PHILATELY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2513, 14 May 1902, Page 56

PHILATELY.

By Pelure.

' THE TWELVE PENCE, CANADA, Is a stamp which for rarity stands on a par with the scarce early issues of British Guiana and Mauritius, and is seldom met with even in the finest collections and the largest exhibitions ©f stamps. Its history is interesting. In iB5l Canada issued her first stamps, consisting of two values, 3d and 6d, rwhich denoted the postage for single and double letters respectively within the colony. At that period the postage to Great Britain was Is, and it was thought necessary to order stamps of that value. It is rather striking that the denominaition should have been given as "twelve jpenee," and not "one shilling," but we have a somewhat similar occurrence, though less marked, in the shilling values of New (Brunswick and Nova Scotia, for we notice jthat in the corners of these the values are nenoted by the figure "12" in addition to the words "one shilling" at the side. The design of this 12-penny stamp was the head of the late Queen Victoria, to the left as in the familiar design of the Queensland stamps. The colour was deep black, and the stamps imperforate as in tlve other Values, but no one seems to know of how Ibany stamps the entire issue then consisted. The paper was thin ribbed ; another issue, said to be of 1852, was printed W plain wove paper, but no decree authorising this printing is to be found, and wie value in this 6tate was never issued. JThe whole issue on ribbed paper consisted bf 50,000 stamps, which" -were printed by Raisdon and Co., of New York, for the .Government of Canada. { The scarcity of this stamp has always been so great that it was many y»>ars before its existence became" generally known, Rnd the earlier catalogues either do not mention it at all or consider it as an "essay." In the early seventies, however, several copies became known, and the attention of collectors was drawn to this great rarity, of which, according to official records, only 800 were sold at post offices, the remaining 49,200 being destroyed, though when or where no one knows. This 12-perihy value had a very short life only, for almost immediately after its issue the postage to Great Britain was reduced to •lOd; which caused the issue of the blue stamp of that value with the head of Ca3bot, thus doing away with the need for a. shilling stamp. Another reason for its great scarcity was the practice at that .time in vogue of not prepaying postage, owing to the popular belief that unpaid letters on which the postage was collected Dn delivery travelled more safely than Stamped ones, the amount of postage being the same in either case.

If any speculative philatelist has been looking forward to a possible "corner" in bhe new British postage stamps on the strength of the rumour that the recent issue was to be withdrawn, he is doomed to disappointment (says the Daily News). The report was due to the fact that the ■King's head faces the same way as did XJueen Victoria's, instead of being reversed, 'as precedent decrees it should be in the case of the coinage when a new Sovereign »uceeeds. In the case of stamps, however, there was^ — thanks to the length of the (Victorian Age — no English precedent to follow, for postage stamps were one of the innumerable products of the record reign. Prom inquiries made at the General Post Office by the Westminster Gazette, it appears, however, that the authorities carefully investigated the practice of foreign countries, and found that there was no such rule as obtains in the case of our coinage. jThe authorities could, indeed, have satisfied themselves on that point from the pages of any schoolboy's stamp album, /where they might have seen, not only that the heads of two successive Sovereigns often face the same way, but also that one head sometimes faces different ways in different issues. Indeed, if we are not mistaken, it is the fact that in certain colonial stamps our late Queen's head faces right instead of left, as on our British stamps.

Ia tite&e days .Qfjiigantic trusts the etamn

trade is not being left out in the cold. The other day I chronicled the Collection Company of New York, with a capital of 490,000d01, and now we have the Imperial Stam/p Exchange, Limited, being launched on the London market with a capital of £100,100. "The surcharge 'Cave' on the 6c Ceylon stamps is the name of the firm, 'H. W. Cave and Co., of Colombo.' It is always their custom to surcharge the stamps they use in this manner, and similar surcharges are made by other Ceylon firms, though 'Cave' is the worst offender." We read in the Metropolitan Philatelist that there is great reason to suspect that the remainders of postage stamps of the United States overprinted Cuba, which it will be remembered were withdrawn and formally burned, were really purloined by two men named Neely and Rathbone, and bogus packages sent to the furnace instead. The Government are now prosecuting these ]>ersons at Havana for the fraud, and their case appears to be a strong one. The total value of the stamps destroyed, or officially ordered to be destroyed, was 310.000d01. How much of this really went to the furnace is still a matter of dispute. It is 1 alleged that a total of 150,(X>0dol worth ; were sold to postmasters, and the cash pocketed by Ncely and accomplices. We 1 imagine Uncle Sam will not rest until he I has bottomed this matter, for it appears to be one of great gravity. Philatelists will rejoice at- the news that arrangements have at last been made to allow detailed inspection of the stamps bei queathed to the British Museum by the late Mr Tapling. The collection is said to be the second best in the world (the best being the property of a French collector), and so far -as the older and more valuable stamps are concerned, it is practically complete. The forma* plan of exhibiting the stamps of one country at a time in a glass case has naturally been disappointing to earnest amateurs,, who might have been kept waiting for years before some stamps in which they were particularly interested were thus placed on view. At the same time, it was very necessary to protect such perishable treasures, not only from the touch ol careless fingers, but also from undue exposure to the light. Now, however, special cabinets have been devised and constructed to overcome these difficulties, and the national stamp collection will shortly be available for those purposes of reference and comparison which it was intended to fulfil. Although not essentially a Federal matter (says the Australian Journal of Philately), we must express our gratification at the marked improvement in the New South Wales stamps now being issued. This is mainly owing to the fact that they are (printed on new paper which has been gummed in England. It has been proved that printing on gummed paper obviates the likelihood of colours running while being submitted to the gumming process afterwards. Another cause of the improvement is that better inks are being u.«ed, and greater care is being exercised in the effort to turn out an article creditable in every way to the premier State of the Commonwealth. Had the Queensland stamps recently issued with serrated perforations been printed on previously -gummed paper, the trouble experienced would not have arisen. The probabilities are, therefore, that we shnll see «a return to the use of the serrated process, which is> that of perforating the &ta-mps whilst being printed. " Owing to what perversity i 1 - il that British postage stamps do not bear the name of our country? Is this an instance of our proverbial insular pride?" asks "Collector," in the course of a letter to the Standard. NEW ISSUES. Natal.— The Chief Postmaster of this colony states that his new King Edward stamps will probably be issued next month. Sirmoor. — This Indian State's issues have been all retired, and Indian Empire stamps will in future be used. South Australia. — The 9d value has been issued on Crown and S.A. paper. Spain. — It is said that a series of commemorative postage stamps will be issued on the occasion of the young King's Coronation. There will be 13 values, each of which will show the head of one of the 13 King Alfonsos who have reigned over the destinies of Spain. A unique notion, if true! Great Britain. — It is announced that the British postal authorities intend issuing a Coronation stamp.

British Guiana. — The colour of the 6c has been changed from lilac and brown to grey and ultramarine.

U.'S.A. — We are informed that the Post Office dejjartanerit. U.S.A.. ia contemniat-

ing the issue of a new series of stamps, in which som© of the familiar portraits will be displaced by new ones, and which will also include a 13c stamp, to cover the rates of foreign postage and registration. On this new series the name will appear beneath each portrait. — American Journal of Philately.

St. Kitts. — It is reported that special stamps are to be issued for St. Christopher. The old plates will be brought into iise for a time until the new series, with views of the island, can be prepared. French Colonies. — Apparently the French postal authorities are "ringing the changes" in connection with the stamps of the French colonies. Stamp-dealing must be a profitable game for the manufacturers. Where is Hoi Hao?!!