THE SMALL "CENTS" ISSUE, 1870-82
In the _American Journal of Philately_ for August 20, 1869 we find the
following: "Canada is shortly to have a new set of stamps. Taking
lessons in economy from our own country, it seems they are about
altering their stamps to make them smaller, so as to save paper. The
head will still remain exactly the same as now, but the frame and margin
around the head will be considerably less." The 1869 set of the United
States was then in use, and it may well be that the smaller sized stamps
appealed to the authorities in comparison with their own rather large
sized productions, even though their suggested parsimony had nothing to
do with it. The current 1/2 cent stamp was taken as the model, and the
other values reduced in size to correspond with it, while keeping their
former colors. The main features of the designs were therefore retained.
No special announcement of the new series was made that we have been
able to discover, and they were only introduced, apparently, as stocks
of the large sized stamps on hand were used up. We find the first record
of the change in the _American Journal of Philately_ for February 20,
1870: "The stamps of the New Dominion have now made their appearance,
altered as described by us last August." Though not specified, this
referred to the 3 cent stamp, and its actual issue probably took place
in January. _The Philatelist_ chronicles it in the issue of March 1,
1870, as being of "the same colour and general description as before".
[Illustration No. 28 on Plate II.]
The next value to appear was the 1 cent, which was noted in the _Stamp
Collector's Magazine_ for April 1, 1870; it was probably issued,
therefore, some time in March, for the _American Journal of Philately_
records it in its issue of April 20, 1870. [Illustration No. 25 on Plate
II.]
Two years then elapsed before further additions were made, and lent some
color to the report in several European journals that the cause of the
new issue was the destruction by fire in Montreal of the plates of the 1
cent and 3 cent of 1868, and that the other values of the set would
remain as before. The _American Journal of Philately_ learned, however,
that only the press room of the Bank Note Co. was damaged, and that the
plates were intact. At last the 6 cent in reduced size made its
appearance and was chronicled in the _American Journal of Philately_ for
February, 1872, to be followed in the March issue by the announcement of
the 2 cent. The former value must therefore have been issued in January
and the latter in February. [Illustrations Nos. 30 and 26 on Plate II.]
Again in the _American Journal of Philately_ for November 20, 1874, we
find it "reported" that Canada "has issued a 10c. rose", and the next
issue says it "is printed in a peculiar pale rose, we can not call to
mind any other stamp of this particular tint." The actual issue
therefore, was probably about November 1, 1874. Just what called forth
this new value in the Dominion series does not appear, unless it be the
section in the Postal Treaty between Canada and the United States which
fixed the rate on patterns and samples at 10 cents for not over 8 oz.,
with prepayment obligatory.[104] This rate did not go into effect,
however, until January 1, 1875. Of course as a multiple of the 5 cent
rates which came into force on October 1, 1875, the new 10 cent stamp
was very useful, but that was nearly a year subsequent to its issue. The
new stamp is illustrated as No. 32 on Plate II.
[104] See page 121.
The next of the series to make its appearance was the 5 cent, which was
noted in the _American Journal of Philately_ for February 20, 1876 as
having "just been issued." [Illustration No. 29 on Plate II.] This
doubtless means about the 1st February, so that its large sized
predecessor had only about four months of life. There were now left in
the large sized stamps only the 12-1/2 and 15 cents. In its issue for
May, 1872, the _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ quoted from the _Canadian
Philatelist_ as follows:--"It is unlikely that the 12-1/2 c. small size
will be issued, as the large ones are very little used, and can now be
bought at the post-office at 12 cents." This last statement is rather
surprising. Nevertheless, it was announced in the _American Journal of
Philately_ for October, 1879 that "Canada will shortly issue the 12-1/2
and 15c. values of postals in small size, to correspond with the others
of the series." This paper seemed to have been usually well informed
concerning Canadian postal matters, but the expected new stamps did not
materialize. The dies and plates were undoubtedly prepared, for the
12-1/2 cent stamp at least exists in a finished state, but is very
scarce. Proofs of both values were illustrated in _Le Timbre-Poste_ for
November, 1888, with the following remarks: "On nous envoie les essais
des futurs timbres 12-1/2 et 15 centavos qui doivent compl['e]ter un
peu tardivement, la s['e]rie des timbres [a'] ce format. Nos exemplaires
sont imprim['e]s, le premier en lilas, le second en vert sur papier de
la Chine." Commenting on this in the _American Philatelist_ for
December, 1888, Mr. W. C. Stone says: "We heard of these some ten or
twelve years ago and saw them both last summer in New York." We have
been fortunate enough to be able to illustrate the 12-1/2 cent (see No.
89 on Plate V) from the Worthington collection, and this finished copy,
with full gum, is in a bright blue as we should expect. We regret that
it was impossible to locate a copy of the reduced 15 cent to illustrate
as a companion piece. The reasons that the plates of these two stamps
were never actually brought into use, though evidently prepared with the
other values in smaller size, were probably these: The 12-1/2 cent of
1868, as we have seen, though issued to postmasters for several
subsequent years, was not printed after 1871, nor was the old stock
exhausted when its use was discontinued. There was therefore no call for
any supply to be printed from the new plate. The 15 cent was not printed
between 1869 and 1875, and after that in such relatively small
quantities each year until 1896, that, unless we are greatly mistaken,
the original plate never wore out, but was used without change to the
end.
The old adage that "history repeats itself" was again exemplified in
Canadian stamps when in July, 1882, the 1/2 cent stamp, for fourteen
years unaltered, was once more reduced to a smaller size than the
regular series. The general effect of the design remained the same, but
the foliate ornamentation gave place to angular outlines. The
illustration will be found as No. 27 on Plate II.
All of the above mentioned stamps, except the 1/2 cent as will be
explained, were line engraved on steel and printed in sheets of 100, ten
rows of ten. The marginal imprints turn out to be of three varieties in
this series, and we have pieced together what information we can
concerning them, for strips with marginal imprints are extremely hard to
find now. The first plates made, including at least the 1, 2, 3, 5, and
6 cent stamps, and probably the 10 cent as well, since that was engraved
before the 5 cent, had the denomination in shaded Roman capitals, 4 mm.
high, [Illustration No. 121 on Plate XI], over stamps 2 and 3 of the top
row. Sometimes the shading is hardly apparent, as in our illustration,
but it can be detected. Beginning over stamp 4, extending over stamps 5
and 6, and ending over stamp 7, is the inscription we found on the
series of 1868 (see illustration 107 on Plate IX), "BRITISH AMERICAN
BANK NOTE CO. MONTREAL & OTTAWA" in colorless Roman capitals in the
little strip of color 1 mm. wide and 51 mm. long. This imprint is also
beneath the bottom row of stamps and at each side, reading up at the
left and down at the right [Illustration No. 111 on Plate X]. We have so
far not seen this inscription on the 5 cent and 10 cent sheets, and
doubt if it exists on the former at least.
About 1875 the engraving company seem to have dropped their Ottawa
branch, for on the large 5 cent stamp, whose plate was made in that
year, we find the new imprint "British American Bank Note Co. Montreal"
in capitals and lower case letters on a colored strip 56 mm. long and
2-1/2 mm. wide, having a pearled border. This imprint is found on all
four sides of the sheet, as before, as reference to Plates X, XI and XII
will show, and on the plates of all values. In the case of the 6 and 10
cent stamps, and perhaps some others as well, the value SIX, TEN, etc.
is now found in the shaded Roman capitals over stamp number 9 of the top
row, but lacking the word CENTS. Over stamp number 2 of the top row is
the figure of value, 6 mm. high, [Illustration No. 118, Plate XI]. A
sheet of the small 5 cent stamps which we have seen, however, does not
follow this arrangement but reverts to the first style with FIVE CENTS
in the shaded Roman capitals over the first three stamps of the top row
only, though having the four "Montreal" imprints. Again, a sheet of 3
cent that we have examined has the word THREE alone in the shaded Roman
capitals over the first two stamps of the top row, and the "Montreal"
imprint at the center of the top and bottom rows only, there being
nothing at the sides. A sheet of 1 cent presents still another style,
having the "Montreal" imprint at top and bottom alone, and no other
marginal inscriptions. We have seen no sheet or margin of the 2 cent
stamp bearing the "Montreal" imprint, but it doubtless exists.
Whether the arrangement of these marginal inscriptions is a special one
for each value, or whether each style described exists in all values
there does not seem to be material enough at hand to determine. Probably
neither statement is wholly in accordance with facts, as there must have
been a great many plates of the 1 cent and 3 cent stamps, with
proportionately fewer for the less used values. There seems to have been
no system of plate numbering, as far as we can discover, though some
margins show reversed letters or figures about 3 to 4 mm. high in
various positions; they do not appear to have any special significance,
however.
In regard to the 1/2 cent of 1882, which we excepted from the above
statements, there is a special arrangement to consider. The stamp was
of course line engraved on steel, as before, but the plate printed two
panes of 100 impressions each, side by side. These panes were the usual
10 x 10 arrangement, and were separated by a space of 11 mm. through
which they were cut into two "post office sheets". The marginal
inscriptions were simply the "Montreal" imprint [illustration No. 127 on
Plate XII] which appeared six times--at the top and bottom of each pane,
in the right margin of the right hand pane and the left margin of the
left hand pane, there being no imprint in the space between the two
panes. Over the top inscription of the right pane is the reversed figure
1, 4 mm. high, and in the same position on the left pane the
corresponding figure 2, evidently to designate the panes.
Once again, and this time the fact was noted in some of the philatelic
journals, the imprint was changed. The engraving company had been
required by the Government to do its printing at Ottawa,[105] and under
"Canada Notes" in _Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News_ for December 21, 1892,
"Canadensis" reports: "The new plates of the Canada stamps now bear this
imprint: 'British American Bank Note Co. Ottawa', instead of Montreal.
The matrix being made from the old die are exactly like the previous
issues." The new imprint is a copy of the first one we described, with
"Montreal &" omitted. It is 40 mm. long and 1-1/2 mm. wide and is well
shown in illustration No. 123 on Plate XII. These new plates were
doubtless the ones heralded in the _Dominion Philatelist_ for September,
1892, wherein it is stated that "the present issue of Canada 3 c. Stamps
are being printed and issued in sheets of 200 instead of 100 as
formerly." And again in the same paper for May, 1893: "The Canada 1c.,
2c., and 3c. stamps are now being printed in sheets of 200." This new
sheet arrangement consisted of ten horizontal rows of twenty stamps
each. The "Ottawa" imprint appears three times, once in the middle of
the top margin, over stamps 10 and 11, and twice in the bottom margin,
beneath stamps 5 and 6, and again beneath stamps 15 and 16. There are no
imprints at the sides. The denomination appears in the top margin at
both right and left and in a new style of lettering on these larger
plates. Thus we find ONE CENT or TWO CENT over stamps 2 and 3 as well as
18 and 19, or THREE CENT over the first four and last four stamps in
plain Egyptian capitals, (see illustration No. 120 on Plate XI).
[105] See page 128.
One other imprint was used on the 2 cent value at least, but we have so
far seen it on no other. It was 49 mm. long and nearly 2 mm. wide, but
otherwise is a duplicate of the smaller "Ottawa" imprint. A portion of
it is seen in illustration No. 129 on Plate XIII. The sheet was in the
10 x 10 form, and the imprint appeared at top and bottom only, there
being no other marginal inscriptions. From the sheet form it would seem
probable that it preceded the use of the sheets of 200 stamps.
The colors of these small stamps were intended to be the same as those
of the larger stamps they superseded, and in the main they were so. The
orange and orange yellow shades of the 1 cent stamp appear to have been
the earlier ones, while the yellow tints came in the later printings.
The 2 cent follows the green of its predecessor very closely. The 3
cent, as might be expected, is more prolific in the variety of shades
presented. The _Philatelist_ chronicled it (March, 1870) in the "same
colour as before," while Moens, in _Le Timbre-Poste_, was more specific
and gave it as red-brown. In May, 1873, the _Stamp Collector's Magazine_
lists it in orange-vermilion, while _The Philatelist_ says vermilion and
_Le Timbre-Poste_ bright orange. The 5 cent stamp did not vary a great
deal except in tone, though _Le Timbre-Poste_ notes it as "black-gray"
in July, 1877. The 6 cent was also fairly constant in its brown shade.
The 10 cent appeared at first in what, for want of a better name, may be
called a rose-lilac. The _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ called it pale
rose, and the _American Journal, of Philately_ said it was a "peculiar
pale rose" which was a new tint. The latter paper notes it again in a
"bright carnation" in March, 1876, while _Le Timbre-Poste_ in August of
the same year chronicles it in "pale red instead of lilac."
We have been thus particular in listing the record of early shades
because of the changes which come later.
In the January, 1888, issue of the _Halifax Philatelist_ we find the
following note under "Canada":--"The plate of the 2 c. stamp has been
re-engraved. Color is now dark green". No details of such re-engraving
were forthcoming, but in the June, 1888, number of the _Philatelic
Record_ is a paragraph which evidently refers to the same stamp:--"A
correspondent has sent us a specimen of the 2 cents, green, which he
calls a _new die_. We fail to see it; but what we do see is, that the
stamp is printed from a lithographed transfer." This surprising
statement seemed to excite no special comment save from the sagacious M.
Moens, who remarks:[106] "Nous avons ['e]galement re[c]u ce timbre qui
parait lithographi['e], par suite d'usure de la planche, croyons-nous,
car la feuille enti[e']re que nous avons annonce que l'impression a
['e]t['e] faite, comme ant['e]rieurement, par la British American Bank
Note Co. de Montreal et Ottawa, qui ne s'occupe pas d'impression
lithographique que nous sachions."
[106] =Le Timbre-Poste=, XXVI: 61.
Without doubt M. Moens gave the correct explanation, for the imprint
that he mentions will be recognized as the one to be found on the
earliest plates of the small stamps, and 1888 was thirteen years at
least after the second type of imprint with "Montreal" only had been
introduced. Hence the stamp in question was probably a late print from a
worn plate, which gave a rather flat and indistinct impression that
might suggest lithography, though it is certain that Canada has never
yet stooped to such a cheap means of postage stamp production. A similar
case may be recalled with the 1/2 penny stamp of St. Helena which was
issued in 1884, and which presented a like appearance.
Whether the above incident had anything to do with the change of the
printing company from Montreal to Ottawa, which we have already noted in
describing the imprints, we cannot say, but it is certain that it was
the beginning of changes, in shade at least, which affected the whole
series of stamps. We have the authority of the Postmaster General's
Report for 1889 that the "removal of the British American Bank Note Co.
from Montreal to Ottawa" had taken place--evidently early in 1888, as
will be seen later--so that the use of an old worn-out plate might have
been a case of temporary necessity. Further details are given by the
Canadian correspondent of the _Weekly Philatelic Era_[107] as follows:
"About six years ago the Government insisted on their contractors doing
their printing at the Capital, and the British American Bank Note Co.
erected a handsome establishment on Wellington Street, where all postage
stamps have since been printed. It may be remembered that the Ottawa
printings were signalized by distinct varieties in shade from the
earlier Montreal issues, varieties that have never been sufficiently
distinguished in the standard catalogues."
[107] =Weekly Philatelic Era=, XII: 23.
These changes in the stamp shades were soon noted. In March, 1888, the
_Philatelic Record_ described the 10 cent stamp as "now in carmine-red",
while two months later it chronicled the 5 cent as changed "from
bronze-green to greenish-grey." We have already noted the change in the
15 cent to a color approximating its original mauve, "only more of a
bluish tinge," which the _Halifax Philatelist_ recorded in July, 1888.
The following October the same paper listed the 3 cent in a "bright
carmine", and in July, 1889, announced the 2 cent in "blue green". The
6 cent lagged behind the others and did not manifest itself until the
_American Journal of Philately_ announced it in October, 1890, in a
"rich brown." Once again, _Le Timbre-Poste_ for April, 1892, stated that
the 5 cent had "since the 8th March, appeared in gray black". The 1 cent
doubtless had its special hue of yellow along with the other changes,
but it was not recorded, probably because not distinct enough from the
usual run of variations in which it had been appearing.
That the above changes were hardly of a character to warrant dignifying
them as a "new issue," which is frequently done, is shown by a moment's
consideration. The 1/2 cent and 1 cent stamps showed no appreciable
difference in coloring and therefore caused no comment. The 2 cent did
not maintain its blue green shade unaltered, and the 3 cent soon
reverted to its former brilliant red hue, as the _Philatelic Journal of
America_ for May, 1889, says that "the carmine color recently adopted
has been dropped, and the stamps are printed in colors similar to the
ones in use before the change was made." The 5, 6 and 10 cent stamps,
however, made permanent changes, but only such as might readily be
traceable to a new mixing of the inks in the case of the first two. The
10 cent can hardly be so easily disposed of, as lake and brown-red are
of quite different composition from a rose-lilac. But there can have
been no official intention of altering the shades or colors or more
definite and permanent changes would certainly have been made throughout
the set. It remains, therefore, to classify them simply as shade
varieties of the original set.
Mr. King gives a list of eight varieties of paper[108] for the "small
cents issues", but we have deemed it sufficient to note a thick and a
thin white wove paper, and a closely ribbed paper. All values are
reported as existing with the compound perforation (11-1/2 x 12) spoken
of under the 1868 issue. We also find all values occurring in an
imperforate condition. The 3 cent was first noted in the _Philatelic
Record_ for December, 1882; the 15 cent we have already spoken of under
the 1868 issue; and the 5, 6 and 10 cent at least, from the shades of
the specimens we have seen, belong to the printings subsequent to the
color modifications of 1888-90. Concerning these imperforates, we find
in a paper on Canada, read before the Royal Philatelic Society by Mr. M.
H. Horsley,[109] the following note:--
In my opinion, which I have had confirmed by several most competent
authorities, the various imperforated copies which I show you, some
used and some unused, are absolutely genuine varieties. Imperforated
copies of various values were sold over the Post-office counter in
Montreal about the years 1891-3, at their face value, and have been
good for postage whenever people cared to use them. The quantities
in this condition are, I believe, extremely small.
[108] =Monthly Journal=, VIII: 237.
[109] =London Philatelist=, XVI: 88.
Supplementing this Mr. Pack writes:[110]--
I quite agree with Mr. Horsley in regard to the various imperforate
copies of the issues of 1882 to 1895. There are a good many
specimens of these stamps imperforate, and they were on sale at a
Canadian Post Office.
[110] =London Philatelist=, XVI: 144.
The above statements are correct, and we can vouch for them by
documentary evidence. Not only were the various values of the series we
are considering on sale in imperforate condition, but also the 8, 20 and
50 cent stamps which we are next to consider, and the shade of the 8
cent stamp shows it to have been among the earlier printings--probably
in 1893. We are fortunate in being able to present illustrations of all
these imperforates in blocks of four or more, which will be found on
Plates IX, X and XII.
That these imperforates are perfectly good for postage and are
recognized by the Canadian Post Office to this day, equally with their
perforated prototypes, has been proved to our satisfaction because we
have employed some on registered matter addressed to the United States.
As this class of mail requires to be fully prepaid, any irregularity
would at once be detected and the covers would tell the story. We
illustrate a pair of the 2 cent imperforate on a registered cover mailed
at Como, Quebec, on March 20, 1905. [Plate XIII, No. 129.]
As before, we find that a few stamps have been "split" and used for half
their value, copies of the 2 cent and 6 cent having been cut vertically
and doing unquestioned duty as 1 cent and 3 cent stamps respectively. As
this practise is unauthorized they can be regarded mearly as freaks that
have slipped through by carelessness--or favor.
Turning once more to the Postmaster General's Reports, we begin with
that of the 30th June, 1875. This notes that:--
The Act passed in the last Session of Parliament for the regulation
of the Postal Service of Canada, came wholly into force on the 1st
October, 1875.
1. Letters passing by mail at 3 cents per 1/2 oz.
2. Local or drop letters at 1 cent per 1/2 oz.
3. Post cards 1 cent each.
4. Canadian newspapers and periodicals, from office of publication
at 1 cent per pound of bulk weight.
5. Transient newspapers and periodicals, circulars, books,
pamphlets, etc., open, 1 cent per 4 oz.
6. Newspapers or periodicals weighing less than 1 oz. each, when
posted singly, 1/2 cent each.
7. Closed parcels not containing letters, 12-1/2 cents per 8 oz.
The Act referred to was "An Act to amend and consolidate the Statute Law
for the regulation of the Postal Service. [_Assented to 8th April,
1875._]"[111] and was mainly a repetition of _The Post Office Act,
1867_,[112] with certain amendments incorporated. The principal changes
which interest us are as follows:--
[111] 38^o Vict. Chap. 7.
[112] 31^o Vict. Cap. X. See page 95.
1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as "The Post Office Act,
1875," etc., etc.
10.--6. Cause to be prepared and distributed postage and
registration stamps necessary for the prepayment of postages and
registration charges, under this Act; also stamped envelopes for the
like purpose and post-cards and stamped post bands or wrappers for
newspapers or other mailable articles not being post letters.
19. [_Letter rate of 3 cents per 1/2 oz._]: and such postage rate of
three cents shall be pre-paid by postage stamp or stamps at the time
of posting the letter, otherwise such letter shall not be forwarded
by post, except that letters addressed to any place in Canada and on
which one full rate of three cents has been so pre-paid, shall be
forwarded to their destination charged with double the amount of the
postage thereon not so prepaid, which amount shall be collected on
delivery.
20. [_Drop letter rate restricted to_ "one cent per half ounce
weight."]
22. The rate of postage on newspaper and periodical publications
printed and published in Canada, and issued not less frequently than
once a month from a known office of publication or news agency, and
addressed and posted by and from the same to regular subscribers or
news agents, shall be one cent for each pound weight, or any
fraction of a pound weight, to be prepaid by postage stamps or
otherwise as the Postmaster General may, from time to time, direct;
and such newspapers and periodicals shall be put into packages and
delivered into the post office, and the postage rate thereon prepaid
by the sender thereof, under such regulations as the Postmaster
General may, from time to time, direct.
23. Newspapers and periodicals weighing less than one ounce each may
be posted singly at a postage rate of half a cent each, which must
be in all cases prepaid by postage stamp affixed to each.
24. On all newspapers and periodicals posted in Canada, except in
the cases hereinbefore expressly provided for, and on books, etc.,
etc., [_repeats Sec. 26 of Act of 1867_], the rate of postage shall
be one cent for each four ounces or fraction of four ounces, ... and
this postage rate shall be prepaid by postage stamps or stamped post
bands or wrappers....
27. [_Repeats Sec. 29 of Act of 1867_] And when any letter or other
mailable matter is posted in Canada without prepayment, or
insufficiently prepaid, in any case in which prepayment is by this
Act made obligatory, the Postmaster General may detain the same, and
cause it to be returned, when practicable, to the sender.
28. [_Replaces Sec. 30 of Act of 1867_] And for avoiding doubts, and
preventing inconvenient delay in the posting and delivery of
letters,--no Postmaster shall be bound to give change, but the exact
amount of the postage on any letter or other mailable matter shall
be tendered or paid to him in current coin as respects letters or
other things delivered, bearing unpaid postage, as shall also the
exact value in current coin as respects postage stamps, registration
stamps, stamped envelopes or post cards, post bands or wrappers,
purchased from any Postmaster and the exact amount of postage
payable to any letter-carrier on any letter or mailable matter
delivered by him.
38. [_Repeats Sec. 40 of Act of 1867 concerning dead letters, but
lowers the charge for returning to three cents and allows for
deduction of postage prepaid in the case of insufficiently prepaid
matter._]
87. The foregoing sections of this Act shall come into force and
effect on the first day of October, in the present year one thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five, except only in so far as they relate
to the rates of postage on newspapers and periodicals sent to the
United States, as to which they shall come into force on the first
day of May now next....
From the above quotations we see that the new Act made prepayment of
letters by stamps obligatory, and imposed a fine of double the
deficiency if insufficiently prepaid; that the unlimited weight of drop
letters was restricted to 1/2 oz. per rate; that newspapers and
periodicals were classed together and publishers given the low rate of 1
cent per pound; that the rate of 2 cents on transient newspapers was
reduced to 1/2 cent per ounce, and 1 cent up to four ounces; etc.
The Report of 1875 further informs us that the free delivery of letters
by carrier had been commenced in the following cities on the dates
given:--
Montreal 1st October, 1874.
Toronto 1st March, 1875.
Quebec 1st April, "
Ottawa 1st May, "
Hamilton 1st " "
St. John, N.B. 1st " "
Halifax, N.S. 1st July, "
Previous to the above dates a charge (in addition to the ordinary
postage) of two cents on each letter received by mail, of one cent
on each letter posted in the city, and of one cent on each
newspaper, was collected by the letter-carrier on delivery of the
same. Halifax was an exception, as letters and papers sent out for
delivery by letter-carrier had been delivered without extra charge
since 1851.
The British American Bank Note Co. was paid for
Engraving and printing postage stamps for Post Office Department,
$22,675.50.
The Report of 1876 contains no special items not already noted, but that
of 1877 states that the letter rate of postage with Newfoundland had
been reduced from 6 cents to 5 cents per 1/2 oz., and the same rate had
been obtained with Germany from 1st April, 1877.
The Report of 1878 announces the admission of Canada into the Universal
Postal Union from the 1st July, as we have already detailed.[113] The
Report of 1879 says: "A reduction has been made, from the 1st September
last, in the postage rate on closed parcels sent by post within the
Dominion, from 12-1/2 cents per 8 oz. of weight to 6 cents per 4 oz.
Under this change small parcels not exceeding 4 ounces in weight are
admitted to pass for 6 cents instead of 12-1/2 cents as before." This
sounded the death knell of the 12-1/2 cent stamp, which dropped in the
number issued to postmasters from 84,150 in 1879 to 13,400 in 1880 and
4950 in 1881. It was issued in decreasing numbers down to 1888, when it
disappears from the accounts.
[113] See page 109.
Nothing further of importance transpired until 1881, when a
supplementary agreement touching certain points was signed with the
United States Post Office Department:--
ADDITIONAL ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DOMINION OF CANADA AND
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
For the purpose of affording to the public increased facilities for
the exchange of written correspondence, and also of preventing
evasions by publishers, of the postal laws and regulations of the
United States, the undersigned, duly authorized by their respective
Governments, have agreed upon the following additional articles to
the Postal Agreement of 27th January and 1st February, 1875:
Article I.
Insufficiently paid letters mailed in the United States and
addressed to Canada, or _vice versa_, mailed in Canada and addressed
to the United States, on which a single rate of postage or more has
been prepaid, shall be forwarded charged with the amount of the
deficient postage, to be collected on delivery and retained by the
Post Department of the country of destination. The amount of such
deficient postage shall be indicated in figures, by the despatching
exchange office, on the upper left-hand corner of the address.
Article II.
When newspapers, periodicals and other printed matter, published or
originating in the United States, are brought into Canada and posted
there for destinations in the United States, apparently to evade the
postage rates or regulations applicable to such matter in the United
States, the Canada Post Office may require prepayment of the same to
be made at a rate equivalent to double the Canada domestic rates.
* * * * *
Article IV.
The present articles shall be considered additional to those agreed
upon between the two offices on the 27th January and 1st February,
1875, and shall come into operation on the 1st of May, 1881.
* * * * *
The Report of June 30, 1882 states that newspapers and periodicals
published in Canada (under certain conditions as to form and manner of
posting) are transmitted free by Post within the Dominion when posted
from the office of publication to regular subscribers, from 1st June,
1882. This must have been due to a Department Order, as the Statutes of
Canada reveal no such enactment at this time. The same Report announces
the issue of reply post cards, but those will be dealt with later.
Statistics make up most of the Reports until that of 1886, when an item
of interest in connection with the completion of the Canadian Pacific
Railway is found: "The first through train left Montreal on Monday the
28th June, 1885, and arrived at Port Moody, the Pacific terminus of the
road on the 4th July. Mails for British Columbia commenced to pass over
the Canadian Pacific Railway by this first train." This marked the
independence of Canada from the United States in the matter of
transcontinental transportation of mails. The distance from Montreal to
Port Moody is given as 2892 miles.
In connection with this event the following note may be of
interest:[114]--
Up to the time the Canadian Pacific Railway was built, nearly all
letters from the Northwest bore United States stamps. The Northwest
mounted police took their mail to Bismarck, Dak., and others were
sent to Fargo, from whence they were sent around to Detroit and
thence into Canada. The pony express was used in the Canadian
Northwest, but no system, no stamps and probably no stipulated
charges were made to get a letter to the frontier of the United
States.
[114] =Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News=, II: 32: 2.
The Report of 1887 says that:--
Provision has been made for the transmission by mail between all
places in Canada, from 1st February, 1888, of small articles of
ordinary goods and manufactures in packages, open to inspection, on
payment of a postage charge of 1 cent per oz. Also a new convention
with the United States Post Office providing that from the 1st
March, 1888, the same class of matter will be admitted to pass
between Canada and the United States, subject to Customs inspection.
The Report of 1888 announces the extension of free delivery by letter
carriers to Victoria, B. C. Since the list of free delivery offices
given on page 133, there are to be added as well:--
London, Ontario 24th April, 1876.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1st April, 1882.
Kingston, Ontario, 1st July, 1882.
The Report of 1889 states that "the Post Office Act of 1889 increased
the limit of weight of a single rate letter from 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce.
The rate on drop letters at the same time was fixed at 2 cents per
ounce." The Act[115] referred to was an amendment to the Post Office
Act, (assented to on the 2nd May, 1889), and the notice of the changes
issued to the public was as follows:--
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC.
* * * * *
CHANGES IN POSTAGE RATES UNDER AUTHORITY OF POST OFFICE ACT 1889.
The rate of postage upon Letters posted in Canada, addressed to
places within the Dominion or in the United States, will be 3 cents
per ounce instead of 3 cents per half ounce as heretofore.
Upon Drop Letters posted at an Office from which letters are
delivered by Letter Carrier, the postage rate will be 2 cents per
ounce, instead of 1 cent per half ounce. The rate of postage upon
Drop Letters, except in the Cities where free delivery by Letter
Carrier has been established, will be 1 cent per ounce.
The fee for the Registration of a letter or other article of mail
matter, will be five cents upon all classes of correspondence
passing within the Dominion. For the present and until further
instructed, the registration fee may be prepaid by using the 2 cent
Registration Stamps and Postage Stamps to make up the amount.
Letters insufficiently prepaid will be charged double the deficiency
as heretofore, provided at least a partial prepayment has been made.
Letters posted wholly unpaid will be sent to the Dead Letter Office
for return to the writer.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, JOHN G. HAGGART.
OTTAWA, 8th MAY, 1889 _Postmaster General_
[115] 52^o Vict. Chap. 20.
The Act also made another change, not noted in the circular, by which
section 24 of _The Post Office Act_, 1875, which provided a rate of 1
cent per 4 ounces on printed matter, seeds, etc., and samples of
merchandise, was amended so as to limit the weight of printed matter to
2 ounces for the 1 cent rate.
The 1889 Report also chronicles the "removal of the British American
Bank Note Co. from Montreal to Ottawa," a fact which we have already
commented upon at length in its results upon the stamps issued after the
transfer.[116]
[116] See page 128.
In 1890 we find that "the complaints which were so prevalent some time
since, of the want of adhesiveness in the postage stamps have almost
entirely ceased. It is hoped, therefore, that the efforts of the
manufacturer to remove the cause of complaint have been successful." And
again in 1891: "Complaints of defective mucilage would be far less
frequent if the public would kindly bear in mind that it is the
_envelope_ of a letter, or the _cover_ of a packet, and _not the postage
stamp_, which should be moistened when stamps are affixed in prepayment
of postage. When a stamp is passed over the tongue the mucilage is
frequently almost wholly removed." They should have had these
instructions engraved on the margins of the plates, as did the British
authorities with the old one penny black!
The Report for 1892 announces the preparation of letter cards, which
will be treated of later, and also says: "Postage stamps of the value of
20 cents and 50 cents are about to be issued. These will be useful in
prepayment of parcel post." And this brings us to our next chapter.