The Stamps of Canada. Bertram W. H. Poole
two forms, ‘currency’ and ‘sterling’. The somewhat depreciated Canadian currency required fifteen pence, as will be noted, to equal the shilling sterling—a point brought out on the two stamps issued subsequently for the British Packet rates. Add to this fact that in New England the ‘shilling’ was a current expression for 16⅔ cents (10 pence currency), while in New York it represented 12½ cents (7½ pence currency) and we can readily see that in Canadian territory contiguous to these sections the number of pence to a ‘shilling’ might often be a debatable quantity. As a matter of fact the French Canadians of Lower Canada made general use of the ‘shilling’ as reckoned at 10 pence (20 cents) in the old currency, while the ‘York shilling’ was extensively used in Upper Canada. ‘Twelve Pence’ was without doubt wholly intentional, therefore, as the designation of the stamp, and was happy solution of any ambiguity in its use, even if it has proved a stumbling block to the understanding of latter day collectors.”
The three values forming this first issue were manufactured by Messrs. Rawdon, Wright, Hatch and Edson, of New York, who are, perhaps, better known to fame as the engravers of the 1847, 5c and 10c stamps for the United States government. All three stamps were printed from plates engraved in taille douce the plates consisting of one hundred impressions arranged in ten horizontal rows of ten each. The manufacturer's imprint—“Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, New York”—was engraved twice on each of the four sides quite close to the stamps. The imprints were so placed that the bottoms of the letters are always next to the stamps with the consequence that on the printed sheets of stamps the imprints read upwards at the left, downwards at the right, and upside down on the bottom margins.
A variety of the 3d denomination is catalogued with “double transfer”. This is, of course, a plate variety caused like all similar ones by a faulty or incorrect rocking of the roller impression on the plate and a correction on top of this impression which did not always entirely obliterate the first impression. Mr. Howes says this variety “is recognized by the letters EE PEN being ‘doubled’ at the top, making it appear as if a line had been drawn through the words and giving it the name occasionally used of the ‘line through threepence’ variety.” There are at least two other similar varieties of “double transfers” known on this value for in the Philatelic World for December, 1908, Mr. A. J. Sefi described and illustrated three different ones. One of these is a variety mentioned by Mr. Howes, another shows a distinct doubling of parts of the details of the two left-hand corners, while the third variety shows a doubling of the upper right hand corner. It is quite possible a close study of these stamps would reveal others and also similar varieties in the 6d and 12d. “Double strikes” are not uncommon on stamps produced by the line-engraved process though they are not often so striking as the first of these Canadian varieties and those found on the United States 10c stamp of 1847.
According to a valuable summary from official records published in the Metropolitan Philatelist we learn that the first delivery of stamps from the manufacturers took place on April 5th, 1851, when 100,000 of the 3d denomination were delivered to the Canadian Government. On April 20th, a second supply of the same value comprising 150,200 stamps arrived in Canada. On May 2nd 100,400 of the 6d were received followed two days later by 51,400 of the 12d this latter being the only consignment of the highest value ever received from the printers. We have already pointed out that the 3d was placed on sale on April 23rd, 1851. The date of issue of the 6d is not known for certain as there are no official records relating to this though, as a supply was received on May 2nd, they were doubtless issued some time during the same month. The 12d was issued on June 14th as we shall show later.
The three values of this series, as well as other denominations in pence issued later, were withdrawn from use on July 1st, 1859, when decimal currency was introduced. By means of much diligent search through Post Office Reports and other records Mr. Howes has determined that a total of 3,528,700 3d stamps were issued and a total of 402,900 of the 6d value. Some of both these values were issued with perforation late in 1857 or early in 1858. Unfortunately there is no means of separating these from the imperforate ones as shown by the official figures but if we use the somewhat rough-and-ready means of reckoning afforded by catalogue quotations it would seem that of the above totals about three million of the 3d and 325,000 of the 6d were imperforate.
The 12d value, as every collector knows, is a very rare stamp. Even had the full supply of 51,000 stamps, received in the first and only consignment from the manufacturers on May 4th, 1851, been issued, it would have been a rare variety, but as a matter of fact, the greater portion of the consignment was destroyed and only 1510 were actually issued. An interesting article published in the Metropolitan Philatelist in 1902 shows that this denomination was first issued on June 14th, 1851, and supplies were made to various post offices as follows:—
| No. Stamps | ||
| June 14th, 1851, | Hamilton, | 300 |
| Oct. 17th, 1851, | Chippewa, | 100 |
| Nov. 13th, 1851, | Thorold, | 20 |
| Nov. 25th, 1851, | Toronto, | 200 |
| Mar. 8th, 1852, | Montreal, | 200 |
| Sept. 14th, 1852, | Ingersoll, | 100 |
| Apr. 5th, 1853, | Ottawa (then known as Bytown), | 100 |
| Oct. 20th, 1853, | Sherbrooke, | 15 |
| Jan. 13th, 1854, | Smith's Falls, | 50 |
| Jan. 20th, 1854, | Ottawa, | 100 |
| Feb. 8th, 1854, | L'Islet, | 15 |
| Feb. 27th, 1854, | Ingersoll, | 20 |
| Mar. 22nd, 1854, | Sault S. Marie, | 25 |
| May 15th, 1854, | Port. du Fort, | 15 |
| Oct. 21st, 1854, | Rowan Mills, | 50 |
| Oct. 26th, 1854, | Melbourne, | 50 |
| Oct. 27th, 1854, | Montreal, | 100 |
| Dec. 4th, 1854, | Smith's Falls, |