The 8c is known entirely imperforate in the blue-grey shade, which was
one of the earliest if not the first shade for this stamp. The
_Philatelic Record_ calls it "slate-grey" but evidently the tint now
generally classified as "blue-grey" was meant.

This stamp provides a large number of very distinct shade varieties.
Just 13 months after it was first chronicled the _Philatelic Record_
says:--"Whether by accident or intention does not appear to be quite
clear, but copies of the present 8 cents are found in much darker color
than we have hitherto seen. Messrs. A. Smith & Son have shown us copies
that are slate-black of the darkest kind."

A writer in the _Canada Stamp Sheet_ for October, 1900, says:--

There are three varieties of this stamp, the slate, the lilac-grey
and the purple. The first and second tints are comparatively
common, but the purple is not found in every dealer's stock nor has
it a place in many stamp collections. In fact, it is a variety but
little known to the average collector, from the fact that it is
seldom offered, either on approval sheets or on the counter of the
dealer. There ought to be no difficulty in distinguishing this
stamp from its mates of the same denomination, for while the backs
of the rest present a white surface, in this case the back or paper
is of a decidedly purplish hue. In my opinion this stamp is a good
one to pick up now, as its present value is far below its intrinsic
worth.

Later still, a German paper referred to three main printings for this
stamp a translation of the article appearing in _Gibbons Stamp Weekly_
for June 13th, 1908, as follows:--

The last stamp issued showing a portrait of the late Queen Victoria
as a young girl was the 8 cents, Canada, issued in July, 1893. The
stamp was intended for a combined postage and registration stamp;
3c for postage (inland) 5c registration fee.

There were three distinct printings of this stamp; they may be
easily distinguished from each other by differences of shade.

July, 1893, blue-grey.
October, 1895, slate-grey.
? 1897, purple-black.

The total number issued of these stamps was 5,885,000, but
unfortunately there are no records of the quantities of each of the
three printings.

It will be noticed that there is no 8 cents in the King Edward VII
issue, for