PHILATELY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 69

PHILATELY.

Br Pelue*.

Germany’s Recruits.—There is no countr* where greater attention has been given to the encouraging of stamp-collecting and the fostering of philatelic tendencka amongst the schoolboys than in Germany ■, At the last German national convention of philatelic societies at Carlsbad, Mr Fran* Balke, a well-known pedagogist and writer, read an excellent paper entitled “Philatelic Training for Youths.” The author relates that in 1899 the Revue Pbilatelique Fran-, eaise addressed to a number of philatelist* a few questions, of which the first and most important read: “What must be done and what must be avoided in order that the collecting of postage stamps may be continued in its present state?” There is as much reason for a serious .consideration of that question to-day as there was 10 years ago, and to us, who have given so little thought to the subject, it may be j of interest to learn the views of a German j teacher and educator. With ' “philatelic training for youths” the author means a systematic training of youngsters having •> the collecting instinct, so that they .mayH become reasoning, order-loving, and think-1 ing postage stamp collectors. ■ In his opinion there are two kinds of philateiio training for youths. One is a training from a strictly philatelic point of view. The other is a creation of interest in philately by its introduction in the school work and its treatment from a pedagogic point of view. The latter method is more prepaia- ’ tory, and suitable for schoolboys up to 14years of age. The strictly philatelic training is more concerned with the modern know'ledge of postage stamps, with skilled philatelists as teachers and boys of from 14to 18 years as pupils. Two Cent Hawaii. —It is not generally knowui that at the recent sale at Paris of the great Mirabaud collection Mr Philipp Kosack, of Berlin, bought the 2 cent Hawaii, Type I, for £IOOO. With the -exception that half of the outside heavy, frame line has been sliced off at the bottom, the copy is beautiful and very lightly, cancelled. The- copy of this great rarity which came into the possession of the German Postal Museum about five years ago is of Type 11, is very heavily cancelled, and has the upper right band 1 corner missing. Mr Kosack illustrates both copies in his publication, the Berliner Briefmarken Zeifcun.g, and relates, without giving the name of the new owner, that the copy purchased by him has already changed hands. On the two-shilling green, Victoria, 1858. imperforate; on the two shillings, blue on green, 1864, there is the inscription in the upper scroll work under the label “Victoria,” in minute letters, at left “one” and at right “florin.” On the sixpence of the same type the inscription at left i« “six” and at right “nonce.” Evidently, “shillings” would require too much space, and as two shillings were one florin, the space-saving solution was a happy one. This florin has nothing in common with the old English gold florin of the fourteenth century, w'hos© value w T as 10a 6d. About five months ago we stated that the Turkish Minister of the Interior had given instructions to all Turkish post offices to confiscate all letters and other postal matter coming from Crete franked with Cretan stamps surcharged Hellas (Greece), or in any other manner referring to Greece. As our readers will have observed, the Cretan question has been in considerable evidence in the daily papers lately, and we understand that the four Protectorate Powers have, at the request of Turkey, made strong representations to the Cretan authorities on the subject of the overprint “Greece.” An ultimatum has been delivered, reported to threaten the refusal on the part of European postal administrations to carry letters franked with Cretan stamps unless the overprint is abandoned. This ultimatum has to be answered as soon as the deputies assemble. Crete, nothing daunted, has. ordered a complete new supply of sur-i charger stamps from London, including even postage duo stamps, and has already issued part of them. Has the red surcharge any significance? . Note also the change in the 25 lepta; the 25 lepta just superseded had the portrait of

Mr Zamis, High Commissioner, appointed by the Powers. In September, 1910, Chili will celebrate the centenary of her independence, and I understand that there will be three distinct issues to commemorate this event. Two jivif! be for general purposes and one for a special purpose, which I hope to describe fully when the stamps appear. The Canal Zone, in some disrepute on account of the efforts of dealers to make unending varieties of surcharges, will see its highest popularity later, as gradually the eyes of all the world will watch the completion of the canal. I predict that U.S. possessions in Central America and around the isthmus will. -be considerably extended before or shortly after its completion. The world's interests will be furthered by mare stability of government and less revolutions in so important a commercial territory as it will then become. The Latins, since Caesar, . have not shown particular evidences of carrying out the highest ideas of civilisation, and it remains for the "Barbarians' " descendants, the Anglo-Saxons, to fulfil them. All of which indirectly concerns philately. A remarkable scheme for raising the price of postage stamps has just been found successful by the Servian Government. Recently a large number of stamps issued in 1903, which bear the obliterated head of King Alexander, were found in the warehouses of the postal department. For these stamp collectors offered £6OOO. Be fore any deal was effected a brilliant idea struck one of the postal attaches. Nikola Taditch. He suggested that if half of the stamps were destroyed the remainder would greatly increase in value. This scheme met with approval of the Minister, and now it is said stamn collectors have offered £60,000 for one-half of what they rated as worth £6OOO. Who says "Down with Commemoratives" ? At Shanghai again, last month, the post office was literally besieged by applicants for the new commemorative issue, and in a few days the whole stock had been bought out, representing £1450. . NEW ISSUES. ■ New Designs for Sweden.—A Swedish correspondent writes that it has at length been lecided that a new issue of stamps shall take place next year. British Solomon Islands.—The Colonial Office Journal states that "three new values have now been issued in addition to those previously recorded. These are 2s, 2s 6d, »nd 55." Afghanistan. —Five new stamps are reported from this country, the three higher values being of large size and supposed' to " be for parcels post stamps. The meaning of the word "Urusun" is not clear", though it is supposed to mean in the veranular the singular form of "rupee." These designs oi all the stamps is considerably modified from the previous issue, the principal difference being a rayed circle surrounding ihe mosque and flags. The stamps are per- ■ forated 131. Adhesives: 1 abasi blue, 2ab *reen, 3ch brown, 1. urusan dark brown, 2r wange red. Australia.—The new set of postage dues was issued even eccr tl:an- "wiaiS »nticipated. Postage Due Adhesives: VVmk. Melbourne Crown A. perf. 12£; £d yellow-green and carmine, [ld, 2s, 4d, already chronicled], 3d yellow-green and carmine, 4d yellow-green and carmine, 6d yellow-green and carmine, Is yellow-green carmine, 2s yellow-green and carmine, » yellow-green and carmine, 10s- yellowvreen and carmine, 20s yellow-green and carmine. Queensland. —Wilcox. Smith, and Co. _ are • indebted to Mr Appleby for a first sight of the 5d on Cr and A paper, and the jkl in a deep blue-green shade.