Canada: Its Postage Stamps and Postal StationeryHowes, Clifton A. (Clifton Armstrong)
History
Canada: Its Postage Stamps and Postal Stationery
Howes, Clifton A. (Clifton Armstrong)
Postage stamps -- Canada; Postal stationery -- Canada
I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,
E. P. STANTON, _Superintendent_.
THE POSTMASTER.
Such is the history of the Diamond Jubilee set of Canadian stamps. We
make no comment on it--it seems as if none were necessary and that the
presentation is amply sufficient for each to judge for himself
concerning it. We will only add Major Evans sapient remark[127]: "All
the trouble was the natural result of pretending to treat a
commemorative and limited issue as if it had been an ordinary and
permanent one. Ordinary common sense should have suggested the issue of
large supplies of the lowest value, and a certain number of all values
to every office."
[127] =Monthly Journal=, VIII: 230.
To revert to the stamps themselves. We have already given a description
of the design in one of our previous quotations, but it needs to be
amended in one or two particulars. The portrait of Queen Victoria
labelled "1837" on the stamp will be recognized as identical with that
on the old 12 pence and later 7-1/2 pence values. In fact Mr. Wurtele
tells us[128] that a prominent Montreal collector, whose advice was
asked when the issue was under consideration, gave the government a
magnificent unused copy of the 7-1/2d. green, to be used in engraving
the picture. It does not, as stated, show Her Majesty on her coronation
day, but is from the painting representing her on the occasion of the
prorogation of Parliament, on 17th July, 1837, as already
described.[129] The portrait labelled "1897" is from a full length
painting executed by command in 1886 by Prof. Von Angelo of Vienna. It
represents Her Majesty as she appeared on the assumption of the title
"Empress of India", and the curious may find the entire figure copied on
the 3 pence post card of Great Britain issued in 1889, and also on the
1 penny card of 1892. This State portrait of the Queen is now in
Buckingham Palace. The crown at the top center of the stamp is not the
Imperial State Crown of Great Britain but the so-called Tudor Crown. The
Imperial Crown is well illustrated on the 3 pence and 5 cent "beaver"
stamps, and a comparison with the Jubilee issue will plainly show the
difference in the "style" of these two crowns.
[128] =Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News=, X: 63.
[129] See page 33.
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