Variety. Imperforate. Probably proof.
- 4d., black.
Issue III. 1st June 1870(?).
One value. Engraved and printed by the British-American Bank Note Co., of Montreal and Ottawa, upon medium white wove unwatermarked paper; yellowish gum, machine perforated 12. Design: Diademed, nearly full face, portrait of Queen Victoria looking to left, upon background of horizontal lines, enclosed within an upright oval. Curved label of solid colour following the shape of the oval at the left, top, and right side, inscribed with the name of the Colony and the word “POSTAGE” in white Roman capitals. Arabesques in the lower corners, surrounding a background of cross-hatched lines. The left contains “3d. STG.,” and the right “CY. 4½d.” in white numerals and letters. The upper corners also contain arabesques. Shape, upright rectangular. ([Illustration 102.])
- 4½d., yellowish-brown (shades).
Issue IV. January 4th (?), 1872.
Six values. Lithographed(?) and printed by Mr. Charles Whiting, of London, upon medium white wove unwatermarked paper; yellowish or brown gum, machine-perforated 12, 12½. The entire sheet of each value consists of one hundred stamps, arranged in ten rows of ten. Designs: The same diademed profile of Queen Victoria to left is found upon all the stamps. One Cent.—The head rests upon a background of horizontal lines, surrounded by a circular band of solid colour, inscribed with the name of the Colony above and the word “POSTAGE,” below. Straight label of solid colour at the bottom of the stamp, with value in full. Small upright rectangular blocks of solid colour in the four corners, containing numeral of value. Spandrels filled in with reticulations, and a plain outer line of colour completes the design. Two Cents.—The head is upon a background of solid colour, enclosed within a narrow upright oval band of reticulations. Plain label of solid colour surrounding the upper part of the oval, inscribed with the name of the Colony and “POSTAGE.” Straight label of solid colour at the bottom of the stamp, with value in full. Square blocks of solid colour in the four corners, containing Arabic numeral of value. The remainder of the design is filled in with reticulations, with a border formed of a plain coloured line. Three Cents.—The head of Her Majesty is upon a background of horizontal lines, enclosed within a fancy trilobed band of reticulations, having over it a curved label of solid colour inscribed with the name of the Colony. Straight labels of solid colour at the top and bottom of the stamp, the lower one extending quite across. The upper bears “POSTAGE” and the bottom one the value in full. Small upright rectangular blocks in the upper corners, containing Arabic numeral of value. The rest of the design consists of reticulations and a border of a plain coloured line. Four Cents.—The head rests upon a background of solid colour, enclosed within a fancy-shaped octagonal band of reticulations. Straight labels of solid colour at top and bottom of the stamp, the upper inscribed in two lines “POSTAGE—PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND,” and the lower with the value in words. Square blocks of solid colour in the four corners, containing Arabic numeral of value. The sides of the stamp are filled in with reticulations, and a plain outer coloured line completes the design. Six Cents.—The Queen’s head is on a background of horizontal lines, enclosed within a fancy-shaped hexagonal band of reticulations. Two straight labels of solid colour at the top, and a similar one at the bottom of the stamp. The upper are inscribed “POSTAGE—PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND,” and the bottom bears the value in words. Square blocks of solid colour in the upper corners, and similar upright rectangular ones in the lower, contain the Arabic numeral of value. Straight bands of reticulations at the sides of the stamp and a border of a plain coloured line complete the design. Twelve Cents.—Head of Queen on background of solid colour, enclosed within a band of reticulations forming a twelve-sided figure. Curved plain label of solid colour above, and a similar straight label extending the whole width of the stamp below. The upper is inscribed with the name of the Colony and “POSTAGE,” and the lower with the value in words. Square blocks of solid colour in the upper corners, with Arabic numerals of value. The rest of the design is composed of reticulations and a border of a plain coloured line. The inscriptions on all the stamps are in white block letters, excepting the values in the bottom labels of the Two, Four, Six, and Twelve Cents, which are in Roman capitals. Shape, upright rectangular. ([Illustrations 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108.])
- 1 c., orange-yellow (shades).
- 2 c., ultramarine ( ” ).
- 3 c., rose ( ” ).
- 4 c., yellow-green ( ” ).
- 6 c., black ( ” ).
- 12 c., bright mauve ( ” ).
Varieties.—(A) All the values may be found with dark brown gum, which has stained the paper and given it a brownish hue. (B) All the values exist imperforate but they are probably only proofs. (C) The Six Cents is known divided in two, each half serving as Three Cents.
Remarks.—A large stock of the stamps of each issue remained in the hands of the postal authorities at the time the Island became incorporated in the Dominion of Canada. The stock was disposed of in 1874 to a speculator, who has since supplied the principal stamp dealers throughout the world.