The Admiral Stamps of Canada

Three Cents Carmine - Sheets

Date of Issue: 18 December 1923
Quantity: 1,092,000,000
Method of Printing: Dry process

Introduction

The carmine three-cents Admiral stamp, which was issued as a result of a change in postal rates and the need to conform to the conventions of the Universal Postal Union with respect to the standardization of colours, was printed in three formats: sheets, booklets and coils. Two additional varieties of format were also produced, a perf 12 x 8 version of the sheet form, and a part perforate version of the coil form.

Sheets were printed from plates numbered from 115 to 176, although it is believed that Plates 118 to 120 were used only in the printing of the three-cents brown issue. (See Summary for details.) Only the Dry process was used. (See Methods of Printing.)

Types

The three-cents carmine issue is characterized by two main types: those printed from plates that were laid down from the retouched die used for the dry paper printings of the three-cents brown, referred to as Die I, and those printed from plates that were laid down from a new die, called Die II. The two dies differ principally in the lower part of the design, especially in regards to the letters in THREE. In Die I stamps, for example, the spaces between the arms of the E are thick, while they are thin on Die II stamps. In Die II stamps, the top of the S is flatter.

Die I	Die II
Die I Detail	Die II Detail

Retouches and Re-entries

Only one retouch is reported. It is from Die I and it is evidenced by a vertical line running from the right numeral box up to the frame line joins the portrait oval. There are no instances of re-entry.

Shades. Besides the normal carmine shade, only one other exists, a scarce rose carmine shade from the Die I printings, which appeared about 1923.

Lathework

Type D up to Plate No. 128. (See Lathework for an explanation of types.)

The Imperforate Sheets

As were the one-cent yellow and two-cents green, the three-cents carmine was also issued in imperforate form. It was made available to the public through the Philatelic Agency on 23 January 1924, but was not sold through post offices. Plates 126 to 131 (Die I) were used in the printing of 100,000 copies, using the Wet process. There are no significant shade variations.

Imperforate

Provisionals

On 1 July 1926 the war tax was rescinded for the domestic rate, lessening the need for three cent stamps, while increasing the need for two cent values. Consequently, stocks of three-cent stamps were overprinted 2 CENTS. There are two types as illustrated below. The first type, issued 12 October 1926, is found in both Die I and Die II varieties, with Die II being the rarer of the two. The second type of overprint, issued 16 October 1926, is only found on Die I stamps.

The second printing, which was done by the Canadian Bank Note Company was arranged because the first, which was printed by the King's Printers, was considered to be of poor quality. Unfortunately, the quality of the second printing turned out to be much the same as the first.

Type 1 Overprint

Type 2 Overprint

Perf 12 x 8

Sheets (Perf 12 x 8)

An increase in rates in 1931 saw a sudden resurgence in the need for a three-cents stamp. While a new die was being made for increased printings of the three-cents value in the Scroll Issue, the Canadian Bank Note Company arranged the supply of three-cents coil stamps in sheets of 100, perf 8 vertically, which were then perforated 12 horizontally. It was issued on 24 June 1931 and was replaced just three weeks later on 13 July by the new issue.

Updated: 5 Oct 97