I The Newsletter of the Large and Small Queens Study Group I I Number 17 November 2000 A Rough Guide to Used

Auction Alert

The Horace W. by John Hillson which may vary in thickness, Harrison Canadian Postal and may have gum under- Stationery Collection is in I don't know if you neath which is clearly going the midst of being auction by share my difficulty to differ- to affect the outcome. So it is Robert A. Lee. entiate the various papers best to forget gauges, in my The first two sessions used on Large and Small view, which brings one back were in June and September Queens from photographs of to descriptions. 2000. The next two sessions .their backs. Those in Boggs To simplify matters, are January and May 2001. aren't bad but he shows only one can divide the papers Lee calls this "The finest four, while Duckworth into hard and soft, and thin, Canadian stationery collec- shows some ten used medium and thick. tion eyer offered in four between 1868 to 1872. Dealing with hard public auctions." If it were not from and soft first, the major char- Further information is the excellent descriptions acteristic common to the available from Robert A. Lee accompanying the latter pic- hard is that the perfora- Auctions, #203 -1139 tures, could you honestly tell tions are generally cleanly Sutherland Ave., Kelowna, the difference between say cut. That doesn't mean it BC V 1Y N2, phone 1-800- Duckworth's Paper 1, a thin can't have confetti still 755-2437, or e-mail to transparent paper, and adhering, but that is the fault [email protected]. Duckworth's Paper 4, a stout of the perforator, not a char- paper equally transparent, acteristic of the paper. A note to any dealers from the photo. So it really Soft paper, on the in our membership: If you does boil down to description other hand, has more "give", have an auction or sale and that inevitably can lead the result is that the papers' coming up with LQ and SQ to misinterpretation. perforations tend to have a material, let me know (well From time to time I slightly woolly appearance, ahead of time) so I can put have heard of collectors that is the holes tend to have the information out to our checking paper thickness fibres still attached, because members. with a paper gauge. There the perforator has tended to are a number of problems slightly tear through, rather with this. than cut through. First the gauge has to To t.ean example be continually recalibrated to from immediately before the 1 ensure its accuracy. Small Queen period. the laid Secondly, manufac- paper on which the l# and 2$ turers when using mechani- Large Queens were printed is ~ cal gauges - it may be differ- thick soft. The l$ can be I ent with electronic ones - easily spotted in any cata- always measured papers in logue showing it in company stacks and averaged the with other hge Queens answer. because of the appearance of Thirdly, Postage the perforations. stamps have on top Continued 6 Using the Half- Cent Small Queen Back in one of the very early newsletters, I asked what a half-cent stamp was good for. The answer then was for bulk mailings of advertising cards to every household along the carrier's route. . Pictured here are two covers at the other extreme, with hal f-centers paying the full rate. Robert Hasle- wood shares a cover from Montreal to London, England, July 27, 1894, on which 30 half-cent stamps paid the triple letter rate of Is$. Was the sender trying to make a statement or just using up a bunch of scrap postage? Ted Bowen sent in a cover from W. Kelsey Hall, Stamp and Coin broker in Peter- borough Ont. On the front we see 2 half- cent stamps and a ~e~istered-marking. Was Mr. Hall a favored patron of the post office to mail registered letters for a penny? No, the other 7$ is on the reverse, 14more half- cent stamps along with a Richmond, Quebec December 24 postmark, and several faint R.P.O. marlungs . need for the 112e or 6d 1902 members hi^ list of 22 The William Rennie values. This also applies tb names includGs pioneer the Jubilee, Leaf, and dealers G.A. Lowe, E. Correspondence Numeral issues whose covers Marks, and E.Y. Parker. Also A Personal Recollection were frequently destroyed to listed is Captain (Robert) by Richard M. Lamb soak off very fine c.d.s. 6$, Rennie at Adelaide and 7$, and 85 values. Rennie Jarvis Streets, the address of William Rennie Company perfins which the Rennie Seed Company. established the William commenced in 1912 of Robert Rennie enlist- Rennie Seed Company in course missed the Small ed with the Queen's Own 1870. After he retired, his Queen em. Rifles of Canada as a rifle- sons Thomas, John, and The Rennie find fills man in 1881. He was com- Robert (later to become a gap between the Cmwn missioned a second lieuten- Major General Rennie) con- Lands correspondence and ant in 1887, was a captain in ducted the business in part- the Evans, Bruce, Pearce, 1902 or earlier, and became a nership with Thomas as pres- and Tyler finds. It lacks the lieutenant colonel in 1911. ident. scarce early shades and fancy In France, as Brig- In the early 1890s the cancels but is notable for a adier General in 1915 he firm was located at 136 huge number of registered commanded the 4th Adelaide Street East at Jarvis and small town envelopes all Canadian Brigade which in Toronto in a neat three neatly opened with a sharp comprised four infantry bat- story building which it occu- kmfe and then stored under talions. They were the 18th pied until the early 1950s. ideal conditions in wooden (London), 19th (Toronto), Envelopes which boxes. 20th (1st Central Ontario have survived are mainly There are some nice regiment), and the 21st 1894-1900 so that the Small advertising covers including (Kingston). Queens represent only a four fairs, exhibitions, agricultural Serving at that time year period. They are mainly corner cards, manufacturers, in the 1st Central Ontario from nual customers in the and town promotionals. Regiment was none other richest arable farming areas Squared circles were just than Lt. Vinnie Greene, later of Canada, namely southern attracting interest and the to become one of Canada's Ontario and the Prairie 1954 Whitehead illustrates greatest philatelists. He was Provinces.

I WILLIAM RENNIE, 1 Seedsman, uTORO.NTO,CANADA. four of them. The 1893 rari- chairman of the first three The small ret'urn ties like Foothill and CAPEX exhibitions. He envelopes with bold type left Coleman were too early for formed a marvelous collec- little space for stamps on this find but 1894 tion of BNA and judged registered mail. Those cus- Waterdown and Kingsville internationally. tomers with l$ and 3$ Small could have embellished In 1975 the Vincent Queen values often used two Rennie covers. G. Greene Philatelic of each for the 8$ rate. Let me now refer to Research Foundation was Others having a 3$ the History of the Toronto established and now has new value on hand bought a 59?, Stamp Collectors Club 1892- premises in Toronto housing otherwise it was a single 8$ 1992 by Gary Scrimgeour a library, meeting room and franking. The 2$ values (153 pages, hardbound, provides an expertization mostly arrived on drop letters 1994) which should be in service. from Toronto businesses. every philatelic library. The Continued Page 4 Few customers would have a The Rennie 1926. ' " had the covers selected, lib- Correspondence I have a few com- erated, and declared govern- Continued from Page 3 ments regarding this amazing ment surplus in a matter of story. Apart from his 1902 minutes. I cannot find It is not known if TSCC membership and a auction lots in either the Vinnie and General Rennie registered handwritten envel- Jarrett or Greene sales which were friends before or during ope in 1924 from Rennie match the covers in question. the war but they were cer- Seeds to a stamp dealer in Neither can I find any refer- tainly well acquainted in New Y ork, possibly from the ence to a personal collection later years. The next mention General, I have no clues as to being sold on behalf of of General Rennie is found his philatelic knowledge, General rennie or his estate. in the minutes of the TSCC collecting interes ts, or activi- Major General reporting on Anecdote Night, ties. Rennie, CB 1918, CMG and I quote: It is unclear why, 1917, DSO 1915, MVO "Fred Jarrett showed with an eight-year accumula- 1915, served in France 1915- a collection of Canadian tion of covers in hls business 1918 and participated in the stampless covers on March premises, the C3eneral would Second Battle of Ypres and 19, 1959. While the covers raid the Crown Larids files. fought at Vimy Ridge, Hill were being passed around, In 1926 Fred Jarrett 70, and Amiens, winning the Vinnie Greene (chairman for might have been in the Croix de Guerre. He was the evening) 'started a chain Archives making tracings for mentioned in dispatches on reaction on anecdotes by his illustrations in his 1929 seven different occasions. bringing up the story of how Stamps of British North After surviving four Gen. Rennie raided the America. He could have years of carnage in the First Archives at Queen's Park spotted items of interest and World War, General Rennie and how Fred successfully advised the General. He, died in Sunnybrook Hospital hooked up with him, getting after demobilization, might on December 17, 1949, three such rarities as a pair of have become a little bored at weeks after fracturing his hip beautiful 6d on cover, pair of his desk and would have rel- in a fall on an icy street. 3d (one with major re-entry) ished planning and executing He was 87 years of and many more, all of these this attack. age and a veteran of 68 years under Crown Lands corre- The famous local in the militia. He was for spondence. It was explained Genetal, especially if he many years president of how Gen. Rennie got permis- appeared at the Legislature in Rennie Seeds with which he sion from Atty. Gen. Price to full uniform with his medal do this somewhere around tibbons, would likely have Continued Page 5 The Rennie the 1% Large Queens in out of 80 years in business? Correspondence various shades - a sight not How many covers were Continuedfrom Page 4 likely to occur today or ever removed from "Aladdin's again. Cave" before the holding !' \-- was connected for over 40 Having arrived in became an estate problem? years. Canada in December 1950, I Rumour has it that some After the General joined the West Toronto were traded off by the died, Vinnie Greene appar- Stamp Club the next year. in General to Vinnie Greene ently was asked to dispose of 1952 I visited the home of and others. the Rennie covers. In the Charlie Foster who still had Another question: TSCC 100th anniversary many boxes in his den of where are the shipping tags book already mentioned, Rennie covers in bundles of or envelopes used for George Wegg told the author 100. I do not know if he or mailing out orders? They that Vinnie Greene and Vinnie Greene had already could have gone by 5th Class Charlie Foster sold over 25 offered them at the TSCC. mail in 1890 at l$ per ounce shoeboxes of Rennie Seed I had no idea what I up to five pounds and also covers at TSCC meetings. was looking at but the Map could be sent by registered The proceeds of over $800 stamp covers seemed reason- mail. went to the General Rennie able at $25 a hundred. I I have yet to see a estate. This works out to $32 bought a bundle and shipped William Rennie corner card a box. It is unclear whether these off to England at £1 or letterhead between 1870 bundles of 100 filled 25 each. I repeated this until the and the early 1890's. - boxes or whether they were well ran dry. The other perhaps a member can sold as mixed boxes. 'covers were 3$ Small provide some information. Queens, 35 Leaf, 2# and 3$ This is my story or recollection of two philatelic giants, Fred Jarrett and Vinnie Greene and a distin- guished soldier Major General Rennie plus a won- derful find of Canadian covers. Corrections

Dr. J. Frank wrote to Distribution would have correct my mis-reading of the occurred in 1950-1951. Numerals and both surcharg- postmark on his "Letter to There could have been es. I believe there were still a South Africa" in the last 40,000-50,000 covers in all, few hundred 8$ Small newsletter. The correct town including the group I will Queens at $50 a bundle, but is Lennoxville, Que. and not describe later. as 100 would cost a week's Lemonville. At the time there pay at Massey Harris, I Richard Thompson were six dealer members. passed. also e-mailed with this cor- Fred Jarrett, whose stock After a couple of rection. already included covers from years of sales, I found that all Dr. Frank also cor- of the Jubilees and most of h Hale, McMurchie, the Beare rected the author of the music bench and F.L. Green, the registered covers had "Essays and Proofs of was probably not too inter- been sold to club members B.N.A." to be Minuse, K. & ested. George Wegg may and others. Pratt, RH, not Minkus as was have been a buyer for his Charlie Foster was noted in "This and That" new store at 15 Richmond TSCC secretary at the time John Gordon wrote to Street East. I visited him and, as a banker, likely did point out that the Moffatt and there in early 1951 armed the bookkeeping for the Hansen book listed as first with a letter of introduction Rennie estate sales. edition (page 6, issue 14) was k- from Robson Lowe. I vividly There are a few actually the 4th edition. The recall his desk top was unanswered questions. Why first three editions were pre- covered with mint blocks of did Rennie Seeds only save pared by Dr. Whitehead. eight year's worth of covers Chairman's Column best interests of philately and Rough Guide to Ron Ribler BNAPS. I am suggesting that Papers Used we put news- Continuedfrom page I letter on the web to s~read Another busy period -I-- --~-- '-- has passed with some inter- the word and to help get new esting results. First, we members. Roy and I would finally published the book like to know how the mem- "Canada's Three Cents bership feels about such a Small Queen" and delivered move. virtually the entire to John Burnett did a John Jamieson at the "show and tell" with some Saskatoon Stamp Centre, interesting covers. Richard who has exclusive sales Monis gave a talk on his rights to the book. new Color Guide System and The book is all black showed his new Guide for and white, so a CD showing the Admiral issue. In the the book in full color accom- remainder of the session, I panies it. The CD will work presented some mystery on Windows machines and covers to see if any of those on Macs. If you order the present could help find answers. We actually did Hard Paper Soft Paper book from SSC and you use no fibers showing fibers a computer, be sure to ask find several. I showed the CD of the book on my laptop for the CD also. The book is The laid on which the the result of almost 25 years to illustrate the items. Everyone felt the CD really 3$ was printed was a thin specializing in the stamp and hard paper, not easily spotted I hope collectors will find it enhanced the value of the book. in the way the l$ can be. A useful. second more "hands on" We went to Provi- While in Schaumberg I also put up my exhibit one approach is to flick the paper dence for the APS Starnp- gently. Try it with a bit of k- Show and won a gold for the more time. This time I was awarded "almost a gold." writing paper and then with a Three Cents Small Queen bit of kitchen roll. It will exhibit and a vermeil for the We are still hoping that more of you will submit sound different and feel dif- book. Then we went on to ferent. It's the same with Schaumberg for the BNAPS items for the newsletter. Please do not be bashful of stamps. meeting and had several As to thickness: thin interesting meetings. reluctant to share your infor- mation or ideas. Controversy papers tend to be slightly The Study Group met transparent, medium and and was attended by 14 is welcome. Let us hear from you! stout papers, opaque. Thick BNAPSers. They were Bob hard Dauers are like thin Turkowski, Bill Radcliffe, card. fhilck soft on the other Vic Willson, Bernard hand have specific character- Schubert, Richard Morris, istics which will be touched Jack Gordon, Don Kaye, Bob How To Reach Us on later. Lane, John Burnett, Bob Lee, As far as I am aware, C. Quattrocchi, Horace Chairman: only three of the papers cited Harrison, and Merv Woike. Ron Ribler, PO Box 2291 1, by Professor Duckworth Bob Lane raised the Fort Lauderdale, FL 33335, carried on into the Small question about putting our fax (954)760-7794, Queen printing: Paper 10, newsletter on the web site phone (954)760-7795, creamish in colour, horizon- (he is the webmaster). e-mail: [email protected] tal grain, and compared with Reaction was mixed. Some subiquent used, of felt that if we gave away the Editor: very good quality, and is newsletter, no one would ROY Sass, PO Box 310547 genedly of medium thick- join the group. Others felt Walnut Creek, CA 94598, ness. Most 1870-1871 l# and that since not all members e-mail: [email protected]. 3 small Q~~~~~are to be had computers, they would found on th;s paper, includ- not likely leave the group. We all felt that wider dis- semination would be in the the same characteristics, but they employed the same Rough Guide to where viewed from the back stock control as the Post Papers Used the design can be seen, Office - last in, first out. unlike the former where the Two other papers that paper is opaque. must be mention&: though Continuedfrom Page 6 Shoemaker divides thev exist onlv on the 1% ing all of the copper and these two papers into four ~&eQueen. The first is the indian reds. The Duckworths categories including one thick paper which describe its colour as where the grain is vertical appeared in 1880 and is "whitish", this may simply rather than the more general recorded only in a dull deep be a difference in my inter- horizontal. It is actually the violet colour. It has a hori- pretation from theirs. same paper but fed into the zontal grain. An even thicker The second is their press sideways instead of the version was used for the normal way. Dead Letter Office label. Paper 8, the rare thick soft . whte paper which for some Such stamps can be The second is the unaccountable reason keeps identified by being taller and "Alexander Pine" water- being described as "blotting narrower than those with a marked paper which Boggs paper." has no horizontal grain, due to paper describes as a medium white grain and tears easily. Ths shrinkage after being printed wove with a horizontal mesh paper has a fine horizontal (on damp paper which used c. 1877. The stamps grain made up of tiny hori- shrinks against the grain as it were perfed 11.5 x 12. I had zontal lines which are not dries). One can also breath a copy many years ago for which I paid £25, which was easy to see, so one has to lightly to see whlch way it look carefully. 'curls: side to side if it has a a lot for me in those days. Stamps characteristi- vertical grain, top to bottom (Come to think of it, it still cally 'tend to have much if horizontal. is.) Anyway, a dealer confetti adhering. They also Stamps can be found "friend" of mine cast doubt from the mid 1880's printed on it and acquired it with the tend to be badly centered, but on a thick hard horizontal rest of my Canadian collec- well centered copies do exist. , a paper almost tion in 1965. About 10 years It is known to have been in the feel of a thin card. It is or so later he sent me a pho- use in about the end of 1871 tocopy of the stamp, still on and can be found on the l$ distinctly rare, but the pro- and 3$ Small Queens as well fessionals don't seem to have my original album page, with as the Large Queens in print cottoned on to it yet so there a price tag of £1250. Words at that time. you have the chance of a occasionally fail me. The third Duckworth bargain. At about the same paper is Paper 9b if I have A very small quantity time the British American interpreted their description of stamps were printed Bank Note Co. was hoping to correctly. This is the thin soft during the Montreal period move into their new Ottawa white paper in use on Small on a pelure paper. This paper premises but were delayed Queens in 1872, and thus can is sometimes called due to structural problems. be found on all four original "" which exactly They had to move into the Small Queen denominations. describes its characteristics - Gazette Building as the lease Apart from its thinness, the thin, transparent and hard. I for the Montreal premises have a 6@SQ late Montreal had run out. They introduced most obvious trait is its white printing (since it has four a poor quality paper that colour which makes Paper 10 position dots) on this. I resembles rag-stock. This look creamy. was in use from then until The papers used from remember acquiring a copy then on until about the end of which I thought might be a the contract ended in 1897, 1888 fall into two main cate- second on the same value, it though there was a slight gories, a medium weight certainly appeared thin but improvement in quality paper which has what not as transparent when the around 1894. These were the Shoemaker described in his two were side to side. It thinnish to medium weight 1941 article on the 34 Small turned out to be a Duckworth papers whose backs appear Queen as having a pebbly Paper 4. It was not even thin. with random fibres under surface which can be whitish These oddities do turn up magnification, are generally or creamy in tone, or a from time to time as the toned yellowish, occasional- thinner paper with otherwise printers probably got down ly to a pale tan, and are of to old stock. It looks as if Continued Page 8 Rough Guide to A dealer from my from the accompanying CD Papers Used home town said traffic was is much better. Continued From Page 7 about one-third of what he The book goes into expected - and his booth was good detail on the usage of course' the Second Ottawa the most crowded I saw. the 3$ Small Queen during papers, though as stated One benefit of the its years of currency. There appeared first in 1888 before low attendance was that a are chapters for Rates, the premises were occupied. collector had plenty of time, Registration, Usage, Advert- To sum up, to an and did not feel rushed, in ising Covers and various extent the study of papers talking with a dealer. As to cancellations and markings. has been perhaps made over- why the turn-out was so low, Each chapter is thoroughly complicated by some writers. I believe it's because there documented with covers If one studies first the easily are one or more stamp shows illustrating the salient points. acquired specimens, the in the Los Angeles area just I was particularly interested common Second Ottawas - about every weekend - so in the section on Advertising and the Montreals, it this was nothing special. covers, perhaps because all I becomes easier to see the The empty hall see at the office are today's differences as the more allowed me some time to talk plain white envelopes. uncommon or difficult with John Jamieson about Quoting from Ron's papers are added. things in general, to purchase conclusion, "Collecting the a 12 1/25 LQ with a "dot in Three Cents Small Queen Op. Ci t: the right one", and to talk has taught that, even after all Boggs "The Postage Stamps about the Rennie covers. the time that has elapsed and Postal History of John told me that the Rennie since 1870, new things are Canada" covers are the basis of many still being discovered. ... The Firth '"Canada The Elfteen studies of small town post- Three Cents Small Queen Cents of 1868" marks from Assiniboia. John offers the opportunity to Duckworth "The Large explained that covers to select a specific area for col- Queen Stamps of Canada and Rennie with 3$ postage were lection and then to expand it Their Uses 1868-1872" the farmers' orders for seeds in many directions." Shoemaker "The Three Cent and the 85 registered covers Ron's book addresses Small Queen Issue of contained the farmers' pay- the Three Cent Small Queen Canada" ments. on many levels and in much Moving on to Ron detail, and will be a great Ribler' s new book, Canada's source of information for Three Cent Small Queen both the casual and the spe- 1870-1897, Reflections of a cialist collectors. Contact Editor's Column Generation, I found it very John Jamieson at Saskatoon Roy Sass interesting and informative. Stamp Centre to order. Ron has devoted one I've noticed in some chapter to the stamp itself, Technical note: The of the auction catalogs I beginning with the essays CD works on both PCs and receive there have been a and proofs, moving on to the Macs. The instructions on good number of Rennie First Ottawa, Montreal, and the CD say to "Press the covers illustrated. I became Second Ottawa and 'View the book' button" curious as to the who, when the shades, a section on how once adobe Acrobat Reader and why of these covers so I to tell a Scott 37 from a Scott is installed. This works on started asking around. Dick 41 and going on to plates, the PC. On the Mac, double- Lamb came through with perforations, papers and click on the CD icon on the more than I expected and I printing varieties, oxidation, desk top. You will get a believe his comments and gum, fluores- window with five file icons recollections will be interest- cence, and overprints. showing. Double click ing to members who didn't Ron has used photos SMLQUEEN.PDF to launch know the Rennie family. of stamps from his collection Acrobat to view the book. I attended the World and line where Stamp Expo in Anaheim in appropriate to illustrate his July. On the days I was there, points. The black and white there was a dearth of atten- photos in the book are OK, dance. but seeing them in color