The Beaver and Portrait Issues (1851)
Canada issued its first official postage stamps on 23 April 1851, marking the introduction of prepaid postage in the Province of Canada. This reform modernized the colonial postal system and aligned it with British postal practices following the success of the Penny Black.
The inaugural Canadian issue consisted of three denominations: 3 pence, 6 pence, and 12 pence. The most distinctive of these was the 3 pence Beaver, which featured an image of a beaver rather than a royal portrait. This made it the first postage stamp in the world to depict an animal and reflected the economic and cultural importance of the fur trade in Canada. The higher denominations portrayed Queen Victoria, reinforcing colonial ties to Britain.
All stamps in the 1851 issue were imperforate and printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. in London using line engraving. They were printed on thin paper and required cutting from sheets, resulting in varied margins. The stamps were valid for use throughout the Province of Canada and covered both domestic and international mail, including correspondence to the United Kingdom and the United States.
The introduction of stamps replaced a postal system based on distance and recipient payment. Prepayment simplified postal accounting and made mailing costs more predictable for senders. The change contributed to increased mail usage, particularly for commercial and governmental correspondence.
The 1851 stamps remained in use until 1859, when they were replaced by decimal currency issues following monetary reform.
