The same paper for 31st March, 1899, notes an error of impression in this card, the reply portion being printed on the back of the message card, so that the second card has no impression at all upon it. The Postal Union card was identical with the one it superseded, except that it was printed in deep blue, and the card is of a cream tint rather than a buff. The cause of the sudden change in color is not known. The King's head cards soon followed the adhesives. _Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News_ reported the 1 cent in its issue for 5th September, 1903. It needs no further description than to say it is a counterpart of the preceding Queen's Head card, the stamp as before being a copy of the adhesive engraved for typographic work. The impression is in green for the stamp and black for the inscriptions. The advertising card or "Business Post-Card" was the next to appear, having been issued early in December, 1903. Again it is in every way similar to its predecessor save that the impression of the stamp is lighter--rather a pink than a carmine. Finally, in its issue for 20th February, 1904, _Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News_ reports the issue of the reply card in its usual form and the Postal Union card, identical with the former save for the stamp, which is of course line engraved on this card. The issue of cards in 1910 comprised over 26 millions of the 1 cent, 430,000 of the reply cards and 70,000 of the Postal Union cards. CHAPTER XXIV THE LETTER CARDS [Illustration: CANADA LETTER CARD] The Postmaster General's Report for 1892 contained the following announcement:--"Letter cards, similar to those in use in Great Britain, Austria, and other European countries, are being prepared, and will be issued to the public in a short time." Only one value was issued, the 3 cents, and it appeared in company with the 20 and 50 cent adhesives and large sized post card on the 17th February, 1893. Artistically it is a pretty poor production, the stamp being apparently a rough wood-cut imitation of the stock type used by Messrs. De La Rue & Co. at that time for British Colonial stamps. The profile of the Queen is on a solid ground within an octagonal frame, and the labels at top and bottom contain the words POSTAGE and THREE CENTS respectively. At the left of the stamp, in two lines, is CANADA--LETTER CARD, the first being in Gothic, the second in Roman capitals. The entire impression is in carmine. The size of the card, opened out, is 5-1/2 × 7 inches (138 × 175 mm.), the longer dimension being reduced one half by folding of course. The perforation gauges 12 and is in Form A of Senf's catalogue (both lines crossing at the corner intersections). The margin outside the perforations measures 3/8 inch (10 mm.) and is gummed only around the third face of the folded card. The stock is of fair quality and of a light greenish-blue tint.