measures for obtaining ... sheets perforated" it would
appear that the above quantity comprised all the imperforate stamps of
this denomination. On the other hand the total number of halfpenny
stamps issued was 3,389,960 and catalogue quotations for the imperforate
and the perforated varieties hardly bear out the supposition that only
the first lot were issued without perforation.

While the 10d value is found on several sorts of paper no such extreme
variation is provided as in the case of the stamps of 1851. The 7-1/2d
and 1/2d values, printed at a later date, provide still fewer varieties,
which would seem to indicate that as time progressed the manufacturers
exercised a nicer discrimination in their choice of paper. Most of the
stamps seem to have been printed on a hard wove paper, varying a little
in thickness; the 10d is found on a very thin paper; and the 1/2d is
recorded on ribbed paper, though whether this is a true "ribbed" variety
or merely the result of some peculiarity in printing is open to
discussion. As the ribbed lines are anything but distinct, though the
paper showing this peculiarity is a little softer than that generally
used, it is more than likely that the ribbing was purely accidental.

Owing to the differing qualities of paper used the same idiosyncrasies
of measurement in the size of the designs may be noted, especially in
the case of the 10d as was referred to in a previous chapter. But as all
variations of this character in stamps printed from line-engraved plates
were long ago conclusively proved to be due to nothing more exciting
than paper shrinkage it is hardly worth while wearying our readers with
a resurrection of all that has been written on the subject leading up to
the proof. While examples showing the extremes of size are of interest
in a specialised collection little can be said in favor of their
philatelic value.

_Reference List._

1855-57. Engraved and printed by Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson,
New York, on wove paper. Imperforate.

4. 1/2d pink, Scott's No. 8.
5. 7-1/2d green, Scott's No. 9.
6. 10d blue, Scott's No. 7.

CHAPTER V.--_The Perforated Pence Stamps._

In the Report of the Postmaster-General for September 30th, 1857, to
which we have already made reference, we read:--

Moreover, the Department has been led, by the increasing use of
Postage Stamps, to take measures for obtaining the Canadian Postage