The Small Queen Era
1875 -1897
Foreign Postage Rates
1. Letters
a) To May 7, 1889
The letter rate to the United States was 3 cents for each one-half ounce.
Montreal to Dingman Ferry, Pa., August 19, 1879
3 cents letter rate
Millbrooj, Ontario to Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, June 1882
Salt Lake City receiver June 10, 1882
3 cents letter rate per one-half ounce
b) From May 8, 1889
The letter rate changed to 3 cents per ounce.
Toronto to West Liberty, Iowa, April 27, 1891
3 cents letter rate for each ounce
Campbellford to Lynn, Mass., September 20, 1894
3 cents letter rate
Member of Parliament John David Edgar
Ottawa (House of Commons) to Prouts Neck, Maine, July 24 1891
3 cents letter rate
2. Post Cards
The post card rate to the United States was 1 cent.
St. Catharines and Welland Railway Mail Car cancellation, November 2, 1891
Addressed to Concord, N.H.
1 cent "CANADA POST CARD"
Dundas to Scranton, Pa., December 26, 1896
1 cent "CANADA POST CARD"
3. Registration
The registration fee was 5 cents.
Levis to Higganum, Conn., February 11, 1889
3 cents letter rate + 5 cents registration fee
Pointe-a-Pic to Vineyard Haven, Mass., July 28, 1894
3 cents letter rate + 5 cents registration fee
Welland to New York, December 9, 1895
3 cents letter rate + 5 cents registration fee
The 8 cent stamp with the Queen's vignette (head to the left) was issued in 1893:
B. United Kingdom
1. Letter
Effective October 1, 1875, the rate of postage on letters between Canada and the United Kingdom was 5 cents per one-half ounce, by whatever route sent, whether by Canadian steamers or steamers sailing from New York.
Montreal to London, September 18, 1876
Superscription : "Via United States Mail"
5 cents letter rate to the United Kingdom by whatever route
Liverpool transit
"US PACKET"
October 2, 1876
Quebec to London, October 11, 1879
5 cents letter rate to the United Kingdom
2. Post Card
The post card rate to the United Kingdom was 2 cents.
Toronto to London, November 26, 1897
2 cents post card rate
3. Printed Matter
The printed matter rate was 1 cent for each 2 ounces.
Montreal to Cambridge, England, 1892 (undated cancellation)
1 cent printed matter rate
Cambridge receiver October 16, 1892
Canadian Pacific Railway Monthly Statement
Cambridge receiver October 16, 1892
C. Universal Postal Union countries
On August 1, 1878, Canada began the implementation of the Postal Union rates and regulations.
1. Letter
a) To December 31, 1891
Two U.P.U letter rates were in effect. The rate for letters to Europe was 5 cents per half-ounce rate. The rate to Asia, Africa, and Oceania was 10 cents per half-ounce
Montreal to Plauen, Saxony, September 15, 1890
5 cents UPU letter rate to Europe
London transit : September 24, 1890
Plauen receiver : September 26, 1890
b) From January 1, 1892
On January 1, 1892, a uniform rate of 5 cents per one-half ounce to all UPU destinations was established.
Victoria to Stuttgart, July 17, 1895
3 cent letter card uprated with 2 cent stamp
5 cents UPU letter rate
India
The 5 cents UPU letter rate applied to letters mailed to India. The rate to India was reduced to 2 cents on December 25, 1898.
Toronto to Cocanda, India, April 18, 1897
5 cents letter rate to India
London transit
April 29, 1897
Sea Posy Office
May 9, 1897
Cocanda receiver
May 18, 1897
Insufficiently Paid
UPU regulations dealing with insufficiently paid correspondence required that the country of origin stamp the letter "T" (tax to be paid) on the item and the amount of the deficiency (single amount) in francs and centimes (1 cent Canadian= 5 centimes). The exchange office of the destination country was to charge the article with double the insufficiency.
Brampton to Leipzig, Germany, March 23, 1896
Double weight (1 ounce) letter shortpaid 5 cents
T/25 handstamp (Canadian) 25 centimes shortpaid
Rated 40 pfennig due in Germany
Canadian Tax marking
25 centimes
German charge written in blue pencil
40 pfennig
2. Post Cards
The post card rate was 2 cents.
St. Roch de Quebec to Diest, Belgium, April 26, 1894
2 cents UPU post card rate
Victoria to Berlin, Germany, July 12, 1895
2 cents UPU letter rate
Toronto to Magdeburg, Germany, November 24, 1896
2 cents UPU post card rate
Cypress River, Man., to Brussels, Belgium, September 14, 1897
2 cents UPU post card rate
Montreal to Sheidam, Netherlands, February 11, 1896
2 cents UPU post card rate