Stamp Collecting.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 5, 29 July 1908, Page 41

Stamp Collecting.

The Transvaal Government has decided that, on the 31st December. 1908, the use of postage and revenue stamps and stamped postal material of the late South African RepuHic, overprinted V.R.I. and EJi.L, shall he discontinued, and the said stamps and stamped material withdrawn from circulation. • • • Several of the types of stamps of Uruguay produced by Messrs. Wa terlow' and Sons, have reappeared in new colours, replacing the unsuccessful lithographs of local manufacture. They arc described as follow:—7 c., chestnut; 10 c., blue-green; 20 c., black and blue; 50 c., black and olive; 2 p., black and sepia; and 3 p., black and pale blue. Only 0000 of the new 1/- stamp of Caymen Islands were printed, so there should be a good chance of these inerea • ing in value as the years roll by, for that number will not nearly go round the stamp collectors of the world. • • • The new issue of the stamps of Grenada are described as follow:—3d., lilac on yellow; od., lilac; 1/-, black on green; 2/-, violet and blue; 5/-, red and green on yellow; and 10/-, carmine and green on green. • • • The “Berliner . Briefmarken-Zeifung" states that the following .quantities of remainders of the stamps of Salvador (Escalion issue), have been sent to Paris for sale:-—1 centavo, dark green, 29,919; 2 c., scarlet, 11,499; 3 c., yellow, 124,043; 5 c., blue 230,862; 6 c., carmine, 272,000; 10 c., violet. 20,000; 12 c., lilac, 29,000; 13 c., black-brown, 95.000 ; 24 «., carmine, 23,000; 26 c., brown, 3600 : 50 e., vellow, 2608; 100 e., blue, 5260; total, 856.791. • • • Monsieur J. D. Moens, the foundr and head of the great stamp business at Brussels, died in that city on the 29th of April, within a month of the completion of his seventy-fifth year, liaving been born at Tournai on the 27th May, 1833. • • • The following high values of Natal are reported:—s/-, carmine and lilac; 10/-, brown and lilac; £l, blue and lilac; £1 M>/-, orange and lilac; £5, blaek and green; £lO, brown and green. All these are stated to be on chalksurfaced paper, with multiple watermark. , • • • The reason assigned for the variegated disfigurements recently applied to the stamps of Salvador Republic, is that the sale of the postage stamps and stamped paper, etc., has been handed over by the Government to the Educa tion Board, and these “countermarks” are the signs used by eadh province to distinguish its stamps, viz., to show that all made use of are legitimately issued by their respective provinces. • • • It has been notified for general information that the Government, of the Transvaal have reason to belieye that a considerable quantity of counterfeit, stamps ami stamped material purporting to be genuine issues of the late South. African Republic and to be genuinely overprinted V.R.I. and E.R.T. is in circulation. • • • Even editors of Philatelic publications enn get at cross purposes occasionally. The Australian Philatelist, commenting on suggestions that appeared in “Gibbons’ Monthly Journal.” as to the design for the general Commonwealth stamps has the following:—“The editor of “Gibbons' Monthly" will have his joke, but it was nasty of him to suggest that the lyre-bird is a more suitable representative for Australians than a portrait of King Edward VII. Eddy is a very decent fellow, and we have a great admiration for his Majesty, but we fail to sec why Australians should fall down on their knees and worship him ns some military men take a delight in doing, but then it is part of their business t<r do so. so we must excuse them for occasional outbursts of Quixotic loyalty.”