In some offices 1c. and 2c. stamps ran short, and their places were supplied by one-third and two-thirds portions of 3c. stamps divided vertically. In some places, our correspondent says, these divided stamps were employed without further alteration, but in others we regret to hear that they were surcharged with a figure "2", in purple, upon the figure "3" of the larger portion, or the word "one" in green, upon the smaller part; or, to further complicate matters, when thirds of two adjoining stamps were used for 2c. each part was impressed with a figure "2". Our informant's letter is franked in part by ⅔ of a 3c. stamp surcharged "2" so we fear that this horrible tale is founded on fact.
In the Journal for March 31, 1899, is further light:—
The surcharged fractions appear to have been used only at the office at Port Hood, N. S., where the Postmaster apparently did not consider it safe to use divided stamps without some distinguishing mark. We have seen other copies since, and find that a figure "1" was struck upon the smaller portion; not the word "one" as previously stated.
Again in the Journal for April 29, 1899, we find:—
In reference to the cut and surcharged 3c. stamps, a correspondent sends us the following extract from a letter from the postmaster of Port Hood:—
"When the change in Canadian postage was made—of which we got notice by wire—I had only very few two cent stamps in stock, so that before I got my supply from Ottawa I ran completely out of
them, and, to keep my account straight, I was compelled to cut threes. This was for one day only, and not over 300 stamps were cut. I would say about 200 '2' and 100 '1' were used. Those stamps I put on letters for delivery within the county as much as possible. About 100 '2' and probably nearly as many '1' were marked with the figures 3 and 1 as you describe, and were placed on letters for delivery in towns throughout the Dominion. Those were the only provisional stamps used by this office."
Mr. Horsley reports having a copy on the original cover with the postmark of Port Hood dated 5 January, 1899, which is doubtless the "one day" that they were employed.
A Canada correspondent, writing in Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News[157] concerning these "splits", says that "the Dominion Government has announced that they were not authorized and letters having them on for postage should have been charged double rate when delivered." They may be interesting as curiosities, but they are assuredly not worthy of any great attention from collectors. Illustrations of the "2" cent and a pair of the "1" cent will be found as Nos. 37 and 39 respectively on [Plate II].
Nothing further in the line of novelties is to be reported until the 29th December, 1900, when a new 20 cent stamp suddenly made its appearance as a companion in design to the rest of the "numeral" series. The large 20 cent stamp of 1893 had finally been exhausted, and the new comer in its neat olive green was a welcome addition to the current set. It of course conformed to the others in engraving, sheet arrangement, etc., and had the plate number 1. An examination of the stamp accounts during its term of life make it appear probable that approximately 500,000 were issued.