The Stamps of Canada | Page 6

throughout the Dominion, have been prepared, and will be supplied to
postmasters for sale:--

Half-cent stamps, one-cent ditto, two-cent ditto, three-cent ditto,
six-cent ditto, twelve-and-a-half-cent ditto, fifteen-cent ditto, all
bearing as a device the effigy of Her Majesty.
The postage stamps now in use in the several provinces may be
accepted, as at present, in prepayment of letters, etc., for a reasonable
time after the 1st of April; but from and after that date all issues and
sales to the public will be of the new denomination.
Continuing the postal history from where the article in the Stamp
Collector's Magazine concludes we find that in 1869 the color of the 1c
value was changed to yellow as it was found that the brown-red color
was too easily confused with the red of the 3c. Early in the following
year the 3c denomination appeared in a reduced size to be followed
about April by the 1c and it was, naturally, presumed that the whole set
would appear in this form. Two years elapsed, however, before further
additions were made for it was not until 1872 that the 2c and 6c values
appeared.
In 1874, an entirely new value--10 cents--was issued and in 1875 a 5c
stamp made its appearance in the large size of the 1868 series. Mr. C. A.
Howes, in his admirable monograph on the stamps of Canada, explains
the belated appearance of this label as follows:--"The die of this large 5
cent stamp had been engraved in 1867 with the other values of the first
Dominion series, but as there were no rates requiring such a
denomination in the set, it was not issued. When in 1875 the need for a
5 cent value arose, the unused die was employed to make a plate for
temporary use, until a new die conforming in size and design with the
small stamps could be prepared." This large 5 cent stamp had a short
life of about four months when it was superseded by the 5c value in the
same size as the other denominations of 1869-73.
In 1882, the 1/2c value was reduced in size so that this stamp, as in the
case of its predecessor of 1868, was smaller than the other
denominations. From that date until 1892 no further changes were
made so far as new designs or values were concerned though some
striking alterations in shade took place, notably in the case of the 6c
and 10c values.

In 1892, 20c and 50c stamps were issued for use on heavy packages.
These not only differed in design from the other stamps of the series
then current but were also very much larger. In 1893 an 8c stamp was
issued which was used for prepayment of postage and the registration
fee and upon its advent the special registration stamps ceased to be
printed though existing stocks were, presumably, used up. In 1897, the
Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria was celebrated by the issue of a
special series of stamps comprising no less than sixteen values ranging
all the way from 1/2c to $5. As to the utility, to say nothing of the
necessity, of some of the higher denominations perhaps the less said the
better for before and since Canada has managed to get along very well
with a highest regular denomination of 50c.
In the latter months of the same year, and early in 1898 a new set was
issued in a uniform design showing the jubilee portrait of the Queen.
This is known as the maple leaf issue from the fact that the lower
angles are ornamented with maple leaves and in contradistinction to a
modified design which almost immediately replaced it which had
numerals in the lower corners.
The Christmas of 1898 was marked by the issuance of the celebrated 2c
map stamp with its proud motto "We hold a vaster Empire than has
been". This stamp was issued to mark the introduction of Imperial
Penny Postage, and one consequence of the reduction in the postal rate
was so to reduce the demand for the 3c value that in order to use up
existing supplies more quickly they were overprinted "2 cents".
In 1899, the color of the 2c stamp was changed from purple to carmine,
thus conforming to Postal Union regulations, in December, 1900, a 20c
stamp of the type of 1898 was issued on the final exhaustion of the
stock of the 1893 type; and in 1902 a 7c value was issued in place of
the 8c for combined use in payment of registration and postage.
In 1903, 1c, 2c, 5c, 7c, and 10c values were issued bearing King
Edward's portrait, a year later the 20c value in the same type was
placed on sale, and in 1908, the stock of the old 50c stamps