Mystery (?) Re The Issue Date Of The 2c Scroll

Posted this to General in error - should have put it here.

According to Unitrade, the first usage of the 2c scroll was 17 Oct. 1928. Yet I have a commemorative card issued by the postmaster general with a cancel date of 01 July 1926 (see photo; hopefully I uploaded it ok). What gives?

Could the 6 be an inverted 9?

The text on the back also references the same date.

I see that now. Maybe this really is something special.

I can understand a special introduction, but two years ahead?

That was indeed the day the domestic rate dropped to 2c. A guess and a guess only from that says the 2c Scroll was ready to be released but, as Robson Lowe notes, the post office was caught with large quantities of old 3c Admirals and surcharged them. The guess includes that the P.O. had enough 2c Admirals to last until the surcharges could be released (October). The second part of the guess is that they waited until the surcharges were used up until releasing the (full) scroll set.

Robson Lowe notes that the Historical Issue was (also?) ready to be issued in 1926 but delayed until 1927 for whatever reason. That first day date for the 2c Scroll needs to be changed, I think.

To suggest a different path...
The BNA proofs website at:
http://www.bnaproofs.com/can-scroll.html
lists dated unhardened large die proofs of the 2 cent value in April 1928. This suggests to me the design was not fully finalized, let alone at an approval, die-hardening, plate-making, or full production stage until nearly mid-1928.

The stamp in question would not have been a gleam in the engraver's eye in 1926 - or am I missing something?

Thus any 1926 use would have to be backdated more than 2 years as a contrived souvenir made much later or a chronologically incorrect replacement stamp for the lost original.

Add: the text of the note also states "prepaid at penny postage rate" which would imply the item is intended to be franked with a 1 cent stamp and sent as a preprinted 3rd class mailing??

Thoughts?

Perhaps someone is playing a trick after all? Can you post a magnified pic of the stamp and cancel?

I have attached an image of the stamp and cancel. I don't see any signs of monkey business. I might add that the card is addressed to Walter Hale, who was the postmaster in Edmonton, as well as an Alberta postal inspector. Maybe this was something only sent to postal bigwigs? Thanks for all the responses, by the way. Neil.

Walsh BNA catalogue states Oct 16, 1928 as first date of issue for the 2c scroll. This looks like a backdated souvenir piece IMO. A real issue date of 1926 would mean that not only the literature is wrong, but also that we would find thousands still around of the 2c scroll with dates in late 1926, all through 1927 and the first 9 months of 1928.

I agree that it is backdated to coincide with the 2c rate date.

An interesting item nonetheless - and likely has good collector value.

My copy of this card is franked with the 2c Admiral and machine cancelled at Ottawa on July 1, 1926. I also have an unused card and suspect that the 2c Scroll version is a favor cancel.

1867- 1927- 60 years It states is meant to commemorate the beginning of the 60th year and is prepaid at the one penny rate as noted by others. Pleasure treasure for fun and entertainment ?

July 1 is (coincidentally) Dominion Day in Canada.

So with a blank card, it means those were available to make a fake. Does the blank also happen to have the postmaster general's embossed seal? And the 2c Admiral on the second card also says the 2c Scroll is bogus. The typed address makes more sense for a sizable mailing over hand addressed.

So to repeat the comments made above, why was 2c paid for mailing this? Oversized vs. a postal card?

The card measures about 13.5 cm x 11 cm. Not sure whether that would have exceeded the standard size. I am leaning toward the favour theory. These two guys may have been buddies. Thanks to all for the responses.