Canada: Its Postage Stamps and Postal Stationery — John Shaqi
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
For papers used, Mr. King describes no less than fourteen.[30] Four of
these are the two grades of the laid and wove "bank-note" paper already
mentioned. A third variety of laid paper is described by him as entirely
different, being a stout white paper in which "the _laid_ lines are most
distinct, while the paper is of a different texture and color from the
regular grey shade." Mr. Pack states: "This paper is very rare, and I
have never seen but very few copies."[31] Mr. King's sixth variety is
described as "hard, stout, grayish wove," but we have included it with
the ordinary wove paper in the check list, of which it is but a little
heavier manifestation. The same may be said of his varieties XII and
XIII, described as "medium" and "thick, hard, white wove paper, very
slightly ribbed," respectively, which we have classed under "stout,
hard, white wove paper." There is an extreme case in the 6d. stamp,
which comes on a _very_ thick hard paper, concerning which Mr. Pack
says:--"The unused 6d. on very thick, hard paper is one of the greatest
rarities of Canada. It is as rare as the 12d. unused. Curiously enough,
this stamp in used condition is very rare in a pair or strip. So far as
I know there are only two or three strips or pairs in existence. It is
my understanding that the very thick _hard_ paper stamps were printed
previous to those on the _soft_ paper." The last remark refers to the
very thick, soft paper, almost a card board (Mr. King's variety XIV)
which is now well known as an exceedingly rare variety. It is distinct,
both in paper and color, from any other variety of the 6d. stamp, the
shade being a dull purple. The same may be said of the thick _hard_
paper stamp, which appears to be in a very even shade of slate violet.
[30] Monthly Journal, VII: 9.
[31] London Philatelist, XVI: 144.
Mr. King's varieties X and XI are both peculiar, the former being a
"very soft, thin, cream wove which is quite fragile and will not bear
much handling," and the latter a "soft, thick, coarse white wove paper;
the surface presents a sort of hairy appearance, and the quality is
better than series X." The 3d. is the only value occurring in these two
varieties, which we have placed under "soft white wove paper" in the
check list.
Lastly comes the ribbed paper. The first variety is a very soft, thin
paper on which the 3d. appears. This is Mr. King's variety VII, and he
makes a variety VIII of the same paper in a "cream" tone. The same value
comes on a thicker, hard paper, Mr. King's variety IX, and he lists a
6d. in violet black as well.
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