STAMPS

Southland Times, Issue 22068, 15 July 1933, Page 7

STAMPS

THE COLLECTORS’ COLUMN.

(By

Star N.Z.)

The new pictorial issue of New Zealand stamps has not yet made its appearance. Pi’oofs of the new designs produced by the photogravure process were received in New Zealand some time back, but were considered unsatisfactory. As the New Zealand postal authorities were determined that the stamps should be worthy in every respect of our fair Dominion, they decided to have the new series produced by the line engraving process, although this will add considerably to the expense. It is unlikely that the new issue will be placed on sale before 1934.

During June 164 new stamps were listed by the Australian stamp monthly. Amongst the most important were additional values and changes of value in the Hindenburg Medallion type, viz., 3 pf (pale brown), 4 pf (grey-blue), 5 pf (deep green), 6 pf (dark green), 8 pf (orange), 10 pf (chocolate), 12 pf (carmine), 15 pf (claret), 20 pf (light blue), 25 pf (blue), 30 pf (olive), 40 pf (violet), 50 pf (dark green and black), 60 pf (claret and black), 80 pf (dark blue and black), and 100 pf (ochre and black). There were also issued on Potsdam Day (April 12) three special stamps—6 pf (dark green), 12pf red, and 25 pf blue, bearing the portrait of Frederick the Great. One of the French colonies (Moyen Congo) has issued a new pictorial series of 22 values, also 11 postage dues. Amongst the commemoratives issued during June perhaps the most striking is the 5 cents Canadian, celebrating the meeting of the World’s Postal. Executive of the Universal Postal Union in Ottawa. The central feature of the design is a view of Ottawa showing Parliament Hill and the Confederation Buildings.

Newfoundland has issued another series of 5 air mail stamps—viz., 5 cents, brown (aeroplane landing and disturbing a flock of partridge), 10 cents, orange (fishing scene with a seaplane and canoes in the foreground), and 30 cents, blue (a sealing scene in northern Newfoundland), 60 cents, sea green (fishing off the Grand Banks with a seaplane assisting), 75 cents, dull gold (three aeroplanes above a gold mining settlement). These and. other air mail issues of this colony are likely to become rare especially in fine used condition.

News is to hand from London of the sale at auction by Harmer and Rooke of a mint pair of the penny (dull carmine) New Zealand issued in July, 1855, the record price of £450 being obtained. In Stanley Gibbons’ catalogue the mint stamps of this variety are unpriced, but used stamps are priced at from £25 to £145 each, according to condition. These stamps have the large star watermark and it is hard to get copies with wide margins. Just imagine that what cost 2d 78 years ago should have increased in value 5,400,000 per cent It merely goes to show that what are the commonest of stamps to-day may be very rare indeed in 50 years time. This week’s study of the stamps of India will be devoted to those of Jaipur, one of the states in the Rajputana Agency in Central India. It has an area of 15,579 square miles and a population of 2,338,000. The centre of the State is a barren sandy plain, but towards the

south and east, the land is more fertile.

The Maharajah of this State remained loyal to the British during the Indian mutiny. He went further—he actually assisted them. The first issue of Jaipur stamps took place in 1904. The stamps were almost square in shape and roughly perforated 14. The central feature of the design was the chariot of the sun. The inscription at the head of the stamp is “Jaipur State” in English, whilst the value appears to the left in native characters and to the righ in English. There are two different plates and 36 varieties of the -J-anna blue and there are also many different shades of colour of this value, ranging from pale blue through ultramarine to grey blue. The stamps from Plate two are very rare and are catalogued at £lO unused. There were also two different types of the J-anna. In type one the letters and characters denoting value are smaller than in type two, and the design of the chariot of the sun is rather different. Besides the J-anna there were only two values, viz., 1 anna dull red or scarlet and 2 annas pale green or emerald green. From 1904 to 1908 stamps of a new type were issued. The central feature was as before the chariot of the Sun and God Surya, but it was a chariot of much more modem design than previously, drawn by a superb pair of horses. These stamps were line engraved and printed by Messrs Perkins, Bacon and Co., of London, and were issued in two different perforations 12 or 121 and 131. These stamps are very handsome in appearance and were in the following denominations, viz., i anna, -J anna, la, 2a, 4a, 8a and 1 rupee. In 1911 there was a fresh issue very similar in design, but much cruder in execution. These stamps were surface printed by the Jail Press, Jaipur, on thin wove paper imperforate and there were only three values, viz., la., la. and 2a. There were several “errors” in this issue all catalogued at from 1/6 to 2/6 each. In 1913 to 1918 the 1904-8 stamps were reissued with the papermakers’ (Dorling and Co., London) name watermarked once on the sheet of stamps. In 1922 the 8 annas and 1 rupee stamps of this issue were overprinted 3 annas. In 1931 there was a very handsome set of stamps issued to celebrate the investiture of H.H. the Maharajah of Jaipur. The stamps were larger than previously and were printed at the Security Printing Press Nasik. They were printed on unwatermarked paper perforated 14. The design of the 1 anna and 1 anna was, as before, the chariot of the sun; 1 anna, elephant with State Banner; 2 annas, Sowar in Armour; 2j annas, dancing peacock; 3 annas, bullock carriage; 4 annas, elephant carriage; 6 annas, Albert Museum; 8 annas, SirehDeorhi Gate; 1 rupee, Chandra Mahal; 2 rupees, Amber Palace; 5 rupees, Rajah’s Jai Singh 2nd and Man Singh 2nd. In 1929-1930 official stamps were formed by overprinting “Service” upon the stamps of the 1904-1908 issue.