STAMP COLLECTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 46, 23 February 1929, Page 10

STAMP COLLECTING.

THE KING OF HOBBIES.

AND THE HOBBY OF KINGS. FIRST ISSUE LESS THAN 90 YEARS AGO. Tho postage stamp, which has become a necessity to-day, is a comparatively recent invention, as the first stamp was issued by Great Britain in 1840, less than 00 years ago. As it was of the value of one penny, and black, it is familiarly called the "penny black." We cannot now conceive of the work of the post office being carried on without these labels, yet onco letters were transmitted by the eash-on-dclivery system, a principle which was subject to many abuses. With tho advent of the penny black, the collecting fever seized many people in different ways. In 1841 the columns of tho "Times" included an advertisement, inserted by a young lady, which invited the public to assist her in "covering the walls of her dressing room with cancelled postage stamps." This strange idea did not occur to her only, and we find that "Punch" shortly after said that "the ladies of England show even more anxiety to treasure up Queen's Heads than did Henry VHI. to get rid of them." An official of the British Museum _ is also known to have taken up collecting in a very different way. He at first regarded stamps as curios, but later, as other countries began to issue them, he bccamo interested in them from the philatelic standpoint. Tho first firm of stamp dealers, which is still in existence, is known to almost all collectors. Stanley Gibbons and Co. commenced in Plymouth, England, in 1804, and here Mr. Gibbons made the purchase which has become a part of philatelic history. This consisted of a sack of over 1,000,000 Cape of Good Hope 6tamps, and contained hundreds of tho rarer varieties of the triangular labels, which he sold at 3/ and 4/ each. These are now worth £200 apiece. Not only do stamp dealers and auctioneers flourish, but collectors have banded together to form philatelic societies and associations. His Majesty King George V. is the president of the Royal Philatelic Society of London, which is perhaps tho best known. Societies aie to be found in every important city, and many informal ones are known to exist. Stamp collectors themselves soon found that there was need for a name which would distinguish tho scientific study of postage stamps fron the mere accumulation of so many hundred varieties. This they discovered in pliilatelie." a word which Mr. Herpin had in 1804. As no Greek equivalent 3 existed for postage stamp, he had combined "philos" (love of) and atclas" (exempt from tax), and his word means, strictly, "love of that which exempts from tax." Were this derivation better known a large increase in the number of philatelists might result! The word was anglicised into "philately,' and has, with its derivatives, taken its place in our language. It should not be supposed that philately and stamp collectin" are synonymous; the former is used definite study, while stamp collecting refers to the mere accumulatlopiiilatelists have been of service to the postal authorities, often willingly, and even at times unwillingly. In 1899, to give one well-known instance, horth Borneo sold £20,800 worth of stamps. Tho amount necessary to « u Pr'y postal demand was almost £800, and the other £20,000 camo from stamp collectors. Some British colonies have issued stamps whose only purpose has been to provide funds for parks, public memorials, etc., while many of the smaller republics of South America have been guilty of this practice. This fleecing of collectors has become so general that new issues are not so enthusiastically accepted to-day as was once the ease. So seriously were the unnecessary issues of stamps considered that in 1595 a "Society for the Suppression of Speculative Stamps" was formed by prominent collectors. The object of this association "was to determine whether new issues were designed for collectors or to fill a genuine postal demand. Circulars were sent to all interested at regular intervals advising them of the circumstances surrounding questionable issues, in order that the stamp dealers might not 6tock them. It was found, however, that the promulgators of the scliemo were speculating in the stamps they themselves had banned, and the project failed. Perhaps the phase of the hobby which most interests non-collectors concerns the value of stamps. It is usually, quite erroneously, supposed that age is the factor which determines the market value of a stamp. This is not the case, for the scarcity, coupled with the popularity of the issuing country, determines its worth. Tho rarest stamp in the world was issued in 1850, in British Guiana, 16 years after the first stamp. This colony was' awaiting a supply of new stamps from England, and, as these did not come to hand in time, two provisionals, 1 c. and 4 c., were deemed accessary. The printer of the local newspaper was instructed to prepare these, and he set up his design from movable type, placing in the centre a picture of a vessel which was usually found at the heading of his shipping column. Only one copy of the ono cent stamp is known to exist, and, although this is a damagedcopy, and in a badly faded magenta, it was sold several years ago for £7343. Another stamp from the same colony is also very rare, as only eleven specimens exist. In IS9O an old lady found two of these among her papers, and, thinking that they would fetch a little money, put them into the offertory bag at one of the church services. They realised £205 at auction, and the pair has since been sold for £1400.

Philatelists themselves, however, are not so interested in the monetary side of the hobby as in finding out the circumstances in which stamps have been issued. One of the most humorous incidents in connection with the issue of stamps occurred when, by some strange mischance,'a set appeared in France bearing the words, "The Eights of Man." To vent their righteous indignation, the ladies of Paris issued some labels of their own inscribed "The Eights of Women." The later were not available for postage. It may be remembered that when the question of the Panama Canal was agitating public opinion a considerable party was in favour.of taking the canal through Nicaragua. Feeling ran high, and a statement made by one of the Panama party, that Nicaragua was a volcanic country and not, suitable for the canal, met with a flat denial. But the Panama advocate provided each member of Congress with a Nicaraguan stamp showing a volcano in full blast, and this proved one of the strongest arguments for tie Panama party,

Such incidents miglit be multiplied many times, and yet the half would not be told. The fascination of stamp collecting is a many-sided one; to the busy man, it may appeal on account of the ease with which it may be set aside and again taken up; to those who have not long purses the facilities for gaining specimens attract; for many it gratifies the instincts of the chase —in short, the hobby is of interest to all classes. Not only are its numerous attractions invariably sufficiently strong to maintain the fascination which comes to the beginner, but the financial side is also satisfactory to those who like to feel that their money is well spent, even on an amusement. Well may philately be called "The King of Hobbies and the Hobby of Kings."