Part 9 (1/2)
At the meeting of the International Postal Congress, which, under the provisions of the Postal Treaty of Berne, concluded in October, 1874, took place at Paris in May, 1878, Canada was admitted to be a member of the General Postal Union from the 1st July, 1878, and in consequence the rate of letter postage between Canada and all Europe became one uniform charge of 5 cents per half ounce.
Newspapers and other printed matter, and samples and patterns of merchandise also became subject to uniform postage rates and regulations for all destinations in Europe.
The 5c rate was, thus, now well established, and Canada had obtained members.h.i.+p in the Universal Postal Union, for which she had been striving since 1875.
This large 5c stamp was printed by the line-engraved process, like the other denominations of similar designs. The portrait forming the centrepiece is like that on the values of 1868 though the medallion is enclosed within a ”corded” circle instead of an ordinary plain line.
”CANADA POSTAGE” is curved above the portrait, as usual, while below is ”FIVE CENTS”. The numerals, shown in the lower corners, are somewhat smaller than those on the other denominations of this type.
The stamps were printed in sheets of 100, in ten rows of ten, and with regard to the marginal imprints Mr. Howes tells us that ”The sheet bore four marginal imprints, arranged as before, but of a slightly different type for the 1868 issue. This new imprint is in capitals and lower case letters on a colored strip 56 mm. long and 2-1/2 mm. wide, with a border of pearls, and reads: 'British American Bank Note Co. Montreal'.
Doubtless the words FIVE CENTS in shaded Roman capitals would be found over the second and third stamps of the top row if one were fortunate enough to possess this portion of a sheet.”
The stamps were printed on the wove paper then in use and perforated 12 in the usual manner.
_Reference List._
1875. Engraved and Printed by the British American Bank Note Co., Montreal. Wove paper. Perf. 12.
25. 5c olive green, Scott's No. 37.
CHAPTER X.--_The Small ”Cents” Stamps._
In the _American Journal of Philately_ for August, 1869, we read ”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 the margin around the head will be considerably less. We cannot see how this can be done without spoiling the beauty of the stamp. As to whether they are to retain the same colors we are unable to say.” The 1869 issue of the United States was in use at that time and though this series is now generally popular it was regarded with very mixed feelings then as may be imagined from the _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ comments on the above statement, viz.:--”We trust this intelligence is incorrect; that the example of the new United States stamps can have any attractive influence on the Canadian authorities is hardly possible.”
The new issues do not seem to have formed the subject of any special official doc.u.ment or notice, nor does the reduction in the size of the labels seem to have been considered worthy of special mention in any of the Reports issued by the Postmaster-General.
These smaller sized stamps were issued as the stocks of the earlier issues became exhausted or, in some cases, presumably as the old plates were discarded owing to wear, but it appears very probable that the dies for the 1c, 2c, 3c, 6c and 10c denominations were all engraved at the same period and, as regards the 2c, 6c and 10c, it is very possible that supplies were printed and held in stock long before it became necessary to issue them to the public.
The 3c was the first value to appear and was probably on sale some time in January, 1870. The _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ for March 1st of that year chronicled this new stamp as follows:--
It appears that the reduction in the size of the Dominion postage stamps, to which reference was made some months ago, is really to be carried out, and as an earnest of the execution of the project, we receive the three cents red, cut down to the size of the half cent, and with the design made to resemble that of the latter. The numerals in the upper corners are absent; the inscription, CANADA POSTAGE, is in almost microscopic lettering, and in lieu of the full denomination--THREE CENTS--in the lower margin, the word CENTS alone appears, flanked by the figure on each side. The cause of the change is not to be sought in any desire to economise paper; it lies in the simple fact that the smaller size is found the more convenient. The design certainly is not improved by it, and we might call upon these little stamps to ”hide their diminished heads,” were it not that the head, and that alone, remains as large as ever. The stamps, though in a fair way to become small by degrees as the Canadian idea of convenience increases, are not likely to become ”_beautifully_ less.” A new value, however, made up from the parings of the old ones--an 8 cents--is said to be in preparation, and will help to make up in quant.i.ty, for any deterioration in the quality.
The next value to appear was the 1 cent, which was recorded in the journal referred to above in its issue for April 1st, so that it was no doubt on sale some time in March, 1869. In design it is similar to the 3c, the main difference being in the inscription at base. The denomination is given in full--ONE CENT--and this follows the curve of the medallion instead of curving in the reverse direction as CENTS does on the 3c.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Evidently there were large stocks on hand of some of the values of the 1868 issue for two years elapsed before any more of the small stamps appeared. Then in the _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ for February, 1872, we read:--”We have received by the last mail specimens of a new 6 cents brown of the small size. It is printed of a warm tint, and is as effective as its congeners.” The design follows that of the 3c very closely with, of course, the numerals ”6” instead of ”3” in the lower angles.
In the following month the 2c was chronicled, its color being given as ”a delicate chrome-green.” The design differs from the 3c and 6c chiefly in the direction of the curve of the word CENTS, which is reversed, as compared with those denominations, and much less p.r.o.nounced.
The 10c was the next value to appear and it was not on sale until quite late in 1874, probably about November 1st. The design follows the general effect of the 2c but at the same time ill.u.s.trates a new departure, inasmuch as the numerals of value are repeated in the upper corners in a smaller form. For what particular purpose this value was intended is not clear for there was, apparently, no regular rate at that time which required such a denomination.
The next value placed on sale was the 5c, which was issued in February, 1876, and superseded the large 5c design after it had been in use for only about four months. Though the portrait is the same as that on the other values the frame is of a distinctly different style and CENTS is in much larger letters than before, showing that the previous values, following as they do a general pattern, were engraved much about the same time though many years elapsed before all were actually in use.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Finally in July, 1882, the 1/2c value appeared and was recorded in the _Philatelic Record_ for July of that year in the following words:--
That ”history repeats itself” is a proverb that is curiously ill.u.s.trated by the latest issue of this colony. We all remember that in 1868 a 1/2c stamp of smaller size than the other values of the series was emitted. A few years later, some say for economical reasons, the other values were reduced to the smaller size.
Recently it seems to have struck the Canadian authorities that their idea of fourteen years ago was a happy one, and the 1/2c has been proportionately cut down. The general arrangements of the design remain the same, but the ornamentation is simpler. The head and circle containing it are miniatures of the former, and the result is what the ladies would call ”a dear little stamp,” about the size of our lately defunct ”Halfpenny,” but an upright instead of an oblong rectangle. We trust the price of paper will not again cause a general reduction; for if the Canadian stamps go on growing ”small by degrees, and beautifully less,” they will in time become too microscopic to be collectible.