te conveyed.

Although the Report alluded to above is dated June 30th, it must have
been published at a later date as the "July last" mentioned refers to
July, 1875, and when the 5 cent rate came into operation stamps to fit
this new rate were wanted in such a hurry that, as a temporary
expedient, a plate was made from the die engraved in 1867 pending the
preparation of a die conforming to the small sized stamps then in
general use. There was only one printing and the total number issued is
believed to have been about one million. Mr. Howes says it was issued on
October 1st, 1875.

In 1877 the 5c single letter rate was, by treaty, extended to embrace
the German states of Prussia, Baden, Bavaria, Hanover, Saxony and
Wurtemberg and in the same year the rate on a single letter to
Newfoundland was reduced from 6c to 5c. At this time, of course, the
small sized 5c stamps were in use but it will better preserve the
continuity of our study of the postal rates to make one more extract
from the Postmaster-General's Reports--that for 1878,--viz.:

At the meeting of the International Postal Congress, which, under
the provisions of the Postal Treaty of Berne, concluded in October,
1874, took place at Paris in May, 1878, Canada was admitted to be a
member of the General Postal Union from the 1st July, 1878, and in
consequence the rate of letter postage between Canada and all
Europe became one uniform charge of 5 cents per half ounce.
Newspapers and other printed matter, and samples and patterns of
merchandise also became subject to uniform postage rates and
regulations for all destinations in Europe.

The 5c rate was, thus, now well established, and Canada had obtained
membership in the Universal Postal Union, for which she had been
striving since 1875.

This large 5c stamp was printed by the line-engraved process, like the
other denominations of similar designs. The portrait forming the
centrepiece is like that on the values of 1868 though the medallion is
enclosed within a "corded" circle instead of an ordinary plain line.
"CANADA POSTAGE" is curved above the portrait, as usual, while below is
"FIVE CENTS". The numerals, shown in the lower corners, are somewhat
smaller than those on the other denominations of this type.

The stamps were printed in sheets of 100, in ten rows of ten, and with
regard to the marginal imprints Mr. Howes tells us that "The sheet bore
four marginal impr