The Stamps of CanadaPoole, Bertram W. H. (Bertram William Henry)
History
The Stamps of Canada
Poole, Bertram W. H. (Bertram William Henry)
Postage stamps -- Canada
Mr. Mulock, the Postmaster-General, has chosen the new inaugurating
stamp. It is in the form of a miniature map of the world
distinguishing British possessions and illustrating the relative
vastness of the Empire, in which Canada, of course, plays a
prominent part.
In commenting on this paragraph the _Philatelic Record_, for December,
1898, stated "A poster stamp even of the large plaster type, which
'distinguishes British possessions and illustrates the vastness of the
Empire', will indeed be a _multum in parvo_, and probably the less said
the better in anticipation of the realisation of such an apparently
absurd idea for a design on such a small engraving as a postage stamp
needs to be."
The _Ottawa Evening Journal_ gave further particulars about the
forthcoming stamp, viz.:--
The new Imperial Penny Postage Stamp, to be used between Great
Britain and a number of her colonies after Christmas Day next, has
been designed by the Postmaster-General and ready to be issued. It
is not to be a special issue, but will take its place among the
regular issues. When Mr. Mulock was in Britain he was surprised to
notice that the great mass of the people did not appreciate the
value or the greatness of the British possessions abroad. This was
especially true of Canada. The idea, therefore, suggested itself to
him when he was considering a new stamp, to prepare something that
would show the dimensions of Greater Britain compared with all
other countries. Mr. Mulock asked for some designs from a few
artists when he came back to Canada, but they did not meet with his
views, and he roughly sketched out something himself and passed it
over to an artist to have it touched up.
The feature of the new stamp is a neatly executed map in miniature
of the world, showing the British possessions as compared with all
other countries. The empire is distinguished from the possessions
of the other powers by being in red. Surmounting this map is a
representation of the crown, underneath which is a bunch of oak and
maple leaves, symbolizing the unity of the Mother Country and
Canada. At the upper edge of the stamp are the words "Canada
Postage" in a neat letter. Underneath the map is placed "Xmas,
1898", so that the date of the inauguration of Imperial Penny
Postage shall be a matter of record. On the lower corners are the
figures "2," indicating the denomination of the stamp, and at the
lower edge is this suggestive passage taken from the works of one
of our patriotic poets: "We hold a vaster Empire than has been."
Mr. Mulock will be able to claim the credit of giving the public
the cheapest map of the world ever issued. The size of the stamp is
about the same as the Jubilee issue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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