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Brigham Auctions Ltd. Sale - 2
The Late Victorian Issues, 1897-1902 -
June 6-7, 2014
Part II of the sale of this multi-volume Collection contains the four great
issues of the Late Victorian Era. These were contemporaneous and featured
Canada’s two first commemorative issues. They were all current from 1897
until the first Edward VII stamps appeared in 1903.
The Jubilee Issue. In 1897, Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond
Jubilee and the Post Office Department decided to issue a single 3¢
commemorative to celebrate the event. Trial colour proofs (TCP) in many
colours were prepared (see the array of 3¢ TCPs, lots 30-41). However
before the stamp was issued, the new Postmaster General, Sir William
Mulock, decided that a more substantial series of stamps was warranted. Sir
William had a great interest in philately and decided to emulate the United
States 1893 Columbian Exposition stamp series. He instructed Post Office
officials to issue 16 stamps ranging from ½¢ to $5; thus creating a highly
collectible series of stamps then and now.
The Maple Leaf Issue. The Small Queen issue was in use for more
than 25 years when the new Government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier decided that a
new set of definitive stamps was warranted. The portrait of the Queen was
brought up to date and she was shown in old age.
The Numeral Issue. The Maple Leaf issue did not have the
denomination in Arabic numerals. This caused a problem for postal clerks
who had to rely on colour to identify the stamps in sometimes difficult
lighting circumstances. Additionally, and more importantly politically, the
denominations were written in English only ensuring difficulty for more
than 25% of the population whose mother tongue was French and who spoke
little or no English. Finally, the illiterate part of the population was
handicapped in their identification of the denomination of the stamps. So,
less than a year after its introduction, the Maple Leaves were replaced by
the Numeral Issue.
The Imperial Penny Postage (IPP) Commemorative. It is commonly
called the “Map” stamp or the world’s first Christmas stamp. The stamp,
whose preliminary sketches were conceived by Sir William Mulock, was issued
to commemorate the introduction of the IPP rate of 2¢ to almost everywhere
in the British Empire. The rate went into effect on Christmas Day 1898 and
created an anomaly where the domestic rate and the rate to the United
States remained 3¢ until January 1, 1899, when they were both reduced to
2¢.
The Collection contains rarities and unique items in all four issues as
well as elusive postal history items such as the IPP’s Latchford
Correspondence (lots 945-950). Each of these issues has a plethora of die
proofs and imperforates—both being some of Mr. Brigham’s favourite
philatelic items because of the preciseness of the design and the quality
of the colours.
In reading this catalogue you will have the rare opportunity to see The
Brigham’s Collection’s holdings of the Jubilee and IPP issues as only a
small portion of either has been seen in exhibition. The Leaves and
Numerals have had more substantial airings culminating in the Grand Award
at ROYAL +* 2009 * ROYALE.
For more information please contact us at:
Brigham Auctions Ltd.
Suite 223 - Plaza 2
350 Rutherford Road S.,
Brampton, ON Canada L6W 4N6
Phone: (905) 451-5072
Fax: (905) 457-0537