Stamp Collecting.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXV, Issue 13, 30 September 1905, Page 52

Stamp Collecting.

The St. Vincent Gd. value with single watermark is now obsolete. • • • Th? Russian 3| rouldes stamp on Lori-zontally-la id pajMT has been found, cne on white and the other on toned. • • The Victorian current 5s postage stamp is in two very distinct shades, described as red and blue, and blue and pink. • • • It is now doubtful whether the !) piastre stamp of Cyprus was ever actually issued to the public. • • • Booklets containing 30 penny stamps have been issued by the postal authorities in the Transvaal. • • • The ship type of stamp of British Guinea is now appearing on the multiple watermark paper. It is a 5 cent, purple and blue on blue paper. • • • Further values have been issued of the new type of Belgium stamps, with the portrait of the King. The values are as follows: 50c, greenish grey; 1 franc, orange bull'; and 2 francs, mauve. • • • The 5c led and green on yellow stamp of the Federated Malay States has appeared on multiple water marked paper. The same value on the yellow paper witli the single (' A water-mark were, therefore. only on i-sue for a short time. • • 9 Commander \V. C. Katun. of the U.S. Navy, must be an ardent collector of stamps, as ho objects entirely to the curtailing of the varieties of stamps catalogue*. hi “Mekeel’s Weekly” he writes: ‘‘Stop this preaching about cutting down a catalogue. Extend it rather.” • • • The practice of cutting penny stamps in halves for use as half-pennies appears to bo occasionally allowed at Tonga. A letter was received recently in Auckland from Tonga, which had on it two single penny st.imps, ami half of another penny, cut diagonally. • • • According to the Gioriiale dei Lavori Fubbliei: “On the Ist September prox. all Italian post offices will cease the sale of the 20 cent, stamps and will be gin the issue of the 15 cent, value. In order to get rid of the remaining stock of the old type it w ill hr su;charged in black with the 'Vale 15 eentesinii’ overprint.” • • • The Commissioner of Stamps. Ceylon, has stated in writing that no “service” stamps villi the multiple watermark were ever issued. It was stated that the 3c and 5c had been overprinted “On Service.” A correspondent to “E.W.5.N.,” however, asserts that he found the

stamps on a cover issued by one of the Official Departments, affixed side by side with the single water mark stamps overprinted “0.5.” • • • A new 4 ore stamp has been issued by Denmark, which is light blue in colour. The design is described by the “Stamp Collector” as “the crudest of the crude.” It has the word “Danmark” in white letters surmounted by a crown and a few heart-shaped dots on a blue ground, with a large figure 4 in colour on a white over, and the words “Ore Post Frimerks” at the bottom. This design received first prize in a competition some years ago. • n e The rarest stamp issued by Turks Islands is the Is. prune, owing to the many surcharges to be found on it. The reason why this Is prune unsurcharged is met with frequently with one or more edges cut is because these stamps were more often cut instead of being pulled asunder, hence the absence of clear perfs. on all sides. Until 1881 the stamps were not surcharged. • • • A postage stamp has recently Isen discovered in Roumania which dates from June Ist, 1813, and is VSallaehian, for Roumania had then no existence. The stamp, which is blue, is round, like a sealing wafer, with indented edges. It bears the arms of Wallachia, an eagle with outstretched wings and a cross in its beak. The bird rests on a sphere inscribed with the initials of the ‘domn’ of the epoch. No value is marked on the stamp, the postal service of that date being made by postillion, and paid for by distance.- • • • When the British expedition went to Tibet, on the 3rd August, 1004, it took its own post office, using Indian stamps. These were the regular Indian stamps, Queen’s Head and King's Head type, including one official stamp “On H.M.5..” Queen’s Head. There were no special surcharges used by which Tibetans can be recognised, merely the "Lhassa” hand stamp tells its story, and in addition there is found on entire letters the Chumli base postmark. The following is the list of varieties of Indian stamps used: “On HALS..” Q.H., la red: ordinary, Q.H., 3p. red; ditto, 3p. gray; ditto, Ir, carmine and green; and K.H.. la. gray; ordinary, K.H., la. red; ditto. 2a. violet; ditto, 3a. orange-brown; ditto, 4a. olive-green; and ditto, Sa. purple.