SERVIA'S DEATH-MASK STAMPS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8375, 22 July 1905, Page 2

SERVIA'S DEATH-MASK STAMPS.

Sow King Peter's Coronation Stamps

Were Boomed.

The Minister of Posts of Serbia (says an American paper) has developed a system of high finance at the expense of stamp collectors which entitles him to consideration at the hands of writers on frenzied finance. At least that is thf; case if the stamp collectors are correct in their theories about him.

Schemes of various sorts to get the money of stamp collectors, who number nearly 4,000,000 throughout the world, have been operated for a score of years with success, but the methods adopted by the gentleman who has charge of the postal affairs of Servia has in the judgment of philatelic experts placed him in a class by hini**lf.

The special series oi post-age stamps issned to oommemoTsJcG the coronation of King -Peter afforded an opportunity to work on the weakness of stamp collectors for errors or f rea.ks. Thesn stamps are extremely artistic and printed in attractive colours.

t The central feature consists of the likenesses of King Peter and ius ancestor, Karageorge, the founder of the Karageorge vitch dynasty, overlapping each other. When the stamp is turned upside down the unmistakable likeness of a third man may be scon, formed in a peculiar manner. The -nostrils of the two noses form the eyes of the man ; the moustaches make the eyebrow's, and the eye and eyebrow of Karageorge form the nose and mouth. The discovery of this face, which is declared to be that of the murdered King Alexander, was heralded throughout the world, and forthwith there sprang up an incr&ased demand for the stamps, which were termed deathmask stamps.

But it is said that the stamps were printed in immense quantities in expectation of a great demand from collectors, and the demand was not up to expectations. The stamps were issued to be used only during the coronation year. It is at this point that the finance craft, alleged by philatelists, develops. Simultaneously, in various quarters, appeared statements to the effect that the Servian authorities were deeply concerned over the discovery of the likeness of King Alexander on the stamps. Then followed intimations, increasing in defimxoness, that the likeness of King Alexander was not there by chance, and that it was no mere coincidence, but that a deep-laid scheme was behind the whole matter.

It was declared that the production of the spectre stamps was part of an intrigue of Queen Natalie, mother of the murdered Alexander, to revenge herself on Servia, and the method alleged to have been employed by her was as follows :— Queen Isatalie had a personal friend in Paris, a designer o« postage stamps, named Mouchon, who deeply sympathised with her in her bereavement and with the cause she re-

presented. . T Through trusted friends m Belgrade Natalie schemed so that Mouchon obtained the contract for making the designs for the stamps, and Mouchon was induced to include in the design a puzzle picture, "find the late King,' feature. The alleged purpose of this plan was to wont upon the credulity and superstitious tendencies of the people and particularly of the army, so as seriously to interfere with the carrying .out of : the revolutionist progfc-amme. ft 5 was further declared that the discovery of the death mask on the jubilee stamps was creating consternation in the Servian army, the likeness of Alexander on the reversed stamps being regarded as an omen of God's displeasure. It was" asserted that disaster would fall upon all who were concerned in the massacre of their former King. At the same time it was announced that the Servian Government, in the hope of removing as far as possible the cause of the trouble, had ordered the withdrawal of the stamps from sale and had sent agents" to all parts of Europe, instructed to, buy up every copy of th=> stamp in existence at almost any price within reason. * This scheme, which collectors believe to have been a part of the original plan to unload immense quantities of the stamps, was entirely successful. The discussion in connection wi + h the responsibility for the puzzle picture feature became so fierce that the Servian Minister to France was compelled, to take notice of it, and he officially declared that the allegations against Mouchon were groundless: Then Mouchon, the designer, rushed into print, and, with figurative tears streaming down bis cheeks, declared his innocence, and even went' so far a* to say that he wonM not accept the decoration bestowed,, upon him by the Servian Government in consideration of the beautiful design he had produc-

ed, until his honour had been vindieae fhe groat weakness of philatelists is for suppressed or withdrawn issues of stamps, and the moment it became rumoured that the Servian Government was having trouble with the deatnmask stamps, and was seeking to repurchase them, the demand for them assumed the proportion of a stampede. Collectors, who had up to this time remained indifferent, were crazy to have this series of stamps. Of course, the price advanced, but this made no appreciable difference; any price was satisfactory; the main thing was to get the stamps

Dealers' stocks were exhausted in no time, but in the end everybody appears to have been supplied, and now the demand for death masks is not so fierce. Philatelists are now wondering how they could have been flimflammed so easily.

The fact that dealers who sold out in a few days were able to send to Europe and obtain supplies of the suppressed and condemned stamps in large quantities caused some collectors to raise the query why the Servian Government did not absorb the millions of stamps held by speculators, which were being sold at only a slight advance over face value to dealers.

At any rate, as a result of the interesting campaign carried on, vast numbers of these stamps were sold to collectors. The series were sold by the Servian Government at 5s each. On the basis that 25 per cent of the stamp collectors bought the stamps, and that an equal number of complete sets were purchased by dealers for future sale, the net profit to Servie. vrould be £800,000, as not a fraction of 1 per cent will ' ever- be called on to perform postal duty, and the cost of the stamps is relatively trifling.

Collectors ;are wondering what will be the nature of the nest device employed by a hard-up nation to replenish its treasury at their expense.