1829 SFL dateline Alniham England May 23 1829 to Montreal, LC, redirected to St Rose Isle of Jesus, carried privately to Quebec where posted (Aug 22 1829) fleuron in red, ms rated "9" with Montreal cds on face (Aug 25) and redirected to St Rose Isle of Jesus, and red "FORWARDED" hs, ms "not called for" in black on reverse and sent to Quebec with red ms "Dead Letter Office Quebec 15 Octr 1829". This is the earliest recorded DLO cover in existence. The previous earliest was 1833, with previous authors including Arfken stating the DLO was established in about 1830. This new early date represents the single most important DLO cover and the starting point to any complete DLO exhibit. A fabulous discovery, with the full story relayed in the PHSC journal. Ex Plain, Draves (Image)

1843 Quebec Steamboat oval "W" with date "31 Oct (4) 3" filled in on cover rated 1/2, corrected to 1/ 1 1/2 to Kingston, CW. (Image)

1845 Toronto "STEAM BOAT" arc on SFL Montreal to Toronto with Toronto cds (AU 19 1845), rated 9d collect (rated for 100-200 miles), likely put in the mail at Kingston. Ex Nickle. (Image)

1850 Printed "Returned Letter" "General Post Office Montreal", Montreal (AU 29 1850) rated "4 1/2"d collect to local address, file fold. Inside is printed form "General Post Office Montreal Dead Letter Department" with printed notice from "T.A. Stayner Deputy Postmaster-General". Ex Plain, Draves (Image)

1852ca "Steamboat" mauve manuscript postmark applied at Hamilton on stampless cover (creased) from Toronto to Hamilton, rated "3"d collect. The local steamer operating between Toronto and Hamilton was operated by Donald Bethune. There are three recorded examples of the mauve Hamilton steamboat marking. Ex Parsons. (Image)

1852 DLO Returned letter, mailed from Toronto and received at Quebec (May 20 1852) red cds, rated 4d due. The contents are a printed form letter returning a dead letter with 4d collect. The GPO for Canada was located at Toronto from 1851-1856. Ex Draves. (Image)

1856 #7 10d Cartier, faulty copy with light target cancel on worn cover (back flap off) with RPO QC-155.05 "MON & ISLD. PD. GRAND TRUNK R.WAY/ No. 5" (A/UP/DEC 12?1855" to London, England, with red "PAID FE 29 1856" transit (A LEAP DAY). Transatlantic covers are rarely seen with early RPO cancels. Rough but rare (Image)

1856 cover front from Mosa, CW (DE 26 1856) to Toronto with #4 3d Beaver, two copies, the left example with margins just touching outer frameline to showing next stamp with missing lower frameline variety, the right stamp with large margins to showing next stamp, target cancel, file folds, adhesive strip on reverse. (Image)

1860 oval grid ties #9a 10c orange bisect on worn cover (backflap off, crease, pinhole) from Fredericton, NB (MY 29 1860) bs to Windsor, NS bs. (Image)

1868ca #22 1c brown red Large Queen tied by grid hs on prices current (top banner of circular missing, and broken along folds) to London, Ontario. (Image)

1873 #35, 37, 39 1c (edge faults), 3c, 6c Small Queen tied by Halifax, NS duplex (DE 16 1873) on cover to Darmstadt, Germany paying the 10c Pre-UPU letter rate, London, GB Paid transit cds (26 DE 73) and ms "3 1/2"d British claim, reverse with Merry Christmas printed flap and "AUGS No" bs. Scarce Pre-UPU cover. (Image)

1875 #35 1¢ Small Queen tied by Quebec duplex (C SP 29 75) with second free strike where stamp normally placed paying 1¢ drop letter with free local carrier service to St. Louis Hotel, Quebec, redirected to Westmeath, Ontario bs and "RETURNED FOR POSTAGE" and scarcer "RETURNED FOR DEFICIENT POSTAGE" as it was now subject to the 3¢ letter rate, double deficiency with 1¢ credit and "5"¢ due. Sent to the Dead Letter Office bs (OC 11), postage presumably collected and eventually arrived at Westmeath OC 15 bs.This cover demonstrates the confusion with postage due on redirected drop letters from the Oct 1, 1875 regulations which were unclear and the patron suffered double deficiency even though properly paid. As of Oct, 1879 the postage due was simply double the deficiency of 2¢ or 4¢, and by 1899 the deficiency was charged singly. An important cover in this confusing period and an excellent exhibit item to demonstrate the different methods of handling postage due. Ex Lamb. (Image)

1877 #37 3¢ Small Queen tied by large fancy cork on cover from Toronto (JA 20 77) to local address paying 3¢ registered drop letter rate, "REGISTERED" hs. This was contrary to regulations because the registry fee had to be paid by the 2¢ RLS and not a post stamp as of Nov. 15, 1875. Illustrated in Arfken (page 76). (Image)

1877 "Registered Hamilton" oval (MR 12 77) ties #37 3c Small Queen, #F1 2c RLS and third free strike to Thorold, Ont, "Not Called For". Only three recorded examples of this oval. (Image)

1882 #35 1¢ Small Queen #F2 2¢ RLS tied by bright blue quartered cork fancy cancel on attractive purple wrapper with Owen Sound, Ont (SP 30 82) to Thornbury, ms "Voters Lists" for election. The rate of 1¢ plus 2¢ registry fee. One of the nicest voters' lists that I have seen. Printed matter, books and circulars could not be registered, with one exception being Ontario voters' lists, which Arfken discusses in detail (pg. 162-164). This cover illustrated in Arfken (page 164). Rare. (Image)

1884 Nile Expeditionary Force, #37 3c Small Queen tied by Toronto Canada "1" duplex (SEP 12 84) on cover front with edge loss and creases addressed to "W.C. Baldwin Esq, with the Canadian Contingent to the General Gordon Relief Expedition, Windsor Hotel, Montreal QC", purple hs "Reposted this Day By..." and Montreal (OC 23), octagonal "Not Called For Montreal" (NO 8 84), purple "Nov 21 1884" and pencil "150" (likely DLO docketing), red "Rec'd from D.L.O." The front is addressed to the Nile Expeditionary Force while still in Canada but missed being delivered before they embarked for the Nile, and sent to the DLO. There are 16 recorded covers all addressed to Dr. Nielson with the expedition, and four recorded items from the expedition. This is the only recorded cover to the expedition while still in Canada before embarkation. A showpiece. (Image)

1885 "Registered Belleville Ont Canada" oval (AP 27 85) on cover with #37e 3c Small Queen, #F1 2c RLS with bullseye cancel, registered to St. Catharines. Reverse with two additional ovals. Only four reported covers, and this is a new latest reported date by seven months. (Image)

1885 Hamilton duplex (May 22 85) ties #35 1c Small Queen pair (edge faults) on cover (edge faults) to "Lt. H. W. Mickie, K Co. Queens Own Rifles Northwest Expeditionary Force with Col. Otter Battleford, via Qu'Appelle NWT, paying 2c soldier rate. One of four recorded examples with 1c Small Queens (See Arfken, page 88, cover #7). Cover illustrated in BNA Topics vol 44, p. 17. (Image)

1892 #30 15c Large Queen tied by Lindsay, Ont (MY 3 92) on cover (edge tear, small loss) to Dresden, Germany, paying 15c triple UPU letter rate, via Peterboro bs (MY 4 92) and Dresden receiver (17 5 92) bs. A scarce single franking of the 15c Large Queen, not going to New Zealand. (Image)

1896 #34 1/2¢ Small Queen tied by Walkerville, Ont (JU 6 96) on newspaper wrapper to T H & B Ry, Hamilton, Ont with bs receiver (JU 8 96). The 1/2¢ newspaper or circular rate was for up to one ounce. This in an exemplary piece with TWO different cds cancels, as most similar mail matter did not receive datestamp cancels. (Image)

1896 #42 5¢ Small Queen tied by London Canada cds (FE 7 96) on 2c postal stationery to local address with carrier hs (8 AM FE 8), paying 7¢ registered drop letter rate. Ex Lamb. (Image)

1896 Antelope Bicycle Works advertising cover with #41 3c Small Queen tied by Parkdale Toronto duplex (MR 10 96) to Prescott. (Image)

1897 Ottawa unfinished flag (type 9-1), two strikes ties #66(6) 1/2c Leaf on cover to Kingston. (Image)

#68, 72 2c, 8c Leaf tied by oval "R" on cover from Belleville, Ont (AU 9 98) to Bridgwater, England paying 10c registered letter rate. Oval Registered Liverpool (19 AU 98) and Bridgwater bs. Scarce international use of the 8c Leaf. (Image)

#69 3c Leaf (fault) tied by Montreal (JUN 20 1898) type 8 flag cancel on cover (opened for display) to Vienna, Austria, shortpaid 2c and T10, ms "8 kr" and 5K, 3k Austrian dues tied by Wien cds (3 7 98) on reverse. Redirected to Volsalu bs (4 7 98). Scarce use of Austrian dues on 19th century Canadian mail. (Image)