The Small Queens

Imprints and Counters

Imprints

All imprints used show clear lettering on a coloured background – the colour naturally being in whatever ink was used for printing off the plate in use. Based on W.S.Boggs classification in his book The Postage Stamps and Postal History of Canada, the two imprints used for plates made in Ottawa before the move were Type III and Type IV. The former reads ‘British American BANK NOTE Co. Montreal & Ottawa’ and was 47mm x 1mm high (so much for the printers not using metric measurements!); the latter, 50.5mm x 1mm high read ‘BRITISH AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO. MONTREAL & OTTAWA’ all in upper case lettering. As far as is known neither were applied to any plate made in Montreal, though the ‘M & O’ plates were not withdrawn; indeed it is one of the mysteries that it is difficult to find any Three Cents, for example, earlier than about 1880, with anything other than one of those two imprints, Type III being the commoner.  

Six Cents Imprint
Type IV Imprint

The first plate known to have been made with the standard Montreal Imprint was the Ten Cents in 1874. Measuring 55mm x 2mm it read ‘British American Bank Note Co. Montreal’ Designated the Type V, it is known on all values, other than the Eight Cents which did not appear until 1893 and is void of imprint anyway.


Type V Imprint

In 1889 after the final removal two Two Cents and one Five Cents plates were made in the new 20x10 format (it is believed) bearing Boggs Type VI – ‘BRITISH AMERICAN BANK NOTE Co. OTTAWA’ 48mm x 1.25mm in size.

By 1892 it was replaced by the final imprint to be used for Small Queens, Type VII only 40mm x 1mm in size it read as Type VI but was entirely in upper case lettering.

Counters

Counters – which  simply in writing or occasionally in numerals gave the denomination of the plate were generally  but not always applied. Until the move to Ottawa they were generally in shaded fancy thick seriffed lettering; the 0ne Two  and Three Cents plates of 1892 had thin unseriffed lettering.


Serif Lettering

One Cent Counter
Sans Serif Lettering