It may be of interest to know that the last supplement to the Canadian Post Office Guide contains the following: “In view of representations which have been made to the Department, it has been decided to permit the sale of the 2-cent denomination of Canadian postage stamps of the current issue, in sheets of 100, without the usual perforation.” I at once asked for a sheet of the 2-cent, and incidentally said I would take a sheet of the other denominations if available. A reply came today informing me that only the 2-cent would be available, and then not for some time, as the department intends to make a separate printing of these stamps, to supply whatever demand may occur.

It was stipulated that applications for these imperforate stamps should be made to the Postmaster at Ottawa. When the sheets of these stamps came into collectors' hands it was found they had been printed from plates 13 and 14—the same as those from which the originally chronicled “errors” were printed. It is obvious that the Department issued these stamps simply to “get back” at the holder of the sheet so unfortunately blown or thrown out of the printing-office window in 1906. That they were not intended for use in mailing machines seems amply proved from the fact that none of the 2c stamps of the present issue have been issued in imperforate sheets.

No ½c value was issued in the King Edward design although the Queen's head stamp of that denomination continued in use until 1909. This value was primarily intended for use in prepaying the postage on transient newspapers, but for many years the number sold to the public was out of all proportion to those which could have been required for its legitimate use. There is no doubt that large quantities were purchased by stamp dealers for wholesaling to packet makers and dealers in the cheap approval sheet business and, undoubtedly, stamp collectors in Canada usually preferred to use four ½c stamps on their letters rather than an ordinary 2c one. This excessive demand for the ½c resulted in the Post Office Department issuing the following circular to Postmasters in 1902:—

The attention of postmasters is drawn to the fact that the postal necessity for the ½c stamp, as such, is now confined to one purpose—prepayment of newspapers and periodicals posted singly, and weighing not more than one ounce each. As publications of the kind referred to must, in the nature of things, be few, and as in the case of their being mailed to subscribers by the office of publication, the bulk rate of postage would be far cheaper and more convenient for the publisher, the demand for the ½c stamp throughout the Dominion must be appreciably diminished as a result of this restriction of its use. While, of course, any number of ½c stamps on an article of correspondence will be recognized to the full extent of their aggregate face value, it is not the wish of the Department to supply them except for the sole specific purpose above mentioned, and an intimation to that effect should be given by postmasters to patrons of their office who are in the habit of buying ½-cent stamps for other postal purposes.

This circular had quite an effect on the use of ½c stamps, for only about one-third as many were used in the year following the publication of the circular. Finally, on May 19th, 1909, the Post Office Act was amended so that the special rate on newspapers was repealed and the minimum postage on any single piece of mail became 1c. This did away for the necessity of ½c stamps and, of course, discounted any further possibility of the value being included in the King's head series.

Reference List.

1903-8. Die engraved by Perkins, Bacon & Co., London. Plates prepared and stamps printed by the American Bank Note Co., Ottawa. No wmk. Perf. 12.