STAMP COLLECTING

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6, 9 February 1907, Page 37

STAMP COLLECTING

Tlip International Philatelic Exhibition held last year in London was a decided suecess; and, although the expenses totalled £2OOO, still there was a credit balance of £273 5/2, after deducting £9O G/6 for a banquet, £56 7/7 for pleasure trips, and secretary's honorarium, £ 105. • • • '£los. It is somewhat' significant, however, that under the heading, “ Tickets for admission” there is only £6O. The were £BO2 10/ paid by dealers for stalls, and £507 11/8 for entry fees anil insurance. The donations totalled £274 9/9, and as before stated, the credit balance is £273 5/2, so that apart from the donations, the Exhibition was self-supporting, with the exception of £1 4/7. This may be fairly considered as a very satisfactory result because stamp exhibitions only appeal to a limited number of ladies interested in the hobby, and to the great majority of people would have no particular attraction. « • • A slight variation is reported in the 4 mill, dark carmine stamp of Egypt. It is the same design as the 20 paras, but in place of tones and shading over the head of the sphinx, there is now a white space. As 4 mill is about equivalent to one penny, it may. be that this issue is for correspondence between Egypt and England. A copy of the “ Eignt ” error stamp of South Australia sold for no less than £l3 10/ by auction in London.

The I.J sen bl nr stamp of Japan has now appeared in violet, and the 3 sen brown lilac in dark carmine. • • • The following prices were paid at auction in London for ( ape of Good Hope stamps: Woodblock Id blue error, heavily cancelled, £5O; penny brick red, unused, £7 15/, and penny scarlet, unused. £5; set of I!) in number surcharge!l " Matching,” £ 12 10/. • • • The Philatelic Society of London has been granted permission by King Edward to use the prefix Royal. It will therefore in future be known as “The Royal Philatelic Society of London.” The fact that the heir to the throne is president of the Society makes the prefix more suitable It may be as well to mention that the Society was formed in 1875, the first president being Sir Daniel Cooper, hi 1890 the late Duke of Edinburgh was elected Hon President, ami in 1893 the Duke of York was elected Hon. VicePresident, and in 1896 Hon. President. Now that stamp-collecting is under royal patronage, it may liecoine fashionable for many to follow where the King leads. • • • A 2-lei stamp has been issued in Roumania to complete the 1906 commemorative issue. It is orange in colour and bears the portrait of King Charles. • • • Two high-value stamps have been issued for Curacoa, 1J guelden mauve, and 2 A steel blue. They are on unwatermarked paper 0 • • High prices were realised for two New Zealand stamps at auction in London. One was the 2d. lilac blue of 1860-2 on pehire paper, which sold for £2 1/, and the other, a rouletted pair of the Id. vermilion of 1862, watermarked star, which were transferred for live guineas.

From Id. to £66 is a rapid appreciation in value for a stamp issued in 1882, yet that price was realised at auction in for the Barbadoes Id. on half of 5/. By the way, the face value was 2d., for there were a pair unused, one with a fill stop after the value, the other with a comma. At the same sale .£2O was paid for an unused St. Kitts “One penny” overprinted in small type on a 2 Id. stamp. ’That is £B6 for stamps of a fave value ef 3d. • • • Mr. W. F. Creamy, ol San Francisco, got at his safe two months after the fire, which followed ill the wake of the earthquake last year. In the safe was a remarkably line eblertion of State Revenue stamps which he had been collecting for 25 years. When the safe was opened, it was found that the whole collection had been destroyed. • • • A new set of stamps Ims been issued in Brazil, as follows: 10 reis, slate-black, no wmk., portrait, of Aristides Lobo; 20 reis, purple, no wink., Benjamin Constant; 50 reis, deep green, no wmk.; Alvares Cabral; 100 reis, rosine, no wmk., Wandeiikolx; 200 reis, blue, no wmk., Deodoro; 300 reis, sepia, no wmk., Floliann; 700 reis. red-brown, no wmk.. portrait of Rodrigues Alves, present President. • • • The following is extracted from (he “ Manchester Evening Chronicle A daring-attempt to pass oil* stolen articles, following by a violent assault, took place ip. broad daylight in Manchester. About half-past two a young fellow called at the shop of Mr. D. Ostara, a dealer in postage stamps, ami offered to sell some stamps. Looking over them the expert at once saw that they were valuable, and recognised them as agreeing with the description of a collection worth £23, recently stolen from the locality known as the “ Poet’s Corner,” near the Grammar School. Mr. Ostara therefore gave a sign to an assistant to go for the police, while he himself

engaged the would-be seller in cuiivrrsation. 1b order to frustrate any attempt the supposed thief or receiver might maka to get out of the shop, the dealer placed himself near the door, and beside the inner window. Th<» man evidently guessed what was going on, and, finding his way partially barret!, he violently thrust Mr. Ostara through the inner window, smashing the glass and causing nasty cut* to the denier’s head, ha mis ami bark. Having carried out this attack, the thief made off. Thp police were s«><»n on the track, ami a few seconds biter they arrested the young Mian in Market Place, near by. • • • The death is announced at the comparatively early age of 46 years, of Colonel Robert. C. 11. Brock, of Philadelphia. oiico the leading volector in the United States.