STAMP COLLECTING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 3 April 1929, Page 9

STAMP COLLECTING

THE KING OF HOBBIES AND THE HOBBY OF KINGS FIRST ISSUE LESS THAN 90 YEARS AGO The postage stamp, which has become a necessity to-day, is a comparatively recent invention, as the first .stamp was issued by Great Britain in 1840, less than 90 years ago: As it was of the value of one penny, and black, it is familiarly called the "penny black." We cannot now conceive of the work o'f the post office being carried on without these labels, yet once letters were transmitted by the cash-on-delivery system, a principle which was subject to many abuses. With the advent of the penny black, the collecting fever seized many people in different ways. In 1841 the columns of the "Times" included an advertisement, inserted by a young lady, which invited the public to assist* her in "covering • the walls of her dressing room with cancelled postage stamps." This strange idea did not occur to her only, and we find that "Punch" shortly after said that "the ladies of England show even more anxiety to treasure up Queen's Heads than did Henry VIII. to got rid of them." An official of the British Museum is also known to have taken up collecting in a very different way. He at first regarded stamps as curios, but later, as other countries began to issue them, he became interested in them from the philatelic standpoint. The first firm of stamp dealers, which is still in existence, is known to almost all collectors. Stanley Gibbons and Co. commenced in Plymouth, England, in 1864, and hero Mr Gibbons made the purchase which has become a part of philatelic history. This consisted of a sack of over 1,000,000 Capo of Good Hope stamps, and contained hundreds of the rarer varieties of the triangular labels, which he sold at 3s and 4s each. These are now worth £2OO apiece. Not only do stamp dealers and auctioneers flourish, but collectors have banded together to form philatelic societies and associations. His Majesty King George V. is the president of the Royai Philatelic Society of London, which is perhaps the best known. Societies are to be found in every important city, and many informal ones are known to exist. Stamp' collectors themseLves soon found that there was need for a name which would distinguish the scientific study of postage stamps from the mere accumulation of so many hundred varieties. This they discovered in "philatelie," a word" which Mr Herpin had suggested in 1864. As no Greek equivalent existed for postage stamp, he had combined "philos" (love of) and "atelas" (exempt from tax), and his word moans, strictly, "Jove of that which exempts from tax." Were this derivation better known a large increase in the number of philatelists might result. The word was anglicised into "philately," and has, with its derivatives, taken its place in our language. It should not be supposed that philately and stamp collecting are synonymous; the former is used to designate definite study, while stamp collecting rofers to the mere accumulation. Philatelists have been of service to the postal authorities, often willingly, and even at times unwillingly. in 11899, to give one well-known instance, North Borneo sold £20,800 worth of stamps. The amount necessary to supply the postal demand was almost £BOO, and the other £20,000 came from stamp collectors. Some British colonies have issued stamps' whose only purpose has been to provide funds for parks, public memorials, etc., while many of the smaller republics of South America have been guilty of this practice. This fleecing of collectors has become so general that new issues are net so enthusiastically accepted to-day as was once the case. So seriously were the unnecessary issues of stamps considered that in 189*5 a "Society for the Suppression of Speculative Stamps" was formed by prominent collectors. The object of this association was to determine whetner new issues were designed for collectors or to fill a genuine postal demand. Circulars were sent to all interested at regular intervals advising them of the circumstances surrounding questionable issues, in order that the stamp dealers might not stock them. It was found, however, that the promulgators of the scheme were speculating in the stamps they themselves had banned, and the project failed. Perhaps the phase of the hobby which most interests non-collectors concerns the value of stamps. It is usually, quite erroneously, supposed that age is the factor which determines the market value oi a stamp. This is not the case, for the scarcity, coupled with the popularity of the issuing country, determines its worth. The rarest stamp in the world was issued in 1856, in British Guiana, 16 years after the first stamp. This colony was awaiting a supply of new stamps from England, and as these did not come to hand in time, two provisionals, 1 c. and 4 c, were deemed necessary. The printer of the local newspaper was instructed to prepare these, and ho set up his design from movable type, placing in the centre a picture of a vessel which was usually found at the heading of his shipping column. Only one copy of the one cent stamp is known to exist, and, although this is a damaged copy, and in a badly faded magenta, it was sold several years ago for £7343. Another stamp from the same colony is also very rare, as only eleven specimens exist. In 1896 an old lady found two of those among her papers, and, thinking that they would fetch a little money put them into the offertory bag at one of the church services. They realised £205 at auction, and the pair has since been sold for £I4OO. Philatelists themselves, however, are not so interested in the monetary side of the hobby as in finding out the circumstances in which stamp's have been issued. One of the most humorous incidents in connection with the issue of stamps occurred when, by some strange mischance, a set appeared in France bearing the words, "The Rights of Man." To vent their righteous indignation, the ladies of Paris issued some labels of their own inscribed "The Rights of Women." The later were not available for postage. It may be remembered that when the question of the Panama Canal was agitating public opinion a considerable party was in favour of taking the canal through Nicaragua. Feeling ran high, and a statement made by one of tiie Panama party, that Nicaragua was a volcanic country and not suitable for the canal, met with a fiat denial. But the Panama advocate provided each member of Congress with a jtficaraguan stamp showing a volcano in full blast, and this proved one of the strongest arguments for the Panama party. Such incidents might be multiplied many times, and yet the half would not be told. The fascination of stamp collecting is a many-sided one; to the busy man, it may appeal on account of the ease with which it may bo set aside and again taken up; to those who have not long purses the facilities for gaining specimens attract; for many it gratifies

the instincts of the chase—in short, the hobby is of interest to all classes. Not only arc its numerous attractions invariably sufficiently strong to maintain the fascination whifth comes to the beginner, but the financial side is also satisfactory to those who like to feel that their money is well spent, even on an amusement. " Well may philately be called "The King of Hobbies and" the Hobby of Kings."