The stamps were printed in sheets of 100, ten rows of ten, and by the imprint we find they were the product of a new concern. This imprint appears in colorless capitals on a narrow strip of color with bossed ends, and reads BRITISH AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO. MONTREAL & OTTAWA. This strip is framed by a very thin parallel line, its entire width being but one millimeter, while its length is about 51 mm. It occurs but once on a side, being placed against the middle two stamps (numbers 5 and 6) of each row at a distance of about 3 mm. (see illustration 107 on [Plate IX].) The inscription reads up on the left and down on the right, as before, but the bottom one is now upright, instead of being reversed.
In the case of the half cent stamp at least, we find an additional marginal
imprint over the second and third stamps of the top row. This consists of the words HALF CENT, in shaded Roman capitals 4 mm. high, the whole being about 40 mm. long, (illustration 119 on [Plate XI]). Presumably the same thing, varied for each denomination, occurs on other values of the series, as we find it does on the succeeding issue; but a strip from the top of a sheet of the 15 cent stamps proves that it was lacking on that value at least.
The normal colors of the stamps of this series are approximately:—½ cent, black; 1 cent, brown red; 2 cents, green; 3 cents, deep red; 6 cents, dark brown; 12½ cents, deep blue; 15 cents, mauve. We say approximately, since there is considerable variation as may be noted by a glance at the Reference List. Particularly is this the case with the 15 cent stamp. The earliest tint is the one we have noted—mauve; but the stamp was in practically continuous use down to 1900, and the gamut of shades and colors through which it passed in that time is almost equal to the 10 cent stamp of the preceding issue.
Of the approximate dates of issue of some of the more pronounced shades of the 15 cent stamp it is possible to give an idea through the chronicles of various contemporary magazines which noted them. The original stamp we know was in a mauve tint, and was so chronicled in the Stamp Collector's Magazine for May 1868 (VI: 71). The American Journal of Philately for April 20, 1868, (I:18) describes it as "lilac". The Stamp Collector's Magazine in December, 1874 (XII: 182) says it has "just appeared in a dull deep mauve." Next M. Moens notes that it has become gray lilac, in Le Timbre-poste for March, 1877. Again in the issue for June, 1880, he records it in bright violet, while in May, 1881, it is described as a dark slate color (ardoise foncé). In the July, 1888, issue of the Halifax Philatelist the color is said to have reverted to the mauve tint of the first printings except that it was "more bluish", and once more in May, 1890, the Dominion Philatelist states that "The Canada 15c. has again changed color. It is now bright violet." Finally, in Mekeel's Weekly for March 12, 1896, under "Canadian Notes", we read that "quite a large stock is still on hand in the P.O. Department, but no more are being printed. What are going out now are the remainders of various batches. They are coming in all shades; some being almost the first issue colors."
It remains to note two additions to this series. The first was a change in color:—the 1 cent and 3 cent stamps were quite naturally found to be too nearly alike in shade to properly differentiate them in the rush of post office busi
ness. Hence the 1 cent was changed to an orange yellow, appearing in its new dress in 1809. The exact date seems not to be available, but we find it first noted in The Philatelist for April 1, 1809, in these words:—"The 1 cent and 3 c. of this colony have been hitherto almost identical in hue; that anomaly is now rectified by the recent emission of the former value in bright orange." In the "Summary for the year 1809", the same paper credits the issue to January, 1869.[86]
The second addition was a 5 cent stamp, which is a bit of an anomaly inasmuch as it is a companion in size and design to the 1868 series, but was issued on October 1, 1875, after the series in reduced size, begun in 1870, had been practically completed. The explanation is simple: the die of this large 5 cent stamp had been engraved in 1867 with the other values of the first Dominion series,[87] but as there were no rates requiring such a denomination in the set, it was not issued. When in 1875 the need for a 3 cent value arose, the unused die was employed to make a plate for temporary use, until a new die conforming in size and design with the small stamps could be prepared. The large 5 cent stamp is thus really in the nature of a provisional, for its smaller and permanent successor followed it in about four months.
The statement is often made that the 5 cent denomination was required because of Canada's entry into the Universal Postal Union, which was instituted on July 1, 1875. The statement has elements of truth in it, inasmuch as the indirect results of Canada's application produced the 5 cent rate which required the new stamp; but the statement is not exact because Canada was not actually admitted to the Postal Union until three years later. The Postmaster General's Reports tell the story. The Report for 30th June, 1875 says:—
A treaty for the formation of a General Postal Union, and for the adoption of uniform postage rates and regulations for International correspondence, was arranged and signed at Berne, Switzerland, in October, 1874, by the representatives of the Post Offices of the chief Nations of the world. This agreement took effect between all the countries which were directly parties to the Treaty, in July last.