the
registration fee. The domestic fee was raised from 2c to 5c so that the
registration charge was uniform and was 5c on letters sent anywhere.
This, of course, did away with the usefulness of the 2c registration
stamps but, as indicated in the official circular, "for the present, and
until further instructed, the registration fee maybe prepaid by using
the 2 cent Registration stamps and postage stamps to make up the
amount."

The Postmaster-General's Report for 1889, in referring to the advance in
the registration charge, says:--

The charge for the registration of a letter, parcel, book or other
articles of mail matter was also made uniform, and fixed at 5 cents
for all classes of matter. The frequent delay consequent upon the
prepayment of a wrong registration fee will no longer take place.

The removal of the printing establishment of the British American Bank
Note Company from Montreal to Ottawa resulted in some marked changes in
the shades of the then current postage stamps as we have already shown
in a previous chapter. The registration stamps were also affected in
some degree the 2 cents value, in particular, appearing in a number of
new and brighter tints. The 5c appeared in blue-green--a distinct
contrast from the green and yellow-green shades previously current.

In 1892 some of the postage stamps, it will be remembered, appeared in
sheets of 200 instead of 100 as formerly. About the same period new
plates were made for the 5c registration stamp, these containing one
hundred impressions in ten rows of ten, instead of fifty as before.

On August 1st, 1893, a regular postage stamp of the denomination of 8c
was issued for the purpose of paying the postage and registration charge
and the appearance of this sounded the death knell of the special
registration stamps. The supplies in the hands of postmasters were used
up and when exhausted no more were printed.

Much has been written regarding the 2c registration stamp printed in
brown. These were originally found at the Miscou Light House Post Office
in New Brunswick and though the stamps were in an unmistakably dark
brown shade it has since been satisfactorily proved that the change was
quite accidental and that immersion in peroxide would restore them to
their original color. Although the Postmaster of the above named office
is said to have stated that the stamps were in brown when he received
them there is little doubt he must have be