Canada 12d black

Twelve Penny Black The Black Empress of Canada
1851 12d stamp of Queen Victoria
Country of production	Canada
Location of production	New York
Date of production	14 June 1851
Nature of rarity	few exist
Number in existence	about 120
Face value	12 pence
Estimated value	up to $425,5000 (2011)[1]

Canada 12d black or The Black Empress of Canada^[1] is a rare Canadian postage stamp issued in 1851. The 12-pence stamp shows the portrait of Queen Victoria and is the third stamp issued by the province.

History

In 1851, the Province of Canada^{[lower-alpha 1]} issued the stamps of Queen Victoria. For the stamp image, the Queen's portrait by Alfred Edward Chalon (1780–1860) was used. This design is called the Chalon head. The stamps were printed in New York.^[2]

In fine and unused condition, these stamps are very expensive. In February 2006, a Twelve Penny Black was sold £116,000.^[3]

See also

• Canada 2c Large Queen on laid paper
• List of postage stamps
• Penny Black
• Penny Lilac
• Penny Red
• Postage stamps and postal history of Canada
• Two Penny Blue

Notes

1. Today this is approximately Ontario and Quebec.

References

1. "The Black Empress of Canada". Spink Shreves Galleries Sale – 130. Durham, NC: StampAuctionCentral and StampAuctionNetwork; Droege Computing Services, Inc. 2011-01-27. Archived from the original on 2015-06-20. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
2. Michel Catalog (2000). Übersee-Katalog. Nord- und Mittelamerika. Michel. 339 p.
3. Ashton, R. (April 2007). "Sale of the century". Stamp Magazine. 73 (4): 44–51. Corrected in: Stamp Magazine 73 (5): 9.

External links

• "Pence (Sc #1–3)". Canada Rare Stamp Gallery. Saskatoon Stamp Centre. Archived from the original on 2012-04-18. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
• "Queen Victoria". ArchiviaNet : Postal Archives: Philatis – Visual Search: Canada, 1851–1966: Province of Canada, 1851–1867. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Postal Archives Database; Canada Post Corporation. Archived from the original on 2012-04-18. Retrieved 2010-02-25.