_BY E. D. BACON._
This island is situated between 46° and 47° N. lat., and between 62° and
64° W. long. Its area is about 1,380,000 acres; it is about 140 miles
long, and 34 its greatest breadth. It was discovered by Sebastian Cabot,
1497; it was first settled by the French, but was taken from them in
1758. It was annexed to Nova Scotia in 1763, but, on the petition of
its inhabitants, was constituted a separate colony in 1770. By an Act
passed in 1798, which came into operation 1st February, 1799, the island
received its present name from Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.
The introduction of postage stamps into the Colony took place on January
1st, 1861, as the following notice from _The Royal Gazette_ of that date,
published at Charlottetown, proves:
“POSTAGE STAMPS.
“The Public are hereby informed that stamps for the prepayment
of Letters and Packets to be sent by the Post will, on the 1st
January, 1861, be ready for circulation. The design, colour,
and value of each class of stamps are as follows:
The Queen’s Head, profile _green_, Six Pence.
” ” ” ” _blue_, Three Pence.
” ” ” ” _red_, Two Pence.
“The _blue_ or _red_ stamp will be received for payment of half
the sum it indicates, if cut in two diagonally.
“These stamps can be had at the General Post Office,
Charlottetown, and of all Postmasters on the island.
“(Signed) L. C. OWEN, _Postmaster-General_.
“GENERAL POST OFFICE, _December 26th, 1860_.”
We see from this notice the first issue consisted of three stamps,
forming five values with the two provisionals. Those first issued were
evidently the Two Pence, Three Pence, and Six Pence, perforated 9, as
they are the only values found with this large perforation. With regard
to the two provisionals, Mr. T. K. Tapling’s collection contains a
specimen of the Three Halfpenny, but I have never seen the bisected Two
Pence. The latter probably could only be employed for the prepayment of
books, &c., and consequently the stamps would get destroyed. It may be
also this provisional was soon replaced by the One Penny, orange-yellow,
when there would be no further call for its use. The disappearance of the
variety, although in this case we know the stamp was so used, naturally
strengthens the suggestions I have thrown out as regards the bisection of
the Two Pence Halfpenny and Three Penny stamps of British Columbia for
the prepayment of newspapers.
I am unable to give the date of issue of the One Penny and Nine Pence,
as I have found no mention of these two stamps in _The Royal Gazette_;
but the file I have had access to is a very incomplete one, several years
being missing altogether from the series. The Nine Pence currency stamp,
equal to 6d. sterling, was evidently issued for the prepayment of letters
to England, as the ½ oz. rate for letters between the two countries at
that time was 6d. sterling. Here let me remark that the currency of the
island was apparently more depreciated than that of the other North
American Colonies, where we have seen 7½d. currency was equal to 6d.
sterling.
The next notice, taken from _The Royal Gazette_ for October 22nd, 1868,
shows us the reason for the issue of the Four Penny stamp, which came
into use at this date or shortly afterwards.
“NOTICE.
“His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor in Council has been pleased
to approve of the following modifications in the Postal
Arrangement between the United States and this Island; viz.:
“On and after the first day of November next, the postage on a
single Letter shall be FOUR PENCE, if prepaid at the mailing
office, and Ten Cents (equal to Six Pence) if posted unpaid;
and for other than single Letters the same charge shall be made
for each additional half ounce, or fraction thereof. Letters
for British Columbia, California, and Oregon shall be Six
Pence, if prepaid, per half ounce.
“(Signed) THOMAS OWEN, _Postmaster-General_.
“GENERAL POST OFFICE, CH’TOWN, P. E. ISLAND, _October 21st,
1868_.”
Mr. Thomas Owen became Postmaster-General on April 30th, 1867, in place
of Mr. Peter Des Brisay, who succeeded Mr. L. C. Owen. Mr. John Andrew
McDonald was appointed to the office on January 15th, 1869, in place of
Mr. Thomas Owen, deceased.
_The Royal Gazette_ for May 27th, 1870, contains the following:
“REDUCTION OF POSTAGE TO GREAT BRITAIN.
“On and after the first June next, the postage on paid Letters
for Great Britain will be Three Pence sterling per half ounce,
instead of Six Pence sterling, as at present.
“(Signed) JOHN A. MCDONALD, _Postmaster-General_.
“GENERAL POST OFFICE, CH’TOWN, _May 20th, 1870_.”
And in the issue of _The Royal Gazette_ of June 10th, 1870, this notice
is found:
“MAILS, 1870. ARRANGEMENTS.
...
“Postage on Letters for the Dominion of Canada, 3d. cy. each
rate; for the United States, 4d. cy.; for Great Britain, 4½d.
cy.
“Newspapers for Newfoundland and West Indies, 1d. stg. each;
for Australia, New Zealand, &c., 2d. stg. each. Newspapers
for Great Britain, United States, and the Dominion of Canada
forwarded free.
“(Signed) JOHN A. MACDONALD, _Postmaster-General_.
“GENERAL POST OFFICE, CHARLOTTETOWN, _30th May, 1870_.”
The first of these two notices gives us the approximate date and cause
of issue of the Three Pence sterling (4½d. currency), brown stamp.
It is possible the stamp was not ready for issue on June 1st, as Mr.
Tapling’s collection contains a copy of the Nine Pence cut in half and
used as 4½d. This variety is said to have been taken off a letter sent
to England in 1870, so it is possible the Nine Pence was bisected and
used provisionally previous to the issue of the brown stamp. If this was
so, and the new stamp was not ready at the alteration of the rate, the
issue no doubt took place shortly afterwards. This Four Pence Halfpenny
stamp was engraved by the British American Bank Note Co., of Montreal
and Ottawa; the earlier stamps of the Colony being produced by Charles
Whiting, printer, of Beaufort House, Strand, London. It was this Mr.
Whiting who sent in so many essays and suggestions to the Government
previous to the introduction of postage stamps in Great Britain. As
collectors know, many of these designs are beautiful works of art
compared with the mean engraving of the stamps of Prince Edward Island,
but perhaps the price offered for the stamps at the time they were
ordered had a good deal to do with their poor workmanship.
In 1871 an Act was passed to establish a decimal system of currency in
the Island, which came into operation on January 4th, 1872. I have found
no notice in _The Gazette_ of the issue of the set of stamps with the
values in cents, but if they were not issued on the same day as the above
Act became law, they came into use shortly afterwards. The stamps of this
Colony were withdrawn from use on July 1st, 1873—the date the Island was
admitted into the Dominion of Canada.