Canal Locks at Sault Ste Marie

The great ship-canal locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., including the immediate surroundings, are given in a view from a higher point. The opening is an arch, cut at bottom just below the greatest horizontal diameter, while, though the ornamentation dims a part of the figure, the entire border is of a shieldlike design, its superior members being quite distinct. Small shield pendent by a cord from the upper corners bear the numeral '8' on each side. Delicate crinkled ribbon ornaments are seen at the top of the border to fill out the inward curve spaces of the shield. The legend at the bottom and words of denomination are each upon separate panels.

Legend: Canal locks at Sault Ste. Marie

The stamps of this series were placed on sale at post offices May 1, 1901, and were withdrawn from sale October 31, 1901, the dates fixed for the opening and closing of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, which they were issued to commemorate.

These stamps are of uniform dimensions, 76/100 by 1⅛/100 of an inch, the longer side being horizontal. The borders take the colors of the regular series on the same denominations at this date. The words "Commemorative series, 1901", and "United States of America" next below appear above the vignette; the legend in a line next below the central opening, with the denomination in a line at the bottom, appears in the same order on all stamps of the series. All the lettering is in white Roman capitals. The numerals are all white-faced Arabic in the Roman type except the 10-cent, which is the block-letter type of figure condensed to secure space for the two figures. The borders are well separated from the central pictures, and the words of denomination at the bottom are preceded on the same line by the word "Postage." All the central illustrations are from photographs and are printed in black.