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[Illustration: PORTRAITS OF KING GEORGE V]
PEEPS AT
POSTAGE STAMPS
[Illustration]
BY
STANLEY C. JOHNSON
M.A., D.Sc., F.R.E.S.
WITH
SIXTEEN FULL-PAGE PLATES
CONTAINING 163 SPECIMEN STAMPS
IN BLACK AND WHITE
A. & C. BLACK, LTD.
4, 5 & 6 SOHO SQUARE, LONDON, W.
1915
OTHER VOLUMES IN THE PEEPS SERIES
PEEPS AT MANY LANDS
AND CITIES 57 Vols.
PEEPS AT NATURE 12 Vols.
PEEPS AT HISTORY 9 Vols.
PEEPS AT GREAT RAILWAYS
5 Vols.
PEEPS AT MISCELLANEOUS
SUBJECTS 14 Vols.
Heraldry; The Heavens; British
Army; Royal Navy, etc.
PUBLISHED BY A. & C. BLACK, LTD.
4, 5 & 6 SOHO SQUARE, LONDON, W.
AGENTS
AMERICA THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
64 & 66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK
AUSTRALASIA OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
205 FLINDERS LANE, MELBOURNE
CANADA THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD.
ST. MARTIN'S HOUSE, 70 BOND STREET, TORONTO
INDIA MACMILLAN & COMPANY, LTD.
MACMILLAN BUILDING, BOMBAY
309 BOW BAZAAR STREET, CALCUTTA
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
INTRODUCTION 1
I. PHILATELIC TERMS EXPLAINED 2
II. HOW TO FORM A STAMP COLLECTION 5
III. SPECIALIZING 18
IV. THE STAMPS OF GREAT BRITAIN 27
V. STAMPS WORTH FORTUNES 37
VI. COMMON STAMPS 42
VII. STAMPS OF SPECIAL INTEREST 46
VIII. FORGED STAMPS 52
IX. PIONEERS OF POSTAGE 59
X. COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS 64
XI. INTERESTING PICTURE STAMPS 72
XII. STAMPS AND HISTORY 77
XIII. WAR STAMPS 82
XIV. SOME FAMOUS COLLECTIONS 88
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. PORTRAITS OF KING GEORGE V. _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
2. OVERPRINTED STAMPS 8
3. SOME MEMBERS OF OUR ROYAL FAMILY 17
4. POSTAGE STAMPS HAVING SPECIAL USES 24
5. SPECIMEN STAMPS 27
6. SOME PENNY STAMPS OF GREAT BRITAIN 30
7. PORTRAITS OF SOME EUROPEAN MONARCHS 41
8. CURIOUS STAMPS 48
9. STAMPS BEARING NATIONAL EMBLEMS 57
10. NOTED STATESMEN OF THE U.S.A. 64
11. SOME VIEW STAMPS 73
12. ZOOLOGICAL STAMPS 80
13. SOME HAPSBURG PORTRAITS 83
14. STAMPS FROM THE GREAT WAR ZONE 85
15. STAMPS COMING FROM COUNTRIES WHICH NO LONGER
HAVE SEPARATE ISSUES 88
16. COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS 90
[NOTE.--The other volumes in the "Peeps" Series, with few
exceptions, contain coloured illustrations; but, in order to
conform with the regulations of the Inland Revenue authorities, the
pictures in the present volume are necessarily printed in black.]
POSTAGE STAMPS
INTRODUCTION
Every boy and girl--and, we might add, man and woman--should collect
stamps. Our reasons for making this statement are many.
First, stamp-collecting is a highly fascinating pursuit, which helps to
while away countless pleasant hours. On this score alone it is worth
following.
Secondly, it encourages methodical habits. We examine our stamps
carefully, we discriminate between the good and the bad specimens, we
keep a watch for minor varieties, we marshal our treasures in correct
order, and so on.
Thirdly, a vast amount of geography is learnt by collecting. The stamps
bring all sorts of out-of-the-way countries to our notice, whilst the
postmarks make us conversant with various towns.
Fourthly, we get to know of hundreds of interesting facts concerning the
currency and language used in every corner of the globe. The
inscriptions on the specimens teach us these matters.
Fifthly, stamp-collecting assists us to gain a real knowledge of
history. Ask any collector when Columbus discovered America? Who was
Prince Henry the Navigator? Over what country did King Amadeus reign?
What form of government is possessed by Paraguay? His answers will be
far more intelligent than those given by a non-collector.
But the foregoing are not the only matters which our stamps teach us.
What is the difference between an engraving and a lithograph, between
cream-laid paper and wove paper, between magenta and cerise? These and a
thousand other questions the stamp collector can answer correctly and
without hesitation.
Surely a pastime which can help us to gain so much valuable knowledge is
worth the attention of every boy and girl, as well as man and woman.
CHAPTER I
PHILATELIC TERMS EXPLAINED
ADHESIVE.--A stamp which is kept in position by moistening the gummed
under-surface. Most stamps are adhesives. Postcards, envelopes, and
wrappers which have the stamp printed on them, are not adhesives.
BLOCK.--A number of stamps not torn apart. A strip of stamps and a
number of stamps forming an odd shape are, however, not considered as
blocks.
CHALK-SURFACE.--A surface given to stamps by means of a preparation of
chalk, in order that obliterations may not be cleaned out.
COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS.--Stamps issued to remind people of bygone events.
CONTROL LETTERS.--Letters on the margin paper of sheets of stamps, for
official purposes of control.
ENTIRE.--A postcard, wrapper, or envelope complete as it has passed or
would pass through the post--_i.e._, not the stamp cut from it.
ERROR.--A stamp which contains some faulty workmanship, of whatever
kind.
FACSIMILE.--See Forgery.
FORGERY.--An unofficial stamp, one made in order to cheat. In cases
where a real stamp is given an unauthorized overprint (which see), the
stamp constitutes a forgery.
HINGES.--The papers gummed on one surface used for fixing stamps to the
album.
IMPERFORATE.--Stamps that are not provided with perforated margins to
facilitate separation.
LABEL.--Another name for a stamp.
LOCAL STAMPS.--Stamps which are available for use in some town or
special area. There are none in England at the present time. Russia and
Morocco are probably the only areas where they still exist, though
Switzerland, Turkey, Germany, China, and the United States recognized
them until within recent years.
MINT.--A term applied to an unused stamp in perfect condition, including
the gum on the back.
MOUNTS.--See Hinges.
OBLITERATION.--Marks placed on a stamp by the authorities to denote that
it has gone through the post.
OBSOLETE.--A stamp that is no longer issued by the postal authorities.
OFFICIAL STAMPS.--Those printed for use in Government offices--_i.e._,
the obsolete Inland Revenue officials of Great Britain.
OVERPRINT.--An inscription printed on the face of a stamp to alter in
some way its original use.
PERFORATED.--A frame of small holes around a stamp made in order to
facilitate separation from its neighbour.
PERFORATION, COMPOUND.--Exists when the holes are not of the same size
and distance apart around the four sides of a stamp.
PERFORATION GAUGE.--An instrument for measuring the perforations of a
stamp. Usual cost about 6d.
PHILATELIST.--Not merely a stamp collector, but one who "loves" ([Greek: philos=a lover) his stamps.
PLATE NUMBERS.--Usually spoken of in connection with the line-engraved
stamps of Great Britain. They serve to indicate the plate from which any
particular stamp was printed.
PROVISIONALS.--Stamps which are intended for temporary use whilst a
permanent issue is being prepared.
REMAINDERS.--Genuine stamps left over after the particular issue has
become obsolete. There is no objection to remainders as there is to
reprints.
REPRINTS.--Stamps printed from dies after they have become obsolete.
Many countries sell their obsolete dies, with the result that more or
less inaccurate reprints are made from them. Reprints, for philatelic
purposes, should be classed with forgeries.
ROULETTED.--The presence of a frame of small slits around a stamp in
order to facilitate separation from its neighbour.
SPECULATIVE STAMPS.--Postage stamps issued by an unscrupulous Government
for philatelic, rather than postal, purposes.
STRIP OF STAMPS.--A row of stamps joined together (compare Block).
SURCHARGE.--An overprint placed on a stamp to alter its face value.
VARIETY.--A term to describe a stamp that differs from another in some
slight way.
WATERMARK.--A thinning of the paper on which a stamp is printed so as to
create a distinctive design.
CHAPTER II
HOW TO FORM A STAMP COLLECTION
Most philatelists drift into stamp-collecting--that is to say, the start
is made unconsciously, and without any definite planning. Probably the
first specimens are obtained through the generosity of a friend who
possesses a few duplicates, or may be the letters coming regularly from
a relative living in some remote part of the world supply the earliest
treasures. But however the beginning is made, progress will be slow
unless friends are very generous or a little money is spent on buying
sufficient specimens to make a fair start. In the ordinary course, the
collector will be wise if he spends a few shillings on buying a packet
of the commoner stamps which form the basis of all collections.
The packet should cost as much as the beginner can reasonably afford,
and be composed of different stamps--that is to say, without containing
any duplicates. If four or five shillings are to be invested, as many as
four hundred varieties may be expected, whilst a thousand varieties will
usually cost about half a guinea.
Armed with such a nucleus as this, the fascinations of the pastime begin
to make themselves evident. Duplicates will quickly accumulate, and
serve to form the basis of exchanges amongst friends. Approval sheets
will invariably come to hand from dealers, and permit of additional
specimens being secured at a very cheap rate; whilst attractive bargains
will be obtained, from time to time, through the medium of
advertisements in newspapers and magazines.
But the reader may argue that stamp-collecting is a costly pastime if
every specimen must be bought. In practice it is anything but an
expensive hobby. If the writer were to sell his collection, he would
obtain about three or four times the amount he spent on forming it. The
reason for this lies in the fact that stamps seldom lose their value,
but frequently rise in price.
When a hundred or more varieties have accumulated, an album should be
procured. These may be obtained at all prices and in a bewildering
variety of patterns. Too often the young philatelist provides himself
with a voluminous album in which his tiny but growing collection appears
as a drop of water in the ocean. It is far better to buy a small, cheap
album which may serve as a temporary home until the treasures have grown
sufficiently numerous to warrant a more expensive one.
Many collectors prefer to house their stamps in a scrap-book containing
a number of fairly stout, smooth, blank leaves. In such a book as this
we are free to arrange the stamps just as fancy dictates; we can place
them close together or far apart, and we can reserve as many or as few
pages as seems desirable for each individual country. The writer's
collection is contained in two books of this description. Great Britain
fills the first fifteen pages, and the Colonies follow in alphabetical
order in the first volume. In the second volume the foreign countries
are set out in the order in which their Governments first issued
stamps--_i.e._, Brazil comes first, then the United States, then France,
Belgium, Bavaria, Spain, etc. This is, of course, a somewhat unusual
plan to follow, but it certainly has advantages.
Whilst speaking of albums, it will be well to point out that stamps
should never be fixed to more than one side of a page. If both faces are
used, the stamps will rub against each other and also catch one with
another.
Before the specimens are placed in the album, each should be carefully
examined, and cleaned, if necessary. When paper is adhering to the
backs, it should be removed. This unsticking process is easily performed
when the specimen is immersed in a bowl of hot water, but,
unfortunately, many stamps will be utterly ruined if even a trace of
moisture is allowed to come in contact with their colours. No rule can
be given as to which stamps spoil and which do not when treated with a
hot bath, but it is safe to say that valuable specimens suffer
considerably, whilst common varieties emerge from the ordeal unscathed.
Perhaps this is just a matter of natural contrariness.
To be on the safe side, however, no stamp should be plunged into hot
water. Cheap varieties may well be floated on the surface of warm water,
but the rarer kinds must not be subjected to even this treatment; they
should be placed face upwards on a sheet of wet blotting-paper, and left
until the adhering paper can be peeled off without an effort. After the
under-surface of a stamp has been cleaned, it should be pressed between
two sheets of dry blotting-paper and carefully dried. If it seems liable
to cockle or is creased in any way, it is a good plan to flatten it out
by means of a warm, though not hot, iron, the stamp being protected by
three or four thicknesses of white blotting-paper.
Fixing the stamps to the album is the next operation. On no account
should the under-surface be gummed all over and the whole stamp stuck
down to the page of the hook. The collection will need constant
rearranging, certain specimens will have to make way for more perfect
copies, and so on; this will be quite impossible unless hinges are used.
These contrivances are thin but tough pieces of paper, approximately one
by three-quarters of an inch in size, and gummed on one surface. They
cost about sixpence per thousand.
[Illustration: OVERPRINTED STAMPS
1 Indian stamp used by Chinese Expeditionary Force
2 Great Britain: Army Official
3 India: On Her Majesty's Service
4 Indian stamp used in Patiala
5 North Borneo stamp used after institution of British Protectorate
6 Indian stamp of 1/2 anna converted to 1/4 anna
7 Great Britain: Inland Revenue
8 Bulgaria: Change of value
9 Bermuda 1s. value converted to 1/4 d.
10 Portugal stamp surcharged "Republic"]
When a stamp is to be fixed to the album, a gummed strip is taken and
folded so that the adhesive side is turned outwards; one flap is then
moistened and stuck to the stamp and the other is moistened and stuck to
the page. The specimen is thus hinged to the album in such a way that
its underside can be inspected easily--a necessary matter when the
watermark or the quality of the paper requires examination. The hinge
should be fastened as high up on the back of the stamp as possible, but
not so high that it touches the perforated edge.
One little point needs mention. On no account should cheap hinges be
used or hinges made at home and fixed with ordinary gum. Unless the
adhesive is entirely free from acid--and ordinary or cheap gum is
not--the stamps will become discoloured and entirely ruined. The writer
laments to this day a fine set of old Queenslands which he fixed, many
years ago, by means of some cheap and nasty hinges. The stamps grow more
and more discoloured as time wears on, but the exasperating thing is
that good copies of these Australian treasures are now worth almost as
many pounds as they were pence in the days when the offending gum was
applied to their under-surface.
Some method must be adopted for the arrangement of the stamps in the
album. Beginners are apt to fix the specimens in no particular order,
merely one after the other as they come into their possession; but this
is clearly a wrong plan to follow. Either of the following methods is
worth adopting:
1. Sort out the stamps of each country according to the prices printed
on them, and then stick all the specimens of one value together, but in
order of age.
2. Sort out the stamps of each country according to their issues; then
arrange each set in the album, in ascending order of the values.
To follow either of these plans, we must know the date of issue of all
our specimens. This, of course, requires a certain amount of knowledge,
but information of such a kind comes with marvellous rapidity when once
the collector's interest has become fully aroused. As a guide, however,
a catalogue such as the one published by Messrs. Stanley Gibbons, Ltd.,
should be procured. The colour, pattern, watermark, approximate market
value and date of issue of every postage stamp may then be learnt with
certainty.
We must guard against cramping the specimens too closely together. In
order that our collection may grow naturally, space must be left for
additions which may reasonably be expected to fall into our possession.
Every distinct issue should be started on a fresh line, and room must be
allowed at the end of a country for future issues.
As to the stamps which ought and which ought not to be admitted into the
album, a great deal could be written. In the first case, it is well to
rule out every specimen which is not perfect in every detail. Torn
stamps are almost worthless--even though they may be copies of
rarities--and on no account should a place be found for them in the
collection. There is no need to throw them away or get rid of them; they
might well be allotted a home in a minor album. Not only torn stamps,
but copies which have lost two or three teeth of the perforated edge,
copies which have been heavily postmarked, copies which are dirty or
discoloured, and copies which have served for revenue and not for postal
purposes--all these should be kept out of the collection.
Concerning the stamps which have been cut out of entires--that is to
say, from postcards, letter-cards, wrappers, and impressed envelopes--a
difference of opinion exists among experts. Some say that they ought not
to be included, whilst others urge their inclusion. Without a doubt,
these stamps are interesting; and as they serve for purely postal uses,
there seems no reason why they should not be allowed a home in the
collection. Perhaps the collector should be advised not to seek after
specimens of this nature, but that is quite another thing to excluding
them rigorously.
There are many kinds of stamps which do not serve for franking letters
in the usual way, but as their functions are purely postal, a position
in the album should be awarded them. Among such stamps as these may be
mentioned the "Postage Due" issue which Great Britain put into use early
in 1914. These labels serve the purpose of indicating and at the same
time checking the fees which are levied on letters and parcels that have
been insufficiently prepaid. It is interesting to note, that though our
authorities have only issued stamps of this nature recently, foreign
countries have used them for close on half a century. Such stamps from
abroad may be recognized by the inscriptions which they bear--"A
Percevoir," "A Payer," "Te Betalen," "Deficit," "Segnatasse," "Too
Late," etc.
Another kind of stamp which should be accepted is the "Parcels Post"
label. Though we at home have no special labels for this particular
service, many Continental countries use them, notably Belgium and the
United States. Then there are the "Express Delivery" stamps of the
United States, Canada, Italy, etc. The purpose of these labels is
sufficiently explained by the wording on the United States stamp:
"Secures Immediate Delivery at any Post Office." A fourth stamp of
special usage is the newspaper stamp. Though many of our home railways
employ these labels, there are no Governmental varieties. Abroad,
however, we find a number of countries use them--the newspaper stamps of
Hungary and Spain being fairly common.
There is one kind of postage stamp, however, that should not be extended
a welcome in the usual way--we have in mind the specimens known as
"local" stamps. These special labels--they are mostly obsolete--came
chiefly from Germany, Russia, Switzerland, and China, and were used by
private companies which possessed certain postal privileges. As a rule
the operations of these bodies were carried out in small areas (hence
"local" stamps), usually in out-of-the-way districts where the ordinary
postal arrangements did not penetrate. Genuine obliterated stamps of
this class possess a certain amount of interest, and in some cases
command high prices; but as there were so many varieties, and as it is
difficult to discriminate between the genuine and the fictitious,
collectors are well advised to leave them all alone. Undoubtedly a
number of the carrying companies went on printing and selling their
stamps to collectors long after the postal rights were taken from them.
This fact alone should make the cautious philatelist hesitate before
purchasing specimens known as "locals."
More dangerous than the "locals" are the commemorative stamps which
certain impecunious Governments issue with the idea of attracting
philatelists.[1] These stamps invariably bear exquisite designs, and are
usually current for a limited period. Their appearance is heralded with
much beating of drums, and the idea is carefully spread abroad that only
the earliest purchasers will be able to secure copies. As a rule these
labels are printed in millions, and are often sold to large buyers
under face value. The proceeds go towards making the country solvent, or
in providing for palatial postal headquarters. Of course, such stamps
can hardly be considered postage stamps, as the number used for postal
service is but a minute fraction of the whole issue. It is on these
grounds that the wise collector should refuse to treasure up labels, the
main purpose of which is to amass money for an unscrupulous Government.
[1] Some commemorative stamps are, of course, issued in a purely
legitimate way, and must not be confused with the above.
The objection to commemorative, or perhaps it would be better to say
speculative, stamps disappears in cases where the specimens have been
through the post. Such labels have franked letters or parcels, and have
thus fulfilled the conditions which we demand of genuine used stamps.
Unfortunately, this fact has been noted by at least one Government, and
in order that its gaudy labels should not be shunned by the collector,
it has had some thousands of unused copies specially cancelled in the
hope that the obliterations will serve to make them more acceptable.
Undoubtedly some of the stamps marked in this way are very attractive;
but, of course, they are not postage stamps in any sense, and can thus
make no appeal to the philatelist.
A third group of undesirable stamps comes from South America. About
thirty years ago a Mr. Seebeck, of New York, entered into an agreement
with Ecuador, Honduras, Salvador, and Nicaragua, to supply each of these
republics with new stamp-dies once a year on condition that the old
dies should be handed to him as they fell out of use. As soon as a set
of dies became superseded, he printed from the plates and flooded the
market with unused copies. The Seebeck issues, needless to say, are of
little interest.
Seebeck is not the only man who has printed from discarded dies; there
are, in fact, many types of stamps on the market which have been
produced from obsolete plates. Such stamps are known as "reprints," and
are worthless except as curiosities. Perhaps the best-known reprints are
those bearing the inscription "Heligoland"; but as these labels emanate
from the Government printing works at Berlin, and have never been to
this little island, it is clear that they have served no genuine postal
purpose.
Reprints are difficult to distinguish from the original stamps, but as a
rule slight differences in colour prove sufficient clues to their
identity. Often the correct kind of paper and watermark are unobtainable
by those who print them, and then the merest novice may detect their
origin with the aid of a catalogue.
There are so many undesirable stamps to be found on the market in an
unused condition that the beginner may feel that the safest plan will be
to confine his attentions to obliterated varieties alone. There is much
reason in such an argument, but it is not altogether a wise course to
follow. Unused specimens, as long as they are issued for genuine postal
purposes by reputable countries, are more sought after than those which
have been obliterated, and their value is more likely to rise in the
future.
One matter which often puzzles the novice is how to decide whether two
particular stamps are similar or different. If there is the slightest
variation in--(_a_) Design; (_b_) method employed of printing; (_c_)
colour; (_d_) method employed for separating the individual stamps;
(_e_) texture of paper; (_f_) watermark--then the two stamps may be
looked upon as being different, and both should be placed in the album.
Certain stamps bear designs on their reverse side--_i.e._, the horn on
early issues of Sweden. Copies both with and without the design should
be added to the collection. The addition of advertising matter on the
reverse side (see New Zealand issues), however, does not constitute a
difference. In the case of recent Belgian stamps which bear the
inscription, "Not to be delivered on Sunday," in both French and
Flemish, specimens with and without the label should not both be given a
home in the collection. Lastly, it may be well to point out that stamps,
on paper of various textures, which have been cut from entires, should
not be considered as individual varieties, seeing that most Governments
are prepared to impress any letters, cards, etc., that may be supplied
to them, and varieties of such stamps must be, on this account,
unlimited.
When the collector has amassed a number of good duplicates, it will be a
wise plan for him to join one of the many exchange clubs. In this way he
will be able to turn his surplus stamps into specimens for the
collection. The working of these organizations is simple. Each member
sends a sheet of his own stamps, with prices marked on them, to the
secretary of the club, who places them all in a portfolio which is
forwarded to each member in turn. When a member receives the portfolio,
he selects specimens at will from any of the sheets, but he generally
endeavours to balance his own takings with the takings of all the
members from his sheet.
[Illustration: SOME MEMBERS OF OUR ROYAL FAMILY
1 Prince Albert in 1851
2 Queen Victoria
3 Queen Alexandra
4 Edward VII
5 George V
6 Queen Mary
7 Prince of Wales]
Another and perhaps better way of enriching one's collection is open to
the philatelist who is able to obtain quantities of the medium class
British and Colonial stamps. Briefly, the method is to insert an
advertisement in a journal, which enjoys an overseas circulation, to the
effect that for every hundred stamps sent of the reader's country, a
hundred or more well-mixed British and Colonials will be despatched by
the advertiser in return. The writer used to make it a practice of
inserting some such notice as this two or three times every season, and
the plan invariably brought in many valuable additions to his
collection. Suitable mediums are the _Overseas Daily Mail_, the _Boy's
Own Paper_ (in the Boy's Own Column), _The Philatelic Journal of
America_, and _L'Echo de la Timbrologie_.
Before closing this chapter, it may be well to give some hints on how to
value one's collection. Possessed of a stamp catalogue, the philatelist
can easily jot down the price of every stamp in his album, and so
arrive at the total catalogue value. But this figure will be much above
the price a dealer would give for the treasures. The catalogue value of
a stamp is the selling price. What we want to know is the buying
price--a very different matter.
To get an approximate idea of the value which a collection would
realize, we should calculate as follows:
1. Nothing for all stamps catalogued at 1d. or 2d.
2. One penny each for stamps marked 3d. or 4d. each.
3. Three-halfpence to twopence each for stamps marked 5d. to 8d.
4. Quarter catalogue value for stamps quoted between 9d. and 4s.
5. Half catalogue value for other stamps, except for rarities, which
often command full catalogue figures.
None but first-class specimens, and, in the case of used stamps, only
those which have served postally, should be taken into consideration.
CHAPTER III
SPECIALIZING
As a rule it takes but a few months for the young collector to discover
that he much prefers the stamps of one particular country, or group of
countries, to any of the others figuring in his album. When such a
preference manifests itself, it is a good plan to specialize in the
favoured country or group. By this we do not mean to say that the
general collection should be discontinued, or even neglected, but merely
that special attention be given to the stamps which have made the
greater appeal to the philatelist.
Some countries are better suited to specializing than others.
Undoubtedly Great Britain holds the premier position. Not only does it
stand first from patriotic motives, but the plate numbers and plate
letters which the earlier issues bore, the control letters which later
issues bear, and the colour varieties known to exist amongst certain of
the current values, all help to make it a country full of interest.
Among the Colonies there is much scope for the specialist, notably in
Queensland, South Australia, India--if the Native States be
excepted--Canada, including the specimens issued by the various
provinces prior to 1864, and the Transvaal.
In other parts of the world we may single out the United States,
Portugal, the Argentine Republic, the Spanish Colonies, together with
the subsequent occupation of certain of them by the United States, and
the French Colonies. Of the latter only used specimens should be
collected, as unused copies of any of the Dependencies may be bought at
face value in Paris--a matter which largely robs the labels of their
interest.
But the specialist need not necessarily confine himself to a country, or
even a group of countries. In this connection the following divisions
may be suggested:
1. Stamps issued owing to wars.
2. Edwardian stamps.
3. Parcels post stamps.
4. Commemorative stamps, as long as they are not issued for speculative
purposes.
5. The line-engraved stamps of Great Britain (see following chapter).
Just as certain countries or groups present exceptional chances for
specializing, so others offer but poor opportunities. In cases where the
issues are few, or where the stamps are high priced, the path of the
specialist is beset with difficulties, and should not be followed.
The first need of the collector who intends to pay particular attention
to an individual group of stamps is a blank album containing about two
dozen pages. Into this volume should be gathered the specimens bearing
on the chosen section as they are obtained. Less formality and
regularity will be called for when placing the stamps in this book than
was demanded in the general collection; in other words, the stamps need
not be ranged so precisely according to age and value. Whatever method
is adopted should be used rather for contrasting and comparing minor
details than for showing complete issues. In the stamps of Great
Britain, for instance, we should not place, say, the Edwardian issue in
two or three methodical rows, the halfpenny first, followed by the
penny, then the three-halfpenny, and so on, up to the one pound. We
should group together the varieties of, say, the threepenny, which
include such shades as purple on yellow, purple on lemon, deep purple on
lemon, dull purple on yellow, and which are found perforated 14, also 15
by 14. When placed side by side, these various shades and perforations
will show up clearly; but if scattered over two or three pages of the
album, their meaning will be lost entirely.
It is clear that the specialist must know a good deal more about his
stamps than was demanded of the general collector. In the first place,
he must be able to distinguish one form of printing from another. For
his benefit it may be well to mention that the chief processes employed
in printing stamps are (1) Typography, (2) Lithography, and (3)
Engraving.
Typography, or surface-printing, is the process employed in the
production of our current British stamps. A die is cut with the design
standing out in relief--_i.e._, the portions which are to receive the
ink are raised. From this die a number of identical moulds are taken and
ranged side by side. They are then clamped together and placed in an
electro bath which deposits a layer of copper upon the moulds. When the
coating is deemed sufficiently thick, the electrical action is arrested,
the moulds are removed, and the copper plate reveals a number of
replicas of the original die.
Lithography is a process which results from etching on stone. A piece of
stone possessing a flat surface is taken, and the design drawn in ink
upon it either by hand or some mechanical means. The surface of the
stone is then flooded with a weak acid, which eats away the unprotected
parts, but leaves untouched the parts covered by the greasy lithograph
ink. The stone is then sponged with water, and printer's ink, also
greasy, applied. This latter adheres only to the lines made by the
lithographic process, with the result that impressions of the design may
be transferred to paper. Lithography, it should be added, is only
suitable in cases where comparatively few copies are needed, or where a
temporary issue must be printed expeditiously. It is a process which
demands but little capital outlay, a fact which has made it a favourite
means of stamp-producing among the poorer republics of South America.
With forgers, too, it has gained favour in their work of imitating
genuine stamps.
Engraving, known variously under the name of copper-plate printing,
engraving in _taille-douce_, and line-engraving, produces the finest
stamps figuring in our collections. The process is worked much on the
lines detailed for typography, but the main difference is that in the
latter the design is printed by the raised parts of the block, whilst in
the former the recessed parts produce the lines which form the design.
In addition to the above, the following occasional methods of producing
stamps may be registered:
1. By the use of ordinary printer's type. (Examples may be found among
the earliest issues, as in the case of the first stamps of British
Guiana.)
2. By photographic means. (Example--the Mafeking stamps bearing the head
of Baden-Powell.)
3. By means of rubber hand-stamps. (Example--first issue of New
Republic, South Africa.)
4. Embossing. (Example--the current British stamped penny and halfpenny
envelopes.)
After the various styles of printing have been recognized, the
specialist must study the papers used in stamp-production. The chief
varieties are--
1. WOVE.--This paper possesses no patterns of any kind, but under the
microscope appears to have a number of porous marks. It is used for the
current British stamps.
2. GRANITE.--A variety of wove, used fairly frequently. It may be
distinguished by the short, tiny, coloured hairs which are impressed
upon the paper.
3. LAID.--This paper possesses a number of parallel ribs, which can only
be seen when the stamp is held up to the light.
4. QUADRILLED.--A paper bearing vertical and horizontal watermark lines
of a somewhat obvious character.
The various methods used for separating stamps is the next matter for
study. In the earliest times postmasters used ordinary scissors for
detaching one stamp from another. The specimens so treated are styled
"imperforate." The use of scissors was clearly an awkward way of
performing what is now a simple matter, and it is well known that from
the outset the need for a more expeditious method was felt. As a
consequence many people gave the question of stamp-separating their
attention, with the result that, eight years after the advent of the
first postage adhesive, Henry Archer patented the rouletting machine,
which cut slits along the margins of the stamps. The slits served the
same purpose as the perforation holes in the stamps of to-day, but the
drawback to this pioneer method was that in pulling one copy from
another the labels were likely to become torn. Between 1848 and 1854
Archer tried many systems for separating stamps, and, in the latter
year, perfected a machine for perforating instead of rouletting the
margins of adhesives.
Most stamps are now described as "perf. 13, 14, or 15," which means that
within the space of 2 centimetres a specimen contains 13, 14, or 15
holes. A stamp catalogued as "perf. 15 X 14"--_e.g._, British fourpenny
bright orange, Edward issue--has fifteen holes per 2 centimetres along
the top and bottom edges, and fourteen holes along either side. As a
difference of perforation often makes a considerable difference in the
market value of a stamp, every philatelist should possess a gauge for
measuring the holes; these are obtainable from dealers at a cost of
sixpence each.
We said at the commencement of this chapter that Great Britain offered
the greatest opportunities to the specialist. Let us now see how the
stamps of our own country should be treated in a specialized collection.
First of all, it should be the aim of the philatelist to procure not
merely one specimen of any particular label, but specimens in pairs
and in blocks of four or more. Individual copies of the early penny
black are worth about two shillings, but four copies in one block would
fetch as much as ten to twelve shillings; also a fine copy on a postal
wrapper would be much more valuable than a loose specimen. The moral,
therefore, is clear: we should never separate costly stamps nor tear
them from their envelopes. Young collectors seem to dislike the plan of
admitting entire envelopes to their albums, but this is a prejudice
which should be overcome.
[Illustration: POSTAGE STAMPS HAVING SPECIAL USES
1 Canada: Registered Letter Fee Stamp
2 Belgium: Parcels Post Stamp
3 U.S.A.: Parcels Post Stamp
4 Italy: Unpaid Tax Stamp
5 India: Telegraph stamp
6 Germany: Official stamp
7 Austria: Stamp for franking newspapers
8 Sweden: Official stamp
9 Spain: War-tax stamp levied on letters]
An ideal first page for a special collection of British stamps would
show a whole wrapper bearing a nice copy of the penny black, then the
individual stamp in pairs or blocks, followed by a somewhat similar
arrangement affecting the sister stamp--the twopenny blue.
The page should not be crowded with specimens, but much space ought to
be given up to explanatory written matter. At the head of the page, for
instance, the following might be neatly printed: "Line-Engraved Stamps.
Issued May 1st, 1840." Elsewhere room might be found for the statement
that the adhesives given on the page were engraved by Mr. Frederick
Heath, and printed by the famous firm of Perkins, Bacon and Co.; whilst
below each stamp the particular watermark, paper, and method of
separation should be mentioned. Nor should the notes end here; any
little piece of postal information which may be discovered should be
added to swell the interest of the collection. As an example of such
matter, we may quote the following recipe for making red obliterating
ink, which was sent to every postmaster in the kingdom when the penny
black was first issued:
Take 1 lb. printer's red ink,
1 pint linseed oil,
1/2 pint of the droppings of sweet oil,
And well mix.
Another early stamp which will well repay attention is the perforated
penny red with control letters in the four corners. This specimen bears
various plate numbers, from 71 to 225 (Nos. 75, 77,[2] 126, 128
excepted). The collector will do well to seek out a copy of each number
and arrange them in numerical order on three or four pages of the album.
The distinctive numbers are to be found on either side of the head,
hidden among the filigree lines. No. 225, it may be said, is somewhat
difficult to obtain, but all the others are fairly common.
[2] Plate No. 77 is supposed to have been rejected as unfit for use. An
unused copy, however, figures in the Tapling Collection in the British
Museum.
"Plate reconstructing" is another favourite work of the specialist. Let
us first explain that many of the early British stamps contained various
letters in the four corners. In a sheet of 240 stamps, the specimens
found in the first row were all lettered A, in the lower left-hand
corner, those in the second row B, in the third row C, and so on
throughout the twenty rows. In the right-hand lower corner the first
stamp of every row was lettered A, the second B, and so on until the
twelfth stamp bore the letter L. The following diagram will make the
arrangement quite clear:
[Illustration: SPECIMEN STAMPS
1 Imperforated stamp
2 A perforated stamp
3 A rouletted stamp
4 A line-engraved stamp
5 A lithographed stamp
6 A surface-printed stamp
7 An embossed stamp
8 }
9 } Three of the best known rarities
10 }]
Row 1. AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, ... AL.
" 2. BA, BB, BC, BD, BE, BF, ... BL.
" 3. CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, ... CL.
" 4. DA, DB, DC, DD, DE, DF, ... DL.
" 5. EA, EB, EC, ED, EE, EF, ... EL.
. . . . .
" 20. TA, TB, TC, TD, TE, TF, ... TL.
The work of plate reconstructing consists in obtaining one stamp of each
of the combinations of letters, placing them in their correct positions
as given above, and so remaking a whole sheet of stamps.
Such is the way in which a specialist's collection should be managed.
Our remarks have been directed more particularly to the stamps of Great
Britain, but the suggestions apply equally well to any country which the
philatelist may select for particular study.
CHAPTER IV
THE STAMPS OF GREAT BRITAIN
So far these talks have dealt almost entirely with ways and means of
stamp-collecting, but now our attention must be centred on the stamps
themselves. We naturally turn to the issues of Great Britain, the first
specimen to be considered being the "penny black," bearing a portrait in
profile of Victoria the Good. Not only was this stamp the first to be
issued within our kingdom, but it was also the pioneer stamp, of the
whole world. It is thus one of the most interesting labels which can
figure among the treasures of any collection.
To Sir Rowland Hill, the promoter of the penny postage and other postal
reforms, belongs the credit of first suggesting that the postage on a
letter should be prepared by means of an adhesive label. Not only may he
be called the inventor of postage stamps, but he also sketched in rough
the design which was used for the first stamp. To him, also, was
entrusted the work of arranging for the issue of this novel label.
On August 17, 1839, Parliament sanctioned the use of adhesive stamps,
and immediately afterwards the Lords of the Treasury asked the public to
suggest suitable designs. Nearly 3,000 drawings were submitted, but none
were considered satisfactory. It was then that Hill made the rough
sketch mentioned above.
Many were the difficulties which Hill had to overcome, but probably the
most perplexing was how to get the stamps printed. We must remember that
in those early days colour-printing was a slow and tedious process, and
there were very few firms who could be entrusted with the work. After
much consideration, Sir Rowland went to a Fleet Street house of printers
named Perkins, Bacon and Co., and asked them whether they could
undertake the task of producing the proposed adhesive stamps. Their
reply is sufficiently interesting to be given in full.
"69, FLEET STREET,
"LONDON,
"_December 3, 1839_.
"SIR,
"We have given the subject you mentioned yesterday afternoon all the
attention the time would allow, and beg to say as the result that we
would engrave steel dies of the size you gave us, containing work of any
conceivable value as to cost and quality, transfer them to any number of
plates that could possibly be wanted, and print them in any numbers per
day, at a charge of eightpence per thousand stamps, exclusive of paper,
which, we understand, would be supplied us; and, assuming that the
numbers wanted would be very large, we have only named a fair price for
the printing, and have considered the plates and dies, which ought to be
very costly in the first instance, as given in without charge. You are
probably aware that, having prepared the original die, we could insure
perfect 'facsimiles' of it for a century.
"Our charge would not exceed what we have named above, nor be less than
sixpence per thousand; but what relative position it would take between
these two extremes would depend upon the exact size of the stamp, and
the number which the paper would allow us to put upon one plate.
"We could prepare everything so as to commence printing in a month. Our
present belief is that we could print 41,600 labels per day, or double
that number in a day and night, from each press employed upon the work.
"We are, sir, very respectfully,
"Your humble servants,
"PERKINS, BACON, AND PETCH."
The Perkins' firm was entrusted with the printing; instructions were
also given them to elaborate the rough sketch made by Hill. They called
upon a then noted engraver, Frederick Heath, to complete the design
which has since become world-famous. He engraved the head and the
lettering, but the beautiful curves forming the background of the stamp
were "engine-turned" by means of a Rose engine, a contrivance consisting
of a series of moving wheels which produced curved lines in geometric
pattern.
The stamp proved a great success, thanks to the energies of Hill and the
assistance of the printers; but it had one great fault--it was printed
with a fast ink, which enabled dishonest people to wash out the
obliterations and use the cleaned copies a second time. As a result, the
black specimens were superseded in less than nine months by red ones
printed with a fugitive ink. The short life of the first stamp has, of
course, much to do with its present high price.
The dies used for the black impressions were employed for the red
pennies, so that the two stamps are identical in all respects but
colour. Gradually, as years passed along, slight changes were
introduced. First, the small check letters in the lower angles were
substituted by large letters, then perforated edges were provided,
whilst in 1854 the whole of the dies were re-engraved. Stamps printed
from the old and the new plates may be distinguished fairly easily. In
die I. the nose is straight, there is little shading around the eye,
and the lobe of the ear terminates with an upward curl. In die II the
nose is slightly rounded, the eye is surrounded by much shading, and the
lobe of the ear finishes without any upward curl.
[Illustration: SOME PENNY STAMPS OF GREAT BRITAIN
1 1841 issue
2 1854 issue
3 1858 issue
4 1880 issue
5 1881 issue
6 1902 issue
7 1911 issue
8 1912 issue
9 1912 issue
10 Envelope stamp
11 Letter-card stamp
12 Envelope stamp]
The black and red penny stamps were line engraved (_cf_. previous
chapter). The only other stamps printed in this style were the twopenny
blue, issued concurrently with the penny black; the halfpenny rose; and
the three-halfpenny red rose, both issued on October 1, 1870.
It seems somewhat remarkable, in these days when we have thirteen
different stamps of values lower than a shilling, that in the early
years the country was able to carry on its postal arrangements with but
a penny and a twopenny stamp. That there was need for specimens of
higher value seems certain, as the inland registration fee was a
shilling, and the postal rates abroad were surprisingly high. In 1847
the letter rate for the United States was lowered to a shilling, and for
France to tenpence; consequently, the time seemed appropriate for
introducing three new stamps--a shilling, a tenpenny, and a sixpenny.
Though the line-engraved stamps had proved extremely satisfactory, there
were certain high officials who claimed that these labels were by no
means proof against dishonest practices. It was partly to please these
dissentients that the three new values bore the familiar head of Queen
Victoria in cameo relief. The innovation was almost if not a complete
bar to forgery, also to the removal of obliterations by people of
questionable character; but it made printing a slow and expensive
process. Hitherto a sheet of stamps had been printed by one movement of
the machine, but every embossed stamp needed a separate pressing. There
were twenty-four stamps of these three new values on a sheet, which
meant that instead of one action completing the sheet, twenty-four
actions were required.
Some of these old stamps are to be found with the impression of another
partly overlapping; this is due to the fact that the machines were fed
by hand, and unless the workman placed the paper in exact position one
stamp was bound to fall partly on to its neighbour.
One curious feature of the tenpenny and shilling stamps must be
mentioned. Into the paper on which these adhesives were printed was
introduced a number of silk threads in such a way that each stamp bore
two portions of the thread. The silken lines ran either horizontally or
vertically across each specimen, and made counterfeiting an almost
impossible task. The sixpenny value was provided with a watermark as a
safeguard.
The cameo stamps gained but little popularity, and were current less
than ten years. Of the sixpenny specimen, we know that 6,659,920 copies
were printed, and of them, 2,941,640 were destroyed after their
withdrawal, probably about as many copies as are sold of our current
penny stamps on an ordinary weekday.
On July 31, 1855, a fourpenny stamp was introduced. It was produced
neither by the line-engraved process nor by the embossing method. A
system of typography, or surface-printing (see p. 21), had long been
used on the Continent, and it was this process which was employed for
the printing of the new fourpenny value. Messrs. De La Rue and Co. were
entrusted with the work.
The fourpenny surface-printed stamp proved very successful, and was
followed by other values--the shilling green, the threepenny rose, the
sixpenny lilac, and the ninepenny straw colour. Many of these early
stamps bore minor distinguishing marks, and consequently command high
prices. A very dark shade of the shilling green is worth L65 in an
unused condition, the threepenny rose, with a white dot on either side
of the word "Postage," has changed hands for L40, whilst the ninepenny
straw colour, with a fine white line drawn across the exterior angles of
the square spaces for the corner letters, is catalogued as high as L30.
Specimens of these values should be carefully examined to see if they
happen to be the rare kinds.
The surface-printed stamps issued between 1862 and 1881 bore angular
check letters as well as plate numbers, and therefore prove of
exceptional interest to those of us who wish to specialize in the stamps
of our own Kingdom. Unused copies should be carefully preserved with the
original gum on the backs, as their prices advance with every season.
The used copies, also, prove a good investment.
In 1881 (July 12) the well-known penny lilac, with a large head of
Victoria, was issued, and continued in use until the accession of King
Edward. The stamps sold during the first five months had fourteen white
dots in each corner, but afterwards the number, for some unaccountable
reason, was increased to sixteen. The early variety, needless to say,
commands a much greater price than the later one. The two stamps are
easily confused, but a careful examination of our copies will soon tell
us whether each used specimen is worth a fraction of a farthing or a
sixpenny piece. Some time after the accession of King Edward the writer
went into a post office and bought two dozen penny stamps. The clerk who
served him half apologized for still selling the old specimens bearing
the Queen's head. On reaching home, however, the adhesives were
carefully examined, and found to be the rare "fourteen dot" variety,
worth, unused, about four shillings apiece. It is hardly necessary to
add that the block, intact, has found a home in the writer's collection.
The next stamps to attract attention are those of King Edward. At first
sight there appears to be one variety of each value, with the exception
of the halfpenny and the fourpenny, which are both found in two obvious
varieties. On closer examination, however, the Edwardian stamps will be
found to possess many minor but interesting differences. In the first
case, most of the values were printed in turn by the firm of De La Rue,
by Harrison and Son, also by the Government at Somerset House, and each
set of impressions shows marked variations in colour. The most
interesting Edwardian differences, however, are due to varieties of
paper. In 1905 the authorities came to the conclusion that the then
current stamps were not sufficiently protective against fraud. It was
easy enough, they said, to compound an obliteration ink for use in the
post offices which could not be cleaned away; but, as postage stamps
were also used in increasing numbers for revenue purposes, it was also
necessary to make the stamps of such colours that they could not be
cleaned of even ordinary writing-ink. As a consequence, the labels on
the usual paper were gradually superseded by specimens printed on a
specially prepared "chalk-surface" paper. When this paper is wetted, the
chalky glaze breaks up, and the coloured design is ruined. This
innovation provides a complete check to the practices of fraudulent
"stamp cleaners," but makes it almost impossible for collectors to
remove the paper backing which disfigures many of their treasures.
"The easiest way to find out whether a stamp is printed on ordinary
unsurfaced or on chalk-surfaced paper," says Mr. F. J. Melville in "King
Edward VII. Stamps," "is to draw a small silver coin across one of the
perforations or a piece of the marginal paper adhering to the stamp. If
a black line appears where the silver has touched the paper, it
indicates a chalk surface."
A third minor variety of the Edwardian stamps must be recorded. In
certain of the halfpenny and penny values the large crown watermark is
found inverted. Such specimens were not, as might be expected, the
result of faulty printing, they were made especially for the stamp
booklets, which have grown so popular since their introduction in 1903.
The plates from which the booklet stamps were printed were divided into
four panes, each of sixty labels. Each pane consisted of ten rows of six
stamps surrounded by a fringe of blank paper. The panes were cut
vertically down the centre and then along every second horizontal row.
This gave ten blocks of six stamps, five coming from the left of the
vertical cut and five from the right. Now, it was necessary to have a
strip of edging paper on the left of each block for the binding-pins of
the booklet to pass through; consequently, the stamps placed on the
right of the vertical cut were inverted. As the watermark was not
similarly turned round, the specimens in 50 per cent. of the booklets
were provided with inverted crowns.
The stamps of King George require but little mention. When first issued
they caused considerable adverse comment, owing to their poor design and
inferior gum. The earliest dies of the halfpenny and penny values were
re-engraved at least twice, but not until the small head was replaced by
the larger profile bust could they be considered even passable. As a
whole, the Georgian first issue may be now considered fairly attractive
in pattern and colour; but the Mother Country has yet much to learn in
the matter of stamp designing from her young Dependencies, notably
Canada.
CHAPTER V
STAMPS WORTH FORTUNES
What a curious thing it is that some stamps--mere scraps of paper--cost
over a sovereign apiece to buy! It is still more wonderful, however,
that quite a number sell for over L100 each, whilst a select few command
prices running into four figures. Probably the reader will never possess
any of the more costly rarities, and as likely as not he will never see
copies of them, unless he has access to the Tapling or other public
collections; but, none the less, it is interesting for him to know of
them, of their prices, and their peculiarities.
Among the stamps of Great Britain there are a fair number which are
worth between L30 and L100 each. In the previous chapter we spoke of the
deep green shilling of 1862, which sells at L65 in an unused condition,
and the ninepenny straw, catalogued at L30 when used. To these we may
add the famous L5 orange of 1882, worth about L100 when unused, and the
L1 brown-lilac, also of 1882, which varies between L90 and L100. Neither
of these labels were in currency for more than two years. This fact,
coupled with their high face value, readily explains why collectors are
so eager to possess them.
There have been three different brown-lilac L1 stamps, all issued within
a few years of each other, so the collector is advised to note their
descriptions carefully. The valuable type referred to above measures
1-1/8 by 1-3/8 inches, and is watermarked with an anchor. Of the
remaining two types, one has a watermark consisting of three crowns
(worth L12 unused), and the other has the watermark known as the three
orbs (worth L20 unused). Both these stamps have the top and bottom sides
much longer than the vertical sides. Other L1 values, in various colours
and designs, command good prices, and should be carefully preserved, if
only for speculative purposes.
Were the question to be put, "Which is the rarest stamp in the world?"
probably the answer would be, more often than not, "The twopenny 'Post
Office' Mauritius." Though it is not the rarest, it is probably the
best-known philatelic treasure, and the one which collectors covet
beyond all others. Just how much it is worth would be difficult to say;
we do know, however, that the copy which figures in King George's
Collection was sold at auction in 1904 for L1,450. Were it placed on the
market to-day, it is safe to say that it would change hands at a higher
figure--probably a much higher figure.
The twopenny and the penny "Post Office" Mauritius have an interesting
history. The officials of this little island in the Indian Ocean decided
in the year 1847 to follow the lead of the Mother Country and issue
stamps. Whilst waiting for supplies to come from England, they
commissioned a local watchmaker to engrave two dies, one for a penny and
one for a twopenny stamp. The watchmaker took a small piece of sheet
copper and engraved upon it, side by side, the two dies, and a
neighbouring printer took off 500 impressions--that is to say, 1,000
stamps in all. Instead of cutting into the copper the words "Post Paid,"
the engraver scratched the inscription "Post Office" by mistake, with
the result that his dies were soon discarded. The stock of stamps was
quickly used up, for just as the labels were issued, a ball was being
arranged at the Government House, and numerous invitations were sent out
by post. About twenty-two copies only are known to exist, and most of
these have been discovered on the communications which, nearly seventy
years ago, summoned the Governor's friends to the long-forgotten
festivities.
The rarest stamp in the world is usually considered to be the one cent
(1856) of British Guiana. A single specimen only of this variety is
known, the owner being Monsieur de la Renotiere, a celebrated collector
of Paris. To say that this treasure is worth its weight in gold is to
understate its value by a great deal, for specialists claim that L2,000
would not buy it.
One would suppose that so costly a square inch of paper would have a
prepossessing appearance or claims to artistic merit, but the unique
specimen is said to be ugly, of a dullish magenta colour, and not in the
best of condition. The design is a ship, around which the motto "Damus
petimusque vicissim"[3] is written, together with the words "British
Guiana, Postage One Cent."
[3] We give and we ask in turn.
Another very rare British Guiana stamp is the sorry-looking two cents of
1851. Having more the appearance of an obliteration stamp than a postal
adhesive, this specimen bears the name of the colony and the value, two
cents, in a circle. It was printed at short notice by the proprietors of
the _Royal Gazette_, and was intended to serve for a new rate of
letter-carrying which applied to the town of Georgetown alone.
Apparently the new charge failed to serve its purpose, and was withdrawn
after a brief space of time. Very few copies were made use of, and those
which still exist are worth about L600 each.
From the Hawaiian Islands comes another valuable stamp, also of poor
design: it is the two cents (1851), black on bluish paper. This adhesive
was printed at Honolulu, and served mainly for franking the letters
which the American missionaries sent home to their relations in the
States. The issue suffered an untimely fate, for no sooner had the
stamps been put into circulation than a serious fire devastated the
quarter of the town in which the post office was situated and destroyed
almost all the stock in hand. A round dozen copies are known to exist.
One reposes in the Tapling Collection at the British Museum, but the
authorities have removed it from the show-cases, where it used to lie,
and placed it under lock and key in the Cracherode Room. It may be well
to add that it can be inspected on request. Its value is probably L800
or more.
If we turn to the United States, many rarities will be found, but none
are so much sought after as the issues known as the "Postmaster Stamps."
For the want of a better term these adhesives have been called "locals,"
but they must not be confused with the worthless labels spoken of in
Chapter II.
[Illustration: PORTRAITS OF SOME EUROPEAN MONARCHS
1 King George V
2 Albert
3 Nicholas II
4 Peter
5 Victor Emanuel III
6 Christian X
7 Gustav V
8 Manoel
9 Franz Josef I
10 Alfonso XIII
11 Wilhelmina]
Each postmaster in the early years of the States designed and printed
his own stamps, and some weird and curious effects were produced as a
result of this arrangement. The master at Milbury, then a tiny place in
Massachusetts, issued a two cents label (1847) which was no exception in
the matter of design. Milbury was such a small town that the demand for
this two cents stamp was insignificant, and consequently to-day copies
are worth quite L300.
Another local stamp--more highly priced on the Continent than in
England--is the ten centimes "Double Geneva." This curiosity was issued
by the Canton of Geneva before Switzerland possessed a regular supply of
adhesives. The stamp is composed of two sections, each bearing the value
five centimes, but a narrow strip of paper joins them together and bears
the value ten centimes. The idea was that, in its entirety, the stamp
would frank a letter anywhere within the Canton of Geneva, but if cut in
halves, the postage was only sufficient for letters circulating within
any individual commune. A complete "Double Geneva" is worth L80 odd
unused, but a halved copy may be procured for a L5 note.
Before concluding this chapter on rarities, some mention must be made
of the triangular "Capes." Curiously enough, everybody has heard of
these stamps, whether they are collectors or not, and every
non-collector who happens to possess a copy nourishes the idea that some
day a huge fortune may be realized by selling the valued possession.
Granted that the specimen is not a forgery, which it very well may be,
the stamp is perhaps worth no more than five shillings, for this is the
market price of the fourpenny blue, 1855--the stamp most frequently met.
There are two valuable triangular "Capes," however, namely, the
fourpenny red and the penny blue, both of 1861. The origin of these
stamps is as follows: In making up the dies for printing some penny and
fourpenny stamps, a block of the penny stamp was accidentally placed in
the plate of the fourpenny value, whilst a fourpenny block found its way
into the penny plate. As a result of this mistake, one stamp on each
sheet which was printed bore the wrong colour for its value. Gibbons
catalogues the blue penny at L85, and the vermilion fourpenny at L95.