia
stamps from a friend in Port Hastings, Cape Breton, and among
them I found three Three Penny stamps, with 5 c. in an oval
printed on them. They had all been cut out of the envelopes,
having a part of the paper as a margin, and as I had in writing
for them specified the dates between which the Pence issues
would be found, all the stamps had the respective dates of the
letters pencilled on the backs of them. Immediately taking
the three surcharged stamps I returned them, and asked if the
envelopes from which they were cut could be sent me, and I
was lucky enough to get them. I then thought I had a bonanza,
a regular surcharged stamp of Nova Scotia, overlooking the
fact that there were no other cancellation marks on them.
The three letters had all been mailed from the same office,
Baddeck, within a month—January 13th, 20th, the third the day
of the month does not show, 1860—and all addressed to the
same person. To make me more sure of the fact of their being
really a surcharge, I saw in No. 304 of _Le Timbre Poste_
an illustration of one which was in the collection of M. de
Ferrari, and which was precisely the same as the three I had.
Being informed that the postmaster who is now at Baddeck, was
the same as was there in 1860, I decided to write him for
information on the subject, and find out how those stamps came
to be surcharged. Imagine my disappointment when I received the
following answer:
“‘BADDECK, NOVA SCOTIA, _April 24th, 1888_.
“‘DEAR SIR,—Twenty-eight years ago I made my own stamps out
of wood, and had the 5 c. one that appears on envelopes
enclosed. Without any order I used the latter in manner
thereon as I do now in a hurry with ink or date stamp.
Enclosed paper shows stamps then in use, but I cannot find
the 5 c. one. I could tell you how the wind blew and the
temperature forty years ago, but I had a job to find the old
stamps.
“‘(Signed) ROBERT ELMSLY.’
“The stamps referred to in the letter were impressions from the
old hand stamps in his office. To understand the latter part
of this letter thoroughly, it must be understood that it was
a rule of the Nova Scotia Post Office Department (and is now
of the Canadian) that a stamp should not be cancelled with pen
and ink, or with date stamp, but with a cancellor, so that in
case the stamp should come off the postmark would be on the
envelope, and the origin of the letter could thus be found.
This of course could not be done if the postmark was on the
stamp. The objection to ink was that it could be cleaned, and
the stamp used again. This letter, of course, exploded the idea
of a surcharge. Not long after this Mr. J. N. Crane showed me
an envelope he had, which was mailed from Whycocomagh, C.B.,
February 29th, 1860, with a pair of Six Penny stamps with the
figure 10 surcharged on each; but, as in my own case, there
was no other cancellation on them. Mr. Crane’s theory is,
that as the currency was changed to dollars and cents in the
beginning of 1860, and that as 6d. was then worth only 10 c.,
that the postmaster at Whycocomagh put it on the Six Penny
stamps to show that he sold them for that price. If this was
the case I should think more would be found, and until then
I will continue to believe that this surcharge was only an
accidental cancellation, although in support of Mr. Crane’s
argument there is a figure five alongside of my own Three Penny
stamp, illustrated. It seems, however, a singular coincidence
that his and mine should be mailed at almost the same dates,
Mr. Crane’s being mailed at Whycocomagh, 1860. Another manner
in which those stamps are likely to be thus overprinted is
this: In 1854 there was a new postal treaty arranged between
the United States and Nova Scotia, one of the agreements of
which was that the rate should be 3d. per ½ ounce, and that
all prepaid letters sent by Nova Scotia to the United States
should be stamped on the face of them ‘PAID 5 CENTS,’ the
equal in United States currency to 3d., or 10 cents if it was
a double rate. This may have been occasionally struck on the
stamp accidentally, and would thus make a surcharge. I have
myself seen an envelope in which the edge of the paid stamp has
missed the Three Pence stamp by only a hair-breadth. Some of
the surcharges have no doubt originated in this manner.
“The provisional stamps of Nova Scotia are the split ones, of
which only one value, the Three Penny, was authorized to be so
used, and that for a specific purpose; viz., to allow the rate
of postage to Great Britain, 7½d., to be made up. This cutting
of the Three Penny was authorized by the Postmaster-General, as
in his report for 1853 he says, ‘To remedy to some extent the
serious inconvenience said to be experienced by merchants and
others in consequence of there being no Seven and One Halfpenny
currency postage stamps, by which parties who feel desirous
could thus prepay their letters to England, and not wishing
to put the province to any further expense in having another
“_die_” prepared, I considered it expedient to allow _half_
stamps to be used with those now in use to obviate the want of
accommodation complained of; and a circular was accordingly
forwarded to my deputies, and a notice issued to the public to
the effect that letters could be prepaid to England by stamps,
by parties using a Six Pence or two Three Penny stamps together
with _half a Three Penny stamp_. The Three Penny stamp to be
cut diagonally, and the half to be equivalent to 1½d. The Three
Penny stamp alone to be used for that purpose.’
“Of the authorised split stamps I have met with five varieties.
The Six Penny cut diagonally, and used as three pence; also Six
Penny, but cut perpendicularly, an extremely rare variety,
which is the only one I have ever seen cut in this manner. I
have also seen three other varieties; they are the Ten Cents,
cut diagonally and used as Five Cents, also cut perpendicularly
and used for same; and the Five Cents, cut diagonally and used
for the county postage of two cents.
“Another variety I have found is an oddity; it is a Six Penny
cut, and used for what? Under it is written in red pencil ‘5
CTS.’ I have two almost the same; the other has, however, only
the figure 5 in red under the half stamp. The stamps have
undoubtedly prepaid the letter, as the colour in which the ‘5
CTS.’ is written shows it, red being the paid colour. They
probably originated at some small post-office out of stamps,
and who marked them in red as paid letters, and sent them and
the money for stamps to the next post-office; or they were
given by some one on the road to a mail courier (as was the
practice then as now), with the money to prepay them, and he
marked them in red as prepaid, and had them stamped at the
nearest post-office.
“All the split stamps of Nova Scotia are very rare, and should
be greatly valued by collectors. Off the original envelope
they are valueless, and I have been sorely disappointed more
than once on receiving them in that condition. While in Nova
Scotia we have not got those varieties of types in stamps which
some other countries have; still, we can make up a number of
interesting varieties which are unknown to most collectors, and
in nearly every case have never been mentioned in catalogues.
“DONALD A. KING.”