Newfoundland Stamp #61P - Queen Victoria (1897) 1¢

Plate proof

Beautiful green plate proof of the 1¢ value from the Newfoundland issue commemorating the quatercentenary of its contemporary European discovery, credited to famous explorer John Cabot. The year 1897 also coincided with the celebration of the diamond jubilee of the reign of Queen Victoria, which is why the stamp also commemorates her sixtieth year on the throne.

In fact, there is no mention of the discovery of Newfoundland on it, other than the dates of its quatercentenary (1497-1897). This can be a bit confusing and even cause quite a good laugh, as without knowing the context of the stamp, one can be led to think that the dates refer to her reign, which would be of much more than sixty years in that case and of an especially remarkable longevity for a human being!