- 2 c., orange-vermilion (shades).
- 2 c., brown (error?).
- 2 c., vermilion-red, 1888 ( ” ).
- 5 c., green, yellow-green ( ” ).
- 8 c., blue, dark blue ( ” ).
Variety.
- 5 c., green, imperforate.
Remarks.—The Eight Cents was withdrawn from circulation in January, 1878. The Five Cents imperforate is taken from The Halifax Philatelist for November, 1888. With regard to the much disputed Two Cents, brown, the members of the Society think they cannot do better than reproduce here the interesting article published in the above-mentioned paper for January, 1888, upon this stamp.
“THE CANADIAN ERROR.
“The Canada Two Cent brown registration, is at this time mentioned frequently in the Figaro and several other philatelic publications. As there seems to be considerable doubt as to the origin, and as I was in the main instrumental in introducing them to the philatelic public, I have decided to give the information I possess on this subject to them.
“About the beginning of January, 1887, I was shown a registered letter received from Miscou Lighthouse Post-office, in New Brunswick. It had a BROWN Two Cent registration stamp on it—a clear unmistakable dark brown. I immediately wrote the postmaster there for information relative to them. He answered and said that he had twenty-three on hand; that he had originally received fifty from the Post Office Department at Ottawa; and that they were BROWN when he received them. This he stated positively. I then sent to him for them, but before my letter reached him he had used two of them, so that I received only twenty-one.
“Those stamps I showed to several philatelists, and could not get two to agree as to their origin. Some said the change in colour was due to the gum, others to chemical changes, others again said it was due to the atmosphere from the salt water. Very few would allow a misprint. In the meantime Mr. F. C. Kaye came across another registered letter with brown registration stamp. This time it was from the Post-office of New Ross, in Lunenburg Co., N.S. From this office about fifty were obtained. The postmaster at this office was also positive as to having received them from the Department at Ottawa in brown. The same objections were raised to those as to the others, as to whether they were genuine misprints or not. In this case the atmosphere of salt water was not the cause, as New Ross is in the interior. If the gum was the cause of their changing colour, it is peculiar we do not get more of them. Changes by chemical means were also tried. The only thing which would turn the red of the genuine colour to brown was sulphuric acid mixed with water, and this did not give a good clear colour, having a somewhat greyish shade in it. Those experiments have, in my opinion, confirmed their genuineness. And now as if to make assurance in regard to their genuineness more sure, we find a third Post-office with them. This was Beauly, in Antigonish Co., N.S. There were, however, only six received from there. The postmaster had the same story as the others—he had received them from the Department at Ottawa in a brown colour.
“After reading this, I do not think that any reasonable-minded person will doubt their genuineness.
“The Department at Ottawa was written to in regard to them, but, as was to be expected, knew nothing of them whatsoever. No doubt if they had been seen they would not have been allowed to be issued to the public.