Three penny beaver
Record status
Individual type · research required
Period
1851
Issuing entity
Province of CanadaThe Threepenny Beaver is the first postage stamp issued by the Province of Canada, released on April 23, 1851. Designed by Sir Sandford Fleming, the design features a beaver situated within an oval frame. It represents the first official postage stamp anywhere to feature an animal rather than a monarch.
The stamp was printed by the New York firm of Rawdon, Wright, Hatch and Edson. The earliest 1851 issues were imperforate and printed on laid paper. Because this paper did not adhere well to envelopes, production changed to wove paper in 1852, and a perforated version of the stamp was subsequently released in 1858.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 3
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
In 1849, the Legislative Assembly of Canada resolved to adopt postage stamps, leading up to colonial authorities assuming local control of the postal system from the General Post Office in London in 1851. The 3d denomination corresponded specifically to the inland rate established in April 1851 for letters weighing up to a half ounce sent within Canada or to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and Prince Edward Island.
Identification
- Recognition pointers (from background sources)
- Depicts a beaver inside an oval frame, denominated at 3d. Found in imperforate printings on laid paper (1851) or wove paper (1852 onwards). Issued in a perforated format beginning in 1858. Produced by the New York printing firm Rawdon, Wright, Hatch and Edson.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Catalogue numbers, papers and printings await transcription
- Recorded quantity issued needs a Tier 1 source