d to also use up the unissued
remainders of the 3c "maple-leaf" design by surcharging them in the same
manner. These stamps were first issued on August 8th. Both varieties are
known with inverted surcharge. How many of each of these three cent
stamps were surcharged is not known for certain as the official figures
dealing with the issue of stamps makes no distinction between the two
varieties. It is stated that altogether 4,120,000 were surcharged and as
the varieties are equally plentiful it is only reasonable to suppose
that approximately equal numbers of both types were used up.

_Reference List._

Stamps of 1897 and 1898 surcharged "2 CENTS" in black.

71. 2c on 3c carmine "maple leaf", Scott's No. 84
72. 2c on 3c carmine "numeral", Scott's No. 85.

CHAPTER XVIII.--_The Bi-sected Provisionals._

The somewhat sudden reduction of the domestic postal rate from 3c to 2c
on single letters led to the production of a few provisional stamps of
peculiar character at Port Hood, N. S., the postmaster of that town
dividing some of his 3c stamps into two unequal portions and using the
smaller parts as 1c and the larger ones as 2c. In the _Monthly Journal_
for January, 1899, they are referred to as follows:--

In some offices 1c and 2c stamps ran short, and their places were
supplied by one-third and two-thirds portions of 3c stamps divided
vertically. In some places our correspondent says, these divided
stamps were employed without further alteration, but in others we
regret to hear that they were surcharged with a figure "2" in
purple, upon the figure "3" of the larger portion or the word "one"
in green, upon the smaller part; or, to further complicate matters,
when thirds of two adjoining stamps were used for 2c each part was
impressed with a figure "2." Our informant's letter is franked in
part by 2/3 of a 3c stamp surcharged "2" so we fear that this
horrible tale is founded on fact.

In the same journal for March further reference is made to these
provisionals, viz.:--

The surcharged fractions appear to have been used only at Port
Hood, N. S., where the Postmaster apparently did not consider it
safe to use divided stamps without some distinguishing mark. We
have seen other copies since, and find that a figure "1" was struck
upon the smaller portion; not the word "one" as previously stated.

Again in the April number o