Stamp Collecting.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XV, 11 April 1903, Page 1036

Stamp Collecting.

The French lOe rose new type lias been fasi led with the word “Alexandra” underneath, for use in Egypt. • • • The Ad green stamp, issued by Sierra Leone, bears the portrait of King Edward, and is of the De la Rue type. • • • A 90-eent United States stamp, unused, Department of Justice, sold for four guineas in Loudon. At the same sale A* 15 10/ ''as paid for a New South Wales 3d emerald green, lamented head, no water mark, with original gum on back. • • • A minor variety of the United States 2c carmine, current type, that has not received much notice, is one in which there are no lines whatever across the triangle in the upper right corner. A specialist is stated to have no less than GO distinct shades of the 2c stamp. It was time for < ieorge Washington to come along on a new 2-cent, and save this man from himself. • • • The English 10/ and 20/ stamps anchor water mark have been receiving the attention of forgers. The imitations are reported to be marvellously well done, the paper, print, perforations and water mark being all identical with those on the genuine stamps, but the experts have been able none the less to detect the counterfeit stamps. • • • Early issues of Ceylon are fetching high prices at London auction sales, as will be seen by the following rates realised recently: First issue, 4d rose, imperforate, £10; do. fid lilac. Crown, £3; do. 1/ blue, £4 10/; do. Hd Crown, water mark star, and perforated, £2 12/G; and .1/ pale lilac, with good margins (1857-9), £5 15/. • • • On the Ist of this month British stamps wen* t<» be issued surcharged for use of the navy. The surcharge is reported to be “Admiralty Oflivial.’’ The. denomina-

tions are as follows: J<l, I<l, 2d, 2jd, 3d, and in addition postcards impressed with a f.d stamp and registration envelopes with a 3d stamp. • • • The new issue of United States stamps are now coining into general use. Correspondence was received by the mail steamer Sonoma this week, bearing the following new stamps, 1 eent green, Benjamin Franklin; 2e carmine,George Washington; 5e blue, Abraham Bincoin; and Be, Martha Washington. The new stamps are beautiful both in design and execution. The new 13-cent stamp has also been issued, bearing the portrait of President Harrison. • • • There are now known to be 1.3 of the Id red Mauritius (two unused), and nine of the 2d blue (three unused) of the scarce issue of 1847. The only known . specimen of the two scarce stamps, Id red and 2d blue, on one envelope, has just been sold in Faris for £l6OO, M. Th. Lemaire being the purchaser. The envelope was addressed to a firm in Bordeaux, and marked via England. For stamps of the original value of 3d the sum of £ 1600 seems a very fair price. • • • The new issue of King’s head stamps for Bahamas has in the frame work at the side the shell and pineapple, similar to those used in earlier types. The values arc: Id carmine, ultra-mar-ine, 4d yellow, 6d light brown. 1/ grey, black and carmine. 5/ lilac and bine, and 20/ green and black. The portrait of the King is a good one, and the design generally effective. • • • Some clever forgeries of the stamps of Greece have been discovered of various issues, including imitations of some of the rarest varieties of the Athens issues of 1862-86, Paris 10 lepta, soi-disant errors, proofs, etc.; also imitations of some of the scarce varieties of Type 2. These forgeries. are stated to be very good, but fortunately the shape, of the nose is not quite correct, a fatal error in a Grecian stamp.

What is described as a marvel of minute engraving may be found on the new 6-cent stamp of Guatemala, which bears a representation of the palaee of Minerva. Along the facade of the building there is an inscription, every letter of which is perfectly formed and distinct, and can he clearly read with the aid of a good magnifying glass. This inscription reads as follows: “Manuel Estrada Cabrera Presidente de la Hepublica a Is Juventnd Fstudiosa.” The whole inscription. which is in one continuous line, occupies a total length of only threeeighths of an inch, and is the smallest readable inscription on any postage stamp ever issued. • • • Here is a fishy story taken from a philatelic journal, which is certainly interesting reading: “About fifteen years ago a whale was stranded on the southern coast of France; the animal was cut up in more than one way, and “News from the Interior" was forthcoming in a very literal sense, for inside the whale there were found several hundreds of letters in a saek belonging to a steamer destined for Guadeloupe, and shipwrecked on the voyage. The letters in question were despatched io their destinations with the addition of the remark, “Delayed by accident to ship.” And yet people are told the whale has such a small throat that the prophet Jonah's experience was all the greater miracle. • • • The recent Durbar at Delhi catered for stamp collectors. The camp had a postal system of its own, with its own head office and its own fifteen sub-offices, the. troops; in addition being served separately by eight field post offices. Letters were collected from over a hundred pillar boxes by messengers mounted on bicycles, and a, special service was organised, to carry mails to and from the railway and to collect and distribute the letters, etc. Information as to the rates of postage, etc., were to be found in a special edition of the “Indian Postal Guide,” which was on sale at all the camp post oilices, '.fhe “Guide” also contained a specimen of each stamp in current use in India, from J anna to Rs. 5, obliterated

with the Durbar head ofliee date stamp. The book, the edition of which was limited to 5000 copies, cost Re 1, and was sold only at the Durbar camp offices.