PHILATELY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2823, 22 April 1908, Page 66

PHILATELY.

Many people ire at a loss to understand th-3 fascination that surrounds the pursuit of stamp collecting. Thoy are surprised at the clamishr.esa of stamp collectors and their life-long devotion to their hobby. They are thunderstruck at the enormous prices paid for rare stamps, and at the fortunes that are spent and made m stamp collecting. After nearly half a century of existence stamp collecting has never i beon more popular than it is to-day. A tired worker m search of a hobby may be persuaded t-ha>b of all recreations that are open to him, none is moro attractive a.nd more e&tisfying than atamp-ooiecting. Its literature is more abundant than chat devoted to any other hobby. Its votaries are to be found m every city and town. Governments and statesmen recognise unsolicited the claims of stamp-collecting — the power, the influence, and the wealth that it commands. From a mere schoolboy pastime, it steadily developed into an engrossing hobby for the leisured and the busy of all classes and all rankt of life, ! from the monarch to the errand boy m the merchant's office. In the competition of the modern life it is recognised that those who must work also play. The physician assures us ihat the man who allows no relaxation, no recreation, loee his energy and ages earlier than the man who judiciously alternates play and work. Ac 6tamp-collecting may be indulged m by all ages and at all seasons, it is becoming the i more favourite indoor relaxation with brain workers, it may be taken up or laid down at any time, and at any stage. Its cost may be limited to cents or dollars, and it may be made a pleasant pursuit or an engrossing study, or it may even be diverted into money-making purposes. So absorbing is the hobby that m stamp circles there is a saying, 'once a stamp collector, always a stamp collector." The stamps known as those if " the German army of oeoupation," or Alsace and Lorraine," properly telongto a list of French stamps, but philatelically they are more conveniently considered, as m the catalogue, as part of jhe German group. The earlier of these were issued by the Germane wher they took possession of the post and telegraph offices during their victorious march through France. Doing nothing by halves, the Germans not fonly ueed these establishmente for military purposes, but maintained an efficient postal service for the residents remaining m the conquered territory. In England, so early as September, 1862, the fiiist number appeared of a paper that devoted the major portion of its contents to stamp subjects. The Monthly Advertiser, Liverpool, however, is regarded as the prototype of th© prolific stamp papers of later days; the first number bore the publication date of December 15, 1862. Mount Brown's famous catalogues first appeared m 1862 and the first edition of Dr Gray's series was issued late m the same year. The earliest catalogues devoted exclusively to collecting no doubt are Ber-ger-Levrault's work, first edition, September, 1861, and the catalogue of Potiquet, Paris, December, 1861. The celebrated Moens, of , Brussels, began his admirable catalogues with the first of 1862, and to him, more than anyone else, perhaps, philately ia indebted for continuous philatelic publishing service; the high character of his earliest productions even, gave them an individuality that made them noteworthy examples of philatelic printed matter. La Revue Postale enlightens the unknowing, with regard, to the origin of the name " Turk's Islands." It says fcha.t when the islands were discovered' the oadus melon was found there m great quantity. Sometimes the head of the melon is as bjg as" ; a man's fist. In England the name Turk's head" wae given to the fruit, whence it passed to the islande on which it grew. It is natural, perhaps, that there should be something of a boom m the stamps of bweden, consequent on the change m the monarchy, just as there will probaly be an increase of interest m the stamps of Portugal and colonies as a result of the abominable tragedy at Lisbon. The great national events of the day undoubtedly affect the trend of matters philatelic to a very great extentt. A London paper says:— "In view of the fall that has taken pace on the Stock Exchange, even m many gilt-edged securities, it is surprising to find stamps advancintr so well." b I am again indebted to Wilcox, Smith and Co. for Stanley Gibbons' Catalogue Part 1, 1908. Tlie new edition this year has been awaited with unusual interest, owing to the many suggestions for simplifying the hobby. The publishers have, however, taken no steps to differentiate •between "standard" and "minor" varieties, and have even added to the latter number at the expense of new issues. I 'have been looking through the various editions of this catalogue, commencing with No. 6 of 1891 (the eaj-liest I possess, unfortunately), and they throw an interesting aide light on some burning philatelio questions of the day. Rumours, faimt, but still tangible, are afloat concerning a find of old triangular Cape of Gcod Hope's, consisting, so it is said, of .one or more sheets of each of the De la R u e printings. Coming events ca6t their shadows before, and we caw a pretty big shadow the other day m blooks of four of the Id, 4d, and 6d values, m the possession of a collector who- has never been known to pay more than half catalogue. Trade depression has, unfortunately, had a bad effeot on et&mp-collectina throughout j

the Cape and Natal. Many ardent philatelists, m out of the way townships, have had to close down until the mining and farming industries look up a bit.

M. Le Comte Diirrieu, weil-known as the owner of the grandest collection of French stamps m the world, has been elected a member of l'Academic des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres cf France, m .the place of M. Lair. M. Le Comte Durrieu has spent some mnths m London, chiefly at the British Museum, collecting information for a great work he is engaged upon m connection with another of-his hobbies.