THE REMAINING PENCE ISSUES
A resume of the chief happenings of the year and other items of interest
is given in the annual reports of the Postmasters General, and a brief
summary of these first few years will not be without its importance
here. It will be recalled that the Provincial Government took over the
control of its posts on the 6th April, 1851, and by the _Act to Amend
The Post Office Act_, passed 30th August, 1851,[33] the Postmaster
General was required by statute to "report to the Governor General of
the Province annually, for the purpose of being laid before Parliament
at each Session, _First_. A report of Finances, Receipts and Expenditure
of the Post Office Department for the year ending on the fifth day of
April previous," etc., etc. Accordingly the first annual report of the
Postmaster General was rendered on the 5th April, 1852. In it we find
the following information:--
[33] 14^o & 15^o Vict., cap. LXXI, sec. 12.
Upon the transfer of the control of the Post Office Department in
this Province, by the Imperial Post Office Authorities to the
Provincial Government, on the 6th April, 1851, the number of Post
Offices in operation was found to be 601--the number of miles of
established Post Route, 7595--over which the annual transportation
of the Mails was 2,487,000 miles--and the Gross Revenue raised under
the authority of the Imperial Post Office, at the high tariff of
rates then prevailing, had been for the year preceding the transfer
[L]93,802 currency, including in that sum the collections in Canada
of British Packet Postage, estimated to have amounted to [L]10,000
sterling.
The Provincial Act of the 12th and 13th Vic. cap. 66, providing for
the management of the Department after the transfer, reduced the
Postage charges in Canada upon all letters passing between places
within the Province, or within British North America generally, to a
uniform rate of 3d. per 1/2 oz.; whereas under the tariff in force
previous to the transfer, the average charge on each letter was
computed to have been as nearly as possible 9d. per 1/2 oz.; the
reduction therefore consequent upon the introduction of the uniform
3d. rate was equivalent to 2/3, or 66-2/3 per cent, on the former
average letter Postage charge.
The Postage charge on Box or Drop Letters, and the additional charge
on letters delivered in the Cities by Letter Carriers, have in each
case been reduced to one half penny, being one half the former
rates.
With regard to newspapers, the Postage charge has been altogether
taken off upon several important branches of newspaper circulation,
and papers to and from the other British North American Provinces,
papers sent to the United States, and Editors' exchange papers, pass
free of all Postage charge whatever. The rates on printed papers,
circulars, pamphlets, books, &c., have also been modified and
reduced.
The gross receipts of the Department for the year under review are given
as [L]71,788 18s. 5d. currency, a drop of over [L]20,000 from the
previous year; but this is a good showing after all, for when it is
remembered that the new uniform rate of postage was but one third the
former average rate, it is readily figured out that correspondence
nearly doubled under the new tariffs. This is confirmed by the following
comparative statement of pieces mailed:--
One week preceding 5th April, 1851, No. of letters, 41,000; papers,
90,000.
One week preceding 5th April, 1852, No. of letters, 86,051[34]; papers,
101,000.
[34] This is explained in the report for 1853 as being "a clerical error
for 71,726."
There were 243 new post offices added during the year and 1023 miles of
post routes.
"An agreement was concluded with the Post Master General of the United
States, which has continued in satisfactory operation since April, 1851,
under which letters pass between any place in Canada, and any place in
the United States, at a Postage rate of 6d. currency, per half oz.,
except to and from California and Oregon, when, the distance being over
3,000 miles, the rate is 9d. per half oz. Letters are posted on either
side, paid or unpaid, at the option of the sender."
The total correspondence passing between the two countries is given as
having a postage rating of $85,636.97.
The second annual report of the Postmaster General is dated the 31st
March, 1853, and contains little of interest but statistics. 176 new
post offices were established and 504 miles of new post routes added.
The gross revenue of the Department for the fiscal year is given as
[L]84,866.6.11-1/2. and the total postage on the correspondence passing
between Canada and the United States was $104,966.40.
The third report, of 31st March, 1854, speaks of a large reduction in
the postal charges upon newspapers circulating within the Province and
on certain classes of periodical prints, which took place on Feb. 1,
1854, but gives no further details. Concerning the British packet
postage, however, the report says:--
In March, 1854, the charge on packet letters passing between Canada
and the United Kingdom and most foreign countries was reduced by the
Imperial Government from 1s. 2d. sterling to 8d. sterling per 1/2
oz. when sent in closed mails through the United States, and from
1s. to 6d. when sent direct from a Provincial Port, Quebec or
Halifax.
Further on are the following recommendations:--
Should no further change be likely soon to take place in the charges
on the correspondence with England, it would promote the public
convenience to procure Postage stamps of the value of 10d. and 7-1/2
d. respectively to correspond with the present packet letter
charges.
And again:--
Much unnecessary labor and waste of time is occasioned to this
Department by the practice now followed of rating and collecting
Postage on all Government and Legislative correspondence, and it
would be an improvement, in my belief, very worthy of adoption, to
authorize by enactment the transmission of all such matter through
the mails, under proper regulations, free of Postage charge, and
that in lieu thereof, a certain fixed annual sum estimated to be
equivalent to the aggregate of the Postage arising upon such
correspondence, should be paid by the Receiver General to the Post
Office, to be accounted for as Post Office Revenue.
Perhaps the most pregnant remark is one short statement:--"The use of
stamps has materially increased"; for it will be remembered that the
first annual report of the Postmaster General was pessimistic with
regard to the employment of stamps, fearing that their use was
diminishing.
The accounts accompanying the report contain but one item concerning
stamps:--
Rawdon, Wright & Co., Postage Stamps furnished Post Office
Department [L]12.11.3
This amount was of course only for printing supplies, evidently for the
250,000 3d. stamps received during the fiscal year.
In the fourth report, of 31st March, 1855, there are several items of
interest. The lowering of the British packet rates proved a popular
step, naturally, and the report states that "Notwithstanding the
important reduction granted by the Imperial Government in the postage
rate between this country and the United Kingdom in March, 1854," the
results were as follows:--
British Packet Postage collected in Canada in year ending 31 March, 1855
(postage rate 8d. sterling) [L]16,449.14.3-1/2.
British Packet Postage collected in Canada in year ending 31 March, 1854
(postage rate 1s. 2d. sterling) [L]17,495.1.4-1/2. which was a drop of but
six per cent. in receipts upon a reduction of over forty per cent. in
the postal charge.
Again:--
In March, 1855 the Imperial Post Office authorized a reduction in
the charge on letters passing through the English Posts between
Canada and France, from 2s. 8-1/2d. Currency to 1s. 8d. Currency per
1/4 oz. letter.
The suggestions contained in the report for 1854 concerning the franking
of official mail matter, and the payment of a fixed annual sum to the
Post Office Department on this account, were acted upon, and the report
states:--
In July last the Act of last Session came into effect, removing
altogether the Postage charge on the circulation of Provincial
Newspapers and according a franking privilege to the correspondence
of the Legislature and of the Public Departments of the Government.
The Act referred to was doubtless the following:--
18^o Vict. Cap. LXXIX.
An act to abolish Postage on Newspapers published within the
Province of Canada, and for other purposes connected with the Post
Office Department of this Province.
[_Assented to_ 19th May, 1855.]
WHEREAS papers devoted to the advancement of Education, Temperance,
Science, Agriculture and other special objects, are now exempt from
postage; And whereas it would further materially aid the diffusion
of useful knowledge to remove all postal restrictions on the
transmission of Newspapers in general, published within this
Province, and of all documents printed by order of either House of
Parliament: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative
Council and the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, * *
* * and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, as
follows:
I. All Newspapers published within the Province of Canada, shall be
transmitted by mail free of Postage.
* * * * *
IV. All Letters and other mailable matter addressed to or sent by
the Governor of this Province, or sent to or by any Public
Department at the seat of Government, shall be free of Provincial
Postage under such regulations as may be directed by the Governor in
Council.
V. All Letters and other mailable matter addressed to or sent by the
Speaker or Chief Clerk of the Legislative Council or of the
Legislative Assembly, or by or to any Member of either of said
branches of the Legislature during any Session of the Legislature,
shall be free of Provincial Postage.
VI. All public documents and printed papers may be sent by the
Speaker or Chief Clerk of the Legislative Council or of the
Legislative Assembly, to any Member of either of the said branches
of the Legislature of Canada, during the recess of Parliament, free
of Postage.
VII. Members of either branch of the Legislature of Canada may send
during the recess of Parliament by mail, free of Postage, all papers
printed by order of either branch of the Legislature of Canada.
* * * * *
IX. This Act shall come into effect on and after the first day of
July, eighteen hundred and fifty-five.
There is a bit of conflict here. The "enactment clause" of the above Act
makes it operative unequivocally on July 1, 1855. Yet the Postmaster
General's report, just quoted, which is supposed to be for the fiscal
year ending 31st March, 1855, distinctly states that the provisions of
the above Act came into effect "in July last," which would seem to be
July, 1854. The Act itself is not in error, so the discrepancy must lie
in the Postmaster General's report. Probably the report was written much
later in the year than March 31st, as it was not presented to Parliament
until the fall session, and therefore gave opportunity to refer back to
happenings in July.
The growth of the Department during the first four years under
Provincial control is illustrated by the following table:--
Post Miles Letters Correspondence
Date Offices of mailed Gross Revenue with
in Routes. per the U. S.
operation. week
6th April, 1851 601 7,595 41,000 [L] 93,802
5th April, 1852 840 8,618 71,726 [L] 71,788.18. 5 $ 85,636.97
31st Mar., 1853 1,016 9,122 81,896 [L] 84,866. 6. 11-1/2 $104,966.40
31st Mar., 1854 1,166 10,027 98,350 [L] 98,495. 6. 7 $129,921.67
31st Mar., 1855 1,293 11,192 116,671 [L]110,747.12. 9-1/2 $145,377.69
The number of post offices had more than doubled; the length of the post
routes had increased by fifty per cent; and although the revenue had
dropped one quarter during the first year, owing to the reduction in
postage rates, it had increased by half in the next three years; while
the total correspondence between Canada and the United States had
increased by two thirds in the same three years.
But the item that interests us particularly in this report reads:--
To promote the general convenience in prepaying letters to the
United Kingdom at the new rate, postage stamps of the value of 10d.
Currency, equal to 8d. sterling, were procured and issued for sale
to the public.
Thus part of the recommendation contained in the report for the
preceding year was carried out.
In the accounts for the fiscal year we find the following entries:--
1st. Quarter, Rawdon, Wright & Co., Postage Stamps
for P. O. Dept. [L]12.12.6
3rd. Quarter, Rawdon, Wright & Co., Making Stamps 42.18.6
4th. Quarter, Rawdon, Wright & Co., Postage Stamps
for P. O. Dept. 17.13.6
From this it would appear that the bill for engraving ("making") the new
10d. stamp was paid in the third quarter of the fiscal year,
corresponding to the last quarter of 1854. According to the table of
receipts from manufacturers in the "summary" already quoted,[35] the
10d. stamp was first received by the Post Office Department on Jan. 2,
1855. In Mr. King's "Reference List,"[36] however, the date "Dec. 5,
1854" is given as being "taken from used stamps on the original covers,"
but this must certainly be a mistake. The "summary" also gives the
quantities issued to postmasters by quarters, and there were none issued
(naturally) in the quarter ending Dec. 31, 1854. In the next quarter,
ending Mar. 31, 1855, there were 16,200 issued to postmasters, so that
the first issue probably took place soon after receipt, that is, in
January, 1855. The total number received from the manufacturers in this
first delivery was 100,080.
[35] Metropolitan Philatelist, XVII: 83.
[36] Monthly Journal, VII: 9.
The plate for this stamp is stated to have been made up for printing
sheets of 100 impressions in ten rows of ten, like the three values of
1851, and also to have had the eight marginal imprints. But there are
reasons for thinking it may have been made to print 120 impressions,
ten rows of twelve each, concerning which more will be said later.
Suffice it to remark here that the number delivered (100,080) is exactly
divisible by 120, making 834 full sheets, which is not the case if 100
is used. The normal color of the stamp is a very deep blue.
The design of the new 10d., illustrated as No. 3 on Plate I, corresponds
in general style to the 6d. and 12d. of 1851, but the portrait in the
central oval is of Jacques Cartier, the explorer and founder of Canada.
There has been some discussion over the identity of the original, it
having been claimed that the subject was Sebastian Cabot, the
discoverer, just as the portrait on the 6d. stamp has been assigned to
Lord Elgin, Governor-General of Canada from 1846 to 1854.[37]
Unfortunately no circular announcing the issue of the stamp has come to
hand, and, as seen from the quotation already given, the report of the
Postmaster General does not give us the information. It is nevertheless
a fact that the portrait represents Cartier, the original being a
three-quarter length painting in the Hotel de Ville at St. Malo, France,
the birthplace of Cartier. The inscriptions in the oval frame are in
this case separated by a small picture of the beaver at the right, and
three maple leaves at the left. The value is expressed as TEN PENCE,
with the numerals "10" in the lower spandrels, followed by the letters
"cy" for "currency." In the upper spandrels is the corresponding value
in sterling money, expressed as "8d stg". The relation between sterling
and currency values and their equivalents in the decimal coinage of the
United States was fixed by law, and the matter seems important enough to
reproduce the statute here.
[37] Philatelic Record, X: 50.
16^o Vict. Cap. CLVIII.
An Act to regulate the Currency. [Assented to 14th June, 1853.]
* * * * *
II. And be it enacted, That the denominations of money in the
Currency of this Province, shall be pounds, dollars, shillings,
pence, cents and mills: the pound, shilling and penny shall have,
respectively, the same proportionate values as they now have, the
dollar shall be one-fourth of a pound, the cent shall be
one-hundredth of a dollar, and the mill one-tenth of a cent....
III. And be it enacted, That the Pound Currency shall be held to be
equivalent to and to represent one hundred and one grains and three
hundred and twenty-one thousandths of a grain Troy weight of Gold of
the Standard of fineness now prescribed by Law for the Gold Coins of
the United Kingdom; and the Dollar Currency shall be held to be
equivalent to and to represent one fourth part of the weight
aforesaid of Gold of the said Standard....
IV. And be it enacted, That the Pound Sterling shall be held to be
equal to one pound, four shillings and four pence, or four dollars,
eighty-six cents and two-thirds of a cent, Currency....
* * * * *
IX. And be it enacted, That ... the Gold Eagle of the United States,
coined after [1st. July, 1834], ... and weighing ten penny weights,
eighteen grains, Troy weight, shall pass current and be a legal
tender in this Province for ten Dollars or two pounds ten shillings
currency....
Further supplies of the 10d. stamp were not needed for three years, the
next lot, numbering 72,120, having been delivered during the year ending
30th Sept., 1858, according to the table of stamp statistics. These two
lots were the only ones delivered, and the balance on hand when the
decimal stamps appeared being 31,200, we find a total issue for the 10d.
stamp of 141,000.
Puzzling questions seem to be the rule with this first series of
Canadian stamps, and the 10d. is no exception. The stamp occurs, to all
appearances, in at least _two sizes_, one of which has been termed the
"wide oval" and the other the "narrow oval." These are well brought out
by illustrations Nos. 70 (wide) and 71 (narrow) on Plate IV. Very likely
the peculiarity was noticed much earlier, but it seems to have been
brought to the attention of collectors generally for the first time by
Mr. W. H. Brouse, in a paper read before the London Philatelic Society
on Feb. 3, 1894.[38] We quote this entire:--
[38] London Philatelist, III: 34.
"I have carefully read such Philatelic articles or publications
relating to British North American stamps as have come under my
notice, but have as yet not come across anything relating to the
difference in Canadians that is to be found in the 7-1/2d. Canadian
currency (6d. sterling), green, and the 10d., blue, and so concluded
that it may have passed my observation, or, if not, has not yet been
'written up.' Will you therefore pardon a short note on the subject?
"Of the 10d., blue, there are three distinct varieties in design,
viz.,
First (_a_) the long and narrow;
Second (_b_) the long and broad: and
Third (_c_) the short and broad.
"The outside edges or ornaments are in all three cases the same, but
the difference lies in the fact of the oval or frame around the head
having been, as the case may be, elongated or contracted, or
sometimes widened out.
"The extreme variation in length is about one-sixteenth of an inch,
which is considerable in a postage stamp. I doubt very much if this
happened through intention, but rather think that it is the result
of what might be termed 'engravers' license.' However, whatever it
may be, the result is that there are three distinct varieties.
"It will, I think, be found that the earlier one of these is the
long and narrow, on thinnish paper; then the long and broad (which
is the most common), on thicker paper; and lastly, the short and
broad, on medium paper. The latter is the scarcer, and consequently
the most valuable.
"I have for a long time known of the above differences, and at first
thought it only an optical delusion, owing to some of the copies
having had their sides closely trimmed, but on closer observation
the distinct differences, as I have mentioned, were manifest. What
is said of the 10d. may also be said of the 7-1/2d. (but to a lesser
degree of variation), only the latter are generally found in the
long and broad frame or oval. A slight difference also occurs in the
6d., violet; no variation appears in the length of the stamp, though
I have two specimens in which the oval or frame shows a contraction
in width to the extent of about one-forty-eighth of an inch, and is
quite noticeable.
"This may be 'piper's news' to some of the members of the Philatelic
Society, London, but to others it may be of interest, and for that
reason I beg your indulgence."
Mr. Castle, in reading the foregoing paper at the meeting of the
London Philatelic Society, shewed specimens of the stamps described
by Mr. Brouse, and added a few remarks as under.
"I venture to think the modest disclaimer on the part of Mr. Brouse,
in his closing sentence, is hardly borne out in view of the
interesting communication he has made. To me the information was
certainly novel, and I could hardly credit that there should exist
such differences in size until I had verified the fact by
examination of specimens. Owing to the kindness of Messrs. Stanley
Gibbons, Limited, and Mr. W. H. Peckitt, I was enabled to inspect a
number of these pence issues, and I have tabulated the measurements
as nearly as I can:--
HALFPENNY.
Size. Paper.
(_a_) 22 x 18-1/2 mm. Medium thick
(_b_) 22-1/2 x 18 mm. Medium thick
THREEPENCE.
(_a_) 22 (full) x 18 mm. Very thin wove
(_a_) 22 x 18mm. Very thin laid
(_b_) 22-1/2 x 17-1/2 mm. Thin
(_c_) 22-3/4 x 17-1/2 mm. Thick
SIXPENCE.
(_a_) 22 x 18 mm. Thin wove
(_a_) 22 x 18 mm. Thin Laid
(_b_) 22-3/4 x 17-3/4 mm. Thick
SEVENPENCE-HALFPENNY.
(_a_) 22-1/4 x 18-1/2 mm. (bare) Med. thick
(_a_) 22-1/2 x 18-1/2 mm. Medium thick
(_a_) 22-3/4 x 18 mm. Medium thick
(_a_) 22-3/4 x 18-1/2 mm. Medium thick
TENPENCE.
(_a_) 22-3/4 x 17-1/2 mm. Thin to very thin
(_b_) 22-1/2 x 18 mm. (full) Thick
(_b_) 22-3/4 x 18-1/2 mm. (bare) Thick
(_c_) 22 x 18 mm. Thin
"The varieties of the Tenpence are those described by Mr. Brouse as
(_a_) long and narrow, (_b_) long and broad, and (_c_) short and
broad. I may add that in the case of this value I have examined and
measured some forty copies, including a strip of three, as also a
proof on very thin India paper, which corresponds exactly in
measurement with variety (_b_) on the thick paper (22-3/4 x
18-1/2mm.). It is obvious that to be absolutely accurate beyond a
half mm. with an ordinary gauge is hardly possible, but in several
of the given cases I have averaged the sizes of several that very
closely approximated.
"As will be seen, I have gone somewhat beyond the lines of Mr.
Brouse's paper in including the 1/2d., the 3d., and 6d., the
variation in the former being slight, but in the two latter
noteworthy. The question how these varieties have arisen is an
interesting one, nor can I see that they can be accounted for by
shrinkage of the paper, as in the case of the 10d. proof above
cited, which is on all fours with the ordinary stamp on thick paper.
In the case of the strip of this value I found all three stamps
measured the same, and the fact remains that variety (_c_) is short
_and_ broad. In any case the existence of these varieties is
palpable, the question of their origin a genuine philatelic problem,
and I think that the thanks of us all are therefore due to Mr.
Brouse for his interesting paper."
This may have been the first record of the peculiarity in the case of
the Canadian stamps, but it was at least not the first time that
variation in the dimensions of certain line engraved stamps, supposed to
have been produced from the same original die, had been noted and
discussed. We refer to the case of the early Ceylon stamps, which
furnished food for contention in the philatelic press for many years.
The first mention of a difference in the length of these seems to have
been in December, 1864.[39] Ten years later the reference list of Ceylon
prepared by the London Philatelic Society[40] noted the fact that the
stamps of 1863 on unwatermarked paper were in general about a millimeter
shorter in the vertical dimension than the succeeding issue on paper
watermarked Crown C C, although the engraved designs were otherwise
absolutely identical. Major Edw. B. Evans, in his catalogue,[41] appends
a note on the unwatermarked stamps of 1863 as follows:--
These stamps are apparently (indeed, we may say certainly) from the
same plates as the other issues, but at the same time the
impressions on this paper are about 1-16 inch shorter than those on
other papers. This can only have been occasioned by the paper having
shrunk to some extent since the stamps were printed....
[39] The Stamp Collectors' Magazine, II: 191.
[40] The Philatelist, IX: 10.
[41] A Catalogue for Collectors, page 39.
Later, in 1887, Mr. T. K. Tapling, writing in _Le Timbre-Poste_,[42]
claims the difference cannot be due to shrinkage of paper because the
stamps have all shrunk evenly, and attributes it to some defect in the
process of making the plates. He reasons thus:--
Les timbres sur les feuilles de n'importe quelle valeur ['e]taient
tous identiques comme type. Ils furent grav['e]s sur acier, je pense
par MM. Perkins Bacon et Co., chaque timbre par un proc['e]d['e] de
r['e]duplication, ['e]tant reproduit d'une matrice; la planche
['e]tant ensuite durcie pour l'impression. Il n'y a par
cons['e]quent pas de vari['e]t['e] de types, les lignes des gravures
sur les timbres courts ['e]tant les m[^e]mes que celles sur les
timbres longs, except['e] qu'elles sont un tant soit peu
contract['e]es.... Il me semble plus que probable que la
diff['e]rence en longeur des exemplaires puisse [^e]tre attribu['e]e
[a'] un l['e]ger d['e]faut dans le proc['e]d['e] de r['e]duplication
des planches de la matrice originale.
[42] =Le Timbre-Poste=, Num['e]ro Jubilaire, page XXXV.
As a matter of fact the stamps did not shrink evenly, but very unevenly.
Mr. W. B. Thornhill, writing on these same stamps in 1889,[43]
says:--"You can hardly find two stamps of exactly the same measurements
in the same value, though the difference in many cases is too small to
signify"; and he proceeds to show the extreme variations in a carefully
prepared table including every value on every variety of paper for
issues from 1855 to 1867. The greatest variation in the vertical
dimension seems to be about 1 mm. in 26 mm., or roughly 4%, and in the
horizontal dimension about 1/4 to 1/2 mm. in 19 mm. or roughly 1-1/4 to
2-1/2%. These dimensional differences being so palpably existent,
therefore, what factors are we to consider in looking for their cause?
There seem to be but three: first, an original die or matrix for each
different size; second, one original die only, whose impressions on the
printing plate show variations resulting from the process of
transferring them; third, a printing plate with all the impressions
exact duplicates of the one original die, but whose reproductions in ink
on dampened paper are varied by the shrinkage of the paper in drying.
[43] =Philatelic Record=, XI: 71.
Mr. Thornhill convinces himself by inspection that the first proposition
is untenable; in fact its absurdity is at once apparent on a little
thought, for the engraving of the original die is a laborious and costly
piece of work, and that very fact, coupled with the comparative ease of
exact reduplication by mechanical processes on the printing plate,
furnishes the chief reason for the employment of this method of
producing stamps. Since there is such a variety in the size of the
stamps, therefore, the first theory would indicate many original dies,
and this we know was not the case. Its refutation indeed is seen in the
stamps themselves; for each original die, if differing in size from its
fellows, meant a separate engraving, and it is humanly impossible to
make these separate engravings exact duplicates, whereas, on the other
hand, no appreciable variation in line or dot can be detected on the
same stamp in its different sizes save the general expansion or
contraction of the design, which is proportionate in all its parts. The
different die or matrix theory is therefore thrown out on grounds of
impracticability and absurdity.
Accepting the one original die proposition, then, Mr. Thornhill agrees
with Mr. Tapling in turning down the shrinkage of paper theory and
favoring the second supposition, that the variation comes on the plates
and is due to the process of transference. Let us glance at this a
moment. The original die is engraved on a block of soft steel of very
fine and even quality. When finished it is tempered to a very great
degree of hardness. Next the engraving is transferred by tremendous
pressure to a transferring roller of similar soft steel, which is in
turn hardened. In this process there might be an opportunity for a
slight variation in the size of the transferred impression, due to the
expansion and contraction of the steel in the tempering process. Next,
this hardened transfer roller is impressed upon the printing plate of
soft steel as many times as there are copies desired. These naturally
all agree among themselves and with the transfer roller impression in
size. Now when the printing plate in turn receives its hardening, there
may again be a chance for a slight difference between the transfer
roller and the plate impressions; _but_ it is wholly unlikely that the
plate impressions will vary much among themselves, otherwise the
perfection of Mr. Jacob Perkins' invention, the chief merit of which was
exact reduplication, would be impaired. As a matter of fact, the high
grade and even quality of the steel necessarily employed, and the care
naturally taken in hardening the plate, preclude any other than an even
variation, if any, due to the tempering process. This means that such
variations would be practically constant over the printing surface of
the plate, and that therefore the impressions would still remain
practically identical in size.
Where, then, does this bring us? With such numerous and well defined
variations in dimensions in the printed stamps, we should look for the
cause in the simplest and most natural method by which they could
readily be produced, which is furnished by the third theory presented.
Concerning this we quote from the London Philatelic Society's work on
Ceylon:[44]--
In reference to the variations in the size of the stamps of Issues
III and V [no watermark and Crown CC], Major Evans, who was the
first to propound the theory that these variations were due to
differences in the nature of the paper employed, writes as
follows:--
"The theory of the expansion and contraction of the paper being now
pretty generally accepted, as accounting for the variations observed
in the size of the stamps of the early issues of Ceylon, it seems
necessary to explain exactly what that theory is, and how these
differences are supposed to arise. Previous to printing from plates
engraved in _taille-douce_ the paper is wetted, which, as is well
known, causes it to expand; the amount of expansion varies, no
doubt, considerably in different kinds of paper, and it must also
vary with the amount of moisture in the same kind of paper, for as
the paper dries it returns to its original dimensions, and,
therefore, up to a certain point, the wetter it is the greater will
be the expansion. In any case the paper is in a state of expansion
at the time of printing, both from being wetted and from being
stretched out flat and pressed, and the impression when first
printed is then, and then only, in all cases the size of the
engraving upon the plate. It then dries, and in so doing contracts,
and the greater the amount of expansion the greater will be the
amount of the subsequent contraction, so that the smallest stamps
are those printed on the paper which expanded most, and the largest
those on the paper which expanded least. The minor variations of
size may be due to the paper being more or less damp when used, but
probably a very slight difference in the thickness or density of the
paper would cause some variation in its expansion. The marked
difference in size of the stamps on thin, unwatermarked paper, which
were the first to attract the attention of Philatelists, is no doubt
due to that particular variety of paper, which is very tough and
elastic, and which has been found to expand very greatly on being
wetted and stretched."
[44] =Postage Stamps, &c., of British India and Ceylon=, page 69.
So much for the Ceylon stamps, which we have discussed _in extenso_; but
we have only to substitute in every case a reference to the first
Canadian issues, particularly the 10d. which we started out with, to
make the discussion apply with equal force in this case as in the other.
The question is the same--the variations occur in the same way, the
method of engraving and reproduction is the same, and the varieties in
the paper are very similar.
Major Evans, in a reply to Mr. Thornhill's paper,[45] states that he
tried some experiments in wetting a thin, tough note paper, and found an
expansion of three per cent., while by stretching it he increased the
expansion to eight per cent, without difficulty! Yet the greatest
variation in Mr. Thornhill's table was only four per cent. Major Evans
then tried some of the 1863 Newfoundland stamps, which he judged were
on paper of almost the same nature as that of the unwatermarked Ceylons
of the same year, and they gave precisely similar results.
[45] =Philatelic Record=, XI: 158.
Mr. Frank C. Young, who was in the printing business, also tells of
similar experiments which he carried still further.[46]
Having provided some twenty-five sheets of paper of different
qualities and thicknesses, each was cut into sixteen pieces.
Selecting a common half tone cut which measured exactly 100 x 69 mm.
and dampening the sheets of paper to different degrees of wetness I
proceeded to impress the cut on each sheet, using a common roller
proof press. After the printed sheets had been allowed to dry it
became a matter of a good millimeter gauge and careful measurements
of the printed impressions, not the paper.
... Hardly two sheets of the whole lot were identical in size, nor
was I able to formulate any table as to how much or how little or
which way of the paper shrinkage would occur. The only general rule
which seemed to come out clearly was that thin paper would
invariably shrink more than thick. In many of the sheets the
difference was barely noticeable, while, on the other hand, such
measurements as 96 x 68, 97 x 68-1/2, 99 x 67-1/2, 98 x 68 mm. were
fairly common, and one sheet, after several very careful
measurements, was undeniably 95-1/2 x 69 mm., thus showing a
shrinkage of 4-1/2 per cent, one way and none at all the other. This
was very thin laid linen paper.
Contrary to all expectations, more than one impression measured more
than either the cut or those printed on dry paper, one on thin wove
paper being fully 101 mm. long.
[46] =Canada Stamp Sheet=, IV: 173.
Looking back now at Mr. Castle's tables,[47] we find his greatest
variations in length amount to 3/4 mm. in 22 mm., or roughly 3-1/2%, and
in width 1 mm. in 18 mm., or roughly 5-1/2%--results entirely within
bounds according to Major Evans' and Mr. Young's experiments, and
doubtless settling once and for all the reason of the "three distinct
varieties in design" of Mr. Brouse.
[47] See page 54.
As for the paper actually used for the printing of the 10d. stamp, we
find it a hard, white wove variety varying very much in thickness from a
very thin, almost pelure quality, through which the design is quite
plainly evident, to a medium and finally a considerably thicker quality.
The pelure paper seems naturally to be the one on which the greatest
variation in dimensions occurs, the _long_ and _broad_ size of the stamp
coming principally on the thicker paper,[48] which is supposed to shrink
the least upon drying and therefore keeps the printed impression nearest
the size of the plate impression. The _long_ and _narrow_ impression,
being the commoner variation, was probably due to the paper being fed
to the press the same way of the "grain" as a rule, while the _short_
and _broad_ variation, which is much scarcer, occurred by an occasional
sheet of paper being fed the other way of the "grain." That paper has a
"grain" is readily proved by tearing a piece in one direction and then
tearing it at right angles to the first tear; one will be found much
easier of accomplishment generally than the other, and this "grain"
doubtless has its due effect in the amount of shrinkage in one way or
the other upon drying a dampened sheet.
[48] See page 56.
* * * * *
One further variety we have to record in the 10d. stamp, this being a
"shifted transfer" variety similar to that occurring in the 3d. value.
In this case we find the letters A D A and S of "Canada Postage," and P
E N of "Pence" showing a distinct doubling at the bottom, the transfer
roller evidently having been set a little too high at first and a very
slight impression made on the plate. The stamp has not been seen in a
pair to prove its character absolutely, but it bears all the ear-marks
of being a proper plate variety and not due to a careless impression
when printing.
* * * * *
To continue again with the Postmaster General's reports. We find in that
for 31st March, 1856, a note to the effect that the postage on letters
to France had been once more reduced, this time to 10d. currency per 1/4
oz., which gave further employment to the new 10d. stamp. There is also
some information concerning the registry system, but this will be
treated later under that head. One item is found in the accounts to
interest us:--
Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, for printing 300,000 postage
stamps for Post Office Department [L]15.2.3.
As only 3d. stamps were received during the year, this of course refers
to that value, and the price charged is found to be practically one
shilling, currency, per thousand, or twenty cents American money.
In June of 1857 the Canadian Parliament made further changes in the
newspaper rates, etc., according to the following Act:--
20^o Vict. Cap. XXV.
An Act to Amend the Post-Office Laws of this Province.
[Assented to 10th June 1857.]
Whereas it is expedient to amend the Post-Office Laws, in the manner
hereafter provided: Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice
and consent of the Legislative Council and Assembly of Canada enacts
as follows:--
I. [Repeals sections I and V of 18^o Vict. Cap. 79.][49]
II. Newspapers printed and published within this Province and
addressed from the Office of Publication, shall be transmitted from
the Post-Office where mailed to any other Post-Office in Canada, or
to the United Kingdom, or to any British Colony or Possession, or to
France, free of Canadian Postage.
III. Newspapers printed and published in the United Kingdom, or in
any British Colony or Possession, or in France, when received in
mails addressed to this Province, and directed to any place in
Canada, shall pass through the Post and be delivered at the
Post-Office addressed, free of Canadian postage.
IV. For the purposes of this Act, the word "newspapers" shall be
held to mean periodicals published not less frequently than once in
each week, and containing notices of passing events, or any such
newspaper published fortnightly or monthly at the time of the
passage of this Act.
V. Periodicals printed and published in this Province other than
newspapers, when specially devoted to Religious and to General
Education, to Agriculture or Temperance, or to any branch of
Science, and addressed directly from the Office of Publication,
shall be transmitted from the Post-Office where mailed to any other
Post-Office in this Province free of postage.
VI. Letters and other mailable matter addressed to or sent by the
Speaker or Chief Clerk of the Legislative Council or of the
Legislative Assembly, or to or by any Member of the Legislature at
the seat of Government, during any session of the Legislature, or
addressed to any of the Members or Officers in this section
mentioned, at the seat of Government as aforesaid, during the ten
days next before the meeting of Parliament, shall be free of
postage.
VII. So much of the twelfth section of the Post-Office Act, passed
in the session held in the 14th and 15th years of Her Majesty's
Reign and chaptered 71, as requires the Postmaster General to make
to the Governor General of this Province, annually, certain Reports
for the purpose of being laid before the Provincial Parliament at
each Session thereof, for the year ending the fifth day of April
previous to such Session, is hereby repealed; and it shall,
hereafter, be the duty of the Postmaster General to furnish such
Reports annually so that they may be laid before the Provincial
Parliament within ten days after the assembling thereof, and such
Annual Reports shall be made up to the thirtieth day of September
previous to each Session.
* * * * *
X. This Act shall take effect on and from the first day of August
next.
[49] See page 50.
Although the enactment clause made the above Act operative on 1st
August, 1857, because of which we should not expect it to affect the
Postmaster General's report for the year ending 31st March, 1857, yet we
find this report dated 30th September, 1857, thus including the year
and a half from 1st April, 1856. Among other items of interest in this
report we find the following:--
There is very material economy of labor to the Department in dealing
with letters pre-paid by stamp as compared with letters on which the
postage is collected in money, as well as a manifest gain to the
public, in the increased facilities which pre-payment by stamp
enables the Post Office to afford for posting and delivering letters
so pre-paid.
It is gratifying, therefore, to observe that the use of stamps is
gradually gaining ground, encouraging as it does the hope that it
may be found practicable and expedient ere long to make prepayment
by stamp the prevailing rule in Canada, as it has for some time been
in the United Kingdom, in France, and in the United States.
A reduction in the charge of Book Post Packets, when not exceeding 4
oz., in weight between Canada and the United Kingdom, of one half
the former rate has been made.
To facilitate the pre-payment of letters passing from Canada to
England by the Canadian steamers, a new stamp bearing value at 6
pence sterling, or 7-1/2 pence currency, being the Canadian Packet
rate, has been secured and put in circulation.
A new stamp has also been introduced of the value of one halfpenny
to serve as the medium for prepaying transient Newspapers.
The above is the only reference we have to the issue of the 7-1/2d.
stamp. The accounts for the fiscal year ending 30th September, 1857,
contain the following item:--
"Rawdon, Wright and Co., Postage Stamps, [L]165.9.6"
which must include the cost of dies and plates for the two new values.
There is no record of the date of issue of the 7-1/2d. stamp, as far as
our research has gone. The London Society's work[50] gives it as June 2,
1857, but upon what authority is not stated. It will be recalled that a
stamp of this value was suggested, in company with the 10d., in the
Postmaster General's report for 31st March, 1854, as being the reduced
rate granted in that same month on letters sent "direct from a
Provincial Port, Quebec or Halifax," to England. The _Halifax
Philatelist_ states:[51]--"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." It hardly seems to have been very "necessary" when
it took three years at least to bring the Postmaster General's
suggestion to a realization. Besides, the Allan Line steamers began
their service over a year before the appearance of the stamp, and the
rate it represented had even then been in force for two years, nor was
it reduced for many years thereafter.
[50] The Postage Stamps, etc., of the North American Colonies of Great
Britain, page 14.
[51] Halifax Philatelist, II: 74.
The Postmaster General's Report for 1856 says:--
The month of May, 1856, was marked by the first voyage to the St.
Lawrence of the line of Canadian Mail Steamers, under the contract
between Mr. Hugh Allan of Montreal, and the Provincial Government.
These vessels have performed the service for which they were bound,
with laudable punctuality, and have crossed the Atlantic at an
average speed which compares successfully with the performances of
the steamers of the Cunard and Collins lines from New York and
Boston.
The average time of passage is given as--Westward, 12 days, 20-1/2
hours; Eastward, 11 days, 2 hours.
The design of the stamp was simply adapted from that of the discarded
12d. stamp, as will readily be seen from the illustration (No. 5 on
Plate I). The inscriptions were changed to CANADA PACKET POSTAGE, which
of course referred to the fast mail steamers then known as "packets,"
and not to any "parcel post" as is sometimes erroneously stated; and SIX
PENCE STERLING, a new departure in labeling a Canadian stamp. Like the
10d. that preceded it, however, the corresponding values were inserted
in the spandrels, "6d. stg." in the left hand pair and "7-1/2d. cy." in
the right hand pair. The stamp is generally listed under its "currency"
value to conform with the rest of the set and avoid confusion with the
regular "six pence" stamp. The normal color of the stamp is a dark
green.
The 7-1/2d. stamp is known to have been arranged on the plate for
printing sheets of 120 stamps, ten rows of twelve stamps each, this
being to facilitate the reckoning in English money. The eight marginal
imprints appeared as on the other values. There was but one supply
received, on the first order, of 100,080 stamps which, if we divide by
120, gives an even 834 sheets. Now, if we but glance back at the first
supply received of the 10d. stamp[52] we find exactly the same number,
evenly divisible by 120 but not by 100. The second supply of the 10d.
stamp works out in exactly the same way,--72,120 makes an even 601
sheets at 120 per sheet. Is it not probable to suppose, therefore, in
the absence of entire sheets or horizontal rows of the 10d. stamp, that
the latter was also printed in sheets of 120, as previously suggested,
instead of sheets of 100 as stated in Mr. King's article?[53]
[52] See page 51.
[53] =Monthly Journal=, VII: 8.
When the issue of the decimal stamps took place, on July 1, 1859, there
were 17,670 of the 7-1/2d. stamps on hand, so that the total issue of
this value was 82,410 copies.
As will be gathered from Mr. Brouse's paper, which we quoted in
connection with the 10d. stamp, a similar variation in the width of the
oval is to be found in the case of the 7-1/2d. stamp, but the extremes
are not so great and it is therefore not so noticeable. A glance at the
table of measurements[54] will show that the variation in width is
confined to a half millimeter and that in height to practically the same
amount. Of course the discussion and conclusions detailed at length
under the 10d. stamp apply with equal force in the present instance, and
the fact that the 7-1/2d. stamp is not found on the very thin paper
probably accounts for the lack of extreme variations. It was printed
upon paper of the same kind as used for the 10d., but only on the medium
and thicker qualities. A pair of the stamps in juxtaposition, showing
the wide oval and the narrow oval, will be found as numbers 67 and 68
respectively on Plate IV.
[54] See page 54.
* * * * *
The last--and also least--of the pence issues was the half-penny stamp.
There had been a need for this value since the introduction of stamps,
for there were several rates that were impossible to make up with the
denominations that were issued and which therefore had to be paid in
money. Among these were the 1/2d. charge on newspapers from 1851 to
1855, the same charge per ounce on magazines and books during the entire
period, the 1/2d. and 1d. carrier's fees, the 1d. rate on circulars and
on soldier's letters, and the several 7-1/2d. rates for letters and for
the book post with England. But the Act last quoted,[55] which restored
a charge on transient newspapers, seems to have been the direct cause of
the belated issue of the half-penny stamp. The circular announcing its
issue is as follows:[56]--
POSTAGE ON NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
TORONTO, 18th July, 1857.
Under the Post Office Law of last Session, taking effect from 1st.
August, 1857, Newspapers printed and published in Canada, and
mailed direct from Office of Publication, will pass free of Canadian
Postage.
Periodicals so printed, published, and mailed when specially devoted
to Religious and to General Education, to Agriculture, or
Temperance, or to any branch of Science, will pass free from any one
Post-Office to another within the Province.
Transient and re-mailed Papers and Periodicals will pass by Post if
pre-paid by Postage stamp--one halfpenny on each Newspaper, and on
each Periodical, one halfpenny, if not exceeding 3 oz., in weight,
and 2d. if over 3 oz.
Postage Stamps of the value of one halfpenny each will be sold to
the public at all the principal Post Offices (including all Money
Order Offices), with a discount of 5 per cent upon purchases of not
less than twenty stamps, and will be available in prepayment of
Newspapers and Periodicals, and of Drop and Town Letters.
R. SPENCE, _Postmaster-General_.
[55] See pages 60-61.
[56] =Canada Stamp Sheet=, IV: 184.
The London Society's work gives the date of issue of the 1/2d. value as
18th July, 1857, and it is clearly seen from the preceding notice where
the date was obtained. But it is more likely that the stamp was issued
on 1st. August, the day the new rates took effect.
The new stamp was very plain, as will be seen from the illustration, No.
4 on Plate I. The profile head of Queen Victoria was quite evidently
taken from the head on the British penny stamp. The usual inscription,
CANADA POSTAGE, occupies the upper part of the oval frame, and ONE HALF
PENNY the lower part, but the value is not expressed by numerals in the
corners, as on all the other stamps of the issue, the spandrels being
merely filled in with a reticulated pattern. The stamp was printed in
sheets of 100, ten rows of ten, with the eight marginal imprints as
described for the series of 1851.
The tables of statistics in the Postmaster General's reports give the
number of 1/2d. stamps received previous to 1st. October, 1857, as
1,341,600; during the next fiscal year 1,258,920 were received; and
between 1st. October, 1858 and 30th June, 1859, when they were
superseded, 850,100 more arrived, making a total stock of 3,450,620. The
balance on hand when the decimal series was issued was 60,660, which
makes the total issue of the 1/2d. stamp 3,389,960.
The normal color of the stamp is a deep rose. It is found printed on a
soft ribbed paper, with the ribbing both horizontal and vertical, as
well as on the ordinary hard white wove paper of this issue in both the
thin and thicker qualities.
The London Society's work has the following remarks:[57]--
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.
[57] =The Stamps, etc., of the North American Colonies of Great
Britain=, page 14.
We find that the original chronicle of these varieties was in _Le
Timbre-Poste_ in 1869. Concerning them M. Moens writes as follows:--
Un de nos correspondants nous annonce qu'il poss[e']de un timbre
rose 1/2 penny, surcharg['e] de la marque: 8 _d. stg._ Cette
['e]mission, provisoire sans doute, doit [^e]tre le r['e]sultat de
la penurie momentan['e]e de timbres 10 pence, dans un ou plusieurs
bureaux secondaires.[58]
[58] =Le Timbre-Poste=, VII: 82.
And in the next issue of the paper:--
On nous a montr['e] le 1/2 p. rose, non dent['e]l['e], surcharg['e]
en noir, du chiffre 1, de 20 mm. environ et plac['e] dans le sens
horizontal. C'est probablement encore un timbre ['e]mis
provisoirement, pour une raison qui nous ['e]chappe, le 1 penny
n'ayant jamais exist['e]. Quant au timbre dont nous avons parl['e]
le mois dernier, le chiffre 8 et la lettre S ont pour dimension 16
mm.[59]
[59] =ibid.= VII: 94.
We think all idea of a "surcharge" can be at once dismissed, as the
raising of the value, particularly to 8d., would be a very foolish and
doubtless wholly unnecessary proceeding, and certainly some record of
such procedure would have been found ere this. The impressions were
probably from rating stamps that were accidentally struck on the postage
stamps, or possibly used purposely as cancellations.
* * * * *
The report of the Postmaster General for the 30th Sept. 1858, notes the
fact that previous to 1854 all newspapers were rated at 1/2d. each, but
in that year were granted free transmission. Concerning the new
regulations it continues:--
In pursuance of the Act of 1857, limiting free transmission to such
as are posted directly from the office of publication, a halfpenny
rate, pre-payable by postage stamps, has been taken since 1st.
August, 1857 on all transient newspapers--that is, papers posted by
individuals other than the Publishers.
The same report states:--"The Department has, from 1st. January, 1859,
put in operation an arrangement for the conveyance of Parcel Packets
between any two Post Offices in Canada with the ordinary mails." The
charge was fixed at 1s. 3d. per pound with a maximum weight of two
pounds, and prepayment was enforced.
In the Department accounts we find the following:--
Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Co., Supply of letter and newspaper
stamps [L]99.6.6
which was simply a printing bill. The last payment for the pence issue
of stamps appears in the report for 30th Sept., 1859, and is for the
deliveries during the nine months from 30th. Sept. 1858 to 30th June,
1859, when the pence stamps were retired. The charge is given in decimal
currency:--
Rawdon, Wright & Co., supply of letter and newspaper stamps
$238.69
The report for 1858 gives an interesting table showing the growth of the
postal business by decades for the thirty years previous. The remarkable
increase during the last period, within which the Province assumed
control and the use of stamps was introduced, is to be noted:--
Number of Miles of Gross Letters Newspapers
Year P. Offices P. Routes Postage Annually Annually
1828 101 2,368 [L]15,000 340,000 400,000
1838 380 5,486 35,000 1,000,000 1,250,000
1848 539 6,985 65,000 2,000,000 3,000,000
1858 1,566 13,600 151,000 9,800,000 13,500,000
The year 1859 brings us to the end of the pence issues, but before
leaving them there is still one more question to consider, that of the
perforated varieties, which will form the subject of the next chapter.