FORTUNE SOLD FOR SIX SHILLINGS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 94, 14 January 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

FORTUNE SOLD FOR SIX SHILLINGS

World’s Rarest Stamp Sixty-four years ago a boy in BriI tisli Guiana found a queer-looking I stamp. It carried the picture ol a ' ship, printed in black upon magenta paper. He had never seen one like it, nor could be find any reference to such a stamp in the catalogues he had. Moreover, his stamp album provided no space for this odd production; so he sold it to a collector for six shillings. That boy had parted with a fortune.' He’ had sold a 1-cent British Guiana stamp, Hie very existence ol which was unsuspected at that time. It. was one of a set. printed in 1856 when the Demerit ra Bost: Office temporarily ran out of stamps. I liable to wait for a fresh supply from England, Hie authorities commissioned Hie proprietors of their local newspaper to print an issue. The newspaper had a Shipping Intelligence Column, headed with Hie picture of a little ship. They used tids block as an illustration for the new stamps, which were of 1 cent and 4 cents value. The stamp which the boy sold for six shillings fetched £7343 in 1022. It is believed to be the only one of its kind still in existence. Before the Great War a German named Count von Ferrary lived in Paris. He was an enthusiastic stamp collector. When war broke out it is collection was confiscated as enemy property and put up to auction. Dealers from all over the world attended the sale, which realized no less than £400.000. Probably the most complete collection of Empire stamps is that kept at the General Post Office. It is said to include stamps of every value and every date that have been issued throughout the length and breadth of the British Empire. In this collection it is interesting to note Hint some of the Coronation stamps are already rising in price l . Indeed, some of these issues were quickly exhausted. The 3d. stamp of Southern Rhodesia, for example, was completely sold out in less than a week! Canadian Coronation sta.mps of 1,2, and 3 cents value are remarkable for the fact, that they show King George in plain clothes. They are Ihe only British slumps to show a monarch not wearing uniform or Court regalia.