Stamp Collecting.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue IV, 26 July 1902, Page 246

Stamp Collecting.

Cape of Good Hope has issued a 3d magenta stamp, 1893 design. • • • A set of “unpaid letter stamps’’ has been issued in Greece, of a rather tasteful design. • • • A philatelic exhibition, open to the whole -world, is to be held in San Francisco in September. • • • Grenada is issuing a King Edward set of stamps from Jd to 10/, all in two colours. • • • The J anna and 2} anna British East Africa have been surcharged “Uganda” in black and red respectively. • • • The Ad green British (Queen’s head) stamp has been issued surcharged “Bechuanaland Protectorate.” • 0 0 King Edward VII. stamps have been issued in Singapore. Three and eight cents are the values that have appeared so far. Probably the other values will follow as stocks of the Queen issue are depleted. • • • The French Chamber of Deputies has passed a law reducing the postage of newspapers and periodicals to 1 centime for a weight of 50 grammes (rather more than IJoz) throughout France, and to J centime for the same weight within certain limits. • • • British stamps surcharged “Army Official” are likely to advance in value, as Earl Roberts’ has prohibited the practice of selling these stamps to collectors, holding they should only be used for the purpose for which they are surcharged. • • • Some of the current 3 cents Newfoundland stamps were issued unperforated. One sheet was bought by a non-colleetor at St. John’s, who to facilitate severing the stamps cut them all up into vertical strips. He had used many of them before he . was found by a collector, who secured the remainder. • 00 Philatelists should lose no time in securing specimens of the stamp of the new Cuban Republic, as it is felt the present state of affairs cannot last. Cuba has lost its market for sugar in Spain, and has not been compensated by finding an outlet in America, as in the interest of beet-root sugar producers the cane sugar is practically excluded from the States. In order to avert national bankruptcy annexation by the United States is said to be already advocated, but the trouble is how Uncle Sam is to harmonise a colonial Empire with the Monroe Doctrine. 0 0 0 Transvaal stamps realise high prices at Eondon auctions, as will be seen by the following sales reported:— 1875-76, 6d blue, £ 1 17/; 1877. V.R. Transvaal, 3d mauve, pelure paper, £3 15/; 6d blue, inverted snreh., £6 5/; 1/ green do., £4 12/6; 6d dark blue, £2 10/; 1878, V.R. Transvaal, 6d blue on blue, inverted surcharge, £7 10/; 6d blue on green, inverted surcharge, £ll 11/; 3d mauve on buff, £2; 1879, V.R. Transvaal, 3d mauve on blue showing small T*, £3 3/; 1878-79, Queen’s Head, red surcharge, 1 Penny on 6d black. £3 15/; 1882, Een Penny on 4d sage-green, inverted surcharge*, £3. 0 0 0 Ewen’s “Weekly Stamp News,” in its issue of June 7, referring to tha Crown surcharge oh the id brown Cook Islands stamp, has the following:—It seems that the Crown overprint on the Id stamps was the Idea of Lord Ranfurly, Governor of New Zealand, who is well known to be a

stamp collector, and is, in fact, a member of the London Philatelic Society. When the islands were annexed Lord Ranfurly ordered that the stamps should be surcharged with the Crown as a distinctive mark. That was done with 2400 Id brown stamps, but sdr many were spoilt that no more were surcharged. The Resident Commissioner states that no surcharging will be allowed in future, and the only colour changes likely to be made are those occasioned by the adoption of Postal Union colours. • 0 0 Many young collectors are mystified regarding the “grille” on American stamps, which in some cases makes all the difference between high and low catalogue value. The New York “Philatelist” explains it as follows:—“The Grille was first used in America, and consists of a rectangle of square indentations into the paper, and designed to break the fibre of the paper, so that it readily would absorb cancelling ink, thereby making it impossible to erase or wash the stamp and re-use it. It was first used in 1867 by the U.S.A., and at first covered the entire stamp. The e stamps are very rare. Later the size of ihe grille was reduced to IS x 15, 13 x 16, 12 x 14, 11 x 13, and finally 9 x 13mm. In the year 1869 issue the grille was made a square 9J x 91mm.. and in 1870 it was again increased in size and made rectangular in form.” 0 0 0 Amongst the things that were to have been, but have; not, on account of the war in South Africa, was the proposal to inaugurate the twentieth century in the Transvaal with a stamp bearing the portrait of Paul Kruger. The plates were partly prepared, but the engraver was not called upon to complete his work, and, as King Edward VII. is now sovereign of the Transvaal, the probabilities are that the well-known features of Oom Paul will never appear in stamp collections. Referring to this matter in the “Philatelic Record,” Mr Emil Tamsen adds that if the stamps had been issued in 1900, instead of 1901, as was intended, “collectors would have had the unique -sight of a Republican wearing a Royal monogram (V.R.1.) on his presidential sash and breast, and that much against his will.

Some collectors find it difficult to distinguish between the rare error 20 cent, blue France and the ordinals' 20 cent, blue of 1870. In the “Stamp Collector” Mr E. J. Martin thus explains the difference:—“The error is engraved (typographed) and imperforate, while the blue 20 cent, of the 1870 issue is lithographed and imperforate. The typographed stamp of the same design issued at the end of 1870 is, however perforated. There can thus be no confusion, but the (imperforate) error should always have a large margin to guard against the probability of having a 20 cent, blue of 1870 with the perfs. clipped off. In rare cases the error may be found used as explained in Westoby’s “Stamps of Europe.” In this case the postmark must be diamond-shap-ed, fprnied by crossed lines resembling lattice work, this being the obliteration of the period.” • • • Returned troopers from South Africa state that V.R.I. surcharged stamps were not often obtainable for postage purposes, issues being rapidly bought up by dealers, which no doubt explains why unused stamps so surcharged are so moderate in price on the average. One gentleman stated that where he was located the stamps most in use were the ordinary id English. Most troopers brought back various mementoes of South Africa, amongst them being quite a number of Transvaal and Orange River stamps. Nearly every man who went out appeared, it, is stated, to be hunting up stamps either for himself or some friend. On one occasion a stamp dealer’s shop was found tenantless, and lest the stock should come to harm the visitors secured large quantities for themselves, all done up tightly in little bundles, which were handy for transit.