STAMP COLLECTING

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVII, Issue 15, 13 October 1906, Page 38

STAMP COLLECTING

The “awakening of China” is illustrated by the fact that an express letter stamp has been issued, namely, 10 cents giecu. • • • A whole batch of stamps of the Philippine Islands is reported as surcharged 0.8., presumably meaning “official business.” There is a fine field here for the specialist, as there are several varieties of the letters “0.8.,” and some surcharges are black, while others arc in red. Even violet colour, done with a typewriter, is reported, so that there will not be much trouble in forging oveipritits.

Some new stamps have been issued in Roumania to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the election of Gharles,-. second son of Prince Charles Antoine of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as hereditary Prince of Roumania, on March 20, 180®, and also to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his proclamation as King’, which took place on March 29, 1881. There are three types, the centre of eacW stamp being in blaek. One bears the[ portrait of King Charles at the present day, another a portrait of him as Prince in 1890 and King in 1909. The third design shows Charles at the battle of Calafat. In .type’ I. are 1 bani brown, 3 pale brown, 10 carmine, 40 dark brown, and 1 len orange red.. Type IL is represented by 15 bani violet, and typo HI. by the 5 bani green. . Y’et another provisional stamp is reported from Panama, namely, 5c on 1 peso lake, the surcharge being in red. ( • • • For use in British Post Office on the Levant a provisional stamp was issued on the 2nd of August. The 2d surcharged “Levant” was further over-printed "1 piastre” in black. If, as is stated, onlv 480 copies were so over-printed, these stamps should be worth having, more es-; pecially as they were sold solely for use on letters by the outgoing mail on that particular day. The death is reported at Geneva on the Sth of August of Mr. Robert Ehrenbaeh, at the early age of 45 years. He was travelling on. the Continent apparently, in good health, reached Geneva on Hie 6th, took bed next day, and died the following afternoon.. Mr. Ehrenbath's reputation as a philatelist was world-wide. • • • On April 25, 1840, the following notice was issued in England; “To all postmasters and sub-postmasters.” “It has been decided that postage stamps are to be brought into use forthwith, and as it will be necessary that every such' stamp should be cancelled at the postoffice or sub-post-office,-where the letten bearing the same ' may be posted, I herewith forward for your use: “an obliterating stamp. The first obliterating stamp was the one commonly called the “Maltese Cross,” which is seen on the Id black, and later on the Id red, and 2d blue. The Id black and 2d blue were issued oir-May 6th 1840, and next year the Id red was substituted so as to make the obliteration more distinct. • • • A comforting assurance for the small medium collector appeals in one of London's Philatelic journals in an article referring to the recent exhibition. It is as follows: —“There is as much amusement and instruction to be got out of many of the common stamps as there is in the very rarest, and any collector who is so faint hearted as to be discouraged' by seeing somebody else’s stamps of more value than his own, will never be a valuable recruit to the pursuit. We therefore urge upon “small medium collectors” not to be in the least discouraged by seeing great collections, but to steadily persevere, and they may rest assured that the day -will come When others in turn will feel discouraged at seeing the collection got together by their own patient research, and philaletic knowledge.” The writer well remembers the feeling of discouragement years ago when a member of a philatelic society. A gentleman called in on club night, and said he had brought round a few sheets of stamps for the members to look at. Of course he was promptly welcombed with that free masonry spirit so - cliaraeteristie of stamp collectors.. When his sheets were passed round for inspection, the members simply gazed at them in astonishment. There, in blocks of four,’ -were various shades.-of .stamps, so rare amongst . the-.then,- members of the society, that if one possessed a single specimen it gave him a higher rank in such a young society. To the remark that they were a valuable lot to carry round so casually, the visitor replied ■!Oh!”. I like to have them with me, but in case of fire 1 have them covered for £4000.” After that the members of the society were not so anxious ta produce their own albums for inspection.