Such is the history of the Diamond Jubilee set of Canadian stamps. We make no comment on it—it seems as if none were necessary and that the presentation is amply sufficient for each to judge for himself concerning it. We will only add Major Evans sapient remark[127]: "All the trouble was the natural result of pretending to treat a commemorative and limited issue as if it had been an ordinary and permanent one. Ordinary common sense should have suggested the issue of large supplies of the lowest value, and a certain number of all values to every office."
To revert to the stamps themselves. We have already given a description of the design in one of our previous quotations, but it needs to be amended in one or two particulars. The portrait of Queen Victoria labelled "1837" on the stamp will be recognized as identical with that on the old 12 pence and later 7½ pence values. In fact Mr. Wurtele tells us[128] that a prominent Montreal collector, whose advice was asked when the issue was under consideration, gave the government a magnificent unused copy of the 7½d. green, to be used in engraving the picture. It does not, as stated, show Her Majesty on her coronation day, but is from the painting representing her on the occasion of the prorogation of Parliament, on 17th July, 1837, as already described.[129] The portrait labelled "1897" is from a full length painting executed by command in 1886 by Prof. Von Angelo of Vienna. It represents Her Majesty as she appeared on the assumption of the title "Empress of India", and the curious may find the entire figure copied on the 3 pence post card of Great
Britain issued in 1889, and also on the 1 penny card of 1892. This State portrait of the Queen is now in Buckingham Palace. The crown at the top center of the stamp is not the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain but the so-called Tudor Crown. The Imperial Crown is well illustrated on the 3 pence and 5 cent "beaver" stamps, and a comparison with the Jubilee issue will plainly show the difference in the "style" of these two crowns.
Our illustration (No. 34 on [Plate II]) shows a sample of the whole set, the only variation, outside of the color, being the denomination in the label at the bottom. This is in each case expressed in words. The stamps are beautifully engraved on steel as usual, and are printed on stout wove paper and perforated 12. The values from ½ cent through 5 cents were printed in sheets of 100, ten rows of ten. Above the 5 cent, that is from 6 cents through 5 dollars, they were printed in sheets of 50, ten horizontal rows of five stamps each. The marginal inscriptions are very meagre, consisting merely of "OTTAWA—No—1" (or some other plate number) in hair-line Roman capitals 2½ mm. high, at the top of the sheet only. The inscription is 40 mm. long, being centered over stamps 5 and 6 of the top row in the sheets of 100, and over stamp number 3 in the sheets of 50. This is the first time that plate numbers appear on the sheets of Canadian postage stamps, and it is well to record them. Taking them serially we find the plates of the various values were made as follows:—
| Plate 1 | 3 | cents |
| 2 | 3 | " |
| 3 | 3 | " |
| 4 | 3 | " |
| 5 | 1 | " |
| 6 | 1 | " |
| 7 | 2 | " |
| 8 | 2 | " |
| 9 | ½ | " |
| 10 | 5 | " |
| 11 | 3 | " |
| 12 | 3 | " |
| 13 | 3 | " |
| 14 | 3 | " |
| 15 | 1 | " |
| 16 | 1 | " |
| 17 | 6 | cents |
| 18 | 15 | " |
| 19 | 10 | " |
| 20 | 8 | " |
| 21 | 20 | " |
| 22 | 4 | dollars |
| 23 | 50 | cents |
| 24 | 3 | dollars |
| 25 | 5 | " |
| 26 | 2 | " |
| 27 | 1 | " |
| 28 | 3 | cents |
| 29 | 3 | " |
| 30 | 3 | " |
| 31 | 3 | " |
The colors, which will be found in the Reference List, are quite constant, as would be expected. The principal variation is only one of tone in a few values.
A newspaper despatch from Ottawa tells us that "A return brought down to-day shows that the cost of printing the jubilee stamp was 20 cents per thousand."[130]
Considerable criticism was naturally aroused by the inclusion of the values from one to five dollars, and outside of the palpable attempt to "make capital" from stamp collectors and others, it was claimed that the four and five dollar values were useless, as the "highest amount that can possibly be required on a parcel sent by mail from Canada is $3.59 (including registration). This owing to limitations of weight, etc., and the highest amount that can be required on a letter is $1.65".[131] An "official" replied[132] that "very frequently parcels leave the Toronto Post Office with $15 and $20 postage on them, and in some cases the postage has reached the amount of $63. There is another way in which the $4 and $5 stamps may be used, viz.:—in second class rate books. Canada does not issue Newspaper or Periodical stamps so these two high values can be used in this way."
Someone wrote the Postmaster General, quoting the above letter and asking further particulars. The reply stated[133] that "the regulations do not fix any limit to the weight of letters.... According to the regulations of this Department 'Second Class Matter' comprises newspapers and periodicals addressed to regular subscribers, (including sample copies) and that, postage being payable upon such matter at a bulk rate of 1c. per lb., the stamps required for prepayment are not affixed to the packages, but are placed in small books and cancelled. The books for this purpose are supplied by the Department to all Post Offices where they are required." This was analogous to the practice in the United States, only regular postage stamps were employed instead of special newspaper and periodical stamps. As a matter of fact the high value Jubilee stamps, which later became a drug on the market, were largely used for this purpose. Mr. King confirms the fact of large postage payments:[134] "I have seen packages originating at and passing through the post office here [Halifax] that had from $12.00 to $15.00 postage on them ... and the case can be recalled of a letter on which $40 was prepaid."