Lot 121 Canada #104var Admiral Issue Experimental Essays, 1c green and 1c red singles, perforated 11.9, lithographed, with portrait of Postmaster General Pelletier, adapted from the Admiral issue, with design changes including the Maple Leaf being substituted for Crowns at the upper corners, and POSTAGE substituted for CANADA POSTAGE, believed to have been supplied by Stanley Deville of the Post Office Department in Ottawa to Montreal stamp dealer Allan Brophy, originating from two blocks of six that were offered in the famed Nickle sale (Firby Auctions, January 1996, lot 83), there described as unique, quite striking, and an important piece of Canadian philatelic history.
In the 1996 Firby sale, the blocks were accompanied by a letter from Mr. Deville to Brophy, noting “Here are the experimental stamps I spoke to you about. The transfer stamps bear the portrait of Hon. L.P. Pelletier, then Postmaster General, and are an adaptation of the 1910 design. The idea was that the stamp could not drop off if put on by means of a transfer. It was turned down as impractical.” Estimate C$2,500.
A Traditional Philatelic Auction House — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
