Part 12 (2/2)

The paper was the usual wove variety and the perforation gauged 12--the production of single-line or guillotine machines. Even in the case of values of which large quant.i.ties were printed, like the 3c, variations in shade are remarkably slight. The 1c is known split diagonally and the halves used as 1/2c and while this practice was disproved of by the Post Office Department the half stamps undoubtedly filled a local need as shown by an extract from a Canadian newspaper printed in the _Weekly Philatelic Era_, viz.:--

The _Railway News_ last week on account of not receiving permission from the Post-Master General to allow papers to go through the mails free, was compelled to pay postage. No half cent stamps being available, the post office department allowed one cent stamps to be cut in halves for postage. This is the first time on record we believe where such was allowed and the stamps have been eagerly sought after, one dollar being paid for a single stamp with the post office stamp on it. The _News_ will pay twenty-five cents each for the one cent Jubilee stamps cut in halves bearing the post-office stamp of November 5th, 6th, or 8th, which was allowed to pa.s.s through the mails on that date owing to there being no regular half cent stamps available.

One set of Jubilee stamps--said to be the first one printed, though of course this statement cannot be taken literally as meaning the stamps were printed one at a time:--was mounted in a specially designed portfolio and presented to the Duke of York, now His Most Gracious Majesty King George V. An account of this presentation set, taken from an old issue of the WEEKLY, is worthy of reproduction:

A very unique and handsome piece of work is the postal portfolio which is to be presented to His Royal Highness, the Duke of York, by the Dominion Government, and which is on exhibition in the window of Kyrie Brothers, Jewelers, Toronto. The portfolio is in the form of an alb.u.m, the cover of which is of royal blue morocco leather, handsomely decorated in gold. In the centre of the front cover is a raised s.h.i.+eld in white on which are the words in gold letters, ”Dominion of Canada, Diamond Jubilee Postage Stamps, 22nd June, 1897.” The corners of the portfolio are decorated with guards of Canadian gold made from British Columbia and Raney district ore.

The right hand upper corner decoration is a design of maple leaves, and the lower corner of English oak leaves and acorns. The portfolio is fastened with a clasp of Canadian gold in the form of oak leaves, while the bracket on the front holding the clasps in position, is entwined with maple leaves with the monogram of H. R.

H. the Duke of York--G. F. E. A.--George Frederick Ernest Albert.

On the third page is the inscription, ”This collection of postage stamps issued at Ottawa by the Dominion of Canada in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria is presented to H. R. H. the Duke of York, K. G., by the Government of Canada, 1897.” The last page of this unique stamp alb.u.m will contain the certificate of the destruction of the dies and plates in the presence of Hon. Wm. Mulock, postmaster-general of Canada.... This is probably the dearest stamp alb.u.m in the world, and contains only a single specimen of each denomination of the Jubilee issue.

And now we conclude our history of this Jubilee issue by another extract from the WEEKLY giving an account of the destruction of the dies and plates from which the stamps were made:--

On Friday afternoon, September 10th, I presented myself at the Post-Office Department and joined a party who were just leaving the building to go over to the American Bank Note Co.'s building, a couple of blocks away. Arriving, we were conducted to the top floor by the manager. The plates, dies, etc., were brought out by those in charge, and the seventeen original dies after inspection by those present were placed one by one under a press and an obliterating roller pa.s.sed over them several times; proofs were then pulled which faintly showed the outlines of the ovals, etc., but the words showing the values could not even be made out. Next, the rolls for transferring the impression from the dies to the plates came in for their share of attention. There were nineteen of them, and a few burns from an emery wheel quickly put each one ”out of sight.” The plates, 31 in number, were subjected to the same treatment as the dies, and the total time occupied in the destruction of the various parts occupied almost two hours.

_Reference List._

1897. Engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Co., Ottawa, on wove paper. Perf. 12.

36. 1/2c black, Scott's No. 50.

37. 1c orange, Scott's No. 51.

38. 2c green, Scott's No. 52.

39. 3c rose, Scott's No. 53.

40. 5c deep blue, Scott's No. 54.

41. 6c yellow brown, Scott's No. 55.

42. 8c dark violet, Scott's No. 56.

43. 10c brown violet, Scott's No. 57.

44. 15c steel blue, Scott's No. 58.

45. 20c vermilion, Scott's No. 59.

46. 50c ultramarine, Scott's No. 60.

47. $1 lake, Scott's No. 61.

48. $2 dark purple, Scott's No. 62.

49. $3 yellow bistre, Scott's No. 63.

50. $4 purple, Scott's No. 64.

51. $5 olive green, Scott's No. 65.

CHAPTER XIV.--_The ”Maple Leaf” Issue of 1897._

Soon after the printing contract was awarded to the American Bank Note Company it was rumoured that a new series of stamps would be issued, but for a time public expectations of the new stamps were overshadowed by the appearance of the Diamond Jubilee issue. A cutting from an Ottawa paper dated September 28th, 1897, shows, however, that preparations for a new set were well in hand, viz.:--

The design for a new postage stamp has been approved by the Postmaster-General. There is a portrait of Her Majesty as she appeared at the coronation, except that a coronet is subst.i.tuted for a crown. The portrait has been engraved from a photo procured during the Jubilee ceremonies, and upon which was the Queen's own autograph, so that it is authentic. The corners of the stamp will be decorated with maple leaves, which were pulled from maple trees on Parliament Hill and engraved directly from them. Everything indeed is correct and up to date, and the new issue will reflect credit on Mr. Mulock's good taste. The engravers will take care to make this permanent and ordinary issue a tribute to their skill.

The present stock of stamps it will take some months to exhaust, and not till they are done will the new stamps be issued. It may be about November of this year.

About a month later a circular was addressed to postmasters announcing the issue of the new stamps as follows:

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