Stamp Collecting.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue IX, 30 August 1902, Page 566

Stamp Collecting.

At a recent auction sale in London a block of six English stamps, 4<l, carmine on blue, watermark medium garter, date 1855-7, realised £7l. • • • A gentleman in Birmingham, who has been specialising the first English Id black stamps, can show 120 varieties, either in printing or obliteration. After examining upwards of 50,000, he has come to the conclusion that the inverted watermark is the rarest type 'of error, averaging less than 1 in 200. The Black Maltese Cross obliteration is fifteen times rarer than the lied Cross. • • • Northern Nigeria has got a King Edward issue of stamps, watermark Crown OA. The values range from jd to 10/. All have values on lined ground but the 5d and 6d. • • • The enterprising firm who some years ago advertised their goods on the backs of New Zealand postage stamps little dreamed how far reaching would be the effect. In the J line number of “E.W.S.N.” appears over two columns of the aforesaid advertisements, reprinted free of cost, as news for stamp collectors. • • e The “Stamp Collectors’ Fortnightly,” in referring to the Niue and Penrhyn Island stamps states: “They are interesting, historically as well as philatelically. for they mark the realisation of New Zealand’s long cherished scheme of gathering under her friendly wing many of the islands and groups of islands in her immediate vicinity.” • • • “British Somaliland” has been overprinted on the current set of Indian stamps —Queen’s Heads. The values range from J to 12 annas and 1 rupee, 2, 3 and 5 rupees. Similar overprints, only wider apart, have also appeared on Indian adhesives, already surcharged 0.H.M.5., the values being J anna, 1 anna, 2 and 8 annas, and 1 rupee. Heretofore ordinary Indian stamps have been used for Somaliland, which can be distinguished by the postmark, a B surrounded by horizontal lines, probably on account of Berbers, the chief town, on the coast directly opposite to iAden. The Foreign Offiee has now taken over the Somali Coast from Indian control, hence the necessity for a distinct set of stamps. No doubt the present surcharged set will in due course be superseded by one in the ordinary colonial design. • • • The English tourist still affords scope for the jokes of the Continental press. The following anecdote appeared in a Naples paper: “At the post-office yesterday, amid the large crowd gathered round the window, was a young English lady, handsome, well dressed and accompanied by her maid. The young lady had just purchased some stamps, and was about to affix them to a number of letters which she held in her hand. Delicately tearing off a stamp she said to her maid: ‘Put out your tongue.’ And the maid, with English impassivity, thrust forth her tongue, while the mistress passed over it a postage stamp, which she subsequently stuck on a letter. She went through the entire package of letters and for each one the obedient waiting maid thrust out her tongue for the mistress to moisten the stamp. Curious manners these English people have.” Evidently the. people of Naples do not understand the British servant, or such an absurd story would not be credited. • • • There appears to be a lot of money in South African stamps, judging by the following prices paid at auction in London last month: British Beehvnnalnnd. block of four Jd, black •with double green surcharge, one inverted, date 1899, price £6; do., 4d, on i vermilion, with inverted surcharge, £3; do., 2/6, green, £4 7/6; do., 5/, green, £6 6/; do., 10/. green, £8; British East Africa, 1890, one anna, £1 18/; do., 1891, M.S surcharge, } anna, on red, £6; do., 1 anna, AB, on 4 anna, brown, £5;

do., hand stamped and initialled, “J anna, AD,” on 2 annas, red, £5 5/; do., 1 anna, red, on 4 anna, brown, £6; do., 1895, 5 anna, black on blue, £3; Cape of Good Hope, triangular, pair of 1/, dark green, 1853-8, price £7 5/; another pair, £6 10/;-do., 4d, blue, £6 5/; do., 4d, dark blue, £6 15/; and do., 4d, red, error, repaired copy, £ 26.