REFERENCE LIST OF THE PHILATELIC SOCIETY, LONDON.

Issue I. September 1st, 1851.

Three values. Engraved and printed in taille-douce by Messrs. Perkins, Bacon, and Co., of London, upon stoutish blue wove paper; yellowish gum, imperforate. Design: The design is almost exactly similar to that of the first issue of New Brunswick, but the lower star contains a mayflower, the heraldic emblem of the Colony, instead of a rose inverted. The name of the Colony is in block type on all three values; “POSTAGE” and the value in Roman capitals on the Three Pence, and block letters on the Six Pence and One Shilling. The word “SIXPENCE” has a coloured line down the centre of each letter. Shape, lozenge. ([Illustrations 86, 87, 88.]) Upper left border, “NOVA;” upper right, “SCOTIA;” lower left border, “THREE PENCE,” “SIX PENCE,” “ONE SHILLING;” lower right, “POSTAGE.”

Varieties.—All three stamps are found cut in two and used for half the nominal values, although, as we see from Mr. King’s paper, the Three Pence was alone authorized to be mutilated in this manner.

Remarks.—The colour of the paper varies considerably, from deep blue to almost white.

All the surcharges catalogued on the stamps of this issue may be put down to obliterations, or as due to fraud. (Vide Mr. King’s papers.)

Issue II. May 1st(?), 1853.

One value. Engraved and printed in taille-douce by Messrs. Perkins, Bacon, and Co., upon stoutish blue wove paper; yellowish gum, imperforate. Design: Diademed almost full-face portrait of Queen Victoria looking to left, within a single plain-lined lozenge-shaped frame with engine-turned background. The spandrels are filled in with arabesque ornamentation, in which four eight-rayed stars, that are cut in half by the lozenge-shaped frame, figure prominently. At the top, bottom, and two sides there are narrow coloured bands, composed of diagonal crossed lines, containing inscriptions in plain Roman capitals. Plain square blocks in the four corners, with coloured Roman numeral of value. Shape, square. ([Illustration 89.])

T. “NOVA.” B. “SCOTIA.” R. “POSTAGE.” L. “ONE PENNY”—both the latter reading downwards.

Remarks.—Specimens of this stamp are known upon white paper, but, like the Three Pence of New Brunswick, the variety is only due to the discharge of the blue colouring matter from the paper.

This is the only stamp of Nova Scotia Mr. King is unable to give the exact day of issue of. A note in The Philatelic Record, vol. x. page 48, states that the first supply was sent over to the Colony by Messrs. Perkins, Bacon, and Co. in April, 1853; so the issue most likely took place on or about May 1st in that year.

Issue III. October 1st, 1860.

Five values. Engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Co., of New York, on yellowish or white wove paper; yellowish gum, machine-perforated, 12. Designs: One Cent and Five Cents.—Diademed profile of Queen Victoria to left, upon a background of horizontal lines, crossed by diagonal lines behind the head, within a circle composed of a plain white and a fine coloured line, arched scrolls of diagonal lines, crossed above and below, following the shape of the circle; curved labels of solid colour in the centre of the scrolls on the Five Cents value only. The scrolls of the One Cent and labels of the Five Cents are inscribed, in white Roman capitals, with the name of the Colony above and the value in words below. The remainder of the design is completed by arabesques and foliate ornamentation, which encompasses the two scrolls and the circle. Eight and a Half, Ten, and Twelve and a Half Cents.—Diademed full-face portrait of Queen Victoria on background of horizontal and diagonal crossed lines, within an upright oval. Vertically-lined arched scrolls above and below, for the two lower values, inscribed with the name of the Colony above and the value in words below in white Roman capitals. The Twelve and a Half Cents has the upper inscription upon a curved label of solid colour, placed in the centre of the scroll. The lower inscription is in block letters, upon a straight octagonal label of solid colour. The remainder of the designs are filled in with arabesques and foliate ornamentation, which differ for each of the three values. Shape, upright rectangular. ([Illustrations 90, 91, 92, 93, 94.])

T. “NOVA SCOTIA.” B. “ONE CENT,” “FIVE,” “EIGHT & ½,” “TEN,” AND “TWELVE & ½ CENTS.”

(A) On yellowish paper.

(B) On white paper.

Varieties.—(A) The Five Cents is known cut in two diagonally, and used for the County Postage of Two Cents.

(B) The Ten Cents exists cut diagonally, and is also found cut perpendicularly, each half serving as Five Cents.

Remarks.—The bisected varieties are unknown to the Society, but they may be found described in Mr. King’s last paper.

Issue IV. May 11th, 1863.

One value. Engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Co., on white wove paper; yellowish gum, machine-perforated 12. The design is exactly the same as that of the One Cent of the last issue, excepting the value. Shape, upright rectangular. ([Illustration 95.])

T. “NOVA SCOTIA.” B. “TWO CENTS.”

Remarks.—Some very dangerous and well-executed forgeries of this and the previous set of stamps exist. They are quite as well engraved as the real stamps, and were it not that the designs are of somewhat smaller dimensions, they would be most difficult to detect.