Page 8 - Delcampe Collections classiques EN-004

Stamps

A one-of-a-kind letter

The letter above is among the 100 rare philatelic items presented at the
well-known stamp collectors’ exhibition, MonacoPhil 2022.

With good reason: it’s unique combined pos- fective as of 6 April 1851, set a transit rate
tage from Montreal, Canada to New York, of 10 cents or 6 pence. The use of stamps
NY, which paid the 6-pence passage rate. from the two countries was probably not the
The letter, which is part of D.S. Kennedy’s purpose of the agreement, but the postage
correspondence, is dated 7 July 1851. was tolerated by both countries. The option
The two stamps, a 5-cent first issue from the to use this combination of stamps ended af-
United States and a red 3-pence on laid pa- ter just 69 days, the date on which the United
per from the first Canadian issue were both States de-monetised the first stamp issue.
applied in Canada to pay the basic transit The articles of the agreement between
rate for less than 3,000 miles from Canada Canada and the United States required that
to the United States. the country of origin be indicated on the let-
Until that time, letters to and from Canada ter. The curved, framed “CANADA” seal met
were paid for at the border. The postal agree- this requirement. The two stamps were can-
ments between Canada and the United celled in Montreal with a seal in the shape
States, dating from 25 March 1851 and ef- of a target with seven rings. The curved red

8 Delcampe Magazine