“The provisional stamps of Nova Scotia are the split ones, of which only one value, the Three Penny, was authorized to be so used, and that for a specific purpose; viz., to allow the rate of postage to Great Britain, 7½d., to be made up. This cutting of the Three Penny was authorized by the Postmaster-General, as in his report for 1853 he says, ‘To remedy to some extent the serious inconvenience said to be experienced by merchants and others in consequence of there being no Seven and One Halfpenny currency postage stamps, by which parties who feel desirous could thus prepay their letters to England, and not wishing to put the province to any further expense in having another “_die_” prepared, I considered it expedient to allow _half_ stamps to be used with those now in use to obviate the want of accommodation complained of; and a circular was accordingly forwarded to my deputies, and a notice issued to the public to the effect that letters could be prepaid to England by stamps, by parties using a Six Pence or two Three Penny stamps together with _half a Three Penny stamp_. The Three Penny stamp to be cut diagonally, and the half to be equivalent to 1½d. The Three Penny stamp alone to be used for that purpose.’ “Of the authorised split stamps I have met with five varieties. The Six Penny cut diagonally, and used as three pence; also Six Penny, but cut perpendicularly, an extremely rare variety, which is the only one I have ever seen cut in this manner. I have also seen three other varieties; they are the Ten Cents, cut diagonally and used as Five Cents, also cut perpendicularly and used for same; and the Five Cents, cut diagonally and used for the county postage of two cents. “Another variety I have found is an oddity; it is a Six Penny cut, and used for what? Under it is written in red pencil ‘5 CTS.’ I have two almost the same; the other has, however, only the figure 5 in red under the half stamp. The stamps have undoubtedly prepaid the letter, as the colour in which the ‘5 CTS.’ is written shows it, red being the paid colour. They probably originated at some small post-office out of stamps, and who marked them in red as paid letters, and sent them and the money for stamps to the next post-office; or they were given by some one on the road to a mail courier (as was the practice then as now), with the money to prepay them, and he marked them in red as prepaid, and had them stamped at the nearest post-office.