Canada's Three-Pence Beaver, First Postage Stamp

Canada · 1851 · 3d (Three Pence)

This stamp, known as the Three-Pence Beaver, was the first postage stamp issued by the Province of Canada. Designed by Sir Sandford Fleming, it features a beaver building a dam in a classic oval frame, surmounted by the St Edward's Crown. The design symbolizes the industriousness of the Canadian people and the importance of the fur trade in the nation's history.

Issued in 1851, this stamp marks the transfer of postal authority from the British General Post Office to the colonial administration of the Province of Canada, a significant step towards self-governance.