STAMPS

Southland Times, Issue 21662, 26 March 1932, Page 20

STAMPS

THE COLLECTORS’ COLUMN.

(By “Star N.Z.”)

The first of the new series of Australian postage stamps has now been issued. This is the 1/- value and depicts the lyre bird. It is recess-printed and of a deep myrtle green colour and is a very handsome stamp, somewhat resembling the 8d lyre bird stamp issued by New South Wales in 1888.

It is the first of a series of postal designs depicting the fauna of Australia. It is expected that the next value to be issued will be the fid kookaburra. The kookaburra has already twice figured in Australian stamp designs, viz., the 6d (claret shade) issued in December, 1913, and the 3d blue issued in October, 1928 to commemorate the Melbourne Philatelic Exhibition.

By this time, no doubt, the stamps commemorating the opening of the Sydney Bridge will have reached New Zealand as they were to be issued on the 14th inst. It is understood that the values to be on sale were 2d, 3d and 5/-, the latter being no doubt issued for the special benefit of stamp collectors. There will no doubt be a very good demand for these commemoratives, especially as they will be on sale only for a limited time. The multiple small crown and A watermark which has been characteristic of Australian stamps since 1926 is now being superseded by the C of A watermark. Iliis appeared some months back on the Id (sage green), then later on the 2d (golden scarlet) and now it has appeared on the sd. If young collectors wish to get together anything like a complete collection of Australian Commonwealth stanqis, they cannot afford to ignore the watermarks which often form the only distinction between two stamps which on the surface appear to be identical As showing the difference that a watermark may make in' the value of a stamp one may instance the 6d red-brown New Zealand stamp (Queen Victoria, full face view). No 43 imperforate with large star watermark is quoted by Stanley Gibbons Ltd. at £1 whereas the same stamp with the N.Z. watermark is catalogued, as worth from £6 to £22.

The annual meeting of the Invercargill Philatelic Club was held on the 12th inst. and there was a good attendance of members. The following were elected office bearers for the ensuing year: President, Mr J. T. Carswell; secretary, Mr J. Cummings; treasurer, Mr J. Hinshelwood; exchange superintendent, Mr J. Ayto. The next meeting will be held on Saturday, April 9’. All collectors will be welcome. Some very fine displays are being arranged for during the coming winter. The new “Island” stamps are now on sale at the philatelic counter in YVelling ton to replace the issues of Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Niue and Penrkyn. 'The writer has not yet seen them but understands that there is now only one issue for the whole of the Cook Island group. Advantage has been taken of the open ing of the Sydney Bridge to hold a Philatelic Exhibition in Sydney and as no effort was spared by the executive committee, it is hoped, that the exhibition will have proved very successful. Next week it is hoped to give some account of the proceedings in this column. Amongst tlfe most attractive stamps recently issued are the new pictorial stamps of Iceland (5 aur, grey, 20 aur, red, and 25 aur, blue). The design includes a view of the famous Gullfoss Waterfall. There has also been a new issue of stamps in the United States to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington. On each stamp there is a portrait of America’s first president taken at different periods of his life.

The one-cent British Guiana stamp (catalogued by Stanley Gibbons Ltd. as No. 23) issued in 1856, is the rarest stamp known. One of the very few copies existing was purchased by Arthur Hind of the United States for £6500. This collector also owns the only known envelope containing both the Id and 2d Mauritius (Stanley Gibbons Nos. 1 and 2) errors which are catalogued at £3500 each. The “error” in these stamps was the use of the words “post office” for ‘‘post paid” and very few were issued.