POSTAGE STAMPS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17607, 9 November 1922, Page 6

POSTAGE STAMPS.

A NEW ISSUE. (feoii our own correspondent.) LONDON, September 29. Messrs Puttick and Simpson concluded their first philatelic sale of the autumn season with the disposal of the general collection, formed by Mr Charles G. Rogers. A mint pair of the. 1873 Wurtemberg, 70 kreuzer, redviolet, with top margin, sold for £3O; a usejd pair of New Zealand, 1855 (November), Id, red on blue paper, with large margins on three sides, and showing the watermark of the papermaker's name, £29; one 1857-8 Ceylon, Bd, brown, used, £2l; a complete unused sheet (96), with full margins, of the 1854 India, -J anna, blue, die 1., £42; a rather closely-cut copy of- the 1851-3 Nova Scotia, Is, purple, lightly postmarked, £l2 10s; an unused St. Vincent, 1880 (June), ss, rose-red, £l2; a set of ten Great Britain, 1840, Id, black, with black obliteration on the entire envelope, £lO 10s; and the 1855, 2d, blue, watermark large 1 crown, and perforated 16, unused, £l2 10s. The first day's sale of the Count van Gelder collection at Mr H. R. Harmer.'s produced several good prices. Tor an unsevered used pair of the 1878 Barbadoes, Id, on half ss, dull rose, showing the two types of the surcharge, was given £3l; a lightly postmarked copy of the 1857-8 Ceylon, 4d, rose, with large margins, £3O; the 1884 Lagos, 10s, purple-brown, mint, £2O; a similar price was paid for an 188 i St. Vincent, 4d, on Is, vermilion; and £l7 for the 1880, same country, ss, rose-red, both in mint state. The new postage stamps of Gambia are considered by Mr Douglas B. Armstrong to be most effectively designed, and to form a notable addition to the current issues of the British Empire. In the "pence" values a vignette is shown of an elephant and a palm tree, with the King'B head inset upon a shield, surmounted by a crown, while those from Is upwards have a medallion portrait of the King on an outspread mantle, flanked by elephants, and palm trees. For the first time in the philatelic history of the colony the stamps bear the word " Revenue," in addition to that of "Postage." Gambia's first postage stamps, which came into uso in January, 1869, were of an even more artistic character, displaying upon a solid ground of colour a cameo-like head of Queen Victoria, embossed in high relief. The "cameo" series lasted until 1898, and are highly prized by collectors.