The postal and philatelic history of Canada concerns postage of the territories which have formed
Canada. Before Canadian confederation, the colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland issued stamps in their own names. The
postal history
Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of the use of postage stamps and covers and associated postal artifacts illustrating historical episodes in the development of postal systems. The term is att ...
falls into four major periods:
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
control (1604–1763),
British control (1763–1841),
colonial government control (1841–1867), and
Canada, since 1867.
Origins
At
St. John's,
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
on 3 August 1527 the first known letter was sent from North America.
[ Paul O'Neill (2003) ''The Oldest City, The Story of St. John's, ]Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
'' (p. 116) While in St. John's,
John Rut had written a letter to King
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
on his findings and his planned voyage. The letter in part reads as follows: "''Pleasing your Honourable Grace to heare of your servant John Rut with all his company here in good health thanks be to God.''" The conclusion of the letter reads: "''...the third day of August we entered into a good harbour called St. John and there we found Eleuen Saile of Normans and one Brittaine and two Portugal barks all a fishing and so we are ready to depart towards Cap de Bras that is 25 leagues as shortly as we have fished and so along the Coast until we may meete with our fellowe and so with all diligence that lyes in me toward parts to that Ilands that we are command at our departing and thus Jesu save and keepe you Honourable Grace and all your Honourable Reuer. In the Haven of St. John the third day of August written in hast 1527, by your servant John Rut to his uttermost of his power''."
French control
The earliest reference to a
postal service
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal syst ...
is of
couriers in 1705, namely the "first courier"
Pedro da Silva, carrying the Governor's dispatches by boat, along with (for a fee) private letters. A regular
postal system was proposed in 1721, but would have been too expensive at the time, and was not created until 1734, when a road existed between
Montreal and
Quebec. Post houses were established at intervals of nine miles (14 km) or so, along with ferries across the rivers. Fees were ten sols between the two major cities, and five sols to
Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
British control
The British captured Montreal in 1760, and shortly thereafter established a military postal system that handled letters between Quebec and Montreal, and from Montreal to
Albany, New York.
The peace treaty of 1763 inaugurated the development of a civilian post. The
Postmasters General of the American colonies,
Benjamin Franklin and
William Foxcroft surveyed a route between New York and Quebec, and contracted Quebec-Montreal mail to a
Hugh Finlay, who provided a weekly service at 8d per letter. Mail to New York took two weeks and cost about a shilling. The service was quite successful, the Quebec-Montreal route increasing to twice a week, and eventually branching out to include
Skenesborough.
The
American Revolutionary War disrupted mail to New York, and also showed the weakness in not having an all-British route to
Halifax,
Nova Scotia. In 1787 a complicated route was set up through
Riviere du Loup,
Fredericton
Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
,
Digby
Digby may refer to:
Places Australia
* Digby, Victoria, a town
Canada
* Digby (electoral district), a former federal electoral district in Nova Scotia (1867–1914)
* Digby (provincial electoral district), a provincial electoral district i ...
, and
Annapolis
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
.
Upper Canada had its own semi-monthly route through
Kingston
Kingston may refer to:
Places
* List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated:
** Kingston, Jamaica
** Kingston upon Hull, England
** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia
** Kingston, Ontario, Canada
** Kingston upon Thames, ...
,
Niagara
Niagara may refer to:
Geography Niagara Falls and nearby places In both the United States and Canada
*Niagara Falls, the famous waterfalls in the Niagara River
*Niagara River, part of the U.S.–Canada border
*Niagara Escarpment, the cliff ov ...
,
Detroit, and as far as
Michilimackinac on
Lake Huron
Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...
.
Finlay was succeeded in 1800 by
George Heriot, then in 1816
Daniel Sutherland took over as Postmaster General. By this time dozens of post offices were being opened. 1816 was also when the postal services of
Prince Edward Island and
Nova Scotia were separated, and not rejoined until 1868.
Postmarks had been in use since 1764, Finlay having been introduced to them by Franklin. The earliest markings were town names in a straight line. As is typical of the period, the postal service introduced ever-more-complicated systems of rates for mail, depending on destination and distance. In 1840
Rowland Hill
Sir Rowland Hill, KCB, FRS (3 December 1795 – 27 August 1879) was an English teacher, inventor and social reformer. He campaigned for a comprehensive reform of the postal system, based on the concept of Uniform Penny Post and his soluti ...
proposed a uniform rate for
Great Britain that could be prepaid by
postage stamps, and on May 25, 1849, the
Legislative Assembly of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper C ...
resolved to adopt the use of stamps in the
Province of Canada.
Colonial Governments
The colonies co-operated in the local control of the postal system after they assumed the administration from the General Post office in London in 1851, but each colony issued its own stamps until it joined the confederation. All colonies ceased issuing postage stamps after joining the
confederation.
British Columbia
The colonies of
British Columbia and
Vancouver Island jointly issued stamps valid in both colonies in 1860. In 1865, each colony issued its own series. After the
two colonies were merged in 1866, the united colony issued stamps from 1867 to 1869.
Province of Canada
The
Province of Canada began issuing stamps on April 23, 1851. The first were in the values of 3d, 6d, and 12d. Designed by Sir
Sandford Fleming, the ''Threepenny Beaver'' depicted a
beaver
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
in an oval frame, and is considered the first Canadian postage stamp. It was the first stamp to picture an animal and not a monarch. It was the first official postage stamp anywhere to picture an animal, though an unofficial postmaster's provisional from
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
showed two bears in 1845. The 6d was a portrait of
Prince Albert
Prince Albert most commonly refers to:
*Albert, Prince Consort (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria
*Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco
Prince Albert may also refer to:
Royalty
* Albert I of Belgium ...
from a drawing by William Drummond Esq. The 12d (1 shilling) was reproduced from a full-length painting of
Queen Victoria done by Alfred Edward Chalon. All three stamps were produced by the firm of Rawdon, Wright, Hatch and Edson of New York.
In April 1851, the rate for inland letters to Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island was 3d per ½ oz. Letters to the USA was 6d per ½ oz, excluding California and Oregon, which was 9d per ½ oz. The first issues were made on
laid paper, which did not stick as well to envelopes; thus in 1852 the printers switched to
wove paper. All of these early stamps were imperforate issues. These earliest issues on laid
paper are quite rare; a grand total of only 1,450 copies of the 12d were ever issued. Copies today, depending on their condition, may sell for US$50,000 or more.
Between 1852 and 1857, the postal service came out with new values: ½d, 7½d, and 10d, while removing the 12d. The first two depicting Victoria, and the 10d featuring a portrait of
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier ( , also , , ; br, Jakez Karter; 31 December 14911 September 1557) was a French-Breton maritime explorer for France. Jacques Cartier was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of th ...
. The 7½d was unusual in that it was also denominated "6 Pence Sterling". In 1858 the first
perforated
A perforation is a small hole in a thin material or web. There is usually more than one perforation in an organized fashion, where all of the holes collectively are called a ''perforation''. The process of creating perforations is called perfor ...
stamps were issued in ½d, 3d, and 6d values, depicting Queen Victoria, a beaver and HRH Prince Albert.
In 1859 the province standardized on a single decimal monetary system, which also meant new stamps would be needed. Between 1859 and 1864, the American Bank Note Company, New York produced seven new stamps in: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, (two) 10¢, 12½¢, and 17¢ values. In general, existing designs were used. These were the last stamps produced for the Province of Canada.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick first issued stamps in 1851; they were imperforate and denominated in pence. They consisted of a 3d red, 6d olive yellow, 1/- bright red violet and a 1/- dull violet issues, all on bluish paper. All four stamps were diamond-shaped and bore the New Brunswick coat of arms. In 1860, six new stamps, denominated in cents, were issued. The 1¢ depicted a steam locomotive, the 2¢, 5¢, and 10¢ values showed a young Queen Victoria, while the 12½¢ depicted a steamship and the 17¢ showed the Prince of Wales in Highland regalia.
Newfoundland
The
colony and later the
dominion of Newfoundland had a 90-year history of issuing postage stamps. The first issues were in 1857. The last issue was in 1947, two years before Newfoundland joined the
confederation. Newfoundland stamps remain valid for mail posted anywhere in Canada.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia's first issue was from 1851 to 1857, in pence. The second issue, in cents, was from 1861 to 1863.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island issued stamps in pence from 1862 to 1865, and a second series from 1868 to 1870. The third series, in cents, was issued in 1872.
Canada
Victorian period
The Dominion came into existence July 1, 1867, assembled from colonies each of which had their own stamps, so the new government issued a new series of stamps on April 1, 1868, superseding all previous issues. These featured a profile of Queen Victoria, based on an engraving by
Charles Henry Jeens
Charles Henry Jeens (1827–1879) was an English engraver.
Life
The son of Henry and Matilda Jeens, he was born at Uley in Gloucestershire on 19 October 1827. He learned engraving from John Brain and William Greatbach.
Jeens died, after a long i ...
and became known to philatelists as the "
Large Queens". They ranged in value from ½¢ to 15¢. While mostly printed on wove paper, a few of the 1¢, 2¢, and 3¢ values were also printed on laid paper; only three examples of the
Canada 2c Large Queen on laid paper
The 2¢ Large Queen on laid paper is the rarest postage stamp of Canada. Printed in 1868, it was not discovered until 1925, and so far only three have been found, all used. Many more could exist as at least one sheet must have been printed, and po ...
are known, making it Canada's rarest stamp.
Except for the 15c value which was in use as late as 1897, the Large Queens had a relatively short life, being replaced in 1870 by the "
Small Queen
Small may refer to:
Science and technology
* SMALL, an ALGOL-like programming language
* Small (anatomy), the lumbar region of the back
* ''Small'' (journal), a nano-science publication
* <small>, an HTML element that defines smaller text
...
s", smaller stamps of the same basic design, adopted to be able to produce more stamps more quickly. The Small Queens came in a number of printings between 1870 and 1897. In 1893 20¢ and 50¢ stamps came out with a 3/4 portrait of Victoria.
When Prince Edward Island became a Canadian province in 1873, it sold off all its remaining pre-Canadian stamps at discounted prices, flooding the market with over 1.5 million cheap stamps. Since these stamps had next to no value,
forgers had no compelling reason to make copies. Today, since forged versions of Prince Edward Island stamps are harder to find than the original, the forgeries are more valuable.
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is th ...
holds a forged, lithographed version of a stamp from 1870 that features an engraving of
Queen Victoria.
In 1897, the
American Bank Note Company secured the contract to print stamps for Canada, which lasted until 1923. The company's first job was to print a series for the
Diamond Jubilee celebrating the 60th year of Queen Victoria and the 30th year of confederation, the first commemorative stamps of Canada. The design was a side-by-side of the
Chalon Chalon may refer to:
Culture
* Chalon people, a Native American tribe of California
* Chalon language, an Ohlone language spoken by the Chalon people
Places
* Chalon, Isère, formerly Châlons, in France's Isère ''département''
* Le Chalon, in ...
vignette of the young Victoria and the likeness photographed by
Alexander Bassano in 1887. The series included 16 denominations ranging from ½¢ to five dollars, a princely sum in those days, and more aimed at collectors than mailers. Only 9,937 of the $4 value were ever sold, and unsurprisingly they are rare and expensive today.
1897 also saw the Maple Leaf Issue, regular stamps with the central design based on a Jubilee portrait for Victoria, with
maple leaves in each corner. It was in use for only a few months before being replaced by a modified design that replaced the lower leaves with numerals of value, motivated by the French-speaking population who found it difficult to read the textual denomination on the original design. (The
Universal Postal Union would require the use of Arabic numerals in 1907.)
In 1898, a first step towards
Imperial Penny Postage happened when a number of Dominions agreed on a uniform rate of 1d (2¢ in Canada). Canada issued an interesting stamp depicting a map of the entire world, with British possessions marked in red, inscribed "XMAS 1898" (the rate took effect on Christmas Day), and "WE HOLD A VASTER EMPIRE THAN HAS BEEN" underneath, a line extracted from "A Song of Empire" composed by Sir
Lewis Morris
Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Continen ...
in 1887. The stamp was notable as the first multi-colour stamp of Canada, and also for the tremendous variability of the red highlighting, resulting in amusing geographical incongruities.
Edward VII
Upon the accession of King
Edward VII, the basic maple leaf was retained but updated with a portrait of Edward wearing the
ermine Robes of State. Seven stamps bearing
Edward VII based upon his coronation painting were issued between 1903 and 1908. In addition, a commemorative tricentennial of Quebec stamp was issued in 1908 featuring Edward VII and Queen
Alexandra
Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...
. Canada's first experiments with
coil stamps occurred during this period.
George V
King
George V was depicted in 1911 as
Admiral of the Fleet in a widely admired design that continued in use until 1928.
1928 saw the "
Scroll Issue", so-called because "CANADA" appeared in a scroll across the top. This was the first issue to be bilingual. The pictorials are among the finest stamps ever produced, especially the 50¢ value
Bluenose stamp portraying the legendary
schooner
A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
''
Bluenose''.
The "Arch Issue" of 1930 was similarly elegant. The last issue for George V, in 1935, was called the "Dated Die Issue" because the year appeared in very small print in the design.
Edward VIII
No stamps were issued during the reign of Edward VIII since he abdicated the throne before the Coronation Ceremony took place.
George VI
The dated die concept was used in 1937 as well, in the stamps issued for newly crowned King
George VI. A group of three stamps in May 1939 marked the royal visit and a commemorative cover was available postmarked from the Royal Train.
Soon after the Empire was plunged into war; the
War issue
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...
of 1942 highlighted Canada's contributions. While the low values showed the King wearing the uniforms of the different services, the higher values showed Canada's role in growing food and the production of munitions, including a
Ram tank, a
corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...
, and a
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
.
In 1946, the "
Peace issue
Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...
" showed scenes and economic activities around the country. From the late 1940s on, the issuance of commemoratives became a regular event, with two in 1947, but gradually increasing. The last regular stamps of George VI came out in 1951.
Elizabeth II
The first definitive issue for
Elizabeth II's reign was based on a portrait by
Yusuf Karsh, and was issued on a plain background in five values on May 1 1953.
The Karsh series was replaced in the following year by a new design based on the portrait by
Dorothy Wilding
Dorothy Frances Edith Wilding (10 January 1893 – 9 February 1976) was an English professional portrait photographer from Gloucester, who established successful studios in both London and New York. She is known for her portraits of the Britis ...
that was also used in the United Kingdom. The 5¢ value was issued on April 1 with the introduction of the new domestic first class letter rate. Five more values in this series were introduced on June 10. With this series the post office began experimenting with fluorescence on stamps, resulting in a number of challenging varieties over the life of this and the next two series.
The Wilding series was replaced by the "Cameo" series, a horizontal design by
Ernst Roch
Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
* Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) German botanist known by the author abbreviation "Ernst"
* Anton Ernst (1975-) ...
. The series began with the 5¢ value on 10 March 1962. The 1¢ and 4¢ values were released on 2 April 1963, and the 2¢ and 3¢ values followed on May 2.
From the 1960s on, Canadian stamp policies have favoured issuing a relatively large number of single commemoratives valued at the prevailing first-class rate. In its commemorative issues Canada has made extensive use of works by well-known artists and until very recently has not used images of living people on its stamps.
Definitive series have tended to be combinations of design types, each applying to a range of values. For instance, the definitives of the late 1980s featured native wildlife for values up to 80 cents, and Canadian architecture for the dollar values, while those of the early 1990s used berries for the lowest values, and fruit trees for the higher values, and continuing with architecture for the highest values.
In December 2003, Canada Post issued a new 49 cent definitive stamp bearing the image of Queen Elizabeth II using a photograph taken by rock star
Bryan Adams. A similar redenominated stamp was issued in 2005 as a 50 cent denomination, and a 51 cent denomination in 2006 (see
Queen Elizabeth II definitive stamp (Canada) The Queen Elizabeth II domestic rate stamp is a definitive stamp issued by Canada Post, and bearing the image of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada. Eight versions of the stamp have been issued since 2003.
Background
Canada has depicted its sovereigns ...
).
See also
*
Canadian definitive postage stamps
Canada Post has issued several definitive stamps series since the Dominion of Canada was formed in 1867 featuring both novel and recurring themes. See Postage stamps and postal history of Canada for an overview and for history prior to federation. ...
*
History of Canada
*
List of people on stamps of Canada
This is a list of notable people on stamps of Canada since confederation in 1867. For earlier stamps issued by the colonies which came together to form Canada, see List of people on the postage stamps of the Canadian provinces.
__NOTOC__
A
* John ...
*
People on stamps of Canadian provinces
This is a list of people on the postage stamps of the Canadian provinces prior to joining Canada. Six present day Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian provinces, before each joined Canada over a period ranging from 1867 to 1949, issued th ...
*
Revenue stamps of Canada
Canada issued revenue stamps from 1864 to 2005. In addition to national issues, the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec (Lower Canada), Saskatchewan and ...
References and sources
;References
;Sources
*
Stanley Gibbons
The Stanley Gibbons Group plc is a company quoted on the London Stock Exchange specialising in the retailing of collectable postage stamps and similar products. The group is incorporated in London. The company is a major stamp dealer and philat ...
: various catalogues.
Encyclopaedia of Postal Authorities*
Rossiter, Stuart & John Flower. ''The Stamp Atlas''. London: Macdonald, 1986.
*
Winthrop Smillie Boggs. (1945, reprinted 1974) ''The Postage Stamps and Postal History of Canada''. Lawrence, Mass: Quarterman Publications.
Detecting the Truth: Fakes, Forgeries and Trickery a virtual museum exhibition at Library and Archives Canada
* Dwight, Robin Harris. (1998) ''1952-53 Karsh, 1954-62 Wilding, 1962-66 Cameo definitives''.
Further reading
''BNA Topics'' from the British North America Philatelic Society1944 to 2005 online journals.
*Hillson, John. (1989) ''Small Queens of Canada''. 2nd Revised edition. London: Christie's-Robson Lowe.
* ''Holmes' specialized philatelic catalogue of Canada and British North America'' published from 1935 to 1968.
*Jarrett, Fred. ''Stamps of British North America''.
*Jarrett, Fred. (1929) ''Standard British North America Catalogue''. Toronto.
*
Lowe, Robson. (1973) ''The Encyclopedia of British Empire Postage Stamps 1639-1952; Vol V North America''. London: Robson Lowe.
* Prest, Stephen F. (2008
''A Study of the Plates, Papers & Gums of the 1937 1¢, 2¢ & 3¢ Mufti Issues of Canada''
* Publications from
External links
Canadian stamps values and prices.The British North American Philatelic Society.The Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain.''The Canadian Philatelist'' Searchable Database.The Canadian Postal System in the Canadian Encyclopedia.The Large Queen Issue of Canada.The Canadian Stamps Gallery.The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC).The Stamps of Canada by
Bertram Poole, c. 1914.
{{Portal bar, Canada, North America, Philately
Philately of Canada
Postal history of Canada