T. “CANADA POSTAGE.” B. “TEN PENCE,” “SIX PENCE STERLING,” “ONE HALF PENNY.”
1st April, 1855, 10d., Prussian-blue (shades). 2nd June, 1857, 7½d., grass-green ( ” ). 18th July, 1857, ½d., rose ( ” ).
_Remarks._—Two _soi-disant_ provisionals have been chronicled; viz., the Halfpenny surcharged in black—one with an Arabic numeral “1,” and the other with “8d. STG.” The Society can furnish no information concerning these two stamps; but supposing the surcharges to be genuine, they are probably only notifications of insufficient postage applied after the letters were posted.
With regard to the portrait on the Ten Pence, tradition has always assigned it to Jacques Cartier; but in the Catalogue of the Collection of Stamps, &c., in the Museum at the Berlin Post Office, it is given as that of Sebastian Cabot. However, as the same catalogue pronounces the portrait on the Six Pence of issue I. to be that of Lord Elgin, it is probably equally incorrect in the former case, more especially as a writer in _The Halifax Philatelist_ for July, 1888, says “it is identically the same as that of all the existing portraits of Jacques Cartier, and totally unlike those existing of Sebastian Cabot.”
In the same article on _Canadian Stamps_ in _The Halifax Philatelist_ an extract from the Postmaster-General’s Report for the year 1855 is given, showing us the reason for the issue of the Ten Pence value. It was, “To promote the general convenience in prepaying letters to Great Britain at the new rate, postage stamps of the value of 10 pence currency, equal to 8 pence sterling, were procured and issued for sale.” The same article gives the following extracts from the Postmaster-General’s Report for 1857: “To facilitate the prepayment of letters passing from Canada to England by the Canadian steamers, a new stamp bearing the value of 6 pence sterling, or 7½ pence currency, being the Canadian Packet rate, has been secured and put in circulation.” The article goes on to say, “This stamp was rendered necessary on account of the contract between the Canadian Government and the Allan Line of Steamers in regard to carrying the mails, and by which contract the postage was reduced.” The other extracts read: “A new stamp has also been introduced of the value ½ penny to serve as the medium for prepaying transient newspapers.” “Moreover, the Department has been led by the increasing use of postage stamps to take measures for obtaining the Canadian Postage Stamps on sheets perforated in the dividing line in the manner adopted in England, to facilitate the separation of a single stamp from the others on a sheet when required for use.”