THE SMALL "CENTS" ISSUE, 1870-82 In the _American Journal of Philately_ for August 20, 1869 we find the following: "Canada is shortly to have a new set of stamps. Taking lessons in economy from our own country, it seems they are about altering their stamps to make them smaller, so as to save paper. The head will still remain exactly the same as now, but the frame and margin around the head will be considerably less." The 1869 set of the United States was then in use, and it may well be that the smaller sized stamps appealed to the authorities in comparison with their own rather large sized productions, even though their suggested parsimony had nothing to do with it. The current 1/2 cent stamp was taken as the model, and the other values reduced in size to correspond with it, while keeping their former colors. The main features of the designs were therefore retained. No special announcement of the new series was made that we have been able to discover, and they were only introduced, apparently, as stocks of the large sized stamps on hand were used up. We find the first record of the change in the _American Journal of Philately_ for February 20, 1870: "The stamps of the New Dominion have now made their appearance, altered as described by us last August." Though not specified, this referred to the 3 cent stamp, and its actual issue probably took place in January. _The Philatelist_ chronicles it in the issue of March 1, 1870, as being of "the same colour and general description as before". [Illustration No. 28 on Plate II.] The next value to appear was the 1 cent, which was noted in the _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ for April 1, 1870; it was probably issued, therefore, some time in March, for the _American Journal of Philately_ records it in its issue of April 20, 1870. [Illustration No. 25 on Plate II.] Two years then elapsed before further additions were made, and lent some color to the report in several European journals that the cause of the new issue was the destruction by fire in Montreal of the plates of the 1 cent and 3 cent of 1868, and that the other values of the set would remain as before. The _American Journal of Philately_ learned, however, that only the press room of the Bank Note Co. was damaged, and that the plates were intact. At last the 6 cent in reduced size made its appearance and was chronicled in the _American Journal of Philately_ for February, 1872, to be followed in the March issue by the announcement of the 2 cent. The former value must therefore have been issued in January and the latter in February. [Illustrations Nos. 30 and 26 on Plate II.]