Remarks.—The colour of the paper varies considerably, from deep blue to almost white.
All the surcharges catalogued on the stamps of this issue may be put down to obliterations, or as due to fraud. (Vide Mr. King’s papers.)
Issue II. May 1st(?), 1853.
One value. Engraved and printed in taille-douce by Messrs. Perkins, Bacon, and Co., upon stoutish blue wove paper; yellowish gum, imperforate. Design: Diademed almost full-face portrait of Queen Victoria looking to left, within a single plain-lined lozenge-shaped frame with engine-turned background. The spandrels are filled in with arabesque ornamentation, in which four eight-rayed stars, that are cut in half by the lozenge-shaped frame, figure prominently. At the top, bottom, and two sides there are narrow coloured bands, composed of diagonal crossed lines, containing inscriptions in plain Roman capitals. Plain square blocks in the four corners, with coloured Roman numeral of value. Shape, square. ([Illustration 89.])
T. “NOVA.” B. “SCOTIA.” R. “POSTAGE.” L. “ONE PENNY”—both the latter reading downwards.
- 1d., reddish-brown (shades).
Remarks.—Specimens of this stamp are known upon white paper, but, like the Three Pence of New Brunswick, the variety is only due to the discharge of the blue colouring matter from the paper.
This is the only stamp of Nova Scotia Mr. King is unable to give the exact day of issue of. A note in The Philatelic Record, vol. x. page 48, states that the first supply was sent over to the Colony by Messrs. Perkins, Bacon, and Co. in April, 1853; so the issue most likely took place on or about May 1st in that year.
Issue III. October 1st, 1860.
Five values. Engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Co., of New York, on yellowish or white wove paper; yellowish gum, machine-perforated, 12. Designs: One Cent and Five Cents.—Diademed profile of Queen Victoria to left, upon a background of horizontal lines, crossed by diagonal lines behind the head, within a circle composed of a plain white and a fine coloured line, arched scrolls of diagonal lines, crossed above and below, following the shape of the circle; curved labels of solid colour in the centre of the scrolls on the Five Cents value only. The scrolls of the One Cent and labels of the Five Cents are inscribed, in white Roman capitals, with the name of the Colony above and the value in words below. The remainder of the design is completed by arabesques and foliate ornamentation, which encompasses the two scrolls and the circle. Eight and a Half, Ten, and Twelve and a Half Cents.—Diademed full-face portrait of Queen Victoria on background of horizontal and diagonal crossed lines, within an upright oval. Vertically-lined arched scrolls above and below, for the two lower values, inscribed with the name of the Colony above and the value in words below in white Roman capitals. The Twelve and a Half Cents has the upper inscription upon a curved label of solid colour, placed in the centre of the scroll. The lower inscription is in block letters, upon a straight octagonal label of solid colour. The remainder of the designs are filled in with arabesques and foliate ornamentation, which differ for each of the three values. Shape, upright rectangular. ([Illustrations 90, 91, 92, 93, 94.])