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The London Philatelist

Nova Scotia decimal stamps used to the United States.
After 1 May 1862, the letter rate from Nova Scotia to the United States increased to 10 cents,
from 8½ cents per ½ ounce (Argenti). 10 cents, in Nova Scotia stamps of the decimal currency
series, prepaid single letters to the United States by steamer, or overland from Halifax.

Figure 1. July 1863. St. Pierre to Boston franked with two Nova Scotia Decimal 5c blues (D’Alessandris, 2016).

Figure 1 shows a cover postmarked ‘ST. PIERRE ET MIQUELON/ 1? / JUIL / 63 / ST. PIERRE,’
at St. Pierre. It is prepaid with a pair of Nova Scotia 5c blue decimal stamps, making up the 10c rate.
They are tied with a Halifax oval barred cancel with a circular hole, struck twice. The cover also
carries the blue handstamped return address of a local St. Pierre commercial agent, with a “Cie Gle
Transatlantique” (short for the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique shipping firm) handstamped
sender’s marking (D’Alessandris, 2012, 2016). No St. Pierre postage is marked, but it is likely that
25 centimes was charged for carriage by the St. Pierre Government-subsidised mail boat to Sydney,
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Note the circular ‘PAID / 10’ applied at Boston, Massachusetts.
The use of a pair of Nova Scotia 5c stamps from St. Pierre is rare.
The letter rate to the United States was more commonly made up with a single 10c vermillion
stamp, shown in Figure 2. The letter, to the same addressee, an A. F. Marze, is postmarked St. Pierre
on 2 June 1865, and is franked with a single 10c Nova Scotia stamp that was applied in St. Pierre. It is
likely that 25 centimes was charged at St. Pierre for carriage by ship to Sydney. The stamp is tied with
a Halifax barred oval killer. Note the straight-line ‘PAID,’ probably applied at Boston.

Figure 2. June 1865. St. Pierre to Boston, franked with a Nova Scotia Decimal Series 10c vermillion
(D’Alessandris, 2016).

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