1855 (May 2) Blue folded cover mailed registered from Brighton, U.C. to Toronto, bearing a superb, complete Brighton MY 2 1855 double arc dispatch at left, same-ink "PAID" handstamp and rate "3" and "Registered" in manuscript; horizontal file fold, clear Toronto MAY 4 large CDS on back. A nice prepaid registered cover - 3p postage + 1p registration fee paid in cash; a significant and philatelically important cover, VF

The registration of letters was introduced on May 1, 1855. The seminal work by Harrison, Arfken and Lussey "Canada's Registered Mail 1802-1909" mentions: "The earliest registered letter we know of for which the sender should have been given a receipt was mailed at Kincardine on May 8, 1855." This cover predates that by 6 days, making it the EARLIEST REPORTED DATE, mailed on second day of the introduction of the Canadian registration system.
(Image)

Estimate 1000 $

1856 (February 21) Folded cover from Brant, U.C. with double arc dispatch showing filled-in manuscript date, very rare misspelt RERISTERED straightline in black, PAID in red and rated "3" to Southampton; according to Horace Harrison, Brant was the only post office (among 1,293 offices) that had a misspelt registration handstamp. It was short-lived however, a corrected version was supplied (circa. March / April 1856) and a matching cover to the same addressee from Brant is included with the lot, double arc dispatch with manuscript "24 April 1856" with corrected REGISTERED handstamp in black. A striking and appealing duo, VF (Image)

Estimate 500 $

1868 (October 15) OHMS envelope with inscriptions in French, mailed from Ottawa to Quebec with free franking privilege, straightline FREE struck on front with superb Ottawa & Prescott Railway double ring OC 125 1868 PM (Gray ON-413), reverse with intact red wax seal and Quebec OC 16 1868 CDS receiver. A lovely Official RPO cover, VF (Image)

Estimate 200 $

Pristine envelope with "The Senate" embossed crest on backflap, superb Senate Canada Large "Crown and Beaver" Free handstamp in ORANGE (Davis SP-5), additional straightline FREE and Ottawa FE 16 83 CDS dispatch to Niagara with next-day receiver backstamp. A rarely seen Senate postmark, especially well struck on a superb cover - believed to be one of only five known being this orange handstamp, XF (CS SC-5) ex. S.J. Menich (June 2000; Lot 738) (Image)

Estimate 500 $

Incoming Mail - 3c red postal envelope from Cookstown, Ont. to Ottawa; on reverse a quite clear and exceptionally rare double ring House of Commons Canada MAR 4 1881 postmark in BLACK without Crown or Free (Davis CP-9ii) - THE ONLY REPORTED STRIKE IN BLACK, VF (CS HC-9 unlisted) (Image)

Estimate 500 $