The Stamps of Canada

o

on the history of the Canadian Post-office, largely compiled from information gi

At the time of his appointment, the revenue of the department was insufficient to defray his salary of $1500 per annum, but under his judicious management, not only was the postal accomm

in the year 1766, in regard to the extent of the post-office a

d Montreal there is only one post per month. The inhabitants live so scattered and remote from each other in that vast count

f Independence broke out, and the office was filled by Mr. Hugh

that there were seven offices in the former and five in the latter. Mr. Finlay

Montreal, or Halifax. At Baie des Chaleurs the visits of the postman must, we conclude,

ime Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick,

advertising column of the Upper

spatched from the post-office at Mon

14th J

12th F

, 12th

h April-th

14 or 15 days from the above periods, where he wil

. Hatts', where the Sandwich (co. Essex) letters will be left, both from

post-office will be

All

eputy Po

d Prince Edward Island wholly withdrawn from the Canada charge. New Brunswick, however, continued to be included in it. Th

ere estimated at 340,000, and newspapers, 400,000. From the Canadian Postmaster-General's report for 1865, now lying before us, we find the number of l

blished on July 18, 1829, conveys some idea of th

ther extracts from the London papers, to 31st May, inclusive, brought to

following paragraph, showing the improvement which had been

and arriving here a few minutes before 8 in the evening. Not many years ago this journey occupied two, and sometimes three days, but owing to the great improvements made by Mr. Dickinson, the en

vince) better to employ their own couriers. As a proof of this we transcribe from t

Wanted Im

can find and uphold his own horse) to deliver it to the subscribers once a

e of 1s 2d sterling, per half ounce, was adopted between any place in Canada and the mothe

distance and had averaged 15 cents on each letter, was reduced to a uniform rate of 5 cents per half ounce. The newspaper charge was also considerably reduced. Within a year after, the number of letters transmitted through the post had increased 75 per cent. The operation of the department was greatly extended, and last, but most decidedly not least, was the introduction of postage stamps. In F

d in 1859; this, of course, as is well know

e 21st of December, 1867, and came into operation the 1st of April last. The internal rate is r

order for the issue

ge St

rates, the following denominations of postage stamps for use throughout the

ditto, six-cent ditto, twelve-and-a-half-cent ditto, fifteen-

in prepayment of letters, etc., for a reasonable time after the 1st of April; but from

e 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,

his 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

than the other denominations. From that date until 1892 no further changes were made so far as new designs or value

ation 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

ait of the Queen. This is known as the maple leaf issue from the fact that the lower angles are ornamented with maple leave

been". This stamp was issued to mark the introduction of Imperial Penny Postage, and one consequence of the reduction in the postal r

, in December, 1900, a 20c stamp of the type of 1898 was issued on the final exhaustion of the stock of the 1893 t

used up, a King Edward stamp of that value was issued. In the same year the three hundredth anniversary of the founding of Quebec by Champlain was celebrated by the issue of a special set of stamps these being of the same