Stamp Collecting.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue XVI, 17 October 1903, Page 57

Stamp Collecting.

‘•The lv»ig-espeeted forerunner of the Australian Commonwealth series has arrived and assuredly was not worth waiting for,” is the comment of the “London Philatelist” upon the locally produced Federal issue. • • • King-Edward stamps are to be issued in LageS on the 22nd of January, 11)04. The date has no doubt hetn chosen as it is the anniversary of His Majesty's accession id the throne. The values are id, Id, 2d, 21d, 3d. fid, 2/6, 5/ and 10/s What are known amongst, stamp colls tors as “Albanians” have been quietly withdrawn from use because the Sultan objected to them. These particular stamps were issued by royal decree for the Italian otliee at Janina in Albania, and had the word “Albania” printed across the face and the value in paras. 'The new ones have the surcharge in value only. • - • • The Colombian Republic is keeping r.p such a supply of new issues that one Philatelic journal adds pathetically: “If ne miss any, or chronicle some twice over, we do not think it ean matter very much. as. probably, most of them are onlv made for stamp collectors, and to raise the wind.” • • • “We fear that it is useless to expect collectors to make a united and determined stand against the. floods of unnenessary stamps that are constantly being produced, solely (we cannot repeat it too often) for the purpose of extracting money from their pockets.”—Stanley Gibbons’ “Monthly Journal.” • • • The set of Indian stamps overprinted for British East. Africa in November, 1895, remained in use till May, 1896, and is now catalogued £7 5/9. The set of

Zanzibar on India issued on 10th November, 181*5. remained in use till September, 181*6, nearly a year, and yet has been so completely absorbed by <-olle ■ tors that it is difliciill to get sets mucii under Mie catalogue price of £5 5,'. • • • The new design of stamps for Montserrat show in tile centre the figure of a female leaning against a cross. The right arm is thrown round the cross, and the left rests on a harp. Above the centre is "Moulserrat,” ami below is the value in words. The new stamp is perforated 14. and on paper water marked Crown C A. The values and colours are: Jd. green: Id. carmine and grey black; 2d. brown and grey-black; 21d, blue and grey-black: sd. mauve and brown; (id, olive and mauve: I . violet and green; 2 , chestnut and green: and 2/6, black and green. 'Die 5/ is carmine and grey-black, with the head of King Edward in the centre. • • • “E.W.S.M.” has the following interesting paragraph regarding Seychelles: “The niggers in this happy island must be having a fine time of it! The 3c. on 45c. provisional, which followed the 3c. on 15e., was so restricted in sale that no one was allowed to have more than five, and t he total daily sale was limited to 400. As 20,000 or so were printed.it was calculated the supply would last until a fresh stock of the ordinary 3c. could arrive from England. Nigger tactics enabled the local agent o> the Colonial Stamp Market to secure over a thousand of the stamps and they are hardly likely to become rare a- there are no large blocks or sheets to be absorbed by specialist collectors.” • • • “The rain it raineth every day" aptly describes the weather conditions of the last fortnight. Evidently similar conditions have existed in England, for - the “London Philatelist” for August has the following: “In this year of grace the conditions have been abnormal and the

Briton has had more than his usual exeuse for reviling the-weather, Debarred by the constant downpours and the chilly temperatures, many collectors have this year found—even at midsummer—in their stamps that coin pinionship and solace that, it is the chief charm of Philately to afford. The man who is keenly interested in stamps will never grumble at a soaking day, but with cheerful uiien and friendly pipe will spend the hours in quickly passed enjoyment regardless of all the weather Hint was ever invented.” • • • “The volcanic activity of New Zealand that belches forth streams of new varieties of papers, watermarks, perforations. and surcharges, not only for the parent island, but for every little rock that ean support a few wild fowl or half a dozen aborigines.” is the not too complimentary reference made to the postal arrangements of the Britain of the South by the “London Philatelist,” .Stanley Gibbons’ “Monthly Journal,” on the other hand, refers in more kindly terms, as follows: “There has been a large number of apparently superfluous varieties produced in Australia, but we believe this to lie really the result of a kind of messing about, without any fixed plans or arrangements: and in New Zealand the troubles appear to have been due to honest endeavours to obtain good paper and printing, but the sejearate sets of stamps overprinted for use in divers small islands are. we believe, quite unnecessary 'usuries.”