THE CANCELLATIONS OF THE EARLY ISSUES
A rather interesting study, particularly for the collector of entires,
is that of postmarks and cancellations, and sometimes much assistance in
the solution of knotty questions is rendered by these often despised and
neglected adjuncts to the proper use of postage stamps.
The early cancellations of Canada have been the subject of some
attention, more so, in fact, than the postmarks, as they were required
to be used on the stamps while the postmark was struck on the cover,
where the date and place of mailing would be plainly visible. In one of
the early volumes of reports it is stated that "Office Stamps and Seals
were supplied from England on 21st July, 1851." It is presumed that this
included postmarks and cancellations.
It will be remembered, perhaps, that in the circular announcing the
issue of stamps in 1851[77] it was ordered that "Stamps so affixed are
to be immediately _cancelled_ ... with an instrument to be furnished for
that purpose." The first one so supplied was the "concentric rings"
cancellation, consisting of seven concentric circles and having an outer
diameter of 18 mm. This is the most common of all, being found from the
very earliest dates down to 1870, at least, as it occurs on the early
shades of the "small" cents issue. It was generally struck in black ink,
but may occasionally be found in a dull blue. A good illustration of
this cancellation is seen on the cover numbered 90 on Plate VI.
[77] See page 28.
By 1855, at least, a modified form of the concentric ring cancellation
was introduced. This had a number in the center in large figures, some 8
mm. high, with four concentric circles enclosing it, the outside
diameter being about 23 mm. This type was generally struck in black, but
is sometimes found in a dull blue also. It can be seen on the strip of
stamps numbered 81 on Plate V. The numbers, of course, were placed in
the cancellations with a definite purpose, and a little study of entire
covers shows that certain numbers were assigned to certain post
offices, as might be suspected. Number 21, for instance, is the most
common one and will be found to be connected with Montreal. Further
study will reveal the fact that the names of the post offices were taken
in alphabetical order, and the numbers assigned to them consecutively in
that way. Still further inspection develops the fact that most of the
post offices were those in Upper Canada (or Canada West), while but a
few of the most important ones were included from Lower Canada (or
Canada East.)
Mr. Edgar Nelton seems first to have made a study of these numbers in an
attempt to identify their corresponding post offices, and he published a
list of some twenty-two as the result of his examination of many
original covers.[78] The numbers run up to 52 at least, and using the
facts that we have deduced concerning the arrangement of the names, we
have endeavored to fill out his skeleton list with such offices as it
seems possible may yet be identified with the corresponding numbers. We
have done this with some assurance for the following reasons:--
[78] =Chicago Collectors' Monthly, II=: 21.
We were fortunately able to examine a Canada Directory for 1857-8, and
on looking up the postal information given therein, found a list of the
money order offices then existing. This was in two sections, the first
containing the names, alphabetically arranged, of 31 offices in "Class
No. 1," which included most of the principal cities and towns; and the
second a lengthy alphabetical list of offices in "Class No. 2." The
first section had a somewhat familiar appearance, and inspection showed
that a majority of the names on Mr. Nelton's list of numbered
cancellations were there in proper order! But 21 more names were needed,
according to the cancellation numbers, to fill out the latter series.
The second section was therefore examined for such towns as had the
largest populations and were presumably most important. The result
enabled more than one name, already on Mr. Nelton's list, to be fitted
in its proper place! Here, then, was apparently the solution of the
first series of numbered cancellations, and we hazard a guess that the
52 names are the original list of money order offices, arranged when the
money order system was instituted in February, 1855.
The subjoined table gives the list of post offices and their
corresponding numbers, which has been worked out along the lines above
mentioned. It is offered in the hope that more will be done to determine
positively the correspondence between the two. The names in ordinary
type are those that have been identified without any reasonable doubt;
those that have been fitted in tentatively are in italics. The Roman
numeral following indicates the Class to which the Money Order Office
belongs.
LIST OF NUMBERED CANCELLATIONS.
1. _Barrie, U. C._ I
2. Belleville, U. C. I
3. _Berlin, U. C._ I
4. Bowmanville, U. C. I
5. Brantford, U. C. I
6. _Brighton, U. C._ II
7. _Brockville, U. C._ I
8. Chatham, U. C. I
9. _Clinton, U. C._ II
10. _Cobourg, U. C._ I
11. _Cornwall, U. C._ I
12. _Dundas, U. C._ I
13. Galt, U. C. I
14. _Goderich, U. C._ I
15. _Guelph, U. C._ I
16. Hamilton, U. C. I
17. _Ingersoll, U. C._ II
18. Kingston, U. C. I
19. London, U. C. I
20. Melbourne, L. C. II
21. Montreal, L. C. I
22. Napanee, U. C. II
23. _Napierville, L. C._ II
24. _Newcastle, U. C._ II
25. _Niagara, U. C._ I
26. _Oakville, U. C._ II
27. Ottawa, U. C. I
28. _Paris, U. C._ I
29. Perth, U. C. II
30. Peterborough, U. C. I
31. Picton, U. C. II
32. _Port Dover, U. C._ II
33. _Port Hope, U. C._ I
34. Port Sarnia, U. C. II
35. Prescott, U. C. I
36. _Preston, U. C._ II
37. Quebec, L. C. I
38. St. Catherines, U. C. I
39. _St. Hyacinthe, L. C._ II
40. _St. Johns, L. C._ II
41. _St. Thomas, U. C._ I
42. _Sherbrooke, L. C._ II
43. Simcoe, U. C. II
44. _Smith's Falls, U. C._ II
45. Stanstead, L. C. II
46. Stratford, U. C. I
47. Three Rivers, L. C. I
48. _Toronto, U. C._ I
49. Whitby, U. C. II
50. _Windsor, U. C._ I
51. _Woodstock, U. C._ I
52. _York, U. C._ II
It will be noticed, if Mr. Helton's list is compared with the above,
that there are a few discrepancies. He assigns Toronto to No. 24, which
is manifestly out of place. Owen Sound is given to No. 26, while 28
should be its location; the latter must be reserved for Paris, however,
which is a first class office where Owen Sound is but second class.
Richmond is given as No. 42, but as St. Catherines, a first class
office, has been identified as No. 38, there seems no place for the
second class office of Richmond, which should precede it alphabetically.
Niagara has been assigned to No. 23, but in such case it would
necessitate two blanks preceding Ottawa, so it seems that the proper
number should be 25. With these few exceptions no further trouble was
experienced in working out the list, and since it was drawn up Numbers
2, 4, 8, 38 and 49 have been identified and tallied exactly with it!
Such proof has gone far toward confirming our propositions in regard to
it, and we hope for more.
A third cancellation, which was apparently used mainly for newspapers
and packages, consisted of nine somewhat thick diagonal bars, the whole
impression having a square outline. This was generally struck in black,
but occasionally in dull blue.
Postmarks were supposed to be used only on the cover, where they would
plainly exhibit the story they were to tell, while the cancellation
marks were intended to deface the stamp. But sometimes the postmarks are
found used for the latter purpose. They seem to be mostly of two
varieties, both circular in outline, a larger one having the town name
in a curve above, with U. C., L. C., C. W., or C. E., at the bottom, and
arcs of two concentric circles filling in the outline between; a second
being smaller with a single arc of a circle filling in the outline. The
first variety is plainly shown on the cover numbered 90 on Plate VI, and
the second on the cover numbered 130 on Plate XIV. The date in the
center seems always to be given in full--month, day and year. The
postmarks are generally in black, as usual, but sometimes in dull blue.
Penmarked specimens are sometimes met with, but not often.
With the issue of 1859 the duplex mark seems to have been adopted, with
the postmark (the ordinary complete circle with the usual arrangement of
name, abbreviation of province and date) and the cancellation mark (a
series of parallel lines with a circular outline) on the same instrument
so as to be struck on the letter together.
With the 1868 issue for the Dominion we of course find the cancellations
of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, then British Columbia and finally
Prince Edward Island, all of which introduce complications. A new
cancellation, which seems to have been for the Dominion as a whole,
consisted of two heavy concentric circles containing a number. It is one
of this kind that Mr. Nelton refers to in his article as having the
number 627. A notable cancellation is one in the shape of a large maple
leaf.
An interesting and rare postmark which was found on the 3 cent of the
1868 issue, is thus written up by Mr. F. G. Bing[79]:--
[79] =The Postage Stamp, VII=: 6.
The stamp had been obliterated with a small thick lined circle in
which appear the words "WAY LETTER" in large type. Eventually a
full account of the matter was obtained from the Canadian postal
authorities.
* * * * *
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, CANADA.
OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE POSTAGE STAMP BRANCH.
OTTAWA, 13th March, 1908.
DEAR SIR:--Replying to your enquiry on the subject, as to the object
of the post office mark consisting of a rather thick circle in which
are the words "WAY LETTER" only, impressed upon a Canada postage
stamp (3c.) similar to the one you enclosed, and which I herewith
return, I find on enquiry that previous to the Confederation of the
Dominion of Canada in 1867, there was in Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick a regulation requiring mail couriers on the coach roads to
accept letters for mailing, when these were offered them at a
distance of not less than one or two miles from the nearest post
office, to place them in a locked leather pouch provided for the
purpose, and to post them at the first post office, the Postmaster
of which was instructed to stamp these with the words "WAY LETTER."
After Confederation this postmark lingered at some of the offices in
the provinces named, when it was used for general cancellation
purposes, if not for its primary purpose. It has now, however,
wholly disappeared. Some think it lasted up to 1887 or 1891, but I
am sorry I cannot furnish you with a more definite date as to its
extinction.
Very truly yours,
E. P. STANTON, _Superintendent_.
It will be seen from this interesting letter that the postmark was
in the first instance applied to the postage stamps of Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick, and it is quite possible that only upon the
stamps of these two provinces does it possess its full original
significance. At the same time it does not follow that the
regulations under which this cancellation was in use were
immediately withdrawn with the Confederation of the Dominion of
Canada; and it is more than probable that the custom based upon
these regulations of accepting letters from the public at a distance
from a post office, and applying the special obliteration, would
continue long after that date, as it is evident that the use of the
"Way Letter" postmark was never definitely prohibited by the
Canadian postal authorities, or the date of its extinction would not
have been in doubt. It is, however, quite certain that only a
comparatively small number of letters would be entitled to receive
this special mark, and its rarity is therefore indisputable.
Various new varieties came with the "small" cents issue and later,
concerning which there is not so much of interest as in the earlier
years of the postal service; we therefore pass them by, remarking only
on the special "jubilee" machine cancellation which was used at Montreal
in 1897. This was of the "flag" form and somewhat ornate, bearing the
name "VICTORIA" and the dates "1837" and "1897."