Office of the Superintendent
of the Postage Stamp Branch.
Ottawa, 29th June, 1914.
Dear Sirs:—I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your favor addressed to the late Mr. Stanton, and in which you ask information with reference to the proposed issue of stamps to commemorate the centenary of Sir George Etienne Cartier. The information which you have received from outside sources is not only premature, but inaccurate in several details, and I can only say that although it is possible that these stamps may be issued during the course of the next few months the whole question is still under the consideration of the Department.
Yours very sincerely,
E. J. Lemaire, Superintendent.
Finally, owing very probably to the war, it was decided not to issue this special series of stamps.
Chapter XXVII.
Official Stamps.
Canada has never issued special postage stamps for use on departmental correspondence but in November, 1884, a German paper,—Der Philatelist—on the advice of a correspondent, chronicled a series for official use. These were said to consist of the ordinary adhesives, two envelopes and a post card surcharged with the word OFFICIAL in black. To quote from the Philatelic Record:—“It is alleged that they were prepared and issued in 1877, but after a short time were called in again. The surcharges are in some cases oblique, and in others perpendicular. It is at least strange that, considering our intercourse with Canada, our first knowledge of the issue of official stamps so far back as 1877 should reach us from Temesvar, wherever that may be”.