FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

Evening Star, Issue 22193, 22 November 1935, Page 2

FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

[By Philatelist.] The Dunedin Philatelic Club held its monthly meeting in the Y.M.C.A. rooms last Thursday evening, 30 members being present. Two new members were elected, and two visitors were weK corned. The president, who had_ just returned from a visit to Great Britain, gave a short account of the famous Tapling collection, which is housed in the British Museum, and which he had made a point of seeing. The principal business of the evening «was a talk by Mr S. Mi Lusk on ‘ Are We the Mugs?’ This proved to be a yery_ interesting dissertation on the exploitation of stamp collectors by Governments _of stamp issuing countries, with partciular reference "to Italy, Russia, Albania, and Uruguay.' The issue of commemorative stamps, especially those of high value, also brought well-merited condemnation. Sales of stamps as between members brought the evening to a close. Both the Gibbons and the Whitfield King 1936 catalogues have many new. features to study and discuss. For ample, the size of the pages of the Gibbons catalogue has been altered for the first time in 30 years. The or the increase is that, although much important new material is included, the volume contains 300 fewer pages than last year, and is less bulky and easier, to handle. Messrs Gibbons are to ha congratulated on taking this step. The striking advance in the quality and interest of stamp designs in 1935 is excellently shown in the catalogue, for it lists and illustrates every new issue of, the year, including the 245 British Empire Jubilee issues. As compared with the 1935 catalogue, more than 26,000 stamps have been repriced, most of them having been marked up. The ‘ Australian Stamp Monthly,’ ut its October number, states that the 2s Jubilee stamp is scarce. Not only ara mint copies unobtainable at post offices,but used specimens are difficult to obtain. The reissue of the 2d Anzaa stamp, following upon the exhaustion, of the 2d Jubilee, indicates that large stocks of the former had been held in reserve. The Is Anzac, however, is unlikely to appear again, as the printing was very small, and any surplus stocks would be held back for specimen sets. The 2d An?ac has several shade variations, its has the 2d Jubilee and the 3d Jubilee; but these are inevitable in any large printing. According to information'supplied by .Mr H. G., Smith,’ of Auckland, to the ‘ Australian Stamp Monthly,’ the Jubilee series of New Zealand was withdrawn from issue on Jmie 22 last, and the remaining stocks weredestroyed.• The official figures, as given by Mr Smith, are: Printed: id, 6,000,000; Id,10,000,000 : 6d, 500,000. Sold: id, 4,800,000; Id, 8,400,000 ; 6d, 320,000. Mr Smith- also supplies the following figures obtained frojn the DirectorGenetal of Port and Telegraphs, relative •to the Jubilee issues, of Cook Islands, Niue,- and* Samoa. -.Quantities printed: Cook - Islands—ld, 144,000; 2id, 88,000 ; 6d, 'BB,OOO. Niue—ld. 120,000 ; 2-Jd, 88,000 ; 6d. 68,240. Samoa —ld, 129,120; 2]d, 65,040; 6d, 60,480. All series were withdrawn, from use on August 6. ' Probably no series of stamps has created so much enthusiasm amongst collectors ■as has the Silver Jubilee issue. So keen and unprecedented has’ been the demand that dealers have found it quite fill _ allc. orders received. Whether further printings will be made or not is; a matter, of speculation. Some pf ■ thc_ Crowm colonies may issue further supplies, hue it is not at all likely that 'additional printings will he -general. Meantime prices are sparing. It should be borne in mind, however, that large quantities must be held in reserve both by collec-’ tors and speculators, which sooner ora later will be unloaded on to the markets In all probability prices fdr the lowerdenominations will tend to ease shortly, but the higher values of most countries, especially if in good used condition, ara likely to remain firm.Melbourne stamp auctions report good attendances at the four, sales held during September, when the total offerings comprised 470, lots, ,of which only a' small proportion were , passed in. A gratifying feature is the increased attention being given by purchasers to th» early issues of Australian States and New Zealand. For quite a number of years these have been comparativelyneglected, but during recent months the demand for good and fine early items has been greater than the supply. Sales of Australian Commonwealth have been limited to the better _ quality high values, etc., but recent issues and the lower' value commemoratives are exceedingly difficult to place.: _ British colonies and also foreign are being purchased freely at slightly higher prices than those ruling at the auctions some months ago.