Stamp Collecting.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIV, Issue 14, 8 April 1905, Page 49

Stamp Collecting.

An ardent stamp collector, Mr Ed want H. Roebuck, of Madras, India, during his visit to Auckland added to the pleasure of his trip to the colony that of collecting scarce New Zealand stamps.

A prominent English stamp collector recently passed through Auckland, namely, Mr Leslie Ilansberg, who has been deputed by the London Philatelic Society to visit the colonies and collect information regarding stamps issued in Australasia for a new work now Iteing compiled under the auspices of that Society. Mr Hnnsbcrg only remained in Auckland a day or two-

The report submitted at the annual meeting of the Philatelic Society of New Zealand stated that during the session three hundred and thirty sheets, containing 11,880 stamps, valued at £l5OO 6/3. had been received for circulation, and out of these stamps valued at £362 4/3 had been selected. The receipts for the session amounted to £193 1/8 and the expenditure totalled £165 2/11 leaving a balance in hand of £27 18/9. The liabilities amount to £29 4/5, and the assets are valued at £B4 7/2. Office-bearers for 1905 were elected as follows: Patron, His Excellency Lord Plunked; president, Sir Joseph Ward, Postmaster-General; vicepresidents, Messrs. A. T- Bate and E. G. Pilcher; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr L. A. {janderson; exchange superintendent, Mr Thomas Adeoeks; committee. Messrs. J. H. W- Wardrop, C. T. Callis, P. B. Phipsoji, and A. Hamilton.

It is asserted that as high as £5OOO was offered to the head of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the United States once if ho would issue half a dozen sheets of stamps with an error in the printing. Naturally the offer was declined, but history does not state whether the man who attempted to bribe an official was properly anti thoroughly kicked. In fact, the whole story seems doubtful, because such a position is too valuable to be sacrificed even for a big bribe, added to which one would think that even a. keen dealer or collector would hesitate before flying at such high game as the head of a department, more especially when it is remembered that an error which produces what is termed a freak stamp means the dismissal of the employees who are responsible for the mistake.

As far back as 1869 some errors were issued in the United States, which are very valuable stamps to-day, es they’ were very few in number. It was when a scries of stamps was issued in colours. The series comprised denomination.* from 1 cent to 90 cents- The 15, 24, 20, and 90 cents were printed in two colours. On these the centra] picture was printed inverted, and the error was detected. To-day any of these freaks will bring from £lOO to £2OO each. The 2e. of the Pan-American series of stamps was also printed with the train upside down. A gentleman who purchased 10 wrote io the Department drawing attention to the error. It is needless to state Ire was not a collector. Had lie been he would have tried to buy up the whole issue, and not tell anyone until he had secured the lot- Apparently the only error was in one sheet, and only six of these can now be traced, so that the stamp is a very scarce one. The Kansas "Star” also mentions several other errors, such as that of 1890, when a sheet of the ordinary 1-ccnt stamps with the word "Guam” printed across the faee, slipped through with “Guam” upside down. Again in the seventies, when the Government used its own distinctive set of stamps for the several departments, an error was made by the bank-note company which then held the contract for making the stamps. The regular colour adopted by the Navy Department was blue. A sheet of the 2-eent denomination was printed in green, and (be freak bos now a market value of about £3 each- The genuine, in blue, is worth twenty time* its face value.