NOTABLE STAMPS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 148, 26 June 1934, Page 2

NOTABLE STAMPS

ROMANTIC INCIDENTS ISSUES THAT MADE HISTORY. BLUNDERS AND WARFARE. The common postage stamp, innocuous as it may appear to be, has had to shoulder the responsibility for many sad blunders on thc part of men—for warfare, grave political unheaval, forgery, fraud, piquant scandal and false pretence. Aluch romance surrounds its outwardly innocent development, as was indicated by Air. R. J. G. Collins, an expert Christchurch philatelist, in an address given in Christchurch last week. Mr. Collins mentioned the interesting story of the origin of the long warfare between Bolivia and Paraguay n "er the Gran Cha*co area. That war been the outcome of the issue of <certain stamps. Each of the combatant countries issued stamps showing maps iu which it was clearly indicated that the Gran Chaco belonged to it. Something similar had happened in the Caribbean Sea. The island of Dominica issued stamps showing that it claimed possession of a portion of the territory of Haiti. Dominfea had had to make amends to salve the wounded pride and dignity of the Haitians.

Columbus and His Beard. There were some peculiar anomalies In stamps, Air. Collins said. For instance, the question had been raised whether Christopher Columbus had a beard. There seemed to be no solution to the problem, and philatelic authorities had been in a quandary about it, particularly in Chile, where the majority of the issues showed Columbus as the main figure. By way of a compromise Chile had made alternate issues of stamps showing the great discoverer first with a beard ami then one. In America the authorities had gone further and produced two issues at thc same time, one giving. Columbus a beard and the other showing him clean shaven. Columbus also figured in a startling anachronism in another issue of stamps, in which he had been shown looking at land through a telescope—telescopes had not been Invented in his day. Then in some Jamacian stamps, produced in Great Britain, the Union Jack was shown flying upside down, in the position of distress. A keen philatelist soon discovered the blunder and thc issue had to be recalled and re-engraved. Some other strange issues were described by thc speaker. The owner of the island of Lundy in the waters off Devonshire had published his own stamps, but in doing so usurped tho King’s prerogative and the issue had to he withdrawn. A curious point, about the stamps was that, the unit of currency used was a bird. Then there had been the stamps issued bv the apparently bogus king nf “Sedang," of whom it had been suggested that he had been able to maintain his extravagant pose and huge entourage in Paris by the sale of his picturesque stamps.

Revenue from Stamps. There were modern examples of entire nations depending to a great extent for their state revenue on the eale of stamps. In Andorra, San Marino and Liechtenstein, the small European republics, it seemed that the Government would hardly be able to maintain their finances but for thc revenue from stamps. Air. Collins mentioned a piquant incident in the history of the Govern ment of Indo-China. One of the Govornors of thc colony had issued a set nf stamps upon which were shown the faces of two beautiful native women. Once the stamps were circulated there was a tremendous stir throughout thc country. The Governor was soon informed that the subjects of the stamp illustrations were two of the most infamous women in the capital. Naturally the samps were withdrawn and the offended people appeased.