Concerning the laid paper stamps Messrs. Corwin and King say they "must have been among the first issued, as we have seen a copy of the 1 cent, red-brown, postmarked November 27, 1868."[94] That this must have been the case is proved by the existence of the 1 cent in brown-red and not in yellow, as would have been the case if the paper were used in 1869 or thereafter. Mekeel's Weekly[95] also records the 3 cent on a cover bearing date of August 31, 1868.
The 15 cent stamp was reported in the American Journal of Philately for October, 1892, in these words: "Mr. F. de Coppet has shown us a 15 c. of the 1868 issue on thin paper, horizontally laid," and the stamp is described as "violet". We have not seen a copy, but if it was in the early "mauve" tint it probably was a companion of the 1 cent and 3 cents, the latter being found on both thick and thin horizontally laid paper according to Messrs. Corwin and King's lists. If the "violet" was of the gray shades, it belonged to a later printing and not with the early stamps. Mr. Pack lists another variety still[96]: "I also have a copy of the 15 c. on distinctly soft ribbed paper." This stamp is in the lilac gray shade and therefore belongs to later printings as we shall see, for this ribbed paper is found in all values of the small stamps of the succeeding issue.
One other variety of paper needs our attention, and that is the watermarked paper. The fact of its use was early known to collectors, for in The Philatelist for February, 1870, in an article on "British North America" by W. Dudley Atlee, after the "Issue for Confederation" is the following
"Note.—There is also in the last series of adhesives a Three Cent printed on paper watermarked with maker's name; these were most probably issued after the thin paper and before the usual stout paper emissions." Mr. H. F. Ketcheson, commenting on the above in 1889,[97] remarks: "the one cent red also appears on same paper, as I have two specimens of each in my possession." The Halifax Philatelist,[98] in its contemporary issue, also happened to note the discovery of two more values: "Mr. F. C. Kaye has shown us the 2 cent and 6 cent of the 1868 issue, with large watermarked letters of the same type as those in the 1 cent and 3 cent." The 12½ and 15 cent were later found, but the ½ cent and 1 cent yellow have never been discovered. This latter fact doubtless determines the period when the paper was used, for, like the laid paper, if employed in 1869 or later we should find the 1 cent yellow instead of brown red printed on it. On the other hand, it could not have been used when the first consignments were being printed, probably early in 1868, or the ½ cent would be included in the series. This is determined by the fact that the first supply of the ½ cent lasted until the fiscal year of 1871-2, before any further printings were made. The watermarked paper must therefore have been used sometime during the course of the year 1868, probably the middle, when supplies of all values except the ½ cent were printed.
For the determination of the character of the watermark we are indebted to Mr. John N. Luff, whose thoroughness and acumen when delving into a philatelic problem are proverbial. The result of his study was published in 1895[99] and we take the following extracts from his interesting paper:—
Most philatelic writers, when treating of the Canadian issue of 1868-75, give small space to the series watermarked with large letters. Most of them make a few speculative remarks as to the probable watermark and then drop the subject. So far as I am aware, no one has taken the trouble to ascertain what the watermark actually is. The London Society in the North American Colonies of Great Britain says: "Some of the stamps on wove paper have been catalogued with a watermark, consisting of various letters. It is probable that these letters are portions of the name of the papermaker, which most likely exists in the margin of the sheets." Other writers are equally superficial. The Catalogue for Advanced Collectors says: "Although we catalogue as varieties the stamps on
watermarked paper, it is very possible that these form a separate issue. It may have happened that the printers, having-run short of the regular paper, replaced it by some similar paper that they had in stock, bearing this watermark"....
In the Stamps of British North America, by Messrs. C. B. Corwin and Donald A. King (Metropolitan Philatelist, June 1891), this watermark is given more attention. The possibility that it is the words "Canada Postage" or "Canada Post Office Department" is discussed and rejected, because the authors have found certain letters and pairs of letters which do not occur in these words.
It has seemed to me that it would be of interest, probably of value, to know exactly what this watermark is. I have therefore given the matter considerable study, and now have the pleasure of presenting the result to your readers. The extensive stock of the Scott Stamp & Coin Co., being placed at my disposal, together with a quantity of stamps from private sources ... I believe I have correctly reconstructed the watermark.
As the broadest letter measures only 12 mm., and the stamps are about 23mm. from center to center of perforations, there are usually parts of two or three letters on each stamp. I have found a large number of single letters, pairs, portions of three letters, and in one instance, a pair and parts of two letters. Of many combinations I have found several examples. I have also found quite a number of stamps showing parts of two rows of letters, one above the other.