Stamp Stories

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22429, 16 June 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

Stamp Stories

(By R. ]\ G. Collins)

Because of the flood of new Issues that ate now appearing from British Colonies, -with the portrait of King George VT, there may be an inclination for some collectors to overlook new issues emanating from foreign countries. Mail received from the United States of America - this Week bore the first values of a new set, the designs of which are to depict the whole long line Of United States Presidents. American school children, who are also'stamp collectors—and, _according to reports, there are few who are not—are being provided with an • easy way of learning the names and sequence of their Presidents. The full set will comprise no fewer than 32 different stamps;

the values and designs being as follows:—Jc Franklin; 1c Washing* ton; lie Martha Washington; 26 John Adams; 3c Jefferson; 4c Madison; 4sc White House; 5c Monroe; 0c John Quincy Adams; 7c Jackson; 8c Van Bur an; 9C Wm. H. Harrisbn: 10c Tyler; lie Polk; 12c Taylor; 13c Fillmore; 14c Pierce; 15c Buchanan; Iflc. Lincoln; 17c Johnson:

18c Grant; 18c Hayes: 20c Garfield; 21c Arthur; 22c Cleveland: 24c Benjamin Harrison; 25c McKinley: ' 3Qd T. -Roosevelt; 50c Taft; $1 ■ Wllsoh; $2 Harding; $5 Coolidge. Excluding the i, IJ. and 4J cents, the actual values of the - stamps froth the 1 cent to the 25 cents denote the numerical sequence of the terms of office .‘of the preside* let thus Lincoln was the sixteenth President and McKinley the twenty-fifth. . Benjamin Franklin, whose portrait appears on the icent.. was never a President, ut as he was the first Postmaster- ; General of;the Republic, manS* of r 'i previous stamp issues have -.‘home hls‘ portrait and it Is not inappropriate • that. he .should appear ' .again in the present set. t

A NEW AMERICAN SET AND A DISTINGUISHED DESIGNER

Martha Washington, the mother of George Washington, has also been featured previously. Her portrait appeared on the 8 cent value of the set Of 1962,-and 6n the 4 cent issue Of 1923. White House, the residence of the President, appears for-the first time. .

It. is considered particularly suit* able. that the portrait of Monroe should have been allocated to the 5 cent, lor Monroe was the fifth President, but he was also the author of the Monroe Doctrine. Which laid down the attitude that whs to be followed by the United States of America in relations with other countries. The 5 cent stamp is the one that will be used on many outward letters, as this is the rate, like our own 2id, which applies to foreign countries. Jn addition to the new portrait issue, there is to be a replacement of the 6 cent airmail ■ Stamp, and the design of the new stamp is of unusual interest. ; From May 15 to 31, the Americans held their national airmail week, and the Postal Department had arranged fOr the use of special rubber stamp impressions to be used on letters posted at Dayton, the home town of the Wright Brothers, and at Kitty Hawk, where the first successful aeroplane flight was made by the Wrights. President Roosevelt, who

is himself a keen stamp collector, thought that a special stamp would also be Welcomed. In sending his Recommendation to the PostmasterGeneral, he enclosed a l|ttle sketch that he had drawn of a design, whichf he thought might give an idea to a stamp artist. The Post-master-General was so pleased With the President’s own sketch, that he instructed that this design should be used for the new 6 cent value. Of interest also,to Americans will be the latest set of Sweden, which has been issued to commemorate the three ; hundredth ■ anniversary of the foundation of the colony of New. Sweden, at the mouth of the Delaware river in the United States. The most interesting value of the set is the 30 ore which depicts the Holy Trinity church at Wllmlngtoh, and thus provides an unusual instance of a building erected in one country being featured on the stamps of another country. Communities reminiscent of. parts of Europe are to be found in various parts of the United States, and Delaware still has many links with the original Swedish immigrants. NOTICES Headers are asked to send to Mr G. Guy, the Museum, Christchurch, specimens of native plants for the native plant table. • ft if t> f r A a _

Mr R. J. G. Collins will be glad to answer readers’ questions about stamps. Those who wish to have personal replies must send stamped addressed envelopes. Readers who wish to have stamps valued should send those stamps by registered letter with an addressed envelope and stamps for return registration. Mr Collins cannot undertake to value stamps from descriptions. All questions should be sent to him care of “The Press Junior," “The Press" office. Christchurch.

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