there is a fortune in store for you. However, so far as collectors
know, there are only some 23 specimens of the two varieties--11 of the
one and 12 of the other--in existence.
Most people imagine the Mauritius to be the rarest and most valuable of
stamps. In this they are wrong. Mr. Phillips credits the 1856 British
Guiana, black on magenta, with this honour.
By an error, which was quickly rectified, certain of these stamps were
lettered "one" instead of "four." If you can obtain a copy in which
this error is apparent, it will readily bring £1,000.
At present only one copy is known to be in existence, and that is
in Paris. It holds an honoured place in the magnificent collection
belonging to Mons. Ferrary, son of the late Duchess Galliera.
The red variety of this stamp without the error is worth only £25. In
blue, it may fetch anything from £100 to £300, according to condition.
[Illustration: FETCHES £250.]
The Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands issued a set of four stamps in
1851. Their face values were 2 cents, 5 cents, and 13 cents, the
last mentioned being issued in two varieties. They were local low
value stamps marked "Hawaiian--U.S." and were used for the purpose of
franking letters to San Francisco.
The 2 cent variety is the most valuable. Messrs. Stanley Gibbons,
Ltd., have been dealing in stamps for 40 years, and they have handled
only two copies. The last one sold--a used specimen--fetched £740. The
British Museum collection includes two copies, and no other specimens
exist in Great Britain. There are three or four copies in the United
States, and some eight copies in Europe. These are the only specimens
in existence.
The 5 cent and 13 cent varieties are not so valuable, though they may
be relied upon to fetch a good round sum. A 5 cent copy unused, in
average condition, is worth £250; used, from £80 to £100.
A 13 cent specimen in average condition will realise £250 unused, and
£75 used.
Another British Guiana stamp is extremely valuable--the 2 cent circular
variety, issued in 1851, and bearing the postmaster's signature as a
guarantee of authenticity.
There are only some ten or eleven copies in existence.
[Illustration: RICE PAPER STAMP.]
The pair on the previous page have a history as romantic as anything
we have ever heard. Four years ago they were found by an old lady
residing in a little village outside Demerara. The vicar of the local
church was endeavouring to raise an endowment fund, and the old lady,
who understood they were of some value, though she had no idea to what
extent, presented them to the clergyman, and asked him to sell them and
devote the proceeds to the fund.
He sold them to a member of the Legislative Council of Demerara for
£205, who in turn sent them to Messrs. Stanley Gibbons, Ltd. The firm
gave him £650 for the pair. He thus realised an immediate profit of
£445.
But this was by no means the top price; within three weeks of their
receipt Messrs. Stanley Gibbons, Ltd., resold them to a Bavarian dealer
in Germany for £780, who immediately parted with them to a well-known
Russian collector, who was in want of specimens, for £1,000.
One cannot help sympathising with the original finder. However, it is
more than probable she is ignorant of their real value to this day.
[Illustration: PRICE UNUSED--£500.]
Another stamp that has risen prodigiously in value of late years is
that known as the Cape of Good Hope issue of 1861. It is known to
collectors as one of the errors of 1861, for the following reason.
Just prior to the perpetration of the error, the supply of stamps
issued to the colony by the Home authorities ran out, and a local
printer was commissioned to produce a temporary supply.
In printing these he made a mistake, the result of which was that the
4_d._ and 1_d._ stamps were mixed up. As a consequence many of the
4_d._ stamps were marked 1_d._ by mistake, and were the same colour as
that used in the former variety.
In 1863 specimens of these errors were sold at 2_s._ 6_d._ each. To-day
used copies readily fetch from £60 to £70 apiece.
Mr. Phillips says he has only seen one unused copy, and that was sold
for £500.
[Illustration: OBSOLETE CASHMERE STAMP.]
An interesting specimen is the native stamp issued by the Maharajah of
Cashmere in 1866. It is the rarest of native varieties, and was made by
the natives of Jummoo and printed on rice paper.
It is in three values--½ anna, 1 anna, and 4 annas, all of which are
rare, and worth from £30 to £60 apiece. We are able to illustrate only
two of these stamps, the ½ and 1 anna values.
This stamp is now obsolete, the Government having made arrangements for
the use of British stamps in Cashmere.
[Illustration: STAMP WITH QUEEN'S HEAD UPSIDE DOWN.]
A curious error occurred in the manufacture of a stamp issued by the
Indian Government in 1854, all the stamps of one printing appearing
with the Queen's head turned upside down. It was a 4 anna stamp,
printed in red and blue.
Copies of the correct stamp may be purchased for 5_s._ But a specimen
in which the inverted head appears is worth £150, and not more than
twenty copies exist.
OUR MONTHLY GALLERY OF BEAUTIFUL AND INTERESTING PAINTINGS.
[Illustration: _By Permission of S. Hildesheimer & Co., London and
Manchester_
FOR DEAR LIFE.
_From the Painting by Stanley Berkeley._]
[Illustration: _By Permission of the Berlin Photographic Co., London,
W._
MANNERS AT TABLE.
_From the Painting by A. J. Elsley._]
[Illustration: _By Permission of S. Hildesheimer & Co., London and
Manchester_
CHARLES I. ON HIS WAY TO EXECUTION.
_From the Painting by Ernest Crofts, R.A._]
[Illustration: _By Permission of the Berlin Photographic Co., Bond
Street, W._
LIVE AND LET LIVE.
_From the Painting by A. W. Strutt._]
[Illustration: _By Permission of S. Hildesheimer & Co., London and
Manchester_
THE DRAGON AND GEORGE.
_From the Painting by R. Holyoake._]
[Illustration: _By Permission of the Berlin Photographic Co., London,
W._
JUDITH.
_From the Painting by N. Sichel._]
[Illustration: _By Permission of the Berlin Photographic Co., Bond
Street, W._
THE SALMON POACHER.
_From the Painting by Douglas Adams._]
[Illustration: _By Permission of the Berlin Photographic Co., Bond
Street, W._
THE EMPTY CHAIR.
_From the Painting by Briton Rivière, R.A._]
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
Silently corrected simple spelling, grammar, and typographical
errors.
Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed.
Enclosed italics markup in _underscores_.
Enclosed sans-serif font markup in ~tildes~.