PHILATELY IN 1938

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 8, 11 January 1939, Page 16

PHILATELY IN 1938

HOST OF NEW STAMPS

COLLECTORS OVERWHELMED

LUCRATIVE ISSUES

The great army of the world's stamp collectors will look back on the year 1938 as an important one for their hobby. During the year nearly every part of the British Empire made the change over from George V to George VI stamps, the short reign of Edward VIII affording no time for the issue of stamps bearing his likeness. These new colonial issues, numbering several hundred different stamps, have been in great demand. Many of them show the stamp-designer's art at its best, and the great majority are pictorial stamps. Picturesque views and flora and fauna have been utilised to make attractive sets on .which the head of King George VI appears in a small medallion.

The Dominions and colonies have realised that a picturesque set of stamps in these days is an excellent advertisement and " fruitful source of revenue as well. Indeed, in some small places like St. Helena the revenue derived from the sale of postage stamps, largely to collectors, makes all he difference between a balanced and in unbalanced budget. Great Britain still sticks to the orthodox "head" stamp—originated with the first postage stamp 99 years ago—but most parts nf the Empire now indulge in pictorial stamps. ,

UNNECESSARY ISSUES.

All these new King George VI stamps nay be looked on as necessary, except perhaps the very high values of some of the sets. But the same cannot be said of many of the new issues which have emanated from foreign countries during 1938. Solely for revenue producing purposes and ostensibly commemorating some historical event (often of the very smallest significance), hundreds of stamps have been issued by foreign countries. The great bulk of them are never used postally

in their country of origin,; but are distributed :■:throughout the world to dealers who- in turn pass them on, „at a profit, to collectors. Serious philatelists are much perturbed at this "new issue racket," but it'seems impossible to stop it as long as there exists the collector with more money to waste-oh worthless rubbish than discrimination. There are, no doubt, quite a number ol^occasions and events which: are worthy of commemoration by the issue of a special set of postage stamps,/but the great majority of the foreign/ commemorative issues and special stamps have no such justification. , THOUSANDS OF NEW STAMPS. . One result is that the general collector is overwhelmed by the number of new stamps which almost daily make their appearance. He has no hope of keeping track with them aIL The number of different stamps issued to date, since postage stamps first appeared in 1840, is somewhere about 70,000, without counting the minor variations which delight the heart of the specialist. This number is being added to at the rate of between 2000 and 3000 each year, hence it is obviously beyond the means of the general collector to keep pace with the new stamps. Collectors are more and more concentrating on particular countries or groups of countries, and even then they are finding it difficult to keep up with all the new issues. Another "racket" which has been prominent in 1938, as in the previous year, has been the issue of what are known as "miniature sheets"—complete sheets of four or so stamps. The revenue from these is derived- solely from collectors, and they have no postal justification Whatever. The field of philately continues to expand- Considerable interest is now being taken in.postmarks used before the days of adhesive postage stamps, and an article in "The Post" a few weeks ago dealt fully with this side of philately. Collectors seem just as keen as ever on "first-day covers." So eager are they to have stamps postmarked with the date of the first day of isuse that forgers have found the supplying of then" wants a very lucrative undertaking. Two of these, gentry are now serving substantial prison j terms in England. Interest in air-mail stamps and covers seems undiminished, high prices being paid for covers carried on special flights. It is probable, however, that special air-mail stamps will gradually gc out of use as the air becomes the natural channel for mail conveyance. A GOOD INVESTMENT. The year 1938 was not remarkable for any wildly exciting philatelic discovery. There were, however, a nuber of auction sales of famous collections, hundreds of pounds being paid for rarities. Indeed, old stamps in good condition continue to soar in price. The old stamps, of course, do not increase in number, while with^ many more wealthy collectors in the field the demand does increase Staipps collected with discrimination are no doubt an excellent investment. Prices of all King George V stamps are already rising steadily. When collectors have acquired all the new King George VI stamps they will be turning their attention to filling in blanks in their King George V sets, and then, with i the increased demand, prices will rise

still further. Old New Zealand stamps, too, are showing a steady appreciation in value. NEW ZEALAND'S ACTIVITIES. As far as New Zealand was concerned, 1938 was not a particularly notable year. Three of the pictorial set have been supplanted by King George VI stamps; Special air-mail stamp^ have been withdrawn; and there has been issued the annual health stamp. But 1939, or January 1, 1940, at the latest, will see the issue of a special set to commemorate the Cen-

tennial» and?this promises to be something out of the ordinary. The y^fear 1940 will also be the centennial of the issue of the first adhesive postage stamp—the famous black penny of Great Britain. Although the parent Country, of postage stamps sternly sets its face against special or commemorative stamps of any description, there have, nevertheless, been one or ttoo occasions when the rule has been relaxed, and such an outstanding event as: the postage stamp's centennial is not likely to pass uncommemorated.