These figures are the last that appear concerning the first issue of envelopes, the next Report, as already stated, having no mention of them at all. It was very probably because there were not enough to supply the added Provinces of the Dominion, in the case of the 5 cent envelopes, and principally because they did not seem to be popular enough to warrant continuing their use that the envelopes did not remain in issue under the Dominion Government.
An inspection of the above table shows that the 5 cent envelopes were apparently issued at an average rate of perhaps 15,000 a year, while 800 only of the 10 cent were ordinarily put forth. This might indicate a fair consumption of the lower value by the public, particularly as the total receipt from the manufacturers was 225,000 and but 46 remainders are given at the close of the account. But it must be remembered that the table gives the quantities "issued to postmasters" and not the sales to the public by the postmasters. We know the public did not take particularly to the use of the envelopes, so that there were doubtless large quantities of them in postmaster's hands when their sale was discontinued. These would naturally be returned to the Department and destroyed, which would of course materially reduce the quantity issued as taken from the tables. Unfortunately these latter figures have not been obtainable; but it is certain from the rarity of used copies that nothing like 224,954 of the 5 cent and 44,276 of the 10 cent envelopes could have been sold to the public. We are able to illustrate an entire used copy of each value as Numbers 130 and 131 on [Plate XIV].
As already stated, the envelope stamps were very similar in size and style to the United States envelope dies of 1860. The inscription CANADA POSTAGE is in the frame above the head and the value below, reversing the United States arrangement, and there are no stars separating the legends. The embossed head of Queen Victoria was evidently copied from the profile used on the 1 cent stamp of 1859. The 5 cent stamp is printed in vermilion and the 10 cent in dark brown. There was but one size of envelope, 5½ × 3¼ inches (140 × 83 mm.), and but one quality of paper for the first order—a white laid paper with a slightly yellowish tone, watermarked with the letters Ca over POD (Canada Post Office Department) which appears about twice in each envelope. The paper was cut so that the laid lines run diagonally, and the knife used was that numbered 2 in the Tiffany, Bogert and Re
chert catalog of United States envelopes, with rounded flap and yellowish gum, extending nearly the length of the flap.
In the table given it will be noticed that 25,000 more 5 cent envelopes were received from the manufacturers in 1865. These latter were on a white paper of similar quality with a slightly bluish tone, and a slightly different knife had been used in cutting the blanks, which corresponds to that numbered 11 in the catalog quoted. The difference consists mainly in a more pointed flap than the first knife.
The London Philatelist for December, 1896, contained the following startling announcement under the head of CANADA:[206]—
Mr. L. Gibb, of Montreal, kindly submitted to his fellow members of the London Philatelic Society, at a recent meeting, a curious variety among the stamps of the Colony he resides in. The specimen in question was the 10 c. envelope of 1860 impressed in vermilion, instead of its normal colour—brown, and being presumably printed in error in the color of the 5c. The stamp was unfortunately cut round, but was on the diagonally laid paper usual to the Issue, duly postmarked, and, in the opinion of the members present, had every appearance of authenticity, although surprise was expressed that so marked a variety should never have been noted before.
Nothing further has apparently been learned about it since, but in the face of the above statements and opinions it seems necessary to record it.