Large Queens (1868 Canadian stamps)

Dominion of Canada, first issue, April 1, 1868 The first stamps of the new Dominion reached postmasters on April 1, 1868, less than a year after Confederation. Seven values came first, with a five-cent stamp added in 1875, all sharing one engraved profile of Queen Victoria. This is the series where Canadian collectors learn to look closely. Most values fall into three or four main shades and several papers, and trying to own each value on each paper is a real challenge. At the far end sits the two-cent on laid paper, with only three copies known, all canceled in Hamilton. A clean used set of the common values is a realistic first goal and a good lesson in shade and paper.