Part 15 (1/2)

The surcharge was, at first, applied only to the 3c stamps of the numeral type but it was soon decided to also use up the unissued remainders of the 3c ”maple-leaf” design by surcharging them in the same manner. These stamps were first issued on August 8th. Both varieties are known with inverted surcharge. How many of each of these three cent stamps were surcharged is not known for certain as the official figures dealing with the issue of stamps makes no distinction between the two varieties. It is stated that altogether 4,120,000 were surcharged and as the varieties are equally plentiful it is only reasonable to suppose that approximately equal numbers of both types were used up.

_Reference List._

Stamps of 1897 and 1898 surcharged ”2 CENTS” in black.

71. 2c on 3c carmine ”maple leaf”, Scott's No. 84 72. 2c on 3c carmine ”numeral”, Scott's No. 85.

CHAPTER XVIII.--_The Bi-sected Provisionals._

The somewhat sudden reduction of the domestic postal rate from 3c to 2c on single letters led to the production of a few provisional stamps of peculiar character at Port Hood, N. S., the postmaster of that town dividing some of his 3c stamps into two unequal portions and using the smaller parts as 1c and the larger ones as 2c. In the _Monthly Journal_ for January, 1899, they are referred to as follows:--

In some offices 1c and 2c stamps ran short, and their places were supplied by one-third and two-thirds portions of 3c stamps divided vertically. In some places our correspondent says, these divided stamps were employed without further alteration, but in others we regret to hear that they were surcharged with a figure ”2” in purple, upon the figure ”3” of the larger portion or the word ”one”

in green, upon the smaller part; or, to further complicate matters, when thirds of two adjoining stamps were used for 2c each part was impressed with a figure ”2.” Our informant's letter is franked in part by 2/3 of a 3c stamp surcharged ”2” so we fear that this horrible tale is founded on fact.

In the same journal for March further reference is made to these provisionals, viz.:--

The surcharged fractions appear to have been used only at Port Hood, N. S., where the Postmaster apparently did not consider it safe to use divided stamps without some distinguis.h.i.+ng mark. We have seen other copies since, and find that a figure ”1” was struck upon the smaller portion; not the word ”one” as previously stated.

Again in the April number of the same paper these split stamps are referred to:--

In reference to the cut and surcharged 3c stamps, a correspondent sends us the following extract from a letter from the postmaster of Port Hood:--”When the change in Canadian postage was made--of which we got notice by wire--I had only a very few two cent stamps in stock, so that before I got my supply from Ottawa I ran completely out of them, and, to keep my account straight, I was compelled to cut threes. This was for one day only, and not over 300 stamps were cut. I would say about 200 '2' and 100 '1' were used. About 100 '2'

and probably nearly as many '1' were marked with the figures '2'

and '1' as you describe, and were placed on letters for delivery in towns throughout the Dominion. Those were the only provisional stamps used by this office.”

Once more, in June, the _Monthly Journal_ refers to the philatelically notorious Port Hood office:--

A correspondent tells us that the surcharged provisionals were not the first instances of the use of the scissors at Port Hood, an envelope emanating from that office and bearing the half of the 2c stamp, divided diagonally, having been found with the date July 27th, 1898. We do not know what the regulations are in Canada on the subject of receiving postage in cash, but we should suppose that if a postmaster runs out of 1c stamps, receives postage on certain letters, in cash, and then, to save an entry in his accounts, cuts 2c stamps in half and affixes the halves to the letters, it would not be considered a very heinous offence, and it would account for curiosities of this kind occasionally turning up.

But Port Hood does not seem to have been the only office in which the scissors were used, for the following letter from the _Montreal Philatelist_ shows that stamps were bi-sected at at least one other office. In this instance the postmaster divided 5c stamps as well as the 3c though, apparently, he did not apply any surcharge to the fractions:--

CROSS ROAD, COUNTRY HARBOR, April 17th, 1900.

Dear Sir,--Your enquiry re stamps to hand. At the time you mention the 2c postage was given us so suddenly that I was about out and all my neighbour P. M. was also out and as I could only charge the public 2c I could not afford to put on a 3c stamp so cut 3c and 5c to about even the thing up and sent them along. Three or four days'

letters were mailed in this way, but I do not know where they went to.

Yours very truly, E. S. SWEET, Postmaster.

The same journal in referring to the Port Hood provisionals makes some interesting comments which are worth reproduction, viz.:--

This postmaster must be a relic of the anti-confederation regime, when such mutilations were allowed, as even an entire absence of the required values would not warrant, under present regulations, this antiquated process. In such cases the postmaster should forward the money to the office on which his mail is forwarded with a request to affix the necessary stamps; he can handstamp or write the amount paid on each letter if desired, but that is not necessary. As these fractional provisionals of the Port Hood P. O.