Canada 3c 'Small Queen' Stamp

Canada · 1870 · 3c

This definitive stamp features a right-facing portrait of Queen Victoria, known as the 'Small Queen' issue due to the smaller size of the portrait compared to earlier issues. The design is framed by an ornate oval with the denomination 'THREE CENTS' at the bottom and 'CANADA POSTAGE' at the top. This was a workhorse stamp used for domestic letter rates for many years.

Issued shortly after the Canadian Confederation in 1867, the Small Queen series was the first definitive stamp series to be used extensively across the newly formed Dominion of Canada, symbolizing a unified postal system.