WHY OLD STAMPS ARE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1844, 25 March 1887, Page 31

WHY OLD STAMPS ARE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD.

The issue of the new series of postage stamps calls to mind the fact that, though it is now only 46 years since Sir Rowland Hill gave to the world the black portrait of her Majesty which was the predecessor of the present penny stamp, nearly 2250 specimens 'have been issued by the British Post Office. Of these, the old red penny stamp, and those whioh -accompanied it, had the longest reign. But they were cumbersome and easily forged; and a few years ago, when the Post Office began to experimentalise, they gave way to the very wishy-washy stampß which we have used, with an occasional change by way of variety, since the good old bridk-red portrait of her Majesty was "improved " off the faces of our letters. It may fairly be said that when the British Post Office commenced to change the colour of its stamps, an absolute thrill of excitement passed over the philatelic world. These changes have not been without their effect, for the revival of the statnpcollecting mania is announced. Schoolboys, and not only schoolboys, but those who have long left the playground, are busily engaged in buying, selling, and exchanging one or other of the 50,000 specimens of postage stamps which are known to be in existence. About 10 years ago the stamp mania proper showed eigns of waning. Since then stamp collecting has been somewhat dormant. Enthusiasts, such as M. De Ferrari, the the famous Parisian collector, Mr Taplin, M.P., Mr Philbrick, Q.C., Sir Daniel Cooper, and numerous philatelic societies in Great Britain and elsewhere, have gone on steadily. But the gigantic craze which seized hold of boys in every part of the world, which gave rise to journals of stamp-collecting without number, and which sent tha price of very ordinary specimens to a premium, has vanished. Of the merits of stamp-collecting as a pursuit it- would be somewhat difficult to speak. Yet, when we consider that men learned in law, members of Parliament, financiers, diplomatists, and eminent literary men have adopted the pastime, it must be confessed that there is more in it than is seen by the unphilatelic eye. At the present time a used specimen of the first English postage stamp is worth perhaps a penny or twopence ; unused they have sold for as high as half-a-crown. There is one particular kind of them, originally manufactured for an experiment only, which are said to be worth '€6 each. These have the letters V.R. in the two top corners, in place of the stars which are to be found in those most generally seen in stamp-albums. The Mulready envelope was one of the first postage stamps used in England ; and the aasthetically-inclined have often regretted that it was allowed to go out of existence. The Mulready envelope was designed by the eminent Royal Academician of that name. Its work and design, despite the cheap wit which was levelled at it at the time and the humourous description of the figures is really beautiful ; and it is to be regretted that the envelope was allowed to lapse. Fora good specimen of the Mulready envelope as much as half-a-sovereign is frequently given. An unused one, indeed, would fetch a good deal more. The envelope had, as will be seen by examination of the back, a piece of silk woven in the paper. It was thought that this would be a prevention of forgery, and would not give the " letter-tamperer " a chance. This plan has frequently been tried since, and is still in vogue by some .envelope makers abroad, but it was found wanting. A clever forger, or an ingenious man who ■ wished to open a letter, took care to do so in such a manner that the silk was left alone. A genuine specimen of the first fourpenny stamp would always realise the full market value of from £8 to £10. Very few of the English stamps, howe/er, approach in value those of the earlier colonial and foreign issues. The most valuable stamp in the world is a British Guiana, which, when it was issued, was sold at the Post Office for twopence, and whioh is now worth £150. It is said to be the only specimen in existence. Of the twocent issues of the same stamp there are only four specimens. One of these is held by Mr Taplin, M.P., another by a Birmingham gentleman, and another by M. de Ferrari ; the fourth is also in France. None of their owners would take £50 for them, bo that these four stamps may be said to be worth £200. The value of a stamp consists, of .course, in its rarity. In an ordinary postage stamp there is not propably more than a fraction of the tenth of a farthing's worth of paper. But when that piece* of paper happens to be the only one in the world impressed with certain marks, its value increases as in these stamps. Certain issues of our stamps have had their value inoreased by the' strangest accidents. On one occasion a number of stamps, were sent into Wai* without She customary pSr*

forakon; they were of the penny "bricfc red " variety. But because,the 240 of them which comprised the pound's worth were the only ones ever sent out in suchV^. manner, they are now worth £2 apiece 1 So that this sovereign's worth of stamps might now f •tch £480 if it could be got together. „ Another very valuable stamp is the yellow envelope issued for Mauritius in 1865. A good specimen, even though used, is worth just £90. Two specimens of the Reunion stamps, issued in 1852 are always worth £100 the pair. The extent of the stamp-collecting world is not generally known. - There is a society, meeting at certain intervals in the rooms of one of the best known of her Majesty's Q.C.s, which has its correspondents in everycivilised land; and the beforementioned authority states that at one time the Prince of Wales was an enthusiastic collector, and that finding on one occasion that he ' was short of some valuable specimens of English postage stamps, he went down to Somerset House and ordered them to make him some. The anecdote is more appropriate, than truthful, we fear. Prince George of Wales was at ©ne time an ardent picker up of unconsidered trifles of this description, and his album at the present time is said' to be worth a great deal. One of the Rothschilds is also a collector. - , - - The most valuable collection in the world is worth £100,000 1 It is that of the beforementioned M. de Ferrari. He is said to be one of the richest men in the world, and employs a learned philatelist to look after his albums in return for the modest salary of £600 a year. He paid, it is variously said, from £8000 to £10,000 for Mr Philbrick's collection, and almost as much for that of Sir Daniel Cooper. yStamp forgery has become quite a trade. In Germany and in America there are really large firms whose business it is to closely imitate valuable stamps, and sell them to' confiding collectors. Some of their forgeries are very cleverly executed, and it must be remembered that many stamps, and particularly those issued by Russia, by Brazil, and by other countries, before the era of the present thin stamps, are very easily imitated. The stamp forger is generally an advertising tout. His advertisements are aimed at the unwary, and they frequently hit; JJut by joining a philatelic society any ardent collector can fortify himself -against these unprincipled individuals. In the albums of collectors all over the country there are said to be locked away over £1,000,000 worth of these exceedingly valuable little scraps of paper., There are many who collected 10 or 20 years ago, and who at the present time might realise i very handsomely. And if the stamp mania that is coming attains the dimensions expected, it is probable that a rise in value of from 15 to 30 per cent, in all stamps except the " common continentals " may be expected. It is said that, all told, theie are over 500 porsons in the world who make their livings by the selling and exchanging of used •stamps. , V j -