PHILATELY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 56

PHILATELY.

Ey Pelure.

Recently a medal was offered by the Philalelic Society of New York for the finest collection of a hundred unused stamps submitted in a competitive exhibition. There

were seven exhibits, Messrs H. J~. Crocker *nd John N. Luff being among the number. Tho judges, in the end, awarded the medal to Mr W. H. SussdorfL The following were nmongst the hundred stamps: —

U.S., 1847, sc, on laid paper U.S., 1847, 10c, on laid paper U.S., 1851, sc. brown U.S., 1855, sc. brick-red U.S., 1861, 3c. red, Premier Giavure U.S., 1661, 10c green, Premier Gravure U.S., 1661, 2ic. violet, Premier Gra\ure U.S., 1861, sc. mustard U.S., 1862, 3c scarlet U.S., 1867, 3c, impcrf., embcose-d all o»-er U.S., 1873, State Uept., sdol U.S., 1873, State Dept., lOdoi U.S., 1873, State Dept., 20dol U.S., 1875, re-issue of 1861, 00c. blue U.S., 1875, new:spap?r No. ::6, C B X. Co. U.S , 1875, newspaper No. 18 U.S., 1901, 2c. inverted tram Argentine, 1691, 20 pesos Azores, 1868, 5 rei9 Azores, 1863, 10 rei9 Azores, 1885, 100 reis

Bavaria, 1849, 6kr., broken cncle Bavaria, 1876, 1 mark Belgium, 1851, 20c , framed Bztzil, 1845-6, 600 reis 8.C.A., 1891, £10 Br. Columbia, 1665, sc, pair Cuba, 1888-9, 3c. on 3rn., 2so. 206 Cuba, 188S-9, 3c. on 3m., No. 205b Cuba, 1868-9, sc. on 4m., No. -217 Finland, 1891-2, 3J roubles, error France, 1876, 25c, Type I Germany, 1875, 50pfg, error Great Britain, 1854, 6p. violet Grenada, 1888-9, 4p. on lsh. Hawaii, 1853, sc, on thick paper Hawaii, 1859-65, lc. pa'e blue on bluish. Hong Kong, 1865-77, 18c, CC Hong Kong, i)6c. yellow-brown liabuan, 1880, Idol on 16c. blue Lagos, 1885, lOsh. Lagos, 1875, lsh., CC, 14 Montserrat, 1884, 3p. b'ue, CA. Nevis, 1867, -lsh yellow-green Newfoundland, 1857, 6\p. scarlet Newfoundland, 1807, 4p. oracge New South Wale 3, 1853, 5p., imperf. Nova "Scotia, lbol, 6p. yellow-green JTova Scotia, 1651, lsh. red-violet O.F. State, 1881, 3d. on 4d., Type P. Philippines, 1854, sc, die A Philjxjpines, 1854, 10c. rose Philippines, 1855, sc. vermilion Philippines, 1855, sc. vermihou, re-cng. Porto Rico, 1677, sc, eiror

forto Rico, 1877, 10c , error

As a result of the long-continued influx of South African war provi'-ionals and regular fctamp sets— whether surcharged or otherwise — we hear and see very little of the interesting trio of older Boer issues — viz.: — Stellaland, 1881 ; New Republic, 1886 ; and Swaziland, 1889. They seem to bo almost forgotten, and a bnef note regarding the different series may prove acceptable. Swaziland is a small Kaffir State, south-east of the Transvaal. It is peopled by about 60.000 blacks of a race closely related to the Zulus and by about 1000 white. After this tract of land had come under the administration of the South African Republic, the Boer Government extended their own postal system to it, issuing October, 1889, a set of stamps created simply by overprinting in black five values of the Transvaal stamps of 1885— the new desien of the Second Republic — with tho name Swaziland in lower case- sanserif letters; £d to Is. The next year saw the remaining higher values, Es 6d to 10s, treated in a similar manner, followed in 1892 by the halfpenny value overprinted in red instead of black.

The edito- of the "Xew Issue" columns of '}. leading London Philatelic Journal has compiled a list of the number of times each country has been mentioned during the last 12. months. Naturally Great Britain is an easy first, owing to the many references to tho long-expected King's He*d issues. Nexl in order come the following: — United States, Transvaal, New Zealand. .Vicing

At the other end of the table, we get the following : — Nil. Egypt, Hnyti, Honduras, Luxemburg, San Marino, Straits Settlements, Tonga, Turks Island--, Western Austiaha. A Denmark, Fmlniid, Gibraltar, Grenada, Lagos, Leeward Islands, Montenegro, Xorway, Portugal, Siam, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Turkey. B Hungary, Iceland, Fiji, Liberia. C Canada, etc.

D Labuan, etc.

Some of theae, I fear, are but doimant volcanoes, but in any case cueh a> record from Honduras, Montenegro, San Marino and C<>. is wonderful. It is rather startling to find that those countries which have given mo»t trouble to the recorder are- almost without exception the mo-t popular, e\ idence which would seem to show that at heait collectors like frequent new issues, although tiiey don't always care to admit it. It cannot be denied that many ot tho countries and colonies at the bottom ol our li'-t are amongst the least popular.

The 5d of South Australia close "0.5.," both 13 and 15 perforations, are veiy scarce stamps. Tho following explanation is given why they should be so seldom seen: — In 1893-95, a supply of the £d, Id, 2d, 4d, 6d, and sd, winch would all be perf. 15, were surcharged for official use, and were put away into stock, awaiting- requisitions from the \arious department*. There was all the time a large stock (considering the infrequent use of this value) of the surcharged 5d on 6d, brown, in hand which was evidently overlooked by the stamp printer, consequently they were not issued. This is borne out by the f at t that the -latter were still being used well into the year 1900, and by some departments to this clay. There was a further printing of tho surcharge of the sd, brow n-pm pic, in 1899. These- would, of course, be perf. 13, and not being in immediate demand were put away into stock, th& sheets being placed on top of th© previous printing, perf. 15. Thie would account for the former being used befoie the latter. There being such a pmall demand for the 5d "0.5." stamp, neither printing would be large, and consequently both are scarce.

In the course of a leading article on the Tapling Collection, the editor of the London Philatelist writes: — ''We are informed that the grant for the purchase of the>-jiew show eases will be included in this j - car's estimates, that their manufacture will be promptly proceeded with, and that in a few months tho whole of this superb collection will bo displayed for the delectation, of the thousands of collector.-,, dealers, and Philatelists who annually visit the great metropolis." "What is meant, we wonder, by '"collectors, dealers, and PJiilateliets" ': I-. tins a gentle indication that the Philatelist — with a capital "P," mark you ! — is neither a collector nor a dealer 1 ' — or does it mean that he is a. combination of botli? However, this is merely by the nay. In tho language of the immortal Toots it U "a matter of no consequence \vhate\cr "

M. Mougoot. tho French Unuer-Seore-tary of State, for Pots and Telegraphs, has long been pegging away at the quebuon of an international postage s-tamp, by menus of which anyone desiring to do to could pay small amounts in ptamps «,r -pnd an addressed cn 3 Aelop ready stamped for a reply. Mr Mouceot, however, appears to have droppp-tl the idea of an international adhr*!\e, for his latest proposal is for embopsetl em elopes only.

NEW ISSUES

| German Empire.— l have received copies 'of tho new «c»*ici.-, with tiio inscription changed so as to make, it acceptable to Wurtomberg, and possibly in time to Bavaria also. The label at foot on the \alues below 1 mark has been extended across the whole width of the stamp, so as to gi\e room for the words "Deutvches Reich," which take the place, of "lie-u hspost." On the- 5 marks the label at top i»- lengthened by the suppression of the ornament? at each end of it : on the other values room has be-en found for the new inscription without any other alteration : — 2 (pf.), grey. 3 (pf.), brown. 5 (pf.), green. 10 (pf ), carmine. 20 (pf.), ultraiuaiinc 25 (pf.), black and oiaoge on yellow. 30 (pf.), biack and orange on buff 40 (pf.), black and carmine. 50 (pf.), biack and lilac on buff. 80 (pf.), black and carmme on rc-e. 1 mark, carmine. 2 marks, deep blue 3 marks, violet. 5 marks, lake, frame in black. Straus Settlement-. — Kint? Kdward Stamps. I am indebted to Wilcox. .Smith, 'and Co. for firot sight of King Eclnaid btanißvi of tiiia ©Qlojay ;

Adhesives ■ Head of King Edward. Wink, Crown CA., p. 14. 3c. lilac and red (value on lined ground).

Be. hlac on blue (value on plain ground)

They are of the general colonial type, with values in hexagons, and inscribed "Postage and Revenue at sides*. The day of first issue is stated to be April 20.

France. — It is stated that the French Post Officea in foreign countries are to be supplied with stamps of similar types to those now current in France, but with the name of the place inserted and "Republique Francaise"' replaced by "'Bureau Francais" or "Post(^ Franc-aises," the altered denomination of \alue (if any) to be still denoted by a s.m charge.