Stamp Collecting.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11, 18 March 1905, Page 54

Stamp Collecting.

The new sc. stamp of Uruguay exists in a-l least three distinct shades, pale blue, dark blue, and ultramarine.

The new official stamps of Baden are as follows: —2 pf. grey, 3 pf. brown, 5 pf. green, 10 pf. rose, 20 pf. Hue, 25 pf. red and black on orange.

A special postage stamp is to be issued in Italy, in connection with the Milan Exhibition, which is to be held next year.

The 25 pf. orange stamps of Germany has appeared in a deeper shade, and the 1 mark lake-colour is also in quite a new tint.

The following have been added to the Stamps of the Mozambique Company: 115 rees, rose on rose, 13 rees, greeif on rose, 400 rees, black on blue, and 700 roes, violet on bull'.

The forged imitations of the 1900 issue of the Dominican Republic may be detected by the perforations which arc 121In the genuine stamps the values below 5c arc perforated 14, and above that 11$ to 12.

It is proposed to issue stamps for use in the Philippine Islands, bearing views of the country, and also some with portraits, notably that of Honor Rizai, The values will be in centavos and pesos. Two centavos will be equal to one cent, of United .States, and one peso equals 50 cents.

Ecuador issued the following numbers of commemorative stamps: Ic., 300,000; 2c.. 150,000; 5c.. 160,000; 10c„ 60,000; 20c., 30,000; and 50c., 8,000. It should be easy for a dealer to corner the 50c. value, but it is questionable whether the venture would pay as collectors have ceased to rush after South American new issues.

It was in 1878 that postage stamps were first issued in China for the use of tire genral public. There were three, the values being 1,2, and 5 candarins. Although apparently all similar in design the central design in each of the three values differs from the other two. The central figure represents the dragon family. This is treated with the greatest veneration in China, as the dragon is supposed to be of divine origin. There are three kinds of dragons, that of the sky, another of the sea, and the third of the marshes. The curly lines at the top mean the dragon of the sky, standing for clouds, while wavy linos at the base represent the sea. Below the head, in the space made by the body, is a small circular object which represents the pearl to which is attributed marvellous healing powers.

Special postage stamps have been Issued in Russia, in aid of the fund opened by the Imperial Society of Patriotic Women (Imperatorskoe Zhenskoe Patrioticheskoe Obshchestvo) for the orphans of soldiers of the army in the East. These stamps are all available for prepayment of postage and are sold at post offices in the regular way, except that Id. over face value is charged for each stamp. The values are 3, 0. 7 and 10 kopeks. The aim of the special postage stamps was to encourage small and volutary contributions on the part of everyone for the assistance of orphans of soldiers who had fallen for their country. These stamps were sold in all post offices at St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as provincial towns.