Part 3 (2/2)
The same journal, two months later, made more extended reference to this variety and while its bona-fides as a ”split” is established its use as a half stamp is as much a mystery as ever. We cannot do better than give the paragraph in full:--
In the New Issues column of our number for April, we called in question the character of a supposed ”split” _three pence_ stamp of Canada, which had been chronicled in the _Post Office_, New York.
In reply to our criticism, Messrs. Morgenthau & Co., the publishers of that magazine, have most kindly forwarded to us the letter bearing the divided stamp, and have requested our opinion upon it.
The specimen is such a curious one and presents, we think, such a puzzle for philatelists, that we have taken the liberty--which we hope its owner will pardon--of having a photographic block made from it, and we give a full size ill.u.s.tration, showing both the stamps and the postmarks, herewith. As our readers may perceive, we were quite wrong in suggesting that the ”split” stamp was merely a badly cut copy, as it appears to have been carefully bi-sected diagonally and to have been intended to pa.s.s as a half stamp, making up, with the entire stamp to which it is attached, a rate of 4-1/2d. If this were all, though the specimen would be a great rarity--indeed, we believe it to be unique--it would not be necessarily a great puzzle to us. It is true that we do not know of any 4-1/2d rate in Canada, and there never was a 4-1/2d stamp in use there; but still, such a rate might have existed, although there was no possible means of making it up except by the use of at least three 1/2d stamps; but the puzzling part about this letter is that it is addressed from Port Hope in Canada to New York, the single rate from Canada to the United States was 10 cents; the letter is marked ”CANADA--_PAID 10 Cts_.” by the side of the stamps, and that rate was sixpence in Canadian currency. The whole doc.u.ment appears to us to be perfectly genuine and _bona-fide_; we have examined it with a skeptical mind and a powerful magnifying gla.s.s, and we can only say that if it is a ”fake” it is wonderfully well done. On the other hand, if it is genuine, the half stamp must have done duty as a whole one, because it certainly took two 3d stamps to make up the 10 cents rate. The puzzle remains a puzzle to us, but we are grateful to Messrs. Morgenthau for their courteous reply to what may have appeared a captious criticism.
_Reference List._
1851. Engraved and printed by Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, New York, on laid or wove paper. Imperforate.
1. 3d vermilion, Scott's No. 1 or No. 4.
2. 6d violet, Scott's No. 2 or No. 5.
3. 12d black, Scott's No. 3 or No. 6.
The third report of the Postmaster-General for Canada, dated March 31st, 1854, refers to a change in the rates of postage on single letters sent abroad and also mentions the possibility of additions to the meagre set of three values then current, viz.:--
In March, 1854, the charge on packet letters between Canada and the United Kingdom and most foreign countries was reduced by the Imperial Government from 1s 2d sterling to 8d sterling the 1/2 oz., when sent in the closed mails through the United States, and from 1s sterling to 6d when sent from a provincial port--Quebec and Halifax. Should no further changes 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 7-1/2d respectively, to correspond with the present packet charges.
In the Postmaster-General's fourth annual report, issued in the following year, the above recommendation was adopted so far as the 10d value was concerned, for we read:--
To promote the general convenience of the public 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 to the public.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
According to doc.u.mentary evidence unearthed by Messrs. King and Howes the plate for this value was made, and the first stamps were printed from it during the last quarter of 1854, for in the Post Office accounts for that period the item, ”Rawdon, Wright & Co., Making Stamps, 42-18-6,” appears. According to another list compiled from official sources the stamps did not reach Canada until January 2nd, 1855, and though we know of no official doc.u.ment bearing on the actual date of issue, or of any very early dated cover, in view of the fact that the stamps represented a denomination for which there was an urgent demand, it is only reasonable to suppose that this 10d value was placed on sale some time during the month of January, 1855.
Mr. King states that this value was printed in sheets of 100 stamps, arranged in ten horizontal rows of ten, and with the manufacturers'
imprint shown eight times on the margins, as in the case of the three stamps previously issued. Mr. Howes, however, is of the opinion that these 10d stamps were printed in sheets of 120, 10 rows of twelve each, like the 7-1/2d value issued later, and in support of his theory points out that the quant.i.ties delivered in the first supply (100,080) and second supply (72,120) are exactly divisible by 120 into 834 and 601 full sheets respectively, whereas neither of these numbers is divisible by 100 into an even number of complete sheets. In view of the absence of positive evidence in the shape of an entire sheet or full horizontal row of stamps, it must be admitted that there is much to be said in favor of Mr. Howes' theory. It will be noted the stamps have the values expressed in English currency, and the almost universal rule for stamps printed with values in s.h.i.+llings or pence, has been sheets of 60, 120, or 240 owing to the fact that with such an arrangement reckoning in this currency is greatly simplified.
The design corresponds in its general appearance to the 6d and 12d of 1851 though the portrait in the central oval is of Jacques Cartier, the discoverer of Canada. In the 'eighties there was some little discussion regarding the portrait on this 10d stamp some claiming it was not intended to represent Cartier, but Sebastian Cabot. A writer on the _Halifax Philatelist_ for 1888 says: ”It is identically the same as all the existing portraits of Jacques Cartier, and totally unlike those existing of Sebastian Cabot. The style of dress and the way the beard is worn is that of the sixteenth century, instead of the fifteenth. There is a very rare and old print of Sebastian Cabot, taken from the original painting in the possession of Charles Jost Harford, Esq., in the Legislative Library at Halifax, and anything more dissimilar to the face on the 10 pence stamp cannot be imagined.” The official notice announcing the issue of the stamp, to which we have already referred, makes no mention of the design at all but the portrait is undoubtedly that of Cartier and Mr. Howes tells us that the original is a ”three-quarter length portrait in the Hotel de Ville at St. Malo, France, the birthplace of Cartier.”
Jacques Cartier was born at St. Malo, as stated above, in 1491. In 1534 he sailed with two small vessels on a voyage of discovery, touching at Newfoundland, and discovering New Brunswick. In a second voyage (1535-6) he explored the St. Lawrence, and took possession of the land he discovered in the name of Francis I of France. He made a third voyage in 1541 and died in 1557.
The words CANADA POSTAGE and TENPENCE on the inscribed oval frame are separated by a small beaver at the right and three maple leaves at the left. In the lower corners are the numerals ”10” followed by ”cy” for currency, while in each of the upper angles is ”8d stg”, representing the equivalent value in sterling.
Only the two supplies of this value, mentioned previously, were printed making a total of 172,200 stamps. When the decimal currency was introduced there was a balance on hand of 31,200, which were afterwards destroyed so that the total quant.i.ty of 10d stamps issued was 141,000.
A double-transfer variety of this denomination is described by Mr. Howes as follows:--
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 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.
The Postmaster General's report dated Sept. 30th, 1857, refers to the many benefits accruing to both the Department and the public by the increased use of postage stamps in the prepayment of postal charges and also mentions the issue of two new denominations, viz:--
There is a very material economy of labor to the Department in dealing with letters prepaid 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 prepayment by stamp enables the Post Office to afford for posting and delivering letters so prepaid.
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 sometime 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.
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