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IIL.IL.XJSTIiuAL.TEID. 



VOL. YIII, 



• LONDON : 

E. MARLBOROUGH & CO., AVE MARIA LANE. 

BATH : 
ALFRED SMITH & CO., THE FOREIGN STAMP AND CREST DEPOT. 

MDCCCLXX. 



INDEX TO VOL. VIII. 



•«• Where only name of country 1b giren. Its stamps are intended to be indicated. The addition of an asteriuk after a number eignifles that 

there is an engraving ou the page refen-ed to. 



Album, On the Choice of an, 5 

Alsace and LoiTaine, 149 * 

Angola 13, 136* 

Answers to Correspondents, 16, 32, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 

144, 160, 176, 192 
Antigua, 62, 78 

Antioquia, 2, 8,* 27, 41,* 73, 105* 
Argentine Confederation, 46 ; Kepublic, 192 
Auctions (Stamp), 99, 189 
Austria, 108, 122, 128, 169, 187 
^Vzores (The), 26 

Baden, 150 

Bahamas, 52, 192 

Barbados, 51,52, 78, 79, 111 

Basle, 16 

Bavaria, 2, 16, 40, 57,* 81, 160 

Belozersk, 168 

Belgium, 2, 8,* 32, 40,* 46, 58, 72,* 91, 151 * 

Bergedorf, 46 

Bergen, 57 * 

Bogorodsk, 20 

Bolivia, 2, 31, 61, 64, 122, 139, 141, 144 

Borowitz, 20, 47 

Brattleboro' Stamp (The), 161* 

Brazil, 2 

British Columbia, 2, 192 

Guiana, 46 

Califomian Locals, 25, 62 

Canada, 2, 12, 42, 58, 75,* 81, 83, 90,* 154, 180 

Cape of Good Hope, 2, 13, 46, 190 

Card (A), from Lord Hartington, 97 

Ceylon, 2, 25, 59, 74 

Collection of Heads (A), 108 

On the Commencement of a, 33, 55 

Columbia, United States of, 4, 8,* 1 1,* 17, 27, 41,* 73,* 81, 
100, 105,* 106,* 120, 138, 153,* 169* 184* 

Concerning Reprints, 59 

Confederate States, 57,* 65, 80, 82, 89,* 153,* 169,* 174 
192 

Contemporaries (Our), 43, 49, 81, 98 

Contrast (A) ; Post-office regulations and changes in 1753 ; 
102 

Correspondence, 14, 28, 47, 63, 78, 95, 110, 127, U3, 159, 
174, 190; Heraldic Terms, 14; the twopence "throne" 
Victoria, 14 ; M. Moens' reply to Mr. Pemberton, 15; 
the perforation of the French stamps, 28 ; the St. Louis 
Stamps, 29, 63 ; Mr. Pemberton on foreigners, 30 ; 
the inscription on the Russian local stamps, 47, 63 ;• 
a variety of the 20 lepta Grecian, 63 ; the colour of 
the last issue of five cents Bolivia, eagle series, 64 ; 
the "too-late" Trinidad, 78; the stamps of Antigua, 
78 ; the Barbados stamps, 79 ; the Boston swindlers 
and The Philatelist — Koorshedjah — Guadalajara, &c., 
79 ; the United States postage stamps, 95 ; Spanish 



Correspondence continued : — 

Congress stamps, 95 ; Mr. Pearson Hill on the date 
of issue of the penny English black stamp, 95 ; the 
new Paraguay, 110 ; the twopenny stamp of Barba- 
dos, 111 ; the fifth edition of i)r. Gray's Catalogue^ 
111 ; Dr. Gray's catalogue— the black penny English 
111 ; the Italian and Roman postage, 127; Honduras 
stamps and United States locals, 127; Dr. Gray's 
illustrated catalogue, 127; English embossed ten- 
penny stamp (The), 143 ; an old Natal stamp perfor- 
ated, 143, 160 ; the Italian and Roman postage, 143 ; 
Mr. Pemberton on the stamps of Bolivia, 144 ; the 
English sixpenny embossed stamp, 159, 174 ; papers 
for beginners — the English envelopes, 159 ; English 
envelopes on coloured paper, &c., 174 ; the so-called 
Portland local stamp, 174 ; the Euo^lish newspaper 
band and envelope, 174 ; the South African Republio 
stamps — an American mare's nest, 175; Natal and 
Cape varieties, 190 ; an early English variety, 190 ; 
the Portland and Westervelt local.",' 191 ; The Phil- 
atelisCs prize essay on the detection of Swiss forgeries, 
191 

Craig, the late Edward A., 187 

Cuba, 3, 10,*42, 59, 75, 80 

Cundinamarca, 138, 169 

Danubian Principalities, 16, 19, 46, 108, 172, 183* 

Deccan, 25, 56, 90 * 

Denmark, 3, 16, 43, 121,* 138, 185 

Dominica, 71, 91* 

Dutch Indies, 9,* 59 

Egypt, 12, 46, 59, 78, 186 

Eighth Year (The), 1 

Envelopes (The) of the United States, 21 

Errors of Engraving and Printing, 45, 100, 116, 146 

Field Post Envelopes and Cards, 136, 150, 168 

of the French Army, 118- 

Finland, 44, 96, 100, 151 * 

France, 3, 12, 26, 28, 32, 41, 44, 53, 82, 91, 100, 112, 118, 

122, 151, 168, 177, 181, 183, 190 
Franking Privilege (Tne), in France, 53 
French Post (The) and the War, 158 
Stamps, The Perforation of, 28, 32 

Gambia, 3 

German Confederation (North), 3, 11, 16, 26, 90, 100, 120, 
136, 150, 151, 186 

Great Britain, 13, 42, 57, 64, 69, 74, 84, 95, 102, 107, 111 ^ 
113, 126, 129, 134, 143, 148, 152,* 157, 159, 160, 165, 
169, 174, 184,* 190, 192; envelopes, 157, 165 

Greece, 63, 100 

Guadalajara, 25, 79, 154 

Halfpenny (The) Post, 54, 62, 94, 97, 126, 135, 148, 152, 
188, 190 



IV 



INDEX. 



Hamburg, 3, 101 

Hanover, 91, 101 

Harrington, a Card from Lord, 97 

Heads, a Collection of, 108 

Heligoland, 3, 96 

Helsingfors, 151 * 

Heraldic Terms, 14 

}Iint8 for mounting Stamps aad Envelo-)('s, 35 

Holte, 185* 

Holland, 3, 59, 73,* 96, 101, 108, 122, 133, 152 

Honduras, 59, 81, 127, 176 

India, 25, 31, 56,* 90,* 101, 176 

Italy, 3, 12, 40,* 77, 101, 127, 137,* 143 

Jamaica, 192 

Kissingen and Schweinfurt Express, 4), 45 
Knoxville, 66, 80 
Koorshedjah, 31, 66* 79, 81 

La Guiara, 3 

Lament (The) of a Postage Stamp, 14 

Levant, 121,* 137 

Liberia, 4, 116 

List of newly-issued and inedited Stamps noticed in The 

Stamp- Collector's Magazine for 1869, 2, 19 
Lorraine and Alsace, 149 * 
Lubeck, 16, 117 
Lucon, 19, 60, 75, 80, 117 
Luxembourg, 117 

Mauritius, 43, 75, 82, 117, 139 

Mexico, 4, 12, 25, 26, 48, 64, 79, 112, 117, 154, 176, 192 

Modena, 117 

Montevideo, 112, 146 

Mulready Envelopes, 69, 95 ; caricature, 126 

Naples, 61, 147, 176 

Xatal, 13, 27, 57, 59, 75, 143, 160, 176, 190, 192 

Nevis, 13 

Newfoundland, 19, 169 

New Granada, 4, 8,* 11,* 17, 27, 41,* 73,* 81, 100, 105,* 

106,* 120, 138, 153,* 169* 184* 
Newlv-issued or Inedited Stamps, 8, 26, 40, b6^ 71, 88, 104, 

fl9, 134, 149, 168, 183 
New South Wales, 13, 33,* 74, 105,* 147 
New Zealand, 24, 103 
Nicaragua, 13, 19,59, 144 
North German Confederation, 3, 11, 16, 26, 90, 100, 120, 

136, 150, 151, 186 
Nor^'ay, 57 * 185 * 
Notes on the Envelopes of Great Britain, 157, 165 

Oldenburg, 148 

Paraguay, 91, 110, 137, 168, 185* 

Paris, A new Postal Scheme for, 181 

Papers for Beginners, 4, 33, 55, 63, 81,'113, 129, 169 

PauweLs, Jules, Esq., The Late, 164 

Perforation (The) of French Stamps, 28, 32 

Peru, 19, 59, 80, 96, 136 * 186 

Philatelic Society (The), 1, 13, 24, 32, 99, 109 

Philippine Islands, 19, 60, 75, 80, 117 

Portland Local, 154, 174, 191 

Portugal, 19, 43, 50, 75 

Portuguese Possessions, 135 

Postage Stamps fro a the Seat of War, 177 

Postal Arrangemen.s between England and France, 27 

Postal Chit-chat, 14, 62, 77, 94, 126, 143, 159, 190 

Postal Beform in the United States, 182 



Postal Scheme (A New) for Paris, 181 
Postmaster General's Advertisement (A), 139 
Prince Edward Island, 19, 137, 153* 
Prussia, 49, 93, 112, 150 

Queensland, 19, 93 

Reform (Postal) in the United States, 182 

Re-impressions of New Granada, 17 

Regensburg, 57 * I 

Reprints, Conceniing, 59 

Reunion, He de la, 59 * , 

Reviewsof Postal Publications, 47, 61, 76, 92, 110, 125, I 

159, 173, 188 
Riasanski, 20 
Roman States, 19, 137 * 
Roumania, 16, 19, 46, 108, 172, 183 * 
Russia, 19, 56,* 108, 120, 168 
Russian Locals, 10,* 20, 47, 63, 168, 171 
Steam Navigation Company, 121,* 137* 

St. Christopher, 72, 103, 106 * 

St. Domingo, 20, 89, 139 

St. Helena, 49, 121 

St. Louis, 25, 29, 31, 63, 94, 99 

St. Thomas and Prince Islands, 135 * 

St. Vincent, 13, 20 

Salvador, 91 

Sarawak, 31, 57 

Schluesselburg, 11, 20, 47 

Schweinfurt, 40 

Seat of War, Postage Stamps from the, 177 

Segna Tassa Stamps, 77, 127, 143 

Servia, 16, 20 

Shades of Colour, how produced, 91 

Shanghai, 43, 49 

Soummy, 11,* 20 

South African RepubUc, 20, 25, 27,43, 58, 91, 96, 121, 

138, 175 
South Australia, 20, 27, 42, 58 
Spanish Colonies, 9,* 42, 59, 75, 186 
Spain, 9,* 16, 20, 27, 42,* 61, 73,* 75, 81, 95, 106,* 111 

120,* 126, 135, 154, 186 
Spires, 67 * 

Story of a Soldier's Letter (The), 67 
Straits Settlements, 74 
Suez Canal Company, 16, 94 
Surcharged Spanish Stamps (The), 75 
Switzerland, 11, 16, 67,* 122, 145, 178, 185, 191 
Sydney, 13, 33,* 147 

Tasmania, 43, 96, 176 

Tolima, 106,* 120, 138 

Transvaal Republic, 20, 25,27, 43,68,91, 96, 121, 138, 175 

Trinidad, 21, 78, 139 

Turkey, 21, 41,* 69 

United States, 6, 12, 21, 25, 69, 62, 74, 83, 88. 95, 104,* 
112, 119, 139, 144, 152,* 154, 161,* 168,* 174, 182, 
186, 191 

Uruguay, 112, 146 

Usrusskajo, 11 * 

Victoria, 11, 14, 21, 41,* 72,* 80, 107,* 121, 176, 192; the 

♦'twopence Throne," 14, 16, 30 
Virginia, 67 

Western Australia, 14 

West Indian Stamps, (Our), 61 

Wurtemburg, 21, 150, 168 * 



THE 



STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE 



>■:, 



THE EIGHTH YEAR. 

We allowed . our last volume to be cora- 
Tuenced without any greeting to our readers, 
tut we could not permit the present occasion 
to pass, without being chargeable with some 
lack of courtesy. 

Let us, then, first discharge the most 
pleasurable duty of wishing all and every one 
of our readers a very Happy New Year, and 
(for we must not forget the capacitj" in which 
we address them) many and valuable ad- 
ditions to all and every their stamp albums. 
The next thing we have to do is to solicit 
them," not only to continue to favour us with 
their own support, but also, where possible, 
to endeavour to increase the number of our 
subscribers. We, on our side, caij promise 
them that no efforts shall be spared to main- 
tain the interest and increase the usefulness 
of the magazine. The number seven has 
always been looked on as rather a mysterious 
liumber ; and now to the many other wonder- 
ful facts related in connection with it may 
be added this new one, that seven volumes 
of The Stamp-Collector^ s Magazine have been 
published. That it would ever last so long 
no one at the outset would have thought of 
predicting; but its constitution is good, and 
with our readers' help we may yet multiply 
the seven volumes by three. 

Turning now to the past year : we find 
it has been marked by one very interesting 
event — the establishment of the Philatelic 
Society at.London. The society has already 
proved itself of great value, and as time goes 
on it will, no doubt, become increasingly 
useful. Whether it will be possible to estab- 
lish branches of the society remains to be 
seen, but we ourselves think the project 
feasible; and if those among our readers who 
think with us, and are willing to assist in 



the formation of such branches in .their 
respective towns, will send us their names, 
we will lay the matter before the central 

society. 

Another of the leading events of the phila- 
telic year has -been the. exposure of the 
Boston swindlers. The home-blow which 
has been struck at these impostors has been 
severely felt by them, as their ridiculously- 
abusive pamphlets sufficiently testify; and 
we may hope that it will prevent, for some 
time to come, the emission of any more 
concocted designs. 

The study of stamps, both here and on the 
continent, has made a steady advance during 
the year; and there has been about the 
usual number of new issues, among which 
may be mentioned, as specially worthy of 
note, the Antioquian, British Columbian 
(provisionals), Roumanian, Russian, Servian, 
South African Republic, and Trinidad 

stamps. 

Among new books, we may call attention 
to Mr. Van Rinsum*s Permanent, or, as we 
prefer to call it. Polyglot Albtim, M. Moens' 
Anglo-French Album] and the twelfth edition 
of our old friend Oppen, though wo can 
hardly in fairness omit to mention Mr. 
Stafford Smith's Permanent Album, which 
came out at the end of 1868. Of new cata- 
logues there have been none, but we are 
justified in promising that the long-awaited 
fifth edition of Dr. Gray's work will very 
shortly be issued ; with which piece of good 
news, coupled with our reiterated good 
wishes to our readers, we may be permitted 
to conclude this brief inangurative article of 
our (editorial) Eighth Year. 

A Postal Convention has been signed with Great 
Britain, by which the postage for lettera from Franoc to 
England and vice versA is reduced from 4d. to 3d., and the 
weight allowed for a single rate is raised to ten grammes. 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Jan. 1, 1870. 



LIST OF NEWLY-ISSUED OR IN- 
EDITED STAMPS, NOTICED IN 
THE STAMP-COLLECTOR' 8 MAGA- 
ZINE FOR 1869. 

This list comprises only well-authenticated 
stamps issued under government sanction, 
in the various countries to which they 
belong. 

Arms of Colombia and stars in an oval. In- 
scription, E. S. DE ANTIOQUIA. E.S. U.S 
1>E COLOMBIA in surrounding border, 
CORREOS at the top. Col. imp. ; rect. 
2^ centavos blue. 
6 „ green. 

10 „ lilac. 

20 „ brown. 

1 peso carmine. 

iabaris. 

ENVELOPE. 

Arms in white relief. Inscription batern. 
Col. imp. ; rect. perf. Transverse 
inscription above the stamp, konigl. 

BAYER. POST COUVERT. 

3 (drei) kreuzer rose. 

Design of 1865. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
2 c. purplish-lilac. 
20 c. „ „ 

Numeral of value in oval, lion couchant on 
inscribed tablet below, arms and 
motto above, leaf-work in border. 
Inscription belgique. Col. imp. ; 
rect,, perf. 

1 centime green. 

2 „ blue. 

5 „ amber. 

6 „ carmine. 
8 „ violet. 

Head of King Leopold II. in oval, frame of 
different pattern for each value. 
Inscription belgique. Col. imp.; 
rect. perf. 

10 centimes ^reen. 
20 „ blue. 

30 „ amber. 

40 „ carmine. 

1 franc violet. 



Design of first series (1867-8). Col. imp. ; 
rect. 

5 centavos violet. 
100 „ green. 

Design of 1866. Col. imp. on bluish tinted 
paper. Rect., perf. 
10, 50, 80, 100 reis. 

iritis^ Colntnbia* 

PROVISIONAL SERIES. 

Design of 1865, with surcharged value cross- 
ing the lower margin. Col. imp. ; 
rect. perf. 
5 cents orange-red, imprint black. 
10 „ lake, „ blue. 

25 „ yellow, „ violet. 

50 „ lilac, „ red. 

1 dollar green, „ green. 

Canah* 

Design of 1868. Col, imp. ; rect., perf. 
One cent orange, yellow. 

Caj^e of ^oob |o]f(. 

The sixpence lilac of the 1865 series, with 
new value surcharged in red ink 
and crossing the upper part of the 
stamp, the original value being 
obliterated by a broad red bar. Col. 
imp.; rect. perf. 
Fourpence lilac and red. 

Head of Queen, diademed, in lined oval. 
Inscription cetlon, foliate orna- 
ment at angles. Col. imp. ; rect. 
perf. Wmk., cc and crown. 
One penny blue. 

ENVELOPE. 

Embossed head of Queen in oval, inscription 
CEYLON. Col. imp. ; oval. 
Tenpence pale vermilion. 

" SERVICE " STAMPS. 

Current series with the word service printed 
across the face. 
Black imprint. Id., 2d., 3d., 4d., 8d., lOd. 
Red „ 6d., 2s. 



Jan. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



Design of 1868. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
5 centimos pink. 

10 „ light brown. 

20 „ orange. 

40 „ lilac. 
Same design, with surcharged inscription 

UABILITADO POR LA NACION. 

10 c. light brown. 
20 0. orange. 

genmarli. 

ENVELOPE. 

Design of 1864, but without the letter s. 
after the figure of value in lower 
margin. Col, imp. ; oval. 
2 sk. ultramarine. 

Laureated profile of Emperor to lefl in 

beaded circle, in centre of oblong 

frame. Inscription empire frangais. 

TIMBRE poste. Col. imp. ; obi. perf. 

5 francs lilac. 

JOURNAL-TAX STAMPS. 

Arms on shield in octagon. Inscription in 

upper and lower margins timbre 

IMPERIAL. JOURNAUX. Col. imp.; large 

rect. perf. 

2 c. violet, blue, red. 

5 c. violet, blue, red. 

[Note. — ^The violet stamps represent only the duty on 
the journals to which the^ are nxed ; the olue represent 
the tax and the postage within the department ; tne red, 
the tax and the postage to any part of the empire.] 

iambiH. 

Embossed design, head of Queen to left in 
circle, ornaments in spandrels. 
Col. imp. ; rect. 
Four pence dark brown. 
Sixpence dark blue. 

(§txvm Conftberatimi. 

Device of 1868. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 

J gr. green. 
\ „ orange. 
1 



» 



rose. 



2 „ pale blue. 
1 kr. green. 

3 „ rose. 



envelopes. 
The envelopes of the series last in use in the 
States now forming part of the 
Confederation (those of Prussia 
included), reissued with the em- 
bossed device covered by an ad- 
hesive stamp.* 

registration (?) STAMPS. 

Numerals on ground formed of minute re- 
petitions of the value. Inscription 
norddeutscher postbezirk. Col* 
imp. ; obi. 
Numerals in oval frame. 
10 groschen grey. 
Nitmerals in oblong frame. 

30 groschen bright blue. 

Pantbnrg* 

Type of 1864, variety, on unwatermarked 
paper. 
2| schg., dark green, yellow-green. 

frltgolan^. 

Design of 1867. Col. imp. ; rect. pexf. 
^ schilling light green. 

f oUanHf. 

Arms and wreath in beaded circle, spandrels 
lined. Inscription nederland. Col. 
imp, ; recfc. perf. 

1 cent black, green. 
1| „ rose. 

2 „ yellow 

UNPAID letter stamps. 

Numerals of value (0. 10) in transverse oval, 
ornaments in spandrels. Col. imp. ; 
rect. perf. 
10 cent yellowish brown. 

fa ^aaira. 

Steamship, sailing to left, in centre, value on 
small scroll above, and inscription 
J. A. J. & z. CURACAO in two lines 
below, on white rectangular disk; 
paquet iu upper margin, la guaira 
on left, pro. cabello on right, and 
SAN TOM AS below. Col. imp. ; rect. 
perf. 



i> 



blue. 



2 real green. 



>» 



rose. 



* For further particulars m to this reissue, see page 41 
of the last volume. 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Jan. 1, 1870 



li 



Twelve cents „ 

-24, 



>» 



Design of 1860, bnt without external lines. 
Col. imp.; rect. perf. 
Six cents pale red. 
~ blue. 

„ green. 

mm. 

Type of first series. Col. imp. on white; 
rect. 

4 reales red. 

Arms supported by flags and surmounted by 
stars and eagle, with head turned 
to left, in double oval frame, the 
inner one inscribed estados unidos 

DE COLOMBIA, the OUter CORREOS 

NALES and value, numeral in cor- 
ners. Col. imp. ; rect. 
5 c. orange. 

Similar design, but eagle's head turned to 
right, figure of value at sides, and 
Boman numerals in corners. Col. 
imp. ; rect. 

10 c. lilac. 
{To be concluded in our next.) 

PAPERS FOR BEGINNERS. 

BY OVERT TAYLOR. 

I. — Introductory. 

The following papers will contain little to 
interest advanced collectors. All that will 
be stated will be familiar to them, and will, 
perhaps, hardly represent a tithe of their 
present knowledge respecting stamps. These 
papers are intended solely for the guidance 
of beginners, and my motives for writing 
them are capable of easy explanation. 

In brief, TJie Stamp-Collector's Magazine, 
and all the other philatelic periodicals, have, 
by a natural process, become somewhat too 
learned for the comprehension of young col- 
lectors, or even of collectors of mature years 
who are now commencing to form their 
albums. The study of philately has made a 
great and steady advance, and elementary 
facts having long since been fully stated, 
there exists no reason for their constant re- 
petition by the journals whose pages are now 



properly occupied by more erudite specula- 
tions and arguments. The secondary details 
of stamps are now the object of study, and 
in writing upon them the knowledge by the 
reader of the leading facts respecting the 
emissions discussed, is of necessity assumed, 
and such facts are only referred to inciden- 
tally, if at all. But to new collectors half 
the contents of the current periodicals must 
be a mystery, and they cannot find in them 
any guide as to the formation of the collec- 
tions they have just commenced ; nor can 
they put their hands on any publication 
giving in a concise but readable form, the 
elementary information which they require 
respecting stamps. In short, they cannot 
get " posted up," unless, indeed, they have 
the time and chance to read throuofh The 
Stamp-Collector's Magazine from the com- 
mencement, and as the early volumes are., 
now out of print (or nearly so), this with 
the best of will is not an easy matter. It is 
true there are catalogues, and good ones too, 
in existence,^ but they are certainly at best 
but dry reading, and, however clear, they still 
must unavoidably leave a great deal to be 
understood, I have for some time past been 
engaged in editing the fifth edition of Dr. 
Gray's catalogue, and struck, as I went on, 
by the want of any general guide to the 
history of stamps, endeavoured, in some 
measure to meet it by adding freely to the 
notes which I had inserted in the former 
edition, but the limits of such a publication, 
as might be supposed, place considerable 
restrictions on a system of annotation, and 
it was on finding how little I could thus do, 
that the idea occurred to me of writing a 
series of papers which should combine a 
statement of the principal facts in the history 
of stamps, together with hints to collectors 
as to what and how to collect. 

My qualifications for the work I project 
are, as I am fully conscious, but slender, 
and I should have rejoiced to see it per- 
formed by abler hands. In matter of 
opinion as to what should, and what should 
not be collected, I take myself a midway 
stand, and my own practice halts behind 
my principles. When I admit myself to be 
the author of the paper " On Varieties, and 
Why they should be Collected," which, under 



Jan. 1,1870.] THE STAMt-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



the signature, " A Philatelist," appeared 
in the fifth volume of the Stamp-Collector* s 
Magazine, it might naturally be supposed 
that I am a collector of the ultra- French 
school ; but, in fact, I give but a slight and 
unsystematic attention to the collection of 
varieties of perforation or paper. I cannot 
and do not turn my back on my own argu- 
ments in their favour, and I see as clearly as 
ever the logical necessity, which I attempted 
to demonstrate, of following out the study 
'of stamps to the end ; but subsequent con- 
sideration has led me to feel that it is impos' 
sible — at any rate for the bulk of philatelists 
-^tp pursue collecting to its logical con- 
sequences. The number of stamps is con- 
fitantly on the increase, and the number of 
minor varieties of paper and perforation is 
increasing in the same proportion, the col- 
lection of stamps threatens, therefore, to be- 
-come more and more expensive, and to 
require an excessive amount of application, 
in order to keep up to the level of knowledge 
respecting these minor varieties ; and in the 
same ratio the circle of philatelists must 
almost necessarily diminish. I cannot, then, 
under existing circumstances, venture to 
recommend to those who may favour me by 
reading these papers, the giving of a regular 
and systematic attention to such varieties. 
On the other hand, I would guard against 
the supposition that I am desirous of sug- 
gesting their entire* rejection. Prominent 
varieties of this class are, in my opinion, 
well worth collecting, but they should be 
such as are plainly visible or palpable, ac- 
cording to their nature, not requiring the 
application of a guage, nor a special know- 
edge of the art of paper-making, to demon- 
strate their existence. To illustrate what I 
mean, let me take the example of the small 
and large perforated Austrian : here the differ- 
ence is plainly visible, and does, to a certain 
extent, alter the appearance of the stamp ; 
I, therefore, collect both. Again, the thick 
and thin paper, which distinguish some 
emissions from others, are equally palpable, 
and of these, in like manner, I admit both 
kinds. But on this point, of course, I 
can only give my own opinions. I do not 
attempt to lay down any inflexible rule, nor 
do I attempt to throw any discredit on the 



French system of collecting, which has te- 
sulted in so much good to philately. I cor- 
dially admire the spirit of careful research 
which " French " collectors bring to their 
labours ; but the higher walks of the science 
which they traverse, are unapproachable, 
except to a select few. 

These explanations are due at the outset 
to my readers, whose pardon I should other- 
wise have to ask for their seeming egotism. 
Some statement of the principles on which 
these, papers will be written is necessary, 
that the readers may know what to expect, 
but collectors who are now beginning tneir 
books, if they will go with me as far as I go, 
will find nothing more than what I have 
said above to discourage them from after- 
ward going farther if they like. 

II. — On the clioice of an Album. 

The cage before the bird is a good plan to 
go upon, and the first thing for the con- 
sideration of intending collectors must de^ 
cidedly be, what album they had better take 
to commence with. A blank album is de- 
cidedly inappropriate at first. Until a col- 
lector knows something about stamps, is 
accustomed to handle and arrange them, to 
calculate the space they will occupy, and to 
decide on what general plan he will collect, 
a blank album is worse than useless — is a 
simple source of perplexity and "bother." 
One ror other of the ruled and printed albums 
in existence must be chosen. For juvenile 
collectors the best to take is, I think, 
Stafford Smith's "Permanent" album, not 
because it is what it professes to be — " per- 
manent," but because of the simplicity of 
the arrangement. 

Young philatelists, then, should get a copy 
of this album, and in the first place would 
do well to make it their aim to fill the num- 
bered squares therein. For the benefit of 
those unacquainted with the book, it may be 
necessary to say that a numbered list of the 
stamps issued is put at the side of each 
country's page or pages, and the squares 
opposite bear corresponding numbers. The 
list, it is true, is far from a complete one, 
varieties of every kind being almost uniformly 
excluded from it, but as on most of the pages 
there are several extra and unnumbered 



6 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINK. [Jan, 1, 1870- 



■^-r- 



spaces, and also a number of nnallotied pages 
scattered throagh the volume, there i» plenty 
of room for the addition of the unnoticed 
varieties. The young collector, then, whilst 
making it his special care to fill up the num- 
bered spaces, can add at will such other 
stamps as he may obtain. That he may 
cultivate a spirit of order, he should en- 
deavour to arrange these extra stamps as far 
as possible in their proper places, and keep 
those of one emission separate from another; 
but, in any event, this album can only be 
treated as a temporary or primary one, and 
therefore the unappropriated pages should be 
freely used. When the collector has acquired 
a sufficient number of stamps (and he need 
not wait to fill the book), and when also he 
has acquired some definite knowledge of 
them, he may reasonably begin to think of 
arranging his stamps in a blank album on a 
higher and clearer plan. 

For intending collectors of maturer years, 
who are now on the point of commencing, the 
best book would be the last edition of Moens' 
album. Lallier*s is altogether to be discarded, 
from the slovenliness of its arrangement, and 
from its inclusion of all sorts of non-postal 
stamps. Moens* album is very clearly and 
sensibly arranged, and though not without 
its defects (which I purpose hereafter point- 
ing out), it is well worthy of general accept- 
ance. This album includes a much greater 
number of varieties than the permanent id- 
bnm of Mr. Stafford Smith, and instead of 
unhesitatingly applying himself to the filling 
in of all the spaces, as in the case of the 
former, the collector must, in this instance, 
use no small discrimination in filling in or 
leaving blank. This album, equally with the 
other, must be accepted simply as prepara- 
tory to one framed according to the indi- 
vidual tastes of the collector, and he must 
resolutely follow his own idea in filling it, 
looking on it merely as a means to an end. 
I purpose myself reviewing it page by page, 
in connection with the notes on each country's 
stamps which will follow these introductory 
papers, and shall thus afford an opportunity 
to my readers to decide what to reject and 
what to accept. 

The discussion as to the make, shape, &q.j 
of the final album, hardly comes within my 



present scope, but to those who, with an eye 
to the future, wish to glean some informa- 
tion as to the best kind mannfitctured, we 
recommend reference to Mr. W. D. Atlee's 
able paper, in the last number of The 
Philatelistj on this and kindred subjects. 



HOW THE UNITED STATES POSTAGE 
STAMPS ARE MADE. 

BT COSMOPOLITAX. 

Through the courtesy of Mr. Nicholls, the 
gentlemanly superintendent of the print- 
ing department of the National Bank Note 
Company, I am enabled to redeem my pro- 
mise to the readers of this journal, and give 
them a description of the mode of manufiio- 
turing our new postage stamps. 

Let us commence at the beginning, and 
follow step by step the different and interest- 
ing processes these little bits of paper are 
subjected to. In the first place, a number of 
designs for stamps are furnished the govern- 
ment by the bank-note company. These de- 
signs are upon steel, and engraved in the 
finest style of steel line engraving, and are 
perfect marvels of art. Should a design be 
accepted, it becomes necessary to duplicate 
it^ as it would be impossible to print the 
large number of stamps required from a 
single plate. To do tins the origrinal die is 
transferred to steel plates, 300 designs being 
npon one plate. The machines for accom- 
plishing this " transferring " are beautifully 
made, mathematically correct in work, 
and so accurate that millions of stamps 
printed firom perhaps hundreds of plates are 
all exactly alike. The plates being finished, 
they are sent to the press-room, and are 
ready to receive the ink used in printing. 
This ink, or rather the different coloured 
inks, are made upon the premises, their, 
formulas being very valuable to the com* 
pany. The printing is done by hand-presses, 
and although sdemingly laborious, the com- 
pany are now printing one-mil lion-and-a- 
half stamps daily. The plate is first inked 
by an ordinary roller, then wiped with a 
cloth, and finsdly with the operator's hand. 
This is a very nice operation, and requires 
much dexterity. The paper used is of a fine 
variety, manufactured expressly for the com- 



Jan. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



pany by a firm in Massachusetts, the amontit 
per animm consumed being over sixteen tons. 
Before being placed upon the plate it is 
wetted down to enable it to receive the ink 
evenly. As the sheets of stamps are printed, 
thev are laid carefully away to dry ; as soon 
as they are dry they pass to the " gumming 
room," and receive their coat of mucilage. 
This mucilage is dextrine, a preparatioi^ of 
starch, and is the same as used by calico 
printers. It is laid on the backs of the sheets 
(which are held fast by an iron frame), with 
a large brush somewhat resembling those 
used for, white- washing. A dexterous yoiing 
woman can easily gum 30 or 40 sheets per 
minute. After receiving the gum they are 
placed oli wire frames aud deposited in a 
drying room, where they remain until en- 
tirely dry. This operation being finished, 
they, are consigned to the ** embosser," who, 
with a remarkably complicated and delicate 
machine leaves the little square chequer- 
board mark we see upon our stamps. This 
mark is to permit the obliterating ink to sink 
into the fabric of the paper, so that stamps 
cannot be readily cleansed. After passing 
through the embossing press, they are per- 
forated by young girls on peculiarly con* 
structed and beautiful machines, the inven- 
tion of this company. After being perforated 
they are subjected to the action of a powerful 
hydraulic press to get rid of all wrinkles, 
and give the stamps a finished, smooth ap- 
pearance. The sheets are then cut in half, 
leaving 150 stamps on a sheet, and in this 
condition are ready for the postmasters, to 
whom they are sent in registered letters upon 
a requisition approved in Washington. The 
stamps printed in two colours require to parss 
through the press twice, as only one ink can 
be used at a time on a plate. 

Have my readers any idea of the number 
of stamps used in the United States, and 
printed by this company ? They reach the 
enormous aggregate of from four to five 
hundred millions per annum. Of the 3-cent 
stamp there were used last year 37,879,100 ; 
of the 2-cent stamp 6,322,500, and the other 
values in proportion. 

I was surprised to find upon inquiry, that 
it is very seldom the company lose any 
stamps by their employes. At the present 



time this company employ about 400 work- 
men and women, but the system is so 
thorough, and the surveillance so searching, 
that it is impossible for theft to be committed' 
without detection. At present the National 
Bank-Note Company are working upon 2 
and 3-cent stamps only, as the post-office 
authorities propose to call in the rest of the 
new issae, owing to the manifold objection 
made by the community at large. — Amencan 
Journal of Vliilately, 

Not long since Mr. Goodall, Vice-Presi- 
dent of the American Bank-Note Company, 
presented to the British Museum a very hand- 
some book, containing a description of the 
process of engraving employed by the Com- 
pany for the impression of bank notes, 
accompanied by a series of splendid steel 
engravings made by the company, among 
which are included the ornamental devices 
on the bank notes. A review of this book 
appeared in the Ghhe of the 24th November 
last, and from it we may glean some infor- 
mation as to the manner in which the plates 
for the stamps are prepared; as although 
the American Bank-Note Company are not 
the printers of the United States postage 
stamps, yet the method used is no doubt the 
same. The following is the account given 

of the manner in which the design is made : 
The process of engraving employed by tne company is 
known as the American transfer process, and was invented 
by a Mr. Perkins, in 1807. The manner of proceeding is 
this. The original drawing is daguerreotyped on a plate 
of the required size, the outlines are then scratched in, 
the chemicals are wiped off, and by means of red chalk 
the design is traced on a sheet of tracing paper, prepared 
with wax, and from the paper is again transferred to a 
steel plate, hardened in a fire made of ivory charcoal. 
From tliis plate an impression is taken on a roller of soft 
metal, from which the engravings are printed. 

One peculiar advantage of the transfer process is, that 
by it it is possible to reproduce pictures on a small scale 
with perfect fidelity. 

* * * The advantages and disadvantages of this 
system have been much canvassed by professionals both 
in England and on the Continent, and it has been 
repeatedly asserted that by its means it is impossible to 
obtain an imprei^ion more than 3 inches in size. 

The process employed for the bank notes 
is, no doubt, the same as that for the stamps, 
with the sole difference, that instead of the 
design on the original steel plate being 
transferred to a roller of soft metal, it is, as 
stated by our American contemporary, me- 
chanically multiplied on a [soft] steel 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Jan. 1, 1870. 



pliito. The process appli 
be even more saecesafoi 
to bank notes, when it is 
peculiar excellency (or 
Bnitability for very small 
understand now how it n 
presenting the Declaratio 
was so accurately copied 
how the beauti fully- dra 
landing of Columbus wt 
tbe 15 cent stamp. 



ed, to stamps must 

than when applied 

considered that its 

&ult) lies in its 

designs. We can 

vas the picture re- 

of Independence 

in the 24. c, and 

n scene of the 

incorporated in 



NEWljT.lSSUED OR INEDITED 

STAMPS, 
coming guests to fill our albume' pages 



and with them are some recent arrivals which 
we shall be able to introduce at fall length. 
Taking these latter the first, we will make 
choice of the series for 

AHTEOQOiAwith which to commence. It is 
now some months since the Secretary of the 
Philatelic Society gave notice of the existence 
of atampsfor this state, which it may not be out 
of place to remind our readers is one of the 
United Statfis of Colombia, and in the inter- 
val our knowledge as to the circumstances 
surrounding the 'emission of this series has 
remained at'n'st and still. The suggestion at 



first made that they were the result of some 
revolntionary frolic on the part of Antioquia, 
has neither been confirmed nor contradicted, 
but we do not ourselves believe that snch 
has been the canse. To judge from the de- 
sign, it would seem that the engraver of the 
series for the republic has been employed to 
prepare this special series for Antioquia. The 
national arms appear in tboiz' entirety on all 
the values, but with some symbol which, in so 
far as it has any definite shape, may be said 
to resemble a bird's nest, pendant from the 
base of the shield. Furthermore, the name 



of the republic appears conjointly with the 
name of the state, and (if this be worth 
noting) above it. Altogether, the appear- 
ances are in favour of the stamps having 
been made by order of the central adminis- 



tration, but the why and wherefore of this 
emission we are as far from as ever. Such 
wheels within wheels of postal organization 
are mystifying to every one unacquainted 
with tbe division of power between tho 
separate and tbe united states of the Culom~ 
bian republic; but wo hope, as tbe point is 
really very interesting, and the stamps seem 
to be the indication of a unique system of 
government, that some one with correspon- 
dents in the country will endeavour to ob- 
tain tbe necessary explanations. And among 
the minor points for elucidation comes the 
question, — of what word is the letters., which 
precedes the words de antioqcu, the initial r* 
Our illustrations render any lengthened 
reference to the devices unnecessary. It will 
be seen that there is a general resemblance 
between them, and that the 
leading features are, more- 
over, very similar to those 
of the latest issued of the 
Colombians. It is, however, 
wortb remarking that the 
name of the country is 
written in three different 
ways,E'' u"' ; E.D.; and e.e. — 
D.U. DE COLOMBIA, and that there are an equal 
number of difTerences in the expression of 
the valae; — cen.,c., and cent. It remains now 
only to observe that the colours are : 

2^ cent blue. 

5 „ green. 
10 „ lilac. 
20 „ brown. 

1 peso carmine. 

Beloidm.— Our acquaintance with the new 

series will, it appears, only ripen gradually 



Jan. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-OOLLEUTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



into intimacy. The entire aeriea will not ap- 
pear at one anil the same time, but value 
after valna wil! be issned, as tbe stock of the 
old type ia exbaaated; ov it may be, to judge 
by the commencement made, that they will 
come ont in pairs ; tliua the 1 and 10 c. (both 



greeo) have made their diiinl together ; in 
like manner the 2 and 20 c. (both blue) 
will make their appearance at the same 
time, if indeed they liave not already been 
issued. 

As to the general design of the "head " 
division,oiir illustration of the 10 c. will give a 
good idea, and tbe engraving annexed of the 
1 c. takes its place in these pages in perma- 
nent record of the device employed for the 
five lower values. 

Oar Brussels contemporary, who has some 
right to speak with authority on the matter, 
condemns the portrait of the king aa but 
little like him, as being nothing, in fact, but 
tbe head of an old man. We for onr part 
have not bad the opportunity of seeing the 
Belgian monarch, but judging from the pho- 
tographs we have seen, and the effinry on the 
money, we should have thought the represen- 
tation. a tolerably faithful, if not even a flat- 
tering one. In fact, we rather admired the 
tact of the artist in dealing with a face which, 
in spite of its general air of manliness, has 
one feature rather longer than a critic of 
physiognomy might approve; this objection- 
able feature is not so prominent, and yet the 
resemblance, as a whole, is well preserved. 

The design of the frame is, to onr thinking, 
very neat, and there ia something pleasing 
^bout its general appearance. M. Moena can 
see nothing good in it, and hints that tbe en- 
graver, M. Hendrickz, must have entrusted 
his pnpils with its "get up;" but then we 
all know that a prophet is not 'without 
honour, save in his own country. 

In addition to the new series, there comes 



a stamp which wil] have to be included in 

the list of embryos, a stamp born to "blush '* 

unseen, if it blushes at all — the 6 centimes of 

the now suppressed type. 

Its general resemblance to I 

the 1, 2, and 5 centimes is ' 

very evident, though it is 

favourably distinguished 

from them by the clearness 

with which the figures of 

value stand out; but what 

on earth is tbe meaning of 

the hieroglyphieal inscription which appears 

tn the oval surrounding the lion. Did the 

engraver refresh his wearied imagination by 

the study of the Cashmere Btampe? It would 






i judge at present 
B give our verdict 
1 being in Pahari. 



stamp, the 8 c 



, and though i 
the engraving, V 
of the inscriptioi 

It appears that we owe 
of this and its cam_ 

times, to a change of ministers, coupled w 
an apparent desire on, the part of those in 
authority to do nothing hastily. The work 
of preparation never, it appears, got beyond- 
the printing of trial impressions (the colours 
of which are not stated by onr Belgian 
friend.) 

DoTCH iNDiBa. — The solitary stamp of Java 
has, after a circnlation of some six year.} 
duration, retired from ac- 
tive service in favour of a i 
series of four values, of ? 
ivhich the type is here C 
given. It will at once be ? 
seen that the engraver i 
has taken for his model i 
the device now employed i 
in the homo country, and 
has reproduced it with this single important 
difference, that the head of the king is turned 
to the right. For tbe benefit of our very 
youngest reader, we may state that the in< 
scriptioo in the upper margin, NED ikdie, is 
not the name of the engraver. Tbe values 
of the new series are as follows . — 
■5 cents green. 
10 „ bistre. 
20 „ ultramarine. 
50 „ bright carmine. 

Spain and Colonies. — We announced a 
short time since, that new stamps for Spain 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Jan. 1^ 1870. 



were expected to appear on the lat of January 
of this year, and thouirh it now appears there 
18 some doubt as to wbcthor they will be 
iasoed at the same time as this present unm- 
ber, yet there is no longer any doubt that 
they are in preparation. Hitlierto, the sup 
ply of the annual emiKsioiis has been com- 
pleted, eacb year in the course of the pre- 
ceding August, aud it was from this cause 
that we received at the coratnencement of 
last year a new set of Btamps bearing the 
effigy of the dethroned Queen. This time, 
however, no decision had been taken, even as 
to the type to be employed, ontil November, 
and as every thing connected with the pro- 
jected issue has been the subject of long de- 
Dates, it may not see the light for another 
month or two. 

The type adopted presents no very remark- 
able charateri sties. The representation of 
any of the prominent men of the revolution 
would no doubt have caused jealousy, a safe 
refuge was therefore taken in anallegorica!, 
and as one of our contemporaries has it, an 
" antediluvian " effigy. To judge from the . 
engraving alone, and this is 
all we have at present to go 
upon, the symbolic head is 
not very efiective. The go- 
vernment engravers have, it 
would seem, become so ac- 
castomed to portray the face 
of their late Queen (with 
variations), that even in this 
effigy, which is intended to symbolise Spain, 
some reminiscences of their former work may 
be traced in its full sensuoas outlines; the 
neck, moreover, is thick and straight, and its 
abrupt ending is suggestive of decapitation. 
As to the fortifications which crown the head, 
they are indeed sTguificant of a country where 
the array is uppermost, and might is right. 
If her star shonld nltimately gain the as- 
cendant over physical force, so much the 
better. 

The mother country and the colonies 
are to share this device between them, but 
whilst the colonies will have two sets of 
stamps — one for letters, the other for tele- 
grams — Spain itself will have but one, which 
will be used in common for letter.>4, telegrams, 
and journal a. The Cuban postage stamps, 




from one of which our engraving is copied, 
boar the inscription COrreos, and the value is 
followed by the date of emission (1S70), bttt 
in the home stamps the woimJ comunicaciokes 
will occupy the hibel above the head, and the 
ennnciation of the valne will fill the lower 
label, leaving no room for the date. 

The value of the Cuban stamps will be 
the same as they have always been since the 
adoption of the decimal currency, viz. :— ^ 
5, 10, 20, and 40 centimos. The Spanish set 
will, however, include some new and very 
original values : — 

1, 2, 4, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 40O 
millesimas d'escndo. 

1 escudo COO mill. 



12, 19 cnartos, 
in all thirteen denominations, of which the 
lowest equals about the fortieth part of a 
penny, the next the twentieth, and so on. The 
lowest value, we should imagine, must be in- 
tended to prepay any written correspondence 
which may occur between "next-door" neigh- 
bours, if indeed it franks its own weight 
tbrongh the post-office. The two "cnarto " 
stamps are, we presume, for the use of those 
who have not yet got over their dislike to 
the decimal system. What the colours are, 
or are to be, we are not yet informed, but we 
can well understand that the necessity of 
finding distinctive shades for thirteen stamps 
has been a source of some difficulty, and 
cannot be surprised that it did give rise to 
considerable discoseion. 

The annexed cut represents what was at 

first nsed as a seal, and 

is now a stamp. The 

1 hand-stamp inscribed 

\ CORSEOS DB 8EHADA hav- 

;\ ing been broken, this 
)| type has been adopted 
'S as its' (temporary) suc- 
f cessor, and is now 
printed in blue. 

The Correos de Oon- 
yreao stamp (arms in oval) has had its colonr 
changed from black to brown, varying in 
intensity from a very deep shade to bistre. 

Russian Locals.- — Our correspondent at 
St. Petersburg, who furnished us with the 
earliest information as to these stamps, and 



J»!». 1,1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



II 



with a specimen of tbe first known, the 
Borowitz, has been making inquiries with 
a view to ascertRin the purposes for which 
they ore smpioyed, and is now able to give 
a very satisfactory explanation. Ho says: 
"Russia being such a large country, and but 
thinly sopniated, there are many villages 
which lie at a distance of 30 and even 50 
tniles from the nearest post-town ; it is, there- 
fore, very difficnit for the inhabitants of these 
villages to rccei\-e or post their letters, and 
in consequence it has been found convenient, 
by the local anthoritieH, to issue postage 
stamps for the prepayment of the transport of 
letters to and from the post-town by special 
carriers. I believe if this arrangement pays, 
and is found useful, the administration will 
issue similar stamps for all the districts of 
the different counties, or governments, as 
they are called. If I am not mistaken, the 
same use is made of the Wenden stamps, as 
I saw one the other day on a letter from a 
Tillage near Wenden, along with a 10 kop. 
Bussian adhesive." 

These local emissions may then be termed 
enpplenienfal or sub-postage stamps, cover- 
ing as they do the carriage over tracts of 
country which are at best bnt irregularly 
served by the central administration. They 
will form a most interesting addition to our 
albums, and bearing — as most of them no 
doubt will — the arms of their district, they 
will lai^elj increase our stock of heraldic 



After this preface we will introduce to our 
readers' notice two new emissions. First, 
the Sonmmyor Sonmmaia stamp, specimens 
of which were shown liBfn™ fha Philatelic 







of months back, and 

respecting which we need only repeat that 

' is printed a red-brown. Secondly, a stamp 

""■"• n the district of nsHusBKAjo, 



iasnedfor use i 



and the existence of which has been made 
known by M. Moons. This is printed a 
dark bine on white paper. The line which 
will be noticed beneatli the figure 3, is placed 
there to indicate that it is a numeral, and 
not the similarly- formed letter in the Russian 
alphabet. 

Whilst writing under this heading, wo may 
take the opportunity to give the following 
information, which was furnished to us some 
time since by our esteemed correspondent, 
Mr. Max Joseph: "The name of the town 
whence comes the Russian local described at 
p. 121 (vol. vii.), is nut Sclmnelburg, but 
rather scbluessklbi;e(0, a fortress on the 
Ladoga sea, a few miles from St. Peters- 
burgh. The literal English translation of 
this German name is KeijboTough, the adop- 
tion of a key as its armorial device is thus 
explained." 

New GftiMAD*. — Annexed is the represen- 
tation of the new 20 centavos stamp, which, 
like its predecessors of the , 
same value, is printed in 
bine. The Granadine au- 
thorities, it would seem, 
have this time departed 
from their usual plan of 
issuing an entire series at 
once, and are now bringing | 

out value after value, as 
the stock of the preceding, , . ^ 

exhausted. 

Victoria.— M. Moens has received bP^^*_ 
mens of the penny green, printed on n ^^^ 
paper wrappers watermarked with ^ 
bn one of tfiem he finds two B'a, ^^^ '■rf^on 
argues that there may be an ;"«"\Pfc\o« 
crossing several of the bands, ana o 
in its entirety of the words os« J^ ™vo^op«> 

SwmERLAND.— The 30 •^"^^''T^^^^.^^eA. o^ 
is now issued with the atampa ^"^ 
the left side. rr\,f. now CO**", 

German Confedbratiob.-— ^ . -^^stato-p*' 



i®smr^n\ 



federation bids fair to be P"-"^^' ^^ \»6 A«'" ^ 
to the end that e-^-eryth.ng .'^J^a^P^^^ 
systematically, at.a P"-"^Urie« «\f "«^ 
on the 5th June ^^H J^e. sVio^^*' ^. 
stamps ia to \>e ^?«^^V t^^^g^' ^^^'^^r « 
haps, say t^o ««^t-^;« U ^ T'^tl^ 
be but one tsV^\i for tt«« «**^ 
values, respecti*^^ 



i2 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Jan. 1, 1870. 



in groschen, and those counting in kreuzer. 
The device is not stated, the values will be 
4» 3» 2> 1> ^^^ 2 groschen, 1, 2, 3, and 7 
kreuzer ; and we may assume that all those 
of one currency will be printed in one colour. 
These stamps will be reserved solely for the 
prepayment of letters on service, and official 
correspondence, and their employment will 
be obligatory. 

Italy. — We referred last month to the 
probability of a new series of stamps appear- 
ing, accompanied by a series of unpaid letter, 
or chiffre-taxe, stamps. The latter are to 
make their appearance at once, and will num- 
ber in all ten : the following are the values : 
1,2, 5, 10, 30, 40, 50, 60 centimes, 1 lira, and 
2 lire. The colours are as yet unknown, and 
we are without particulars as to the design : 
the numeral of value will, however, we 
may reasonably suppose, be the most salient 
feature. 

Canada. — Our Belgian contemporary no- 
tices two provisional stamps of this colony — 
the halfpenny rose, surcharged with the 
value 8d. stg., and again the same value 
surcharged simply with the figure 1. 
As to the former, M. Moens suggests it may 
have been intended to replace the tenpence, 
but cannot understand the meaning of the 
second. 

Before accepting these varieties, we should 
like to know whether the specimens referred 
to are obliterated or not, and at the same 
time commend the present report to the at- 
tention of onr Canadian friends. 

United States. — One of our readers, who 
pays us the compliment of carefully reading 
and noting our monthly descriptions of new 
stamps, points out that we have never given 
the colour of the current 10 c. We have 
now the pleasure to remedy this inadvertent 
omission, by stating that the 10 c. is printed 
orange. 

Another of our readers has sent us a speci- 
men of the current 2 c. black envelope, printed 
from a new die. The design of the previous 
type is followed in all its details, but the 
dimensions of the stamp on the new one are 
changed. The new stamp looks considerably 
broader than the old one, though actaal 
measurement demonstrates that the differ- 
ence in width is not more than the twelfth 



of an inch ; the length diffei^, if at all, only 
by a minute fraction. The principal altera- 
tion shows itself in the flattening out, so to 
speak, of the inscribed bands which form the 
top and bottom of the stamp ; the inscription 
has also been recut, and the position and 
size of the letters show, on comparison, a 
number of little differences ; finally, the 
pointed ovals containing the numerals are 
wider than in the old The specimen before 
us is printed on very pale buff. 

France. — Several specimens of the present 
series, laurel-crowned head of the Emperor, 
printed on the ordinary paper, and gummed 
ready for issue, but imperforate, have been 
seen lately. These stamps are identical with 
those in use by the public, except in the 
omission of perforation. The values we have 
seen are the 2 c, 4 c, 5 c, 10 c, 20 c, 40 c, 
and 80 c. A machine which perforates en 
%7ie, the invention of a French provincial 
postmaster, has been used in some cases to 
perforate the above stamps, and also to per- 
forate some of the current series of Bavaria. 

This denielure a la roulette is called in 
'Pskvis, pergage du Grand Hotd. The machine 
which effects it is simple and inexpensive, 
but has never been employed in the official 
stamp manufactories. The stamps thus per- 
forated are merely, therefore, private and 
unofficial. Surely this modem instance may 
help to a clue in explaining some of the more 
ancient examples of roulette work. 

Egypt. — One of our correspondents calls 
our attention to the fact, that when the one 
piastre stamps of the first series ran short, 
the 2 p. were transversely divided, and the 
halves sold and used as one piastre stamps. 
Until we had referred to the back numbers, 
we were under the impression that this 
peculiarity had been already lioticed ; cer- 
tainly the fact is well established, and ;we 
have ourselves seen several of these post- 
marked halves, though we should not re- 
commend our readers to accept any not 
coming from a thoroughly authentic source, 
as nothing would be easier than to fabrieiate 
thetn ad libitum, 

Mexico. — Issues of 1861, head of Hidalga. 
A very singular error has been discovered in 
the stamps of this issue. Lately one or two 
unused sets of these stamps have been sent 



Jax- 1, 1870.] IBE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE, 



13 



to Sarope withoafc any inscription of date, 
or name of town. They were forwarded by 
a source in which we have every confidence, 
tlirough the hands of Mr. F.Trifet, of Boston, 
In tbese sets the 1 real green was wanting, 
but its place was supplied by UN real printed 
hlack on lUac, the stamp which is so well 
known in its common value of two reales. 
This curious error being discovered, the paper, 
gam, and all details were carefully and 
minutely examined, and the conclusion ar- 
rived at is, that, no doubt by some blunder, 
the die of the one real was used for that of the 
two reales. Steps were at once taken to see 
how far the error extended, and to procure if 
possible other copies; but it appears only five 
copies got into circulation, all through the 
same channel, and that no further specimens 
are to be had; this error, there fore, will be one 
of the rarest among all collections. 

• Sept. 186G, head of Maximilian, engraved 
series. We have seen this series without 
any inscription of date, or name of town. 

1868-9 series, head of Hidalgo. This set 
has also come over without any black inscrip- 
tions; both it and the preceding are ex- 
tremely rare, and from the source from which 
the f&w copies sent over came, we do not 
anticipate that collectors will ever be able to 
procure them, except by chance on the break 
up of a collection or the like. Meantime, we 
notify the fact of the existence of these 
rarities. 

It is reported that a series of the current 
stamps exists without the black inscription 
surcharged on the side. 

Cape of Good Hope. — ^We have seen a 
number of triangular one penny reds of the 
colony, in shades varying from rose to deep 
red, bearing K. c. bank, in black letters. 
Most of these specimens are not obliterated by 
any postmark ; some few are, however, by a 
circular black stamp, with the year 1865, 
while one or more are penstroked with the 
date, also 1865. The enigmatical letters are 
intended for " Kaffraria Central Bank." 

Great Britain. — The existence of the 
current sixpence unperforated is certified by 
M. Mah^. 

We may here call the attention of con- 
tinental collectors to the statement made in 
the course of our review of M. ]^oens' 



Telegraph Stamp Album ^ that no special tele- 
graph stamps will be emitted, the postal 
series being made to do duty instead. 

Natal. — ^Another of our correspondents 
sends us notice of the appearance of a pro* 
visional Natal — the current shilling green, 
with the word postaqb surcharged in black 
ink on the npper part. This, we think, 
is a real provisional, destined to have a 
short existence only, if the government 
decree quoted in our number for November 
means anything. 

Nevis. — In the series on hlucpaper^ besides 
the Id. and 4d., the 6d. and Is. do unquestion- 
ably exist, though the paper of the latter is 
not so blue as that of the former pair; its tint 
however is perceptible and plain. 

The 6d., of 1867, pique 14|, does not yet 
make its appearance, though Levrault chro- 
nicled it in June, 1867. 

New South Wales. — A correspondent 
has forwarded us a copy of a twopence blue 
view of Sydney on verge, with the letters P. s. 
clearly watermarked in the pate of the paper, 
in double lined Roman capitals. From other 
stamps of this series we have seen, we con- 
jecture these letters were the finals of the. 
word ." stamps." 

Nicaragua. — Our American contemporary, 
Mason's Magazine, states that a oiie centavo 
stamp, of the same design as the other values, 
and coloured hislre, has been emitted. We 
await confirmation of this intelligence. 

St. Vincent.— -The fourpenny stamp al- 
luded to in our last number has made its 
appearance; the colour turns out to be a 
deep orange-yellow. . ., . 

Angola. — The reported series for tnis 

Portuguese colony is stated to }>® ^^"^^{{t. 
circuktion. We^hope to give full detail 
respecting type, &c., next montb. 



THE PHILATBIilC SOCIETY. 
A meeting of the committee was held on 
Saturday, the 4th of I?rT^rft\ie chair. 
George Street, the P'-^^i^^^^^^Lrs and the 

Af^r the election f^'^P'^^^^^^^^ 
transaction of the usual ^^«^f,^^2^ 'that, i^ 

read from ?^- .f P^f^^^r^^^^^^^ 

consequence o^ hiBjJ«;^^V|^ ^^^ ^eat upon the 

he was compelled to re»*B 



:« 



TJlh }!:TAMP-r'^»LLErTOr:'S UAGAZHTE. [Jas.1, 



« 

V^"* >^ '•>.-: ,-. f'^Mfyjf. *''. h ), mA ff/rwarrk-d 
</v *''^»" > ** '/ •''i^k; v/»r '/•y r/r irxr publishers, 
>, «( **.#/^ •*/; v*j» ,/, y^ir '/f tfj« icorriloos 
4<*» v*^ '/ W4f i^^y,-** 'yyfrUiirMrd in these 
yt^y/^4a. v^ it^/'f*'*A,*j k^, r*^|»j<^t«fd to ret am 
v-^/^''>/; */./ *rf/»'4r«* t»/,^h M*ay 1^ received 
f*vvv »^>, ;/t*\/,* ,*<**. ^;r tJi* Mild joamals.** 

Af* */f'\ *>'A*j itpf^'^fUy: </f tJ»#j fcocietj was 
l>vl ^^y/^, f/*^? ft«»f^^ dAjr, In cv/riM;<|aence of 
UfH fff/M uhpU'^Mti ^itHiUisr th#m prevalent, 
f^f/ t*(W fh^'th^M^rn wirre prewrnt, therefore 
^/^/t hMJ^ wHM tVmts, An o hi iterated shilling 
//f i^.M pf#.«ifrit ifcfciKj r/f Weftt4;m Australia 
«^^« tiUo^ft Sty i\tii w?/?r<?tarv, pririU;d in biHtre, 
th^f t'^Atmr of th*? f^ffiiijr, wvi/Jently the result of 
A^i *fr'//r 10 untiiti/'iuy; the Moeks, The meet- 
io^ M^/^/d ffdj^/Mr^id until New- Year's daj. 






I'OHTAli CHIT-CHAT. 

A V(f*'f t4t/ui t'H iUAt4in K't Utn ofM'iiInjf a di'iid letter. 
ff^/K/.MM 'ri»r i^'iMj^r (fffntiiKii NtfimiM : tlwy »lick %i 

Y/ttk'tjMtuUu^ nlntup Aiilurfm i\M)\( to bo falno ?--Tho 

A ^HfU H OKw'H.MMAW fMif«t}i<« poNtngo itamptho wrong 
¥fHf H\tifii UU littfiifN, iifMn'iilU it, with s tiMidor fiMfling— 

Th f1f''i(muynf It, fiMN ritttwifi to lii'lliivfl thttt the pro- 
\nm»\ Ui \nnuh II )iHlf|MMifty MdUMpt wliii'li U At pn^M^nt tho 
iiuh)Ni\. uf (•(Mr(<M)Mifi(li'iMio tMtfwfrn tho I'oNt-OlHco and 
tli^ TM'HMiifVt U fiMM'ttiiK with much oppunitlun In both 

<lfip>MlflM<lllN. 

TllK hAMlCNT OK A TOHTAUK STAMP. 

I Htti ft lit Mm }M>Mln|{«t Htump, 

A ltd itol unknown to ftuno • 
Thii'Utfh MViuy rlinns )»oth dry And damp, 

1 Itonr uiy n'onntry'i* niimn: 
And Muy tuui who loukN run noo 
My ^hioinUN HnvtirciK" Kuiilo* on mo. 
And yi«t wlthnl V\\\ Imdly um^d; 

Nu unUhM U'Aiif I do, 
4t mt^niM thut I utunt t>o Hbumn]) 

And yuu >vmUd think no to<s 



B.* I «• ^••-9 t.^^ frjmm mA mr kia. 

He - ^ £^ "Br vr:U to maie aiikn^ 

H- «* .-rK MP -rx CB «wve4-»pe. 

} .-.r »* i 'vv Mo^ daHc pbre. 
X^: -r*^ f <- Kir m wr^-fcch did gr-p*". 

U :< •.'r.'k Bkr in the facf ; 
S ^ i.'l ft • '» hi« bead did sire, 
I ^Lj^. t0c xp^m^ vktle I ^feaU Ure. 

TV-n w» I tfam^ into a 

'M T^z I'Ork lanp- ami 
And kr. • %r^ aS^ju:' nnr IrC to Ug— 

I'm j^< alire— that'« all; 
B^jt »*afi4p odlrvting't WMW the rtr^. 
And 1 mBX Rtt oa aone lasr albQm'«K 



CORRESPONT>BNCE. 

HERALDIC TERMS. 

To tht Biitor of '^TinSTAMr-CcMLi.Bcroa's 3Lu;iS 

Dtui Sib,— With roor kind perminioii. I *£ -^ 
few wcinU to what has sIrMdj heeo wd, by the «^ i 
the artirle on the AmM of Spain, and hy ** Bcmi J 
rcmtng the term* **ieuuU** and **iartewt: I- 
with all due defeienee to their cpinkms, that ^J\ 
both somewhat in erroron the sohfcct. 1 **^' 
Miif, and therefore must be of metal, and w*^ '■- 
They derire their name, I beliere, from B>ic-j 
(ConnUntinople^, and Kent give* their Talw * »; 
£375 sterling. SexML, therefore, ia the gcnenc m 
the nutal roundletsoii/y, while that of thecoloan>l .; 
tortoaux. Accordingly, we find the tenns. " ^tzn^ 
" 6«a*/ d'argent," ^ iortmms de gales," ^'fi^* 
d'axure," ** iorUtutx de sable," &e. . r 

Birmingham. **• ^ 



THE TWOPENCE "THRONE" YiaOBli 
To the Editor of "Thb Stamp-Coixbctoe's iUGAt'^ 
Silt,— In your Ust monthly review of your . n^^?' 



14 *• 



ranes, you made some remarks upon the c*'^?!^ ^^ 
tho sheet of the 2d. "Throne" Victoria. ^ '^^i.^. 
to me to have been written rather hastUy, and ™?"'! 
sidering, not only how Tery little we know P<^.^J''^j: [ 
these stamps, but how important everj'scrap ^^ ""T,j. . 
is towards the atteinraent of a better knowled?? « "^^ 
You may rest assured that if the aacertsining ^,. 
tainty the number of these stamps in a sheet, an« , 
relative position, were merely the putting togei^r ,;> 
child's puEElo, you would not find such earnest Pfuj''^. 
as Dr. Magnus and Mr. Pemberton wasting tfieirtuc 
the investigation. , „ ^^ 

It must be borne m mind that in these ^r^^^ 
not dealing with stamps printed from dies, ^"{^'"^-jiyk!* 
printed from an engraving; and it is more "'^X ^,,3,1 
that there are as many varieties of the ivpc ^r .w, 
stamps in tho sheet. You ask if " the V^^ril k 
ho has succeeded in placing the stamps J^J^^ .^^^ 
believes to be their original order wl 
wiser than he was before ? " To this 
mado one great step. By aacertaining 



whenprintjl;^i 
ininr 01 n"" 



J 



-,». 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAOAZIKE. 



mps t'he sheet is copiposed, he has found amoug how 
ny he has to look for viiri«tiea of t)p«. The author uf 
mticleia T/te Stamp- Oilleclo.^ Magazini tor (kioh<^T, 
15, beliered that the number of the Btamps on the sheet 
sl20; M.MoenBimaginedasheetofeoO; Sr.Magnus 
' ■■ " 48, leHVing two blflDke, - ' -— •-'--•- 



itten upon the etampe of Victoria, it aocnis almost flb- 
rd to see the paucity of positive infurniation that in to 
gleaned respecting these 2d. " Throne " stamps. 
le earUest dale given to their inue is 17 feaia ago, 
^i^e the better opinion is that tbej were issued in 1857, 
id continued in use for 3 jears. I think I am right in 
} ing that the date of issue ie a matter only of opinion, 
also is the object of the issue, whether it was for general 
e, or for special use. Again, philatelists do not agree 
to how they were printed. Mount Brown talks of 
die-prints," and " wood-blocka," but if he had ex- 
nin^ the best impressions, those of a brown colour, he 

_ould have seen ttol they bear undoubted marks of being 

ken iVom an engraving in tailU-douci, but whether [his 

:at engraving was on metal, or on a lithographio stone 

ith a diamond, is a question upon which the great 

■;iIhorities appear to differ. I believe Mr, Pemberton in- 

'ines to the metal, while Dr. Magnus thinks it to have 

■-- -sen stone. But besides this issue, there are other stamps 

^ a violet colour, and another series of lilac. With re- 

, ard tfl this latter series, there can be no doubt but that 

,; was printed from a lithographic transfer. But with 

'esjjeetto the violet-coloured series, is there any phils- 

_^7 jliflt who can say positively whether it was printed 

" irectlyfrom the engraved plate or stone, and the defeets 

! a the back ground, &t., are to be attributable to the 

'. '' eCerioration of the plate, as in the Mauritius, Peru, &c., 

■ '' tamps, or whether it was printed from a litho^phio 

- ' \' raasfer more ekQlfuUy made than in (be Ulac senes ( 

Can no one give us any authentic official information on 

' ^.hese and kindred points belonging to these stamps i In 

■ - ■' .ta absence, those engaged in the researches are obliged to 

' "^' legin at the beginning, and work step by step, thankl\i] 

. >_■ . ^ 'or every glimmer of light; and because by an accident a 

wrtion of their investigations, which are in the ablest of 

lands, has been made public, it is rather hard that they 

__ r ^ould be laughed at, and likened to a pack of children 
I £ -n* -^ putting puzzles together for their amusement. This latter 
{.^^bfreinarli appears to me to be the unkindeet cut of all ; let 
^ .rt'ie therefore suggest, Mr. Kditor, in the event of your 
■J, ail^'^ having any readers who wish to indulge in the species 
' i^^*^,,?, i>i amusement which you propose, the rar less expensive 
TW'' puzzle of a sheet of £ngWi pennies, twopennies, &c., 
yjBilii'^ftc,, which may be rendered still more interesting by the 
.n^^'"''' admission on the sheet of those only which bear the 
,.,\f^-^'_ some minute figures at the side. Each stamp being pasted 
I'.ifi^' on a separate little block of wood, "the postage- stamp 
u: if**" puzito'' might proveasuecessful outlet for old stamps, 
„ iaff ■ I ""1. yours, &e,, 

^■.,:,i;f A PAUISIAN COLLECTOR. 

ssfif^- "^ *■'■ 






''/.'.; ibancMwldelidiaMBirnillrtli*. mhn-llun twul^lniuHl cdlnrU 



M. MOENS' BEPLT TO MIL PEMBER10S, 



To Iht Edilartif "Thh Stamp-Collectob's Maoajinr." 
Deab Silt,— Permit me la addreselo you a few lines in 
reply to the letter from Mr. Pemberton which jou pub- 
lished in your last number. I rely upon your impartiality 

Mr. Pemberton rcproaebes me, in terms by no means 

remarkable for their courtesy, 

1.— With having copied his plan of the arrangement 

2. — With having published the same without his 



3. -With havit 
csidoa this, he a 
ts fathomed thi 



dared I 



lyself to be the author of it. 
r to be the only person who 
^Such is the extent of his 



lish the urtii 
simplicity; i 
jould bring 



Mr. W., who appars to act in concert with Mr. Pem- 
berton. or who desires to get into the good graces of bis 
young friend, whose confidence he believes he has broken, 
comL-s to the rescue, and declares with the same aplomb, 
that Mr. Pemberton alone bad succeeded in discovering 
what I had published. In other words, Messn. W. and 
Pemberton say, — All without distinction who study 
atarapb are duilani:], — Mr. Pemberton alone is great; 
but for him the mystery which enveloped the 2d. Victoria 
would have become for ever impenetrable. (Let us thank 
the gods for having made Mr. Pemberton a timbrophilist, 
and pray them to preserve him !) 

M,... 1 r.. ...:,!. - 1--— how we came to pub- 
is the reeital in all its 
...._,, any furiher interest, I 

luld bring trustworthy evidence in proof of what I 

Mr. W., as be has slated, had communicated to Mr. 
PI. a plan similar to my own. Mr. PI , whose cccupntions 
prevent him from giving a constant attention to the 
itudy of stamps, bad long before requested me to investi- 

■ ■>-■ ii.!..nt «.- Wu i.nmi.i,ii,ii.«i4on was then 

.. , „ . , nfcrmed me of 

what he had received. Would there be any indiserotion in 
giving a glance over the plan ! — I ini^uired of him. None 
whatever, he replied. But I exclaimed to myself, on 
seeing it, this is the table compiled by Dr. Magnus, and 
verified by Mr. Pemberton (whose writing I recognised) ; 
and then the mischievous idea crossed my mind, to jluy a 
trick on Mr. Pemberton, in remembrance of a circum- 
stance which it ie not worth mentioning here, in pub- 
lishing, before him, a plan identical with bis — a work 
which otherwise, I boldly confess, I might have allowed 
to stand over, notKitbstanding Ur. PL's request to under- 



the2i 



place, 
pnncii 
doubl« 

by the 

lentm 

Magni 
Vow 



i, I looked up all my specimi 



16 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Jan. !> 1870; 



lie will see that we have not taken the credit of the work 
to ourselves ; far otherwise ; I have made it to he under- 
stood that all the honour is due to Dr. Magnus. Mr. 
Pemberton is, then, very much in the wron^ in declaring 
himself to be the only capable person, particularly when 
it is considered that the road* was traced out for him. 
Before thus informing the public of facts and doings 
which cannot interest it much, and before using strong 
language, Mr. Pemberton would have done better to come 
to me, and I could have edified him then, as I do now, 
upon his discovery. 

As to the respect which he has for Dr. Magnus — ^respect 
which has stopped him from publishing his article sooner 
— I cannot comprehend it. Since when has it become a 
want of the respect which is due to any one, to show him 
his errors .^ In that there is something new to me. And 
why must Mr. Pemberton have the approbation of the 
Philatelic Society } — why ?— because Mr. Pemberton, ac- 
customed at its meetings to be applauded before, whilst, 
and after he speaks, would have missed an occasion if he 
had not sometning in his hand to offer to the admiration 
of the said society. 

We ask ourselves now in alarm — we who have tarnished 
his glory, robbed him of his laurels, caused him to forego 
a triumphal entry at the society's meeting, and prevented 
him at the same time from giving himself a modest aii- — 
will he nevertheless immortalise himself? We devoutly 
hope he may. 

Here let me arrest this puerile discussion, interesting 
to no one unless it be Mr. Pemberton ; and him I inform 
that should he take a fancy to let fly at me any more of his 
arrows— otherwise termed big words — I shall take no 
notice of them. I am willing indeed to send him every 
month proofs of Le 'timbre- I'onte^ and to await his per- 
mission to publish, but I decline all polemics; I have 
something better to do than to engage in them. 
I am, dear Sir, yours obedientlv, 

St-ussels. J. B. MOENS. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

J. C, Manchester. — Accept our thanks for the copy of 
the 10 c. Belgian, as also for calling or rather recalling 
our attention to the curious Egyptian provisional 1 piastre, 
which we notice in our montnly chronicle. If the I p. 
stamp now being sold differ as to paper from the original 
specimens, they are probably reprints. 

A. Y. — We decidedly should not include bill stamps in 
a collection of postage stamps. Had we a penchant for 
the former, we should put them in a separate book. — The 
** Ocean Postage " design you referred to formed part of 
a device which covered the back of an envelope, that 
was brought out some years ago by an association 
formed to urge the adoption of the ocean penny postage 
scheme, and was simply a kind of advertisement fiiereof. 
Its "collectable" value depends on individual taste, 
but to us it seems it can hardly be termed a postal curiosity. 

J. H. K. — We are obliged by your notice of the pro- 
visional Natal, as also for calling our attention to our 
oversjight in not giving the colour of the 10 c. United 
States. The gummed labels, with eagle in relief, and 
inscription stadt post lubeck, of which you speak, are 
or were used, we believe, as seals to the packets of 
envelopes supplied from the central to the local post- 
offices ; those inscribed post und telegraph en lubeck 
were, no doubt, used for a similar purpose. These 
handsome labels were prepared at Berlin, where of 
late years most of the envelopes for the German states 
were made and stamped. Serving, as they did, simply as 



seals, they can hardly be con.ndered " collectable," and 
their absence from catalogues is not surprising. 

C. W., Sheffield. — We notice the U. S. envelope 
you were good enough to send, in our article on **New 
Stamps." With regard to the 2 s^. Mecklenburg- 
Strelitz envelope, if you are under the impression that it 
is issued to the public with the minutely-inscribed grey 
tablet printed over it, but without one of the Confederation 
adhesives covering the original device, you are mistaken. 
On referring to the envelope again you will observe an 
indented rectangular mark left by the adhesive stamp, 
which has been removed ; and further, you will notice 
that there is only a small section of the circular post- 
mark, the remainder having covered the now absent 
adhesive ; the sj'ction of the postmark terminates just 
where the maik left by the label commences. 

Dat Dream. — I. The countries using the gro^chen 
series of the North German Confederation are "Prussia, 
Saxony, Hanover, Brunswick, Oldenburg, the Mecklen- 
burgs, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen, Bergedorf, Lubeck, 
Hamburg, the Offices of Thum and Taxis. Those using 
the kreuz'-r series are Electoral- Hesse, Nassau, Saxe- 
Coburg, Saxe-Meiningen, HohenzoUem, Schwart2burg, 
and Frankfort. 2. Soon after the accession of Prince 
Charles to the lloumanian throne, a series of these 
values, bearing his portrait, were emitted (2 bani orange- 
yellow, 4 bani blue, 18 bani rose, all in black, on coloured 
paper). In 1867 the same values were reissued in colour 
on white paper, and last year a second edition on white 
paper, but m much deeper colours, appeared, together 
with five new values— 5, 10, 16, 25, and 60 bani. Of 
these, the first three are printed, respectivelv, orange- 
yellow, blue, and red ; the 26 b., blue and yellow ; and 
the 60 b , blue and red. 3. A series of cuartos stamps 
for Spain was issued at the beginning of 1867 ; in July 
of the same year, 5, 10, 25, and 50 millesimas stamps 
came out ; the decimal svstem having come into operation 
in 1868, there appeared 'the 100 and 200 mill. ; for last 
year's emission, we refer you to the list given with the 
present number. 

W. P., Stuttgart.— Only the 1 and 2 paras of the 1866 
Servians were issued unperforated.— The 3 c. Roman has 
been issued perforated.— The Suez Canal stamps were, it 
is believed, never in use ; they were prepared for circu- 
lation, but the authorities changed their minds, and 
would not permit the series to be issued.— The address of 
the publishers of the Magazine fur Brief marken Sammler 
is 25, Konigstrasse, Leipzig, Saxony.— The first and second 
volumes of The Stamp- Collector's Magazine are out of 
piint ; there has never been any question about reprinting 
the second volume, it is not needed ; to cover the cost of 
reprinting the first, a guaranteed sale of 500 copies is re- 
quired by our publishers.— Of the 1853-7 Danish series, the 
4, 8, and 16 sk. were issued perforated {i.e., perge en ligne) . 
—The *' perfect stranger," described p. 171, vol. vi., re- 
mains a perfect stranger still. — The Basle stamp has 
been reprinted, but the reprint is distinguishable by the 
ground Deing printed sea-green, and the frame orange. — 
The Bavarian privileged express is unquestionably (as 
you forcibly put it) *'a humbug."— The authenticity of 
the Honduras stamps can hardly be considered as nilly 
established until we get trustworthy assurance of their 
being in circulation.— We have heard nothing of Spiro 
Brothers, of Hamburg, for a long time, and imagine they 
must have retired from what we should imagine to have 
been a vei^ profitable business.— The Hungarian are 
journal, and not postage stamps.— There is both a per- 
forated and an unperforated series for Madeira and the 
Azores. 



Feb. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



17 



I, 

::: '^ 

■L»r ii< 
t/j tie 

;^^ 

has 

e,it 

ircu- 

and 



533 



of 
itnler 

ccond 
)ut of 
DtiB; 

■OJtu 



THE RE-IMPRESSION OF NEW 
GRANADA. 

We append a translation from the December 
number of Le Timhrophile of the following 
article, which virtually forms the continu- 
ation of the former ones on the same subject, 
and which is in itself its own explanation. 

In our reply last month on the Lu9on 
reprints we discussed principally the opinion 
expressed in Le Timhre-Foste, contenting 
ourselves with noticing one argument special 
to The Stamp-Collector's Magazine, To-day 
we propose to ourselves to reply to this latter 
journal as to the New Granadine reprints. 
Reply is not exactly the term to use, for 
we are entirely in accord with it; rather, 
we take advantage of its observations to 
return to the question. One circnmsiance 
mentione^i by The Stamp-Collector's Magazine 
gives us the opportunity wo seek. Mr. 
Philbrick has been good enough to forward 
us some stamps of the fifth emission, at the 
same- time drawing our attention to certain 
particularities not indicated in our article — 
particalarities the greater part of which had 
not escaped our observation, but which were 
somewhat foreign to our subject. We agree 
with The Stamp-Collector's Magazine in so far 
as concerns the other emissions; let us occupy 
ourselves, then, with that of 18G3. 

The letter of Mr. Philbrick is of a most 
interesting character. It recognises, first, 
that the 50 ceutavos, green on white paper, 
is a falsification, and that the known speci- 
mens have been produced by the aid of eau 
de javelle. The copy which he has had in 
his possession for several years, and which 
he at one time believed to be on white paper, 
bears, in fact, as an obliteration, the name of a 
town written with pen and ink. An attempt 
bad evidently been made to cause this mark 
to disappear, but the doctoring has left in- 
dubitable traces. It was, beyond question, a 
stamp on bluish paper, for it offered all those 
characteristics drawn from the legend which 
are indicated in our first article. The 50 c. 
vermilion on white paper, which Mr. Phil- 
brick possesses, presents every one of the 
distinguishing points which we have found 
in the copy in our own possession, and which 
testify that one and the same plate served 



for the 50 c. green on bluish paper, and for 
its variety, the 50 c. vermilion on white. 
But Mr. Philbrick's letter brings to our 
knowledge a new variety of the 50 c. green 
on bluish paper. An unused specimen of 
this stamp, which he has had for four years, 
presents itself without a point after the 
word NACIONALES, Or rather, with a point 
barely visible. It is not, however, there 
that the differences entirely rest; we may 
signalise the following : — 
1. — The 5 is higher, and not so large, but 
the head of the figure is more marked. 
2. — The is smaller, and without the dash 
of colour striking off" from the upper 
part. 
3. — The c is of the same size as the other 
letters, and does not overstep the ima- 
ginary line by which they are limited. 
4. — The N would seem to be thicker, and 

farther from the T. 
5. — Between the figure 5 and the e of the 
legend, E.u. de Colombia, may be per- 
ceived the trace of a star, or of some 
similar design. 
It would be easy to push the comparison 
farther, but the preceding characteristics are 
the most striking. 

This stamp appeared to us to be excellent. 
It has the bluish-green shade of the one 
previously known, and the paper is identical. 
It must, then, be concluded that for the 
50 cents there are two types, as there are 
for the other values of the series. 

At least two varieties of the figure 5 may 
be distinguished for the stamp of that value. 
In the first type, the body of the 5 is thicker 
and rounder ; in the second, the body is 
smaller, and the lower part, terminating in a 
point, spreads out almost horizontally instead 
of recurving. The interval between the 
body and the head is greater in the small 
figure. It is in connection with the first 
that we find the fragment of a star on the 
right, and certain outlines on the left. To 
each variety a disposition of the word cor- 
responds, which brings to mind the two 
types of the 50 c. ; letters about equal in 
the first type ; letters C e overlapping in the 
second; and in conclusion, the C larger in 
the first type. 

A third type approaches the Second in 



18 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Feb. 1, 1870. 



the form of the 5, without, however, being 
identical, for the head is smaller, and the 
termination of the body is regular, and not 
thrown forward. Further, the word cent 
slants from left to right, and from bottom to 
top. Of the two lines which form the lower 
part of the octagonal frame, and are situated 
above and below the inscription 5 cent, the 
upper one is absent or hardly to be discerned ; 
the lower is almost three times thicker at 
its right than at its left extremity, the 
thickness regularly increasing from the left 
to the right. 

For the 10 c, the difference between the 
figures is principally observable in the height, 
but in those copies where this is notably 
greatest there will bo found after the a 
point, which is wanting in the other type. 
Just as for the 6, the first variety, the one 
without the point shows the upper line of 
the lower portion of the frame scarcely 
visible ; but the lower has not the same 
disposition as in one of the types of the 5. 
These two varieties are found on the two 
varieties of paper, white and bluish — proof 
that the same stone served for the impression 
of the two papers. 

For the 20 c, the difference is perhaps 
less apparent; the 2, however, does not offer 
a conformation always identical, and the 
varies in width. But specimens are found 
with the remnant of a star, as in Mr. Phil- 
brick's stamp, and others with the trace of a 
point after the word nacionales, or at some 
little distance ; and these differences might 
serve to establish several types. 

From this springs a new proof of the 
genuineness of Mr. Philbrick's stamp, but 
on comparing it with the reprints which have 
been identified, no resemblance can be traced 
in the legend, 50 cent, because the figures 
for these latter have been re-made after effa- 
cing the 2 from the plate of the 20 centavos. 

Up to this point we are perfectly in accord 
with Mr. Philbrick, but here the agreement 
ceases. He remarks to us that the paper of 
the stamp of this emission, examined par 
transparence, seems as if it were finely granu- 
lated ;* a circumstance due to the application 

* The expresMOD is not very exact, but we allow it to 
stand, because the indication it gives of the condition of 
the paper is such as every one will easily grasp. 



of the damp pulp on the grains of the canvas 
which serves for the fabrication of the paper. 
The paper of the reprints is of a closer tex- 
ture, and shows no trace of these granulationa. 
These are in fact characteristics which are 
found respectively in a large number of the 
old stamps and in the reprints, but one does 
not always meet with the granulated paper 
in the old stamps. Many of the 5, and nota- 
bly of the 20, scarcely (if at all) show these 
little dots in the paper, and yet their authen- 
ticity is no more doubted by others than by 
ourselves. The exis^nce of a granulated 
paper may be a characteristic confirmatory 
of genuineness when it is found on a stamp, 
but its absence does not give sufficient 
ground for rejecting those in which it is not 
present, and we continue to consider the 
want of transparency in the paper and of the 
bluish gloss {ceil azure) is the best charac- 
teristic for the stamps on white paper. 

Does it follow that one ought to put faith 
in the characteristic indicated by Mr. Phil- 
brick ? We think not, and, basing ourselves 
on its presence, we say that the two copies 
of the 20 c. green, on white or half-white 
paper, which he has sent are not reprints, 
because the paper of the one which has a 
greyish tint is finely granulated. The other 
stamp presents rather feeble traces of the 
dotting, but still they are unquestionably 
more clearly visible than in the paper of any 
of the reprints. Supporting ourselves, then, 
on the characteristic given by Mr. Philbrick, 
we persist in considering these two stamps 
excellent. We will not guarantee that they 
have served as stamps, but they have cer- 
tainly been printed from the very stone 
which served for the 20 c. red, and on the 
official paper in use at that same period. 
Neither of them, moreover, offers the charac- 
teristics of the paper of the reprints. They 
must be at least stamps prepared and not 
used, for we have never heard that any one 
bad met with a properly obliterated copy. 
We hope these proofs will satisfy our very 
esteemed correspondent, and also the editor 
of The Stamp-Collector's Magazine. — (Signed) 
Dr. Magnus. 

[Mr. Philbrick remarks on the foregoing, that the 
letter in which he called the attention of Dr. A[agnus to 
the stamps sent was rather of a private nature, and 
therefore not so exactly expressed as if intended for 



Feb. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



19 



publication, but that it is matter of coDgratulation to 
elicit such a rettponse from the doctor, who, with his 
usual desire for the spread of information, has written 
the above article. 

The phrase, granulated papery though not perhaps 
scientificallr correct, exactly conveys the idea of the 
paper employed, which 8hovvs traces of the fine wire 
network on which the pulp is placed ; the expression is 
convenient, and may be adopted without risk of confusion. 

In Mr. Philbrick's view, the difference between Dr. 
Magnus and himself is more apparent than real : the 
presence of the granulation was deemed by Mr. Philbrick 
as an un(]ualified sign of the genuine ' nature of the 
stamp, whilst its absence Dr. Magnus considers as not a 
decisive proof to the contrary. 

We are very glad to be able thus to place before our 
readers the result of this correspondence, which estab- 
lishes a new type, and assists to elucidate what is by no 
tilow steps becoming the great (question of the moment — 
the history and detection of re-impressions. — £d.] 



LIST OF NEWLY-ISSUED OR IN- 
EDITED STAMPS, NOTICED IN 
THE STAMP-GOLLEGTOB'8 MAGA- 
ZINE FOR 1869. 

{Concluded from page 4.) 

Device of 1857-62. Col. imp. ; rect. 

Eightpence lake. 
Portrait of Prince of Wales in Highland 
costume, in oval, value on scroll 
crossing the top, numeral in lower 
corners. Inscription newfound- 
land. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
One cent mauve. 
Design of 1866. Col imp. ; rect. perf. 

Five cents black. 

Nicaragua. 

Design of 1862. Col. imp. ; obi. rect. 
10 cents vermilion. 
25 „ blue. 

Design of 1862. Col. imp. ; sq. perf. 

1 dinero green. 

IPijpe Islands. 

Design of 1864, with surcharged inscription 
HABiLiTADO POR LA NACiON in three 
lines. 
' 12^ cents blue, imprint black. 



lortugal. 

Design of 1866. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
80 reis orange-red. 



|rinte ^btoarJr |slant 

Head of Queen to left in rectangular frame, 
ornaments at sides, scrolls above 
and below. Inscription peincb 

EDWARD ISLAND POSTAGE. Blk. imp. ; 

rect. perf. 

Fourpence black. 

^ttttnsIanJr. 

Design of 1861. Col. imp.; rect. perf. 
Watermark, Q and crown. 
One penny orange. 
Twopence blue. 

'%mm states. 

Design of 1866. Blk. imp. ; rect. perf. 
20 centesimi solferino. 

ioutnanta. 

Profile of Prince Charles to left between two 
curved bands, value in margins. 
Inscription POSTA romana. Col. 
imp. ; rect. 
5 {cinci) bani orange. 
10 (dece) „ dark blue. 
1 5 (cincis predece) bani red. 
25 {douedeci si cinci) „ blue (centre) 

and orange (frame). 
50 {cinci deci) „ red (centre) 

and blue (frame). 
Design of 1866. Col. imp. ; rect. 
2 bani onmp^e. 
4 

Russia, 

Design of 1864 on paper watermarked with 
an undulating pattern extending 
over several stamps. Col. imp. ; 
rect. perf. 

1 kop. yellow. 



„ dark blue. 
„ red. 



jj 



lilac. 



ENVELOPES. 

Arms on plain circular disk, surrounded by 
Russian inscription. Col. imp. ; 
circ. 

5 kopeks mauve. 
Anns in white relief on solid oval. Russian 
inscription in surrounding border, 
numeral of value in circle below. 
Col. imp. ; oval. 

10 kop. brown. 

20 ,. blue. 



30 



>> 



>> 



rose. 



20 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Feb. 1, 1870. 



Local or District Stamps. 

BOGORODSK. 

St. George and the Dragon in upper half of 
oval on ground of vertical lines, 
sun-dial in lower half on ground of 
horizontal dotted lines, Russian in- 
scription in surrounding oval frame, 
value in angles ; double external 
frame of undulating lines. 
5 kop. blue on white. 

BOROWITZ. 

Arms in centre of inscribed circular frame, 
inscribed sections of circles spring- 
ing from the central frame on the 
two sides, and above and below ; 
circular disks with figure of value 
in each angle. Col. imp. ; rect. 

5 kop.red-brown (centre) and black (ground). 

BIASANSKI. 

Russian inscription in three lines, in centre 
of a transverse lozenge-shaped 
frame, with inscriptions in margin. 
Blk. imp., diam. 

2 kop. dull white. 

SCHLUESSELBERG. 

Inscribed scroll wound over a key in in- 
scribed oval, numeral of value in 
angles. Blk. imp., rect. 
5 kop. dark green. 

SOUMMY, OB SOUMSKAIA. 

Inscribed ribbon, encircling a courier-bag ; 
ground of crossed horizontal waved 
lines. Col. imp. ; rect. 
3 kop. red. 

St. gomingo. 

Design of 1866. Blk. imp on thin paper; 
narrow rect. 
Medio real dull green. 
UN „ rose. 
The same. Blk. imp. on thick paper. 
UN real light blue, deep blue. 

m- ©intent. 

Design of 1866. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
One shilling dull blue, brown. 

Strbra. 

Profile of Prince Milano to left in solid cir- 
cular disk, and numeral of value at 
corners. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 



1 para light and deep yellow. 



10 
15 
20 
25 
85 
40 
50 



71 



brown. 

orange. 

blue. 

carmine. 

pale green. 

mauve. 

dark green. 



Bm\\ Jlfritan liepttWit. 

Arms, with motto beneath on scroll, sup- 
ported by flags, and surmounted by 
eagle, in solid rectangular frame, 
value on each side, and numeral in 
upper comers. Inscription post- 

ZEGELZ. AFB. BEPUBLIEK. Col. imp.; 

rect. rouletted. 
1 (een) penny brown, red. 
6 (zes) pence blue, light and deep. 
1 (een) shilling green. 

Sotttfe liKStralis. 

Profile of Queen, diademed, in lined circle, 
scrolled labels and flower-work 
above and below. Inscription south 
AUSTBALiA. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
Wmk., crown and s. A. 
Twopence dull orange-red. 

Spain. 

Profile of Queen to left in lined oval, with 
inscribed border, shell ornaments at 
corners. Inscription, coebeos i>b 
ESPANA. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
50 millesimas deep lilac. 

PROVISIONAL GOVEBNMENT. 

Type of 1867. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
25 millesimas blue. 

19 cuartos brown. 

Same design as that of the 12 cuartos of 
1867. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
100 millesimas brown. 
Design similar to that of the 19 c. of 1867. 
Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
200 millesimas green. 
Design of 1867, with surcharged inscription 
in black ink, habilitado pob la 
NACiON, in black. 

12 c. orange. 
Design of 1867, with surcharged inscription 
in black obliquely placed, habili- 
tado POR LA JUNTA BEVOLUCIONARIA. 

20 c. d'esco. lilac. 



Feb. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



21 



Profile of Queen to left in ornate circular 
frame, spandrels ornamented. In.- 
scription trinidad. Col. imp. ; 
large rect. perf. 
Five shillings lake-brown. 

TOO-LATB STAMPS. 

Current values with word too-latb printed 
diagonally across the face. 
Black imprint, all the values. 
Red imprint, all the values, except the 5s. 
The same with imprint twice repeated, form- 
ing a St. Andrew's cross. Red 
imprint. 

Design of 1865. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 

10 paras lilac. 
20 „ green. 

1 piastre yellow. 

2 „ vermilion. 
5 „ blue. 

25 „ red. 

Inittlr States. 

Profile of Franklin to left in solid beaded 
circle, with inscriptions in border, 
u. s. postage. Col. imp. ; small 
square perf. 

One cent light brown. 

Courier on horseback, with inscription above, 
and value below, in embellished 
frame. Inscription, united states 
POSTAGE* Col. imp. ; square perf. 
Two cents deep brown. 

Locomotive in embellished frame ; same 
inscription above, and value below. 
Col. imp. ; square perf. 
Three cents blue. 

Portrait of Washington to right in circular 
solid disk, with check-pattern in 
spandrels, and u. s. in upper cor- 
ners, in square inscribed frame. 
Same inscription. Col. imp.; square 
perf. 

Six cents blue. 

Inscribed shield, surmouoted by eagle, with 
stars in arch above, scroll bear- 
ing value below, and same inscrip- 
tion between. Col. imp ; square 
perf. 

Ten cents orange. 



Steam-ship in oval, enclosed in embellished 
frame, with same inscription in 
upper part. Col. imp. ; square perf. 
Twelve cents green. 

Representation of the Landing of Columbus 
in America, in embellished frame. 
Inscription, u. s. postage. Col. 
imp., square perf. 
Fifteen cents blue and brown. 

Representation of the Sujning of the Beclara' 
tion of Independence, 1776, in em- 
bellished frame ; same inscription 
as the preceding. Col. imp. ; square 
perf. 
Twenty- four cents purple and green. 

Same design as the ten cents, but shield 
supported by flags, and printed in 
two colours; inscribed united states 
POSTAGE. Col. imp. ; square perf. 
Thirty cents blue and rose. 

Portrait of Lincoln to right in oval, with 
arched label above, and scrolls be- 
low, numerals in upper, and u. s. 
in lower angles, in florid frame. 
Inscription, u. s. POSTAGE. Col. 
imp. ; rect. perf. 
Ninety cents black and red. 



Design of 1863. Col. imp. ; rect. perf. 
Threepence orange. 

Mttttcmbtttg. 

Design of 1868. Col. imp. ; rect. perf 
14 kreuzer yellow. 



THE ENVELOPES OF THE UNITED 

STATES. 

BY EDWARD L. PEMBERTON. 
THIRD PAPER. 

Since the publication of my last paper, I 
have found such a mass of additional matter, 
that I am perplexed how to add it all to my 
previous articles, and yet keep the lists in a 
connected maijner. In point of fact, they 
want re-arranging in order to render them 
easy of comprehension, but as this is now 
impossible, I must make the additions as 
precise as practicable, and preserve my 
present system of arrangement, as far as 
I can, consistently with perfect accuracy. 
In the resume at the conclusion of these 



24 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Feb. 1, 1870. 



Evidently up to July, 1863, the shapes of 
the first period were current, because we see 
the 2 c. then issued at that date was on the 
old A ; and as the shapes of the 2nd period 
were not permanently used till the series of 
December, 1864 (with which they are in- 
variably concurrent), and as specimens of 
3 c. of 1861 are found on shape F, and 4 c. 
on shape G, it stands to reason, seeing that 
the 2 c. postage of July, 1863, is on an 
obsolete shape, and that the 3 and 4 c. were 
both obsolete before December, 1864, that 
the new shapes may be pretty correctly fixed 
at about the beginning of 1864. 

From this table, in which is comprised 
every specimen we can produce, the follow- 
ing results can be worked out : — 



lj,-^PenW, 1853-64. 
A (plain). 
B (patent). 
H (obsolete). 
C (official). 



27id[PenW, from 1864. 

F (plain). 

G (patent). 

H (current). 

C (in a new form). 

I, extra size, plain. 
Special shapes, not 1 1), plain and patent, 
continued long. ( E, plain and patent. 
According to my tabic, the absence of any 
patent shape, except to the 3 c. values, is 
proved up to the year 1861. In the issue 
usually distinguished by that date, the 10 c. 
is to be found on the old patent B, and also 
on the recent patent G. From the short 
currency which the first must have had, 
specimens are rare, and examples upon shape 
G are so uncommon, that I can only conclude 
their period of currency was very short too. 
No patent has been found to the 2 c. of first 
or second emission ; it is, however, not un- 
likely that some were issued, for in the new 
patent shape G, probably made early in 1864, 
we have the 3, 4, and 10 c, though the 
higher values have long been disused and are 
rare. I think the subject of size and make 
has now been thoroughly exhausted, so the 
new varieties I have found or heard of had 
better be added here. Where I am indebted 
to Mr. Trifet's paper for information, I have 
added the initial T. 

Issue of 1853. 

8 a. — 3 c. light red on white, a. Shape A. 

9 a, — 3 c. vemilion-red on white, c. ShapeB, 

with the three patent lines blue. 
15. — Red on soft yellow paper.*- 



16 a. — 3 c. red on white. H, obsolete. 
h, — 3 c. orange-red on white. Ditto — T. 

17 a. — 6 c. pale blue-green on white, J. 

Shape A. 
33 a. — 10 c. Die I. Light yellow-green on 

thin yellow-buff, d. Shape A. 
37 a, — 10 c. Die II. Light dull green on 

buff, 5. D.''- 

Issue of 1857. 
39 a, — 1 c. thinnish crisp buff. Shape A. 

Issue of 1860. 

42 a. — 3 c. red on white, c. Shape A. 

43 a. — 3 c. red on dark buff. „ A. 
44. — Is on white, d, not a, 

4 c. compound are re-arranged thus : — 
46 — 4 c. thin yellow-buff, dark blue. 

46 a.— 4 c. thin yellow-buff, paler blue, 

47 — 4 c. „ paler „ dark blue, 
a. — 4 c. „ „ „ paler blue. 
h, — 4 c. thick „ „ dark blue. 



c. — 4. c. 



»> 



>> 



j> 



paler blue. 



53 a. — 3 c. red on white. E plain. — T. 
h, — 3 c. red on white D „ T. 
c. — 3 c. red on white. E „ T. 

54 — 6 c. red on white. C. 
54 a. — 6 c. red on buff. C. 

Issue of 1861. 
60 a. — 3 c. rose on buff. I. 

60 h. — 3 c. rose on buff. B. 
c. — 3 c. rose on white. B. ? 

61 a. — 10 c. light dull green on thin white. A. 
65 a. — 10 c. light dull green on buff. A. ? 

(lighter than 65). 
68. — 10 c. yellow-green on yellow-buff. B. 

a. — 10 c. yellow-green on white. B. 

It will be noticed that sundry of these are 
queried; they must undoubtedly exist, but 
have not yet been found, so are given with 
this reservation. 

THE PHILATELIC SOCIETY. 

A meeting of the committee was held on 
Saturday, the 18th of December, at Palace 
Chambers, Abingdon Street, Westminster. 
The secretary read a communication he 
had received from Mr. John Davies, the 
stamp printer of New Zealand, in reply to 
one he had written respecting the perfora- 
tions of the stamps of the colony. It was 
as follows : — 



Feb. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



25 



17th Seplember, 1869. 

Postage stamps were first issued in the perforated form 
by this goTernment in 1863, but while the machine was 
on its way to this country, the postmaster of Dunedin 
obtained permission to get all the stamps required for this 
province perforated b^ a stationer in Dunedin. They 
were perforated for a few months by a machine similar to 
the one now in this office, namely, with round holes. 

Vendors of stamps who happened to be bookbinders did, 
for a short time, perforate what few they required for sale. 
I have seen such stamps perforated by the "stabbing pro- 
cess" [roulette]. 

(Signed) JOHN DAVIES. 

The fifth ordinary meeting took place on 
Saturday, January 8th, at Great George 
Street, under the presidency of Dr. Viner. 

Mr. Atlee's paper on the Stamps of British 
North America was read, and a vote of thanks 
passed to him for it. 

Mr. Furse laid before the members a three- 
penny postage stamp of Ceylon, which had 
been used as a fiscal, showing that the postals 
were not used for that purpose only. 

Mr. Pemberton exhibited numeroas Califor- 
nian locals, among which were the following 
(the numbers refer to those given in the 
September issue of this magazine) : — 

17 a. — LA PORTE EXPRESS CO., black, on 6 c. 

of 1 864, buff paper. 
27 a. — LAMPING & CO., black on 12 c, first 

issue, upon lemon. 
27 b, — Same on 6 c. rose of 1864; buff. 
52 a. — PACIFIC UNION EXPRESS CO., rose on 

12 c. present issue, lemon paper. 

63 a. — WELLS FARGO & CO., OVER OUR CALIFOR- 
NIA AND COAST ROUTES, black OU 3 C. 
of 1853, buff. 

63 b, — Same design, through our Atlantic, 
&c., rose on 10 c. of 1853, buff. 

76 a. — Same design, red on 10 c. of 1861, 
buff. 

76 b. — Same, only upon white paper. 

110 a, — PAID OVER our MEXICAN COAST, <fec., 

black on 3 c. of 1864, obliterated 
MAZATLAN, and bearing a 12 c. 
Mexican adhesive. 

PONY EXPRESS, OU the 3 c. of 1861 ; 
side by side with the medallion, 
has been printed in rose a 25 cents 
^ oz., from the die of the adhesive. 

ENGLISH & WELLS, MOORE's FLAT 
AND EUREKA EXPRESS, CONNECTING AT 
NEVADA CITY AND EMIGRANT'S GAP, 

oblong, black, on 3 c. of 1864. 



DOHERTY A MARTIN, after which is 
a representation of a half moon, 
followed by bay pescadero express, 
oval, blue, on 3 c. of 1861. 

KENNEDY, LONG, & CO., BAGGAGE AND 

TRANSFER CO., blue on 3 c. of 1864. 

Mr. Furse then read a list of the offices 
using the South Australian stamps with sur- 
charged lettering, and the initials adopted by 
each. 

The thanks of the meeting were voted to 
Messrs. Pemberton and Furse for their com- 
munications, and the sitting stood adjourned 
until the 5th of February, 

A meeting of the committee was held at 
Palace Chambers on the 22nd ult. The 
chair was occupied by the vice-president, 
who exhibited a Guadalajara 1 real stamp 
on lemon-yellow wove paper, postmarked. 
He stated that there is reason to believe 
that, in addition to the known St. Louis 
stamps of 5 c. and 10 c, a third value of 
20 c. also existed, though no specimens have 
yet been seen in Europe. 

Dr Viner showed examples of the South 
African Republic adhesives in different 
shades to those previously known — the penny 
being of a much browner hue ; the sixpenny 
a very pale blue ; and the sliilling a very 
deep green. All were gummed, but imper- 
forate. After some discussion, the meeting 
inclined to the belief that they were proofs, 
and not stamps that had escaped the perfo- 
ration. 

The learned doctor also exhibited a 2 reales 
Mexico of the eagle type, with name of town, 
PUEBLA, and dated " 1,20,1884 " — the second 
8 being no doubt an error for 6. 

The Secretary placed before the meeting 
a stamp used in the territory of the Nizam 
of the Deccan, value | anna. Design, two 
crosses formed of curved lines, with domed 
tops, or pines, side by side, similar to the 
patterns on Cashmere shawls; over which 
are inscribed Persian characters ; the pines 
being surmounted by a groundwork of netted 
lines, and filled in with scrolls bearing leaves 
of flowers. It is perforated, and printed in 
greenish black on white paper. 

A Solemn Jest.— Where should a postman be buried ? 
In a post-crypt. — Funeh, 



26 



THE stamp-collector's MAGAZINE. [Feb. 1, 1870. 



NEWLY-ISSUED OR INEDITED 

STAMPS. 
Our readers could hardly expect, after our 
last month's lengthy budget, that there 
would be many novelties to chronicle on the 
present occasion ; and, in fact, we have next 
to nothing to notice which is absolutely new. 

North German Confederation. — The pro- 
mised set of official stamps has appeared, and, 
like most stamps of that class, is of very un- 
pretending design. The shape is oblong, and 
the entire space is covered with the repeti- 
tions of a stone- coloured minute inscription 
— NORDD POSTBEZiRK. Over this is printed, 
in black, an octagonal frame, inscribed in 
the upper part, nord-deutsche-post ; and 
in the middle of the lower sides, groschen ; 
the remaining portions being filled in with 
an ornamental device ; the space which it 
encloses contains in the centre a large 
numeral of value, flanked on the left by 
the word dienst, and on the right by the 
word SACHE. The values are |^, J, ^, 1, 2 sgr., 
all in the same colours (light stone and 
black), the only differences observable among 
them are, that the fractional values are 
expressed in single-lined figures, whilst the 
entire numbers are represented by thick and 
comparatively ornamented figures. All are 
perforated, and printed on white unmottled 
paper. 

One of our correspondents sends ns a 
specimen of the 5 sgr., on the new mottled 
paper, and perforated. This is the first copy 
we have seen showing either of these 
variations. 

Mexico. — Readers of The Times will have 

noticed with interest the following paragraph 

in its American Correspondence of the 4th 

ult. 

Letters from Mexico, viti Havannah, state that a 
counterfeiting and forging establishment has just been 
discovered in that city, after years of effectual working, 
in the creation of all classes of national obligations, 
stamptff bonds, &c., "which prove so perfect that no one 
can tell the genuine from the false." The discovery, it 
is said, was accidental, and not from any official astute- 
ness on the part of the police. The parties wero taken 
in the act ot work and emission, and proved to be Ger- 
mans, the names of their pretended firm being Golise, 
Beceril, and Hemer. 

A few days after we had ourselves read this 
intelligence, a correspondent sent us a couple 
of 12 c. stamps of the current issue, calling 



our attention to the difference, in paper, 
between them. This difference is very 
evident, but it is not the only one, for on a 
closer examination we found certain vari- 
ations in the design itself; and it occurred 
to us, that not improbably one of the two 
specimens before us had had a fraudulent 
origin. We are perhaps mistaken, but the 
mention of the matter here may lead to a 
further examination into it by others. Of 
the two stamps before us, one, which is 
beyond question genuine, and agrees in all 
points with the other values, is perforated ; 
the other, so far as we can judge, is not. 
The genuine is on a thick paper, the doubt- 
ful one on thin porous paper. The printing 
of the latter has throughout a remarkable 
coarseness. Tn the portrait, the nose is 
shaded by a thick solid black line, as is also 
the left cheek ; and the lock of hair on the 
left side of the forehead is rendered obscure. 
In the margin, the figure 2 of the 12 is thin 
and unshapely, whilst in the genuine it is 
broad and very well made ; the N in cent 
has its two upright lines thick, and the 
slanting line very thin ; and lastly, the thin 
line, which runs under the value, breaks off" 
in the doubtful copy a little to the left of 
the c in cent, leaving a blank below the 
figure 12. Such are the variations disclosed 
by a somewhat hasty examination, and which 
we give without pretending that they are 
conclusive. 

France. — Le Tlmhrophile says that the 5 
franc stamp is printed in two colours, the 
value, 5 f., being in violet-blue, the rest of 
the stamp in mauve. We have examined a 
sheet of these stamps, but could not perceive 
much sign of a double working, though, by 
looking very closely into the printing, it may 
be possible to persuade one's self that the 
denomination, 5 F., is in a somewhat dif- 
ferent shade. The stamp loses much of its 
beauty from the rather ineffective colour in 
which it is printed ; a rich magenta would 
show up its details, but the pale mauve gives 
it a comparatively poor appearance. 

Azores. — The 25 reis stamp has recently 
come over with the imprint in a different 
and much smaller type ; instead of extending 
across and even beyond the oval, it now 
hardly more than covers the face, the letters 



Feb. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



27 



being shorter, narrower, and closer together. 
If this variation should be found to run 
throughout the entire series, it may be taken 
as an indication that no new type will be 
issued, but that from time to time the stock 
of Portuguese stamps will be drawn on. 

SourH African Be public. — The promised 
threepenny has appeared. It is of exactly 
similar design to the primary trio, and is 
printed in a beautiful mauve. Whether they 
are proofs, or the authorised emission, we 
are unable to state ; they are imperforate, 
and on rather thicker paper than the other 
values. 

South Australia. — The correspondent 
from whom we received the Mexican stamps, 
also sends us a specimen of the current pro- 
visional lOd. South Australian, and draws 
our notice to the fact that the surcharged 
value is now printed in black, in lieu of 
indigo or blue, as formerly. This is certainly 
a distinction with a difference. 

Natal. — Still the same contributor sends 
us a Natal threepenny blue, current issue, 
with " lOd." printed rather indistinctly 
across the face. Can any of our readers 
help us to explain the meaning of this 
surcharged inscription ? We can hardly 
imagine it to indicate a provisional value, it 
is struck so carelessly down, instead of across 
the stamp. 

Spain. — We have received one value of 
the new series — the 200 mil d'esco., printed a 
kind of brown-lilac ; we have no information 
of the issue of other values. 

Antioquia. — Le TimhropMle notices the 
existence of a 5 cenfcavos stamp of a dif- 
ferent design to that of the present series. 

THE POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS 
BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE. 

We copy the following very instructive and 
practical letter from The Times, in the cer- 
tainty that from the facts it represents, and 
anomalies it lays bare, it will be read with 
interest : — 

3, Ingram-court, Fenchurch-street, E.C., 

December 4, 1869. 

Sir, — It has been stated — and although not 
oflBcially, yet with some degree of authority 
— that the English post-oflBce has concluded 



a provisional arrangement with the French 
office to alter the whole system of weights 
in use between the two countries, and 
to establish in England one-third ounce 
as the rate of the single letter, instead of 
extending the single rate to the half-ounce. 
It is added that the arrangement is not to be 
considered complete until approved by the 
French legislative assembly, but there seems 
to be no such reservation as to approval by 
the English House of Commons. We venture 
to hope that the proposed arrangement will 
be reconsidered. The half-ounce is now the 
weight of a single letter from England to 
every country in Europe (indeed, throughout 
the world), excepting France and one other 
country, which is of necessity served through 
France, viz., Spain. Even to Belgium and 
Switzerland, whose system of weights is 
precisely the same as that of France, the 
weight of the single letter is the half-ounce. 
As regards Belgium, the same is the case 
with letters sent through France, and hence 
arises the extraordinary state of things, that 
the same letter which may be sent via Calais 
to Belgium for 4d., would if sent to Calais 
itself be charged 8d. To Belgium direct, 
via Ostend, the rate is 3d. the half-ounce. 
The same is also the rate to Switzerland and 
Holland, and will, it is expected, soon be the 
rate to Germany. The half-ounce and 15 
grammes, which are nearly equivalent, have 
long been in use for letters between the two 
countries, but as the double, not the single, 
rate. 

The English post-office has been anxious to 
extend the single rate to the half-ounce, which 
would much simplify tnatters by enabling 
both countries to dispense with the weights 
now in use of one-quarter and three-quarter 
ounce, and 7^ and 22 J grammes, respectively, 
without adopting in either country any ad- 
ditional weights, and it would be a great 
boon to merchants on each side the water : 
but to this simple and reasonable proposi- 
tion the French post-office objects, wishing 
England to adopt one- third ounce as the 
single rate. This complete change would 
necessitate the furnishing new weights of 
one-third and two-thirds of an ounce to every 
town and village post-office throughout the 
United Kingdom; also, that all merchants 



j28 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Feb. 1, 1870. 



corresponding with France should provide 
such extra weights for their own offices, 
merely for letters to France. 

The reason assigned by the French authori- 
ties for urging the adoption of the one- third 
ounce weight is, that, being taken as equiva- 
lent to 10 grammes, it would accord with the 
French internal rate. It is represented as a 
concession to the decimal system. Now, we 
have a great admiration for the decimal sys- 
tem, but we cannot carry that admiration so 
far as to wish, in order to promote its adop- 
tion, that English merchants trading to 
France should be definitely taxed a higher 
postage than those trading to Belgium, Hol- 
land, and Switzerland. We use the word 
** definitely " advisedly, for if the French 
post-office should once abandon the weight of 
15 grammes now in use, it is more than pro- 
blematical if it would ever be resumed. 

It is to be observed that the enthusiasm of 
the French post-office for the figure 10 is con- 
fined to weight, even as regards their inter- 
nal arrangements ; for a single letter from 
one part of France to another is charged not 
10 but 20 centimes, which, compared with 
the English internal rate, is in the propor- 
tion of about 3d. per half-ounce. It is to be 
feared that this high rate has been the great 
obstacle to cheap postage between the two 
countries. The postal authorities on the other 
side of the channel are, we are told, afraid 
that if the postage of letters from France to 
England were reduced to 30 centimes for 15 
grammes, the internal rate must ultimately 
be reduced to 10 centimes for 10 grammes. 
If the French post-office distinctly declines 
to continue the use of the 15 grammes weight, 
and to make it the single instead of the 
double rate, deciding to stop short at 10 
grammes, may it not be possible, instead of 
enforcing this weight here, to adopt the fol- 
lowing compromise ? As almost all letters 
are now prepaid (owing to the penalty of 
double postage if sent unpaid), let the 
English post-office tax the merchants here 
8d. per half-ounce for prepaid letters te 
France, and the French authorities tax the 
merchants there 30 centimes for prepaid let- 
ters to England, each country also taxing the 
unpaid letters it receives according to its own 
system. In this way there need be no postal 



accounts between the two countries. We 
submit this proposition for consideration, if 
the French post-office finally adheres to 10 
grammes ; but we should much prefer that 
our French friends should have the advantage 
of the full reduction of the rate of postage. 
We are, etc. 

B. Stuonds b Son. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE PERFORATION OF THE FRENCH STAMPS. 
To th$ Editor of "Tub Stamf-Gollectob's Maoazinb." 

Deab Sib, — In your remarks on new stamps in your 
number for January, there is an obsenration regarding 
certain French stamps, which appears to me to be likely 
to lead to some confusion, and to be most probably con- 
strued in a manner different to that whicn is intended. 
The substance of the remark is, that several specimens of 
the present series, laurel-crowned head of the Emperor, 
have been seen lately imperforated; that you have seen the 
2 c, 4 Cm 5 c. (which, by the way, is not laurel-crowned 
yet), 10 c, 20 c, 40 c, and 80 c. You then go on to say 
that a machine, the invention of a French postmaster, 
has been used, in some cases, to perforate the above stamps, 
and that *^ this dentelure a la roulette is called in Paris, 
perqnge dn Grand Hotel.** 

Now I think that anyone reading the above passage 
would come to the conclusion, that several values of the 
la ureated series have been rouletted, and that this is called 
the perqage du Grand Hotels the invention of an enter- 
prising provincial postmaster. 

There are four kinds of per^nge of French stamps 
known to collectors up to the present time. The first, 
which is called the per^age du Grand Hotels was used by 
the company before the issue of the machine-perforated 
stamps oy the government, essentially as a matter of 
convenience. The second is the pergage du Chemin de 
fer d* Orleans^ used by the Orleans railwav company, and 
easily distinguishable from that of the Urand Hotel by 
the clearness of the cut of the rouletting instrument. 
The third kind is that used by the Messageries JmperialeM^ 
but it is uncertain whether all the values exist in this kind 
of perptge. The fourth kind is an essay made by the govern- 
ment, or by some of the officials. The specimensof this latter 
are rare ; those which I have examined are in the collection 
of a well-known amateur in the east of France, and were 
obtained for him by a friend at a country post-office in 
the south of France. All these, however, are pergagea of 
the series in use immediately before the issue of machine- 
perforated stamps. If any exist of the laureated issue, 
they must have- oeen fabricated for amusement. 

Yours truly, 

A PARISIAN COLLECTOR. 

[Wa sre not qalte sore if we rightlj apprehend our correRpondent's 
meaninff, or he oura. 

The Older series of stamps of the empire was experimeniall7 denUU 
h la rouittttt and a few sheets issued to the publle ; Vat there was soma 
claim by the inventor of the macliine, who aUeged that the Postofflce 
authorities had infringed his riglit, whiehled to the futther use of the 
machine being stopped, and very shortly afterwards the present mode 
of perforation was adopted. 

These rouletted specimens are extremely rare. Messrs. Susse /Vires 
had to oblige their customers, and used a perforating machine wliloh 
mnde the large holes that distinguish this perforation larger we believe 
than any adopted elsewhere. This was a private perforation adopted 
for convenience. 

Some specimens jurtk en point have been discov e red by M. Mah6, and 
are evidently also tne result of private enterprise. Our remarks, how- 
ever, were not intended to apply to any of the above. Bandtj sheets of 
the present series, laureated neads, have come from the authorities an- 



Feb. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



29 



perfbrated, and to these, within the past few weeks, have been applied 
the rouletting machine, and. we tinderatand, the perforating machine. 
Of course, this is matter of pure private fancy, and is only done for 
amusement, and not au aerieux. 

As these stamps thus imperforate, rouletted, and dtnteUt large dente- 
lure, pass through the post, and are obliterated, as any others, we 
deemed it right first to chronicle the fact, and next to append our note, 
so as to prevent any misconception arising in time to come as to the true 
nature of these perforations.— £d.] 



THE ST. LOUIS STAMPS. 

To the Editor of ^^1v.iR Stamp-Collectoe's Magazine." 

Sib, — In the last number of Le Timbrophile^ M. Marcou 
(Albis) returns to the charge, and persists in his denial of 
me authenticity of the St. Louis stamps, and as he appeals 
to me by name, courtesy requires I should reply to his 
letter, whkh I trust you will permit me to do through 
your columns. 

M. Marcou opens by remarking that the Editor of your 
magazine, Mr. Pemberton, and myself, have all agreed in 
supporting these stamps; and certainly, so far as haying 
the entire weight of authority ranked against him con- 
stitutes a grievance, M. Marcou is entitled to make the 
most of it. In writing my letter, I did so without any 
previous concert or communication with any person, and 
solely because I conceived M. Marcou had fallen into a 
great error, against the eft'ect of which I was desirous of 
guarding my brother collectors. 

M. Marcou proceeds to state it is very mortifying to those 
who have paid 100 francs, or some such exorbitant price 
for a stamp, to find it not worth a halfpenny, and he in- 
sinuates that this accounts for the effort I make to support 
these stamps. 

Expanded and stated at length, this means, ^* You, 
Mr. Philbrick, have paid a fancy price for your proteges^ 
and either because you are ashamed to confess yourself 
cheated, or too prejudiced to see that you were so, now 
volunteer their defence." I always think such an argu- 
ment betrays conscious weakness; answer your opponent's 
arguments if you can, but if you cannot, then all you 
can do is to question his motives for advancing them. 

Such a line of argument always appears better avoided ; 
before, however, resorting to it, M. Marcou should have 
ascertained the facts, and seen if it applied to me. 

As it so happens, it is entirely devoid of any foundation 
whatever. The two specimens of 10 cents in my pos- 
session were obtained in the collections of Mr. Stainforth 
and M. de Saulcy, and I paid no separate price for 
them, but I know Mr. Stainforth paid 5s. 6d. for his copy, 
the price at which it was marked in the collection out of 
which he purchased it. My 5 cents, which Mr. Mount 
Brown sola me in June, lo64, and which was the first 
specimen of this value seen in England, was priced to me 
at 6s. Once or twice copies have been offered me, J think 
from Messrs. Young & Co., of Liverpool, but I never 
heard of more than 12s. 6d. being askea. 

Whether the Editor has any specimens I know not, but 
Mr. Pemberton has had one or two, and I believe he never 
paid more than the figure I mention. 

This insinuation of M. Marcou is, therefore, entirely 
gratuitous and unfounded. 

He says his answer shall be short, and first of all de- 
mands that the supporters of these stamps shall be at unity 
among themselves. I know of no discrepancy to reconcile, 
except that which I mentioned in my letter, viz. : the 
statement of Kershaw, who says he engraved them in 
1848. Subject to this, everyone I know is in complete 
accord, and all treat the date as 1845. 

M. Marcou then says, when I wrote to the Editor, I 
stated I had not seen the ** famous letter" of December, 1845, 
that my letter evidently adopted 1848 as the date, and not 



1845, and that I try to argue that 1848 should be 1845, 
against the date on the letter. 

Now, here are two great mistakes, due, I must think, to 
a hurried perusal of my letter, or to imperfect acquaint- 
ance with the English language. 

Anyone who reads my letter will see that I deal with 
the strength of the attack, namely, that Kershaw says ho 
engraved the plates in 1848, and suggest that he (Kershaw^ 
in his letter to you may possibly have written 1845, and 
the last figure be mistaken for 8. 

The ** famous letter " of December, 1845, is M. Berger- 
Levrault's, with the 10 c. post-marked on it. Ulie date on 
that is as plainly 1845 as can be, in three or four places; 
and one can hardly think that if he understood my letter, 
'M. Marcou would have confounded a supposition as to 
Kershaw's letter, that his date of engraving should be read 
45, and not 48, as referring to a letter, the date of which 
is beyond question, and which entirely supports my view. 
Further, in 1868 I had seen the letter of 1845 before it 
passed into M. Berger-Levrault's collection, and the fact 
was notic^ in your columns at the time (see vol. vi., 
p. 141) 

1. — As to my letter evidently favouring 1848 as the true 
date, all I can say is, my letter does not do so ; no one 
who reads it can so construe it, and I am at a loss to see 
what foundation M. Marcou has for asserting that which 
is so directly contrary to all the contents of my letter. 

2. — M. ^larcou next refers to Mr. Durbin's letter in your 
magazine of 1st September, 1868 (p. 142), who states these 
issues for particular cities were in aid of an insufficient 
supply of government stamps, at the time of their first 
issue, and asks, " How is this consistent with the idea of 
the St. Louis stam^B preceding any government issue ? " 
Really such arguing snows the shifts to which my honour- 
able opponent feels he is driven. Does Mr. Durbin refer 
to the ^t. Louis stamps as issued in aid of a deficient su})- 
ply of the government issue } If so, then I claim his 
testimony in favour of the St. Louis stamps being a 
genuine issue. Or ij his remark does not apply to the St, 
Louis stamps, then obviously there is no discrepancy, 
and his authority is not to be used against me. 

3. — M. Marcou, admitting the rarity of these stamps, 
says, *' How comes it, that of 500 printed, almost all speci- 
mens sold, or offered for sale, are new (unused), and come 
from Mr. Durbin ? " 

In the first place, is this true.^ I have seen seven 
copies, and I think Mr. Pemberton has seen eleven, in all, 
of these stamps. Of those, all but one were obliterated, 
and the one could not be certainly said to be unused ; my 
opinion is it had been very slightly marked, but the copy 
was defective, and I cannot vouch positively. Who ofiers 
these unused? No English dealera that I ever knew or 
heard of ; and who ever saw, and where is there, bl perfect 
unused copy ? 

Lastly, M. Marcou says, " How comes it that many 

ersons, dealers or others [mark the o>], offer these stamps 
or sale, and that constantly all the while saying they 
are most rare ? Besides, they have made Mr. Philbrick, 
M. Berger-Levrault, and others, pay enough for their 
copies to repay the original cost of engraving the dies." 
As M. Marcou made tlus statement of what I paid in a 
public print, and as his statement is erroneous, I must 
ask him as a gentleman to withdraw it. I have stated the 
facts in an earlier portion of this letter. What M. Berger- 
Levrault may have paid for his copy, I do not know, but 
I never knew above three or four copies sold in England, 
and half-a-sovereign a piece is the average price paid. 
Truly a great contribution towards engraving four sepa- 
rate dies on metal. But who has these stamps to sell) — 
** dealers or others r " Does not M. Marcou know for 



I 



30 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Feb. 1, 1870. 



certain, or lias he made a guess, as he did about the prices 
I Daid ? 

T^o English dealer, that I am aware, has any copy 
to sell. Let M. Marcou state the names, addresses, and 
prices demanded, and also see that the persons who offer 
/lave the stamps in their possession. Frequently it hap- 
pens that stamps are offered and quoted at prices, and 
cannot be produced when required, and also tnat several 
persons, at the same time, offer the satae copy of a rare 
stamp. 

As aresum^, M. Marcou says : ** These stamps were en- 
graved in 1862, or 1863 at latest, at the time of the for- 
gery of so many Confederate States stamps, e. ^., Memphis, 
Xfashville, and Baton Kouge," which he says gave the idea. 

If so, how stranffe that the forgers waited till June, 
1864, before a single copy of the 5 cents was known in 
Europe ! In May, 1864, Mount Brown published the last 
edition of his catalogue. He then chronicled the 10 cents 
only, and was not aware of the 6 cents till after his 
catalogue was issued. 

How strange they should engrave two separate metal 
dies for $aeh value, when half the trouble and expense 
would suffice ! and if they were to proceed with the caution 
M. Marcou attributes to them, the second dies would be 
superfluous. Again, is there a like history in the annals 
of stamp forgery ? 

But nis last great argument is kept to the end. 
M. Marcou has a witness to call. Who is ne } The Boston 
dealer, Charles Lyford, who, he says, states in the organ 
of Lyford, Chute, and Allan Taylor — the Boston Trinity of 
forgers — that these stamps are false, and were fabricated 
by Mr. Durbin. 

Truly a respectable witness, whom I would not believe 
on his oath. And what is there to support him ? 1'hat he 
confesses afratui in himself. No, not even that, though 
cham confessions of fmud are not new since the immortal 
P. T. Bamum wrote his book, but Lyford charges the 
fraud on another person, viz., Mr. Durbin. Where is the 
proof, except that Lyford is himself, according to M. 
Marcou* s own statement, a swindler and cheat } So that 
the late Mr. Lesley, Kershaw, and Mr. Durbin,. are all to 
be convicted of fraud and conspiracy, on the bare assertion 
of such a man as Lyford, a professed dealer in, and fabri- 
cator of, deceptions and impostures. 

M. Marcou says I state no new facts. Let him answer 
the old ones, and as he puts queries to me by name, let 
him categorically reply to the following : — 

1. — ^Why were two dies engraved for each value ? 

2. Why was the existence of the 5 cents kept back 
till June, 1864, in Europe } 

3. — How many specimens of each value has he seen, 
distinguishing used and unused } 

4. — How many specimens does he positively know to be 
in existence on this side the Atlantic ? 

To no one than myself could ^eater pleasure be 
afforded than the exposure of a swindler, but zeal must 
not outrun discretion, and one must be sure of the facts 
before attempting to convict the impostor. 

Fully appreciating the motives which prompt M. Marcou 
to desire to detect a falsity palmed off on the ignorant, I 
cannot but think he has missed his mark in the present 
case. Apologising for the length of this letter, 
I am. Sir, yours obediently. 

Temple^ London. FRED. A. PHILBMCK. 

[To this conclusive and final testimony in favour of the 
St. Louis stamps, we have but little to add. We may, 
however, say tiiat we have ourselves only seen the one 
s.ngle copy attached to a letter which we described, and 
which is now in the possession of M. Bergcr-Levrault. 
This copy was handed to us by our publishers, Messrs. 



Alfred Smith & Co., who had received it from a Mr. 
Grafton, at New York. From inquiries we have made, 
we are in a position to state that it is the only copy ihey 
have ever had offered them during the eight or nine years 
they have been in business, and that they returned it to 
the sender, as the price he asked for it — two guineas — was 
too high to allow a chance of disposing of it. 

Mr. Durbin, with whom Messrs. idfred Smith & Co. 
have long been in correspondence, and whose integrity has 
never been called into question by any but rogues whose 
slanders are an honour to those at whom they are hurled, 
has never made any kind of offer of the copies to pos- 
sessors. That he should take an interest in stamps 
emanating from his own (native) city is not surprising, 
and his desire to elucidate their history ought not to 
expose him to the unworthy insinuations to which M. 
Marcou gives utterance. 

That gentleman, in his last article, argues that the case 
for the stamps rests entii*ely on suppositions ; but of what 
does his attack consist but of surmises, pure and simple, 
founded, for the most part, on an apparently superficial 
knowledge of the United States ? We think we have 
amply refuted his conjectural arguments, and produced a 
chain of evidence in favour of the stamps, which could 
be so Etrong, that the only thin^ more conclusive would 
be an official declaration of their genuineness. One last 
word in reply to M. Marcou' s observation, that anyone 
knowing the States would pooh-pooh the idea of St. Louis 
issuing stamps before New York — how did it happen, 
if New York oe as much to the American republic as Paris 
is to France, that Philadelphia was the first town in which 
local stamps were used?— Ed.] 



MR. PEMBERTON ON FOREIGNERS. 

To the Editor of '* The Stamp-Collectob's Magazine." 

Deah Sir, — Under this heading I want you to grant ine 
space to touch upon two well-known types of the Philatelic 
Foreigner y as found in Le Timbre- Posts and Le Titnbro- 
phile. I will divide my letter into two parts, and, ^vitbout 
ado, take the first, which is, 

The originality of M. Moens* discoveries, as exempli/led 
in the December TimbrC' Posts. 

In replying last month to my letter under this heading, 
M. Ikloens is good enough to promise not to answer me any 
further on the subject, so I gladly accept so fine an oppor- 
tunity of stating home truths, fear of contradiction being 
quite removed. M. Moens' usual policy to all who do not 
write for his magazine, is one of repression and ridicule, 
and in replying to the charges of plagiarism of my un- 
published notes (which I again repeat), he sustains his 
reputation. Had he confined himself to a simple expla- 
nation, he would have made out a much better case, 
instead of descending to ill-mannered and ill-natured 
remarks, than which he had far better have said nothing. 

The end and aim of all he says is, that the reconstruction 
of the plate is anyone's rather than mine, and in asserting 
and re-asserting this, he naturally gets a little bewildered 
as to whom the philatelic world should feel to be indebted. 
He first Quotes himself, then a ^rticular friend, and 
lastly, "all the honour is due to Dr. Magnus." What 
nonsense ! As to his own claim, this is how he supports 
it : he states Mr. W. communicated to Mr. PI. a plan 
similar to one of his (M. Moons') own, but upon seeing 
it, and recognising my handwriting, he exclaimed that it 
was Dr. Magnus' plan. In order to forestall me, M. 
Moens then employs a particular friend to reconstruct 
the plate for him. "What then had become of M. Moens* 



Feb. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



31 



own plan, which was similar to mine, or of Dr. Magnus' 
plan, which mine resembled ? 

What a multiplicity of identity we have here I how 
confusing! but how creditable to M. Moens' inventive 
powers, is such an explanation ! Yet what are the actual 
facts of his previous investigations of these stamps ? I 
think his last published editorial gave a matter of 600 
stamps to the plate ; as the new diagram gives only 60, 
and as this more correct formation has been lyin^ fallow 
(if we are to accept his first statement at all) in his brains 
for so long, we are tempted to wonder what other vast 
embryos he mav have in the same locality, waiting for 
*• niischievous idfeas *' to fructify. 

Now for the evidence which he advances to nrove me the 
only person who had no business to have haa any of the 
honour (such as it is) of making this diagram. He starts 
by characteristically mis-stating that I claimed the whole 
diagram as my own. Such is not the fact, for in my 
December letter I said I had re-made the plate upon Dr. 
Magnus' old model, and again, that mine dinered from his 
in seven points, so that at the outset his proofs (so called) 
turn king's evidence against his wishes and intentions, 
which certainly are to make me appear guilty of gross 
mis-statements', and grosser folly, otherwise, perhaps, I 
should have taken no notice of his letter, which positively 
monopolizes that puerility of discussion of which it 
complains. 

Now as to his proofs (so called) that he was not indebted 
to me, after seeing my plan. He admits that he borrowed 
from Mr. W. all the paire he had ; as Mr. W. had all mine 
at the time, of course M. Moens then had all my materials 
at hand with which to easily reconstruct the diagram, and 
the two or three points wmch were doubtful he quietly 
cribs from my notes (this I say advisedly) ; so if he did 
not actually make a duplicate copy, a transfer^ or a 
certified transcript, he copied from my original specimens, 
which might take him the contemptuously quoted quarter- 
of-an-hour to jot down (yet even then is it not odd that 
ano^er person had to be set to do this quarter-of-an- 
hour's work?), and two of my notes, which he could 
acquire in half a minute, put everything straight ; but 
getting the specimens and the notes together was a work 
of time, and if M. Moens thinks himself justified in 
publishing from them, as the results of his own, or the 
great unknown's investigations, I consider myself equally 
justified in exposing the plagiarism, and in defending 
myself from his unmannerly attacks. For months I had 
been at the work, and I was naturally irritated to see 
everything published without warning or acknowledge- 
ment, as the sole work of the Editor of Ze Timbre- Foste 
(this I say advisedly, too, and I ask any one to read the 
first part of M. Moens* self-satisfied article in question, 
and it will be seen tiiat he has not '* made it to be under- 
stood that ail the honour is due to Dr. Magnus ") ; 
certain it is, that he is too narrow minded to render a 
word of thanks or praise to a work by which he profits, 
when it comes from anyone not connected with Le limbre- 
J'ost, which naturally brings me to the second pai't of my 
letter, which I head : 

27ie general incredulity of Foreigners, and of 3£, Moens 
and M. Albis in particular, 

Tlie first named was never guilty of accepting anything 
published in England, upon however good authority 
(unless he himself had been the original chronicler), 
without many uncalled-for remarks and much scepticism. 
The Sarawak is a very good instance in point. Well known 
in England to be genuine, post-marked specimens arrived 
in Loudon (direct on letters) last September, to my. certain 
knowledge ; and although ample proofs have been shown 



M. Moens, he so fully believes others to be tinctured by 
those principles which incited him to concoct a Moresnet 
" sell," and by those " mischievous ideas " which float so 
freely through his own and his friend's brain, that he 
cannot believe in the integrity of anyone but — I was 
about to say — ^himself, only on reviewing the facts, it is 
an unwise thinr to assume so much. M. Moens did not 
happen to be the first to discover that Rajah Brooke's 
island possessed postage stamps, for which very simple 
reason the Sarawak stamps have been run down by the 
would-be knowing Belgian. 

This is a good opportunity for introducing an undescribed 
stamp, which I have possessed since 1866, and which is 
still m use; and as M. Moens has not yet succeeded in 
describing a specimen, I have great pleasure in dedicating 
the following account to him. It is an oblong stamp of 
moderate size, bearing characters similar in general 
appearance to those upon the lower half of the Cashmere 
stamps ; they are in white upon a solid black ground, 
within a double linear frame. The stamp is used by the 
Nawab of Koorshedjah, for the prepavment of letters 
through his own dominions; beyona his territory the 
Indian stamps are used, as in the case of the Cashmeres. 
They ai-e hand-stamped in black upon ordinary envelopes, 
and the specimen I received in 1866 had Indian stamps by 
its side. There is no more doubt of its genuineness than 
of that of the Sarawak Atamps ; but to M. Moens this will 
not sound convincing, I fear. 

Respecting the incredulity of M. Albis, I have only to 
repeat my previous remarks. He did not happen to dis- 
cover the St. Louis, and he most assuredly has no specimens, 
or he would not write the nonsense he does (in Le 
Timbrophile), in the face of the well-established facts 
published in your magazine. If there were no certified 
evidence, if no traced copies had been isolated here and 
there for six or eight years, if no letters (the age and 
authenticity of which 'were unimpeachable) existed 
with these stamps still affixed, then M. Albis might in 
time have hoped to distinguish himself by exposing a 
swindle ; but as long as his sceptical nature lasts, so long 
we shall have periodical nonsense from him on the subject 
of St. Louis. In England we all believe in them, and 
the evidence we have pubUshed has been sifted thoroughly 
long before being given to the world. In leaving the 
matter I have only to say, that I have obtained a third 
die of the 5 c, and a third and fourth of the 10 c , and 
that I have reason to believe that a 20 c. value exists. 

With this preamble I have the pleasure of dedicating 
to M. Albis (with my best wishes for his future investiga- 
tions) the following results of a trifling investigation I 
undertook into the 5 c. Bolivia of the eagle series. Perhaps 
our foreign friends will believe, for the future, that we 
are able to follow out an investigation if we care to 
undertake it, and to discover what even M. Albis, with 
his exceptional sources of information about the eagle 
Bolivian, has not learnt, and that all that it was possible 
for him to learn, from the specimens and materialB at his 
command, he has, at all events, not published. 

In December a large quantity of 5 c. green, and 50 c. 
yellow, and a very few 100 c. blue, were received in Paris 
by M. E. Nunes, in sheets. He sent me a sheet of each 
of the first, and a pair of 100 c. I found discrepancies 
in the 5 c. which I could not fathom, though I found the 
high values genuine beyond doubt. I found M. Nun^s' 
sheet was unlike the old sheet received early in the year, 
and did not contain specimens of any of the dies I found 
on my own single green or lilac stamps. Hitherto M. 
Albis' theory of two plates for the 5 c. value has been 
accepted, all the green being given as from one (the first), 
all the lilacs from another (the second) plate ; but here I 



32 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Feb. ,1, 1870. 



had green 6 c. in a sheet of aeventy^two separateW 
engraved types, not one of which types I could identiiy 
from among a lot of old genuine specimens from the 
two plates of this ralue. At this juncture I oollected all 
the specimens I could of the 6 c, to the number of about 
two hundred, including an old sheet of seventy-two types 
in green. I identified four used specimens from four 
different types upon M. Nunes' sheet. This settled the 
genuineness of that sheet, but complicated matters res« 
pecting M. Albis' two plates, one green, one lilac, because 
this gave two green sneets, whilst, as none of the Ulaca 
were to be found upon either of them, they were either 
from a third sheet, or else forp^ed. But to cut a long matter 
short ; after much examination, T at last got a clue, and 
found that of the green stamps four plates undoubtedly 
existed, and that the lilacs were from one of these plates. 
The first three plates have the borders, letters, and 
numerals alike ; the first two plates, further, have the 
pinion feathers of the wings alike, so their only difference 
IS in the shading of the body, and of the globe ; but the 
second plate has had some of the letters A in contuatos 
crossed, which in the first plate are uncrossed. The third 

Slate, that of M. Nunes, has the eagle and globe much 
ifferent, and the pinion feathers of the wings, although 
unquestionably the same in number as in their corres- 
ponding dies on the old sheet, arc, from wear I suppose, 
mere outlines, and the body of the eagle is very little 
shaded. The fourth plate is altogether different, and was 
printed from in two snades of green — intense dark green, 
and rich deep green ; in slate, in red- violet, and in lilac 
(by which 1 mean a rosy tint, like the flower of that 
name, and not a violet tint) . 

Next month I will enter more fully into this subject, 
for few modern stamps of undoubted genuineness have 
created such differences of opinion. The translations from 
M, Albis* paper to Le TitnbrophiU in your December 
number is in substance, I believe, thoroughly accurate, 
and the genuineness of M. Mahe's importation of 10 
brown, 50 blue, 50 yellow, and 100 blue, beyond a 
doubt. I mention this here, simply because I have been 
so often asked about them, and because the balance of 
public opinion at one time was decidedly against them. 
The correctness of M. Albis as to only two separately 
made plates is indisputable; but what I claim to have 
workea out, I will state distinctly, for fear of M. Moens 
forestalling me. Of M. Albis' first plate thero are three 
distinct varieties, transfers or what not, differing in the 
eagles and globes, but alike in other particulars, allowing 
for wear and tear in the third edition. Of M. Albis' 
second plate I ha\'e three specimens in groen before me, 
which possess every characteristic of engraving of the 
slate, tne red-lilac, and the lilac, also before me, from 
which I claim to prove that some sheets were struck from 
the second plate in green, and not only in lilac, as stated 
(under the name of violet) by M. Albis. 
Tours faithfully, 
Mirmingham. EDWARD L. PEMBEBTON. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

P. J. A., Aberdeen. — Dr. Magnus has written three 
''monographs," — on Watermarks, Denticulations, and 
Beprints respectively,— of these, however, only the first 
has, we believe, been printed in a separate form, and this 
may be had for a shilling from Mons. P. Mah^, 9, Rue de 
Clichy, Paris. . 

W. Q.J Bamot. — The distinction of broad and narrow 
whita lines on the English 2d. stamps has not, we believe, 
been noticed ; vill you be good enough to send us for 



examination some copies exemplifying it ? — Time affects 
our Id. stamps in diiterentways, sometimes turning them 
lighter, and sometimes darker. — Your 6d. New South 
Wales, watermarked 12, is not of any special value. 

C. Stkoobant, Derby, is good enough to inform us that 
what we took for a hieroglyphical inscription on the 6 c. 
Belgian essay, is really the chain of the order of Leopold. 
We should have told our readers so ourselves, had not our 
criticism been accompanied by the engraving of the stamp 
itself. If, however, the representation of the chain be 
exact, then the jeweU or ornaments with which it is 
adorned, must be of a most peculiar shape. 

P. H. C, University College, Oxford.— The Norwegian 
stamps you send are all from the same die, and tho 
apparent difference in the ornament above the shield is 
only the result of defective printing, or of the die being 
worn.— The 2d. bluish-green Victorian is no doubt a 
changeling.— The United States 2 c. envelope is the 
variety we referred to last month, but of a much deeper 
tint. — We do not see why you should be puzzled about 
the Van Diemen's Land Id. unperforated. 

G. W. B., M.— We refer to your Mexican in our article 
on new stamps. — Tour two French stamps show the Susse 
perforation ; the cancelling letters, d s. 3, are most pro- 
bably Departement de la Seine^ No. 3, the number being 
that of ono of the post-offices in the department. We 
are surprised to see this cancellation on stamps thus 
perforated, ns we have hitherto believed it to be of recent 
adoption. — The watermark on the Western Australian is 
the swan, but it is barely visible. In quoting you the 
value, we did so from memory, and are surprised to find 
it is now so much reduced. — The Jamaica stamps were 
never issued unperforated, but your " specimen " copies 
are none the less valunble.- We must still adhere to our 
opinion that the Haitian 25 c. stamps are impostors. It 
is iust by mi.King them in with genuine stamps that their 
fabricators try to palm them off; those who created the 
Paraguay and Ecuador falsities, are quite capable of 
concocting the Haitian also. — Tour Brazilian 50 reis is 
one of the blue-papered series. — We notice the South 
Australian and Natal novelties elsewhere. — ^The letters 
H. A. on the South Australian 1/ may stand for '* Home 
Affairs." — Tour No. ix. is a spurious stamp, No. xvi. and 
XX. genuine originals. — We defer our reply respecting 
vi., vii., viiL, and x. 

R. B. £., Birmingham, is of opinion that a branch 
philatelic society might be establisned in his town, and 
suggests that with the assistance of Messrs. Peraberton 
and Atlee it might be easily commenced. The good of 
such a society would con>ist in the opportunity afforded 
for collectors meeting together, and iuterchangin* ideas 
and information . Papers migh t be read, as at the principal 
society, each member contributing his study on the 
stamps of such countries as he might choose. Even 
though many striking discoveries might not be made, the 
general level of knowledge would be j^reatly rai^'ed, as 
the preparation of such 'papers would require careful 
study of the principal catalogues^ and of the stamps 
themselves. — Before bringing the matter ourselves before 
the central society, we should like to receive a few more 
names from Birmingham and other places. — The Austrian 
1 kr. black, unused (newspaper stamp), is worth about 
2/6.— The Wells Fargo *» Paid over Mexican and Califor- 
nian Coast routes, 25 c," on United States 3 c. envelopes, 
should fetch, say 1/ to 2/. — Newfoundland 5d. red-brown, 
unused, 1/6. — The 10 and 15 o. large figure Argentine 
Republican were not, it is believed, ever actually used, 
but are supposed to have been prepared for circulation, 
and by some accident kept back. 



March 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



33 



THE EMBOSSED SYDNEY STAMP. 

We are happy to be able to present our rea- 
ders with an engraving of this very rare and 

interesting stamp — 
a privilege for which 
we are indebted to 
Sir Daniel Cooper, 
who allowed a copy 
to be made of his 




specimen. 

We have no new 
details to offer con- 
cerning this stamp, 
bnt the present is a 
fitting opportunity for re-stating the known 
facts of its history. 

The credit of its discovery is due jointly 
to Sir Daniel Cooper and Mr. Pemberton. 
Evidence of its existence occurs in the 
** Report of the Select Committee on the 
Postage Bill for New South Wales," which 
sat at Sydney in 1849, and this report 
having been lent by Sir D. Cooper to Mr. 
Pemberton, the latter was struck by the 
passages referring incidentally to the emis- 
sion of this stamp, and further inquiry led 
to Sir D. Cooper's writing to friends of his 
at Sydney (where he had filled the office of 
Member of the Legislative Council), and 
obtaining first a used specimen, and after- 
wards six unused. 

These unused copies were the sole fruit of 
a careful search, and the long period which 
has elapsed since they were in use, coupled 
with the fact that when called in they were 
used up for waste or memorandum paper, 
lenders the discovery of any more copies 
highly improbable. Reprints, moreover, are 
impossible, as the old die has been chiselled 
out. 

We have, then, in this stamp a hona-Jide 
rarity, which we may safely prophesy few 
will ever have the good fortune to possess. 

It was employed during its currency to 
frank letters posted and delivered within the 
town of Sydney. The die — which in fact was 
only the ordinary post-office seal of Sydney 
— was imperfectly struck, in white relief, on 
wrappers or envelopes formed from half- 
sheets of foolscap paper. The awkward 
shape of these envelopes caused many to 



fold the stamp out of sight, in consequence 
of which prepaid letters were frequently 
charged postage on delivery, and this added 
to the fact, that owing to the then narrow 
limits of l^e town, it was in most cases as 
easy for a domestic to deliver a letter by 
hand, as to take it to the chief (and only) 
post-office, rendered the stamp of so little 
real service, that but very few were used. 
The exact dates when it was issued and 
withdrawn sae not obtainable, but we know 
that these covers were in circulation for 
some part of the year 1849, as the used ' 
copy is postmarked October 5, 1849, and it 
was in that year the postmaster of Sydney 
gave evidence respecting them before the 
postage committee. 

PAPERS FOR BEGINNERS. 

BY OVERT TAYLOR. 

III. — On the commencement of a Collectimi. 

Having provided himself with an album, tho 
intending collector can now tarn his mind 
seriously to the filling of it. Of course, he 
commences with the commonest and cheapest 
stamps. If he has already formed a little 
nucleus, he can at once begin sorting out 
and mounting the stamps of which it is 
composed. If not, his best plan would be, 
perhaps, to obtain one or two packets of 
stamps from some respectable dealer, giving 
the preference to the used specimens, because 
more can be obtained for the money, and 
because there are sure to be among them 
some old issues, of which the unobliteratcd 
copies are dear and, to a certain extent, 
difficult to obtain. The specimens even of 
the commoner varieties will serve to fill tho 
allotted spaces pro tem.^ and should any bo 
injured through inexperience in handling 
them, it will be no great loss. 

With his little hoard of stamps before 
him, the beginner — young or old — should 
first separate the broken and very heavily 
obliterated copies from those which are entire 
and in satisfactory condition, reserving only 
these latter for a place in his album. Frag- 
ments and mere blotched morsels of paper 
should be inexorably excluded, for they do 
not illustrate the design, and are an eyesore 
for ever on the page they occupy, spoiling 



34 



TIIE STAMP.C(>LLKCTC»R'S MAGAZINR [March 1, 1870. 



tbo series to which tbej KOotil'. and jr\i- :r 
a look of si oven line -ns an*! care! t'ssnes«i t> \\.e 
■whole book. This is a truth tt» Iv l>»rne in 
mind, especially by yoanjr c^llet^tors. wiio 
are frequently too prone to set a valne on 
torn and undeciphemMe spt»<'imen«5. foriretfnl 
of the fact, that the plea -u re derivable tr.»ra 
a collection depends at least as mneh on its 
neatness as on the rarity of the stamjis it 
contains. 

After separatiiic^ the clean from the nn- 
clean, the collector's next care mast l»e to 
prepare his stamps for admission into the 
album, by removing their backs. The man- 
ner in which this should be effecteti is so ably 
and minutely described by an esteemed 
contributor in another part of the present 
nnmber (I have been f^woured with a siirht 
of a proof of his article), that it wouM be 
needless repetition on my part to describe it 
at length. Suffice it to say, then, that the 
stamps (except embossed ones) should be 
laid face upwards in a dish of cold bvihJ 
water — pardon the oddity of the phrase, for 
the sake of its expressiveness. 

It now only remains to mount them. And 
here, again, the article referred to, which, 
by the way, cannot be too attentively read, 
reduces my work to that of simple com- 
mentary. The writer thereof recommends 
a system of mounting on squares of card ; 
but this, though beyond question the best 
for a collector to adopt when the time arrives 
for ro-arranging his stamps after his own 
ideas, is perhaps a little too elaborate for 
beginners. F^very specimen should, of course, 
be mounted by means of a narrow slip of 
gummed paper, running alonjg the upper 
edge, of which one-third (say) in width 
adheres to the stamp, and the other two- 
thirds are folded down and applied to the 
surface on which the stamp is to rest. With 
a preliminary album, it does not matter if 
the stamp is attached to the page itself, as 
if carefully mounted, it is at all times examin- 
able, and removable without injury. More- 
over, an ordinary bound book, however well 
it may be provided with guards, would bulge 
and soon be spoilt if rectangles of card were 
put on every page : and for a beginner a 
bound and prepared album is indispensable. 

rho arrangement of the envelopes — 



another p»:ut which it ia neoessary here to 
d:'-^'u>s — is, and always will be, a very diffi- 
cult iii.*tttr. M^l^t C'Klejtors will meet with a 
ir^cittr numlH?r of cut than of uncnt copies ; 
a lid it would at first sight appear to be a 
question of refusing the cut, or mntilating 
the uncut, in order to keep to one of the two 
cla>>cs: yet eitheraltemativeis very Tin sat is- 
fact'.»rv, and especially the second. I think, 
however, a compromise might be effected, 
by mounting the cut and uncut together on 
hirc^ sheets of card. To illustrate my mode 
of prcceodintr : let us suppose that I have cut 
cnjiies of three of the values of the fir<t 
series of Saxon envelopes, and nncnt copies 
of the other two. I arrange the three cut 
ct»pies at the top of the sheet : one in the 
middle, and one on each side, — ^but for ap- 
jK\i ranee sake, a little lower down ; and 
K'low these I place my two uncut copies, one 
K'neath the other. The cut specimens I 
mount with gum, the other two I attach by 
narniw slips of paper, or ribbon — the exact 
method of fixing them is immaterial. By 
tliis mode of arranging them the cut copies 
are made to combine with the uncut in 
producing a pleasing effect; the entire series 
is kept together ; and there is no necessity 
for having two sets of envelopes, one cut, in 
the album, the other uncut, on sheets. The 
sheets, which should be of tolerably stout 
cardboard, and of a good size, might be set 
off with a black or coloured margin, and a 
square might also be ruled round the enve- 
lopes, and the name of the country written 
at the top. The collection should be kept 
in a portfolio ; and if the sheets be eyeletted 
at the top and bottom, and a ribbon passed 
loosely through them, they will be kept to- 
gether, and be always available for reference. 
Assuming that my readers — intending 
collectors — approve of this plan, it will be 
well for them to defer the execution of it 
until they have obtained a good number of 
envelopes, and a certain amount of experi- 
ence, as they cannot attempt anything like a 
definite or satisfactory arrangement without 
a good store of materiel, and knowledge of 
the best way to dispose it. Meanwhile, the 
envelopes — cut and uncut together — should 
be kept in some convenient receptacle, 
come-at-able, and safe from incursions of dust. 



March 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLI.ECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



HINTS FOR MOUNTING STAMPS 
AND ENVELOPES. 

We purpose offering a few remarks on this 
wide subject — the result of practical ex- 
perience — in the hope they may assist col- 
lectors who are either commencing or re- 
arranging their colleetions. We cannot 
pretend to any great discovery, but trust 
that the utility of some of our hints will be 
their best recommendation. 

Stamps themselves come into the collec- 
tor's possession either used or unused. In 
the latter case, if the specimens have never 
been mounted, there is no trouble; but in 
the former, and where stamps have once 
been gummed down, there is frequently great 
difficulty in preserving the original gum on 
the back. That every collector ought to 
strive for this is evident ; because, first, the 
gum often proves the issue, or shows a 
reprint, as in the case of the Hanoverian 
stamps, issued with a pink gum, and re- 
printed with quite white gum ; or it con- 
stitutes a material feature in itself, as in the 
earlier Austrian issues ; or it sensibly affects 
the appearance of the stamp, as in the well- 
known English penny, where the combined 
chemical action of the gum and ink bring 
about the result of " bluish paper " of the 
catalogues, and in other similar examples. 
Always, therefore, preserve fJie original gum 
intact where possible. In many cases, how- 
ever, this cannot be done, especially where 
the stamp had a tenacious gum, and has 
been mounted in a collection by being com- 
pletely fastened down. In all cases where 
any paper or mount adheres to the stamp, 
it is desirable to remove it ; in most instances 
this can be done by the simple agency of 
cold water — rain water which has been boiled 
is best; but never use water which is hot, 
or which has not been boiled — risk of in- 
juring colours is the certain penalty. Many 
stamps will bear immersing bodily in the 
water; it is genemlly preferable to com- 
mence by moistening their faces, which can 
readily be done with a camel's hair pencil ; 
then lay them face downwards, on plain 
wiused blotting paper (beware of all prior 
touch of ink on the sheet, which has ruined 
many a fine copy) ; then moisten the back 



part of the stamp, where the card or pap 
adheres, and leave it, watching till the a( 
herent substance freely removes; directl 
this happens, lifb it off ttpwards, avoiding a 
rubbing or shifting, and the gum will, nin* 
times out of ten, be left more or less. The 
stamp, with its back moist, must then be 
placed, face downwards, on perfectly dry 
blotting paper, in a moderately cool place, 
till dry, or nearly so, when it may be placed 
between two folds of writing paper, and put 
to press between the leaves of a heavy book, 
or whatever is handiest. Of course, none of 
these remarks at all apply to the case of an 
embossed stamp, or one in relief, which 
would be simply ruined by the wetting or 
pressure suggested. 

Embossed specimens must always be kept 
face up^vards, and no wet ever permitted to 
get upon the face, or into the relief. To 
M. Berger-Levrault we are indebted for the 
publication of the following, namely: In 
these cases thoroughly wet a piece of flan- 
nel or cloth, put the stamp on it, face 
upwards (not it on the stamp), and watch 
till the back will remove. A little prac- 
tice will give expertness in judging the time 
needed to effect the operations above de- 
scribed, so as to minimise the injury to the 
stamp. Bear in mind, some damage almost 
inevitably ensues ; and, unless absolutely 
necessary, never wet any part of a specimen. 
It need hardly be added, no embossed stamp 
must ever be subjected to pressure which 
can be avoided. 

Having thus got the specimen free from 
all foreign matter, keep its margins intact. 
Too much cannot be urged against trimming 
a stamp at the edges. If a^ unperforated 
issue, the very largest margin possible is an 
object, and a mere ragged place is as nothing 
compared with the margins being very 
closely clipped ; retain every hair's breadth 
of the edges you can. If perforated, by all 
means keep the margins broad, to show the 
complete and entire perforation. 

It is always highly desirable to show the 
edge of the adjacent stamps; in an im- 
perforate copy, if this can be done all round, 
it prevents any question as to whether the 
stamp was originally issued as perforated, 
and has since been trimmed down ; while in 



36 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZIXE. [IL^rch 1, 1870 



perforated specimens, to show the complete 
dentellation all round, it is obviously the 
most complete and scientific method. Be- 
sides, to be able to show the distances between 
adjacent stamps on the plate has more than 
once detected a forgery, or marked a re- 
impression. 

It is easier than may at first sight be 
thought to get broad or perfect edges. If a 
pair of stamps side by side be taken, the 
object is usually gained ; or a corner stamp, 
if selected with judgment, is nearly as good. 
In all cases of stamps in use, a central speci- 
men can be taken, and enough cut off its 
neighbours to make it perfect, and leave them 
still available for postal purposes. 

To mount the stamp : it is necessary to 
remember, first, that no system which does 
not permit the watermark, gumming, and 
paper being thoroughly examined, at all 
satisfies the requirements of any collector 
who aspires to more than the mere pleasure 
of seeing blank spaces in an album filled up 
with coloured paper; and even such a col- 
lector may be proud of a rarity among his 
specimens, or may at some time or other 
desire to dispose of them, when he will find 
the market value entirely dependent on the 
order, perfection, and condition of his stamps. 
So that on every ground all collectors should 
adopt such a system of mounting as attains 
the objects we have specified. It is of the 
simplest and easiest, moreover, and demands 
but ordinary care and little trouble. 

Mount by a hinge of gauze paper (pajpier 
pelure)^ to one part of which the specimen is 
attached by its upper edge, and the other 
part is fisistened down on the page of the 
album or mount presently mentioned; so 
that when fixed, the specimen flaps on its 
hinges like a door. The readiest way, ac- 
cording to our experience, is to cut the gauze 
paper into strips, barely f of an inch wide, 
and then gum the strip entirely on one side; 
when dry, or nearly so, take the stamps, 
affix them side by side along one edge, so 
that each specimen laps on the paper, and 
has about i to } inch hold. Use a camel- 
hair pencil and a little water in the operation ; 
try to secure perfect adhesion at the angles : 
a penknife, or paperknife handle, or a neat 
finger, will give the requisite pressure to 



cause firm and perfect contact. When tbe 
strip is dry, sever the stamps with scissors 
from each other, trimming off the side edg-es 
of the gummed paper very carefully. Thus 
each stamp will then have a bit of gummed. 
gauze paper along its upper edge; neatly 
fold this down in a line parallel with, and 
near to, the top of the stamp ; if too much 
gum has not been used, this is easily done ; 
if a spot of thick gum has dropped on the 
place, remove it by a little water. The 
turned- back edges of the gummed paper are 
best cut slantwise inwards to the centre of the 
stamp. Then, with a camel-hair pencil and a 
little water, moisten the gummed surface of 
the gauze paper; press the stamp down firmly 
in its place, raise it up on its flap, and with 
a paper or penknife handle press the adherent 
parts of the gauze paper, so that it sticks 
closely up to the line of the fold, and leave 
the stamp upstanding a few minutes till all is 
perfectly dry. The stamp is thus hinged with 
gauze paper, and firmly fixed ; examinable 
it will be in the most perfect manner. 

We think it is the editor of Hie PJula- 
telist who has often advised inquirers to use 
the waste edges of sheets of stamps for this 
purpose ; scarcely anything worse adapted 
could be recommended : it is thick, it folds 
with difficulty, and is of more substance than 
the paper on which many stamps are printed. 
Always have the hinge of as slight, if not 
less substance ; if a tear occurs, the stronger 
paper holds, and the weaker gives. Anyone 
can gum a sheet of gauze paper for himself. 
Common white gauze paper, sold at every 
stationer's shop, is best, and having had con- 
siderable experience, we never knew tbe 
least injury result to a stamp from its use. 
All papers in the manufacture of which 
chlorine has been used are destructive of the 
colour of stamps. 

The best adhesive material we know of 
is clear gum-arabic, mixed with pure water; 
a little alcohol — about a tea-spoonful in a 
half- pint — will make the gum keep sweet 
a long while. All gum which smells musty 
or acid is worse than useless. Care should 
be taken not to allow any drop or exudation 
of the gum to touch the &ce of the stamp, 
or appear on the page or mount. We re- 
member once being: shown a collection with 



J 



Maech 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



87 



great pride by the owner, who had thickly- 
coated his specimens with a varnish of gum ! 
This, it is needless to add, was in the primi- 
tive days of collecting. Paste is certain 
ruin to stamps ; it must never be allowed to 
touch one, for reasons too obvious to require 
pointing out. Liquid india-rubber cement 
has been praised by some, but its odour is 
disagreeable, and it is so powerful, that the 
slightest stain irretrievably spoils a specimen. 
One of our collecting friends used Hollis's 
opal mucilage, procurable at patent medi- 
cine shops in shilling bottles ; this prepara- 
tion is neat, leaves no stain, but is not satis- 
factory or tenacious enough. On the whole, 
the best thing we know of is gum-arabic ; 
it is simple, never hurtful, and easily and 
cheaply procurable. In mixing, reject all 
extraneous substances and discoloured par- 
ticles. 

If ever need arises to remount a stamp 
which has once been subjected to the process 
we describe, the slightest touch of moisture 
behind the applied gauze paper will render it 
easily removable, without detriment to the 
specimen. In no case, however, ought any 
such necessity to arise, for the unquestionably 
proper method is to mount the stamp, not on 
the page of the album, but on a small piece 
of whifce card or thick paper, cut a little 
larger than the specimen, so as to show a 
margin of the whole all round. About fgths 
of an inch is sufficient ; but every collector 
can please his own individual taste as to this. 
One uniform size for stamps requiring a 
square mount, and another for those which 
take a mount of an oblong form, is easy to 
be found, and these being stock sizes answer 
for most stamps. Some, however, as the 
triangular stamps of the Cape of Good Hope, 
must have a mount specially cut for them, 
and this involves a little trouble, but once 
well done, it is done once for all, and the 
stamp is safely moored in a position where 
it is liable to danger of no kind. 

Neatly placed on its mount, with the water- 
mark, paper, and dentelure examinable at 
will, the piquage and watermark marked on 
the mount beneath the stamp as it lies, so as 
to be visible for reference by merely raising 
the lower edge, we do not know a better 
way of keeping or exhibiting a specimen. 



This is what our French friends call mount- 
ing en cherte, and is adopted by all the lead- 
ing collectors, English and foreign. 

To fix the mounts in the album, gum to the 
back of each a piece of tissue or gauze paper, 
cut rather smaller than the card, taking care 
to gum slightly, and on two edges only ; then 
by touching on the centre of the mount thus 
backed with gum, the whole will, with the 
least pressure of the finger, adhere to the 
page in any position desired. To remove 
them, a push with the blade of a knife, un- 
derneath, effects the object in a moment, and 
thus, by sacrificing the backing only, the 
stamp, as mounted, can be altered, shifted, 
and changed, at will, as often as desired. 

M. Herpin used to tongue the specimens so 
mounted with a slip of paper at the back, 
and insert it through two slits cut in the 
page of the album. This is much more 
troublesome, and not nearly so neat as the 
system we recommend. 

We would caution all against gumming 
the mounts themselves without the interpo- 
sition of the bit of tissue paper to the page, 
as they can then never be removed without 
damage either to the pgige or the mount; 
whereas, by the plan suggested, the page can 
be cleaned with a little water from all trace of 
where the mounts adhered. It should be 
added, that for essays or specimens printed on 
card, and with large margins, there is no need 
for any mount at all ; merely apply to their 
backs a piece of tissue paper (as if to the 
mount), as before described, and the thing is 
done. Some collectors fasten a small strip of 
stoutish paper, rather less in length than the 
width of the stamp to be mounted, and about 
Jth to Jth of an inch wide, at the back of the 
upper part of the stamp, and then gum that 
strip slightly to the page. This is objection- 
able, for when one wants to see the back or 
watermark, the stamp must either be bent 
back and doubled, or removed from the 

page. 

With respect to envelopes : those who take 
cut specimens should always endeavour to 
get a margin cut square all round, so as to 
show the inscription. The barbarous, an- 
tiquated plan of cutting closely round the 
edge of the die is, happily, quite exploded. 
Such a system utterly destroys the identity 



38 



THE stamp-collector's MAGAZINE. [March 1, 1870. 



of many very precious specimens, e, g,, Meck- 
lenburg- Scliwerin, large inscriptions. 

Envelopes thus cut square may be mounted 
as we above recommend for stamps, but in 
most cases this is unnecessary trouble, as the 
paper and watermark present little remark- 
able ; a piece of gauze or tissue paper aflBxed 
behind the specimen, without any card or 
other mount, suffices. Some, however, must 
be shown en clierte, as the United States 
envelopes, w^hich have a watermark, and the 
reprints of which have a peculiar disposition 
in the lines of the vergeure, 

No thoroughly recommendable plan for 
mounting entire envelopes has, according to 
our view, been yet discovered, and we think 
all collectors wise who keep their specimens 
in a box, or in some other convenient recep- 
tacle, separate. To begin with, an insur- 
mountable objection is, that their weight 
destroys the page of any book or album, and 
in most systems of mounting, they are liable 
to be torn. We notice, only to condemn, the 
fashion once prevalent of gumming them 
down flat on the page, often overlapping each 
other, whereby many a choice copy has been 
irretrievably damaged. Many of M. de 
Saulcy's were thus massacred. 

M. Herpin and the owner of the Ph. col- 
lection mounted theirs by affixing strips of 
thick paper to the page, by gumming them 
at each end, and drawing the flap of the en- 
velope through the strip thus fastened down. 
By commencing at the top of the page, and 
placing each successive envelope over-lap- 
ping its predecessor more or less, as the size 
of the die requires, the former is held down 
securely, and the lowest of the set has a 
second band fitted neatly over it at the lower 
edge, to retain it firmly in its place. The 
flap of the second envelope is held by a band 
or strip, which at the same time answers to 
keep the first secure in its place, and thus 
the lowest band alone is visible, when the 
envelopes ar^ all placed in position on the 
.page. This plan is rather troublesome to 
carry out neatly, and is objectionable chiefly 
because in removing a specimen to examine 
it, the bands are very apt to be torn. 

Dr. Magnus has abandoned this system, 
and has invented an ingenious one for him- 
6?elf, the main feature of which consists in 



hinging the envelopes, one or more in a row, 
according to the width of the page, to a 
strip of paper by their lower edge; this strip 
is folded in the centre, and the one part 
being gummed to the page, and the other to 
the envelope, all necessary examination of 
the latter can be had. Two or more can be 
mounted on one strip by cutting it so as to 
secure each by a little piece of the strip only, 
holding it at each corner of the envelope. 
Its weight keeps the envelope down flat, in 
proper position. It is thus hinged, and 
flaps freely on its lower edge as an axis. 
We fear this will prove also extremely trou- 
blesome. 

Other Parisian amateurs have devised 
somewhat similar plans. We have seen one 
collection where the envelopes are not at- 
tached to the page at all, but retained flat 
thereon, being held by two parallel lines of 
ribbon stretched perpendicularly down the 
face of the page. We fear the envelopes thus 
attached would be apt to slip and get out of 
order when the book is turned over in ordi- 
nary use. 

To all these systems the great, and to ns 
at present insurmountable, difficulty is the 
weight of the envelopes. They are un- 
manageable for the page of any album we 
ever saw, and we can offer no better sugges- 
tion than for the present to keep them sepa- 
rately, unmounted, in some convenient box 
or other repository. 

We will now proceed to the pages them- 
selves on which the stamps, thus mounted, 
are to be placed. We have ourselves tried 
white paper, of thickness and substance 
enough to carry the weight of the stamps as 
mounted, and are bound to confess we prefer 
a tinted paper, as producing a better general 
effect, and throwing up the stamps as mounted 
in a more striking manner. M. Herpin 
adopted a fine closely- woven vellum-surfeiced 
paper, of a light buff tint : the effect was 
excellent. A present Parisian amateur has 
recently chosen an English-made paper, of a 
light slate or neutral tint, of substance, but 
with an unpressed surface : the result of this 
will, we think, be good. Whatever tint bo 
adopted, it should be subdued, so as not to 
make any violent contrast with the colours 
of the stamps. We understand Dr. Magnus 



March 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



. 39 



is in course of deciding what to use for his 
fine collection, and we believe he is pre- 
disposed in favour of tinted rather than 
absolutely white paper. 

Whatever be chosen, of it the album must 
be made, and whether the leaves be fixed or 
moveable, they must be duly prepared, and 
cut to size. Such obvious reasons present 
themselves to any collector who has ever 
once arranged a collection in favour of a 
system whereby a leaf can be interpolated, 
removed, altered, or renewed, at pleasure, 
that we presume few will at this time argue 
in favour of a bound volume. If they select 
one, then in our continuation of this paper 
they will find some information which will, 
we trust, be useftil to them. If, however, 
they decide on having moveable leaves, then 
several plans are open. 

First, there is the well-known systeme Marie, 
adopted by M. Herpin, Dr. Magnus, Count 
Primoli, Mr. Pemberton, and the owner of 
the collection Ph. It is difficult to explain 
this system without a cloud of words, but its 
principle is this : The sheet of paper is cut 
to form two pages, is folded down the middle 
like a sheet of note paper, and is held in its 
place by two long metal wires or hooks (crot- 
chets) , which catch at the edge of the volume 
above and below, and are retained in a place 
contrived for them by the pressure of a small 
spring back. This spring back works easily 
with a touch of the finger, and one hook (or 
both) can be removed, and the sheet taken 
out temporarily or permanently. It is 
obvious also that it can be shifted to and 
inserted in any other part of the volume. 

This system has now stood several years* 
trial, and on some gprounds is still the best 
we know of; yet it has its objections, one of 
which is that by the weight of the leaves in 
the volume, they press on the lower set of 
hooks, and at the lower edge of the fold are 
apt to bulge and tear ; another is, that the 

?ages are ill adapted to bear any weight, 
'hose of our readers who wish to try this 
system, will have to procure the volumes 
and crotchets in Paris; the English paper 
is best, and it can be readily cut at any 
stationers. We will, if desired, give the 
address of the Parisian patentee and manu- 
facturer. 



Another system consists in having each 
page separately cut to size, its inner edge 
protected by a fold of linen or other substitute 
affixed, through which two eyelet-holes are 
made. These pages can be strung upon 
wires or strings in any required order, and 
bound into volumes. A very little ingenuity 
will enable the maker of the latter to devise 
a moveable top, or fastening, which will 
permit the pages being lifted off or altered 
upon the strings ; or some other means of 
access to the end of the wire or string, 
whereby alterations in the pages, or their 
disposition, can be effected ; some modifi- 
cation of a screw index-file can probably be 
made to answer. 

Some, again, as M. de Saulcy, and M. 
Berger-Levrault, dispense with volumes, and 
instead use sheets of card, which they keep, 
loose and unbound, in boxes, or a set of 
drawers constructed of the proper size ; this 
plan seems somewhat cumbersome and in- 
convenient. 

It strikes us as rather singular that, not- 
withstanding the liberal offers of our con- 
temporary, and the many responses to it 
from different writers, so few suggestions of 
any utility were made ; and it appeared that 
the writers, with one or two exceptions, 
hardly had sufficient experience themselves 
in the wants of a large collection, or ihe 
difficulties attendant upon its arrangement, 
before they came forward to enlighten others. 
Be this as it may, all who have given the 
subject any thought, must acknowledge the 
extremely troublesome and embarrassing na- 
ture of the questions continually arising ; 
and while the controversy on the permanent 
album has not yet elicited any universal 
scheme for that much-desired object, it will 
have served its purpose if it spreads wider a 
knowledge of the fact, that in philatelic 
science, as in all others, there is no finality 
or completeness : it admits of continual 
researches, and to the patient inquirer, who 
is content to work, and use his best energies 
in his favourite pursuit, discoveries and new 
facts are perpetually presenting themselves, 
and the general store of knowledge is thereby 
increased. 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAQAZUfB. [March 1, 1870^ 



NEWLY-ISSUED OB INEDITED 

STAMPS. 

" GoODwino needs BO bnsli," andafnlllistof 

novelties needs but slight introduction, tliere- 

fore let this anffice. 

Italv. — Annexed is the engraving of tlie 
iypo adopted for the now series of unpaid 
letter stumps. I^ is 
* 'n two colours. 




All t 






up to 



ind including the CO c. 
have the framework of 
yellow, and the numeral 
deep carmine; the 1 lira 
and 2 lire have the 
ft'HTne bine, and the numeral brown. The 
following are the valuea already issned : 1, 2{ 
5, 30, 40, 50, 60 c, 1 lira and 2 lit*. These 
arc all printed on white paper, waterniarked 
with acrown, and are perforated. The 10 o., 
for which probably the type already prepared 
will servo, is not yet out. General ot^ection 
has been taken to the appearance of the 
word centegimi on the 1 c., and lire on the 
1 lira stamp, and certainly the error ia not 
grammatically defensible, but any one can 
see that it has been winked at in order to 
use but two dies for all the values, instead 
of four. Had the inscription been so dis- 
posed as to read eentemmi 1, lire 1, there 
would not have been anything to £nd fault 

Belgiuu. — On the 1st Jan., the 2 centimes 
and 20 centimes of the new series, both 



printed blue, appeared, and with them the 

S centimes lilac. The 2 c. is identical in 
type with the 1 c, but the 8 c, as will be 
Bt'en, differs somewhat in design. The 20 c. 
also prcssnta considerable variations from 
the previonsly-issucd 10 c. On the lat of 
March the 5 and 30 c. amber are to appear, 
and the 40 c. carmine and L fr. violet on the 



ist of April. No date is given for the 
emission of the G o., wbieh bas, however, 
been prepared. 

TliB Iteeue Numiematique (<^Bntsse)a) says ; 
"That as it is nob right the sovereign'e head 
ahould bo defaced, the profile of tbe minister 
of public worses is to be esbstitnted for it on 
the new stamps. In this nay be seen," it 
adds, " Ihe ttdaptation of oar pariiamei)t«rj 
institntions — tbe minister covering with bis 
constitntional mask, tbe inviolabik counter 
nance of the king." We presnma this is in- 
tended to indicate that if tbe portrait is no4 
that of the king it most be that of bis 
minister. Whether this be the case, or there 
really is to be another series, the joke is a 
good one. To members of tbe opposition it 
would give a cheap opportunity of even 
obliterating the minister'a head — in Kiinia- 
tore. The Belgian Star (we quote from Le 
Tinlra-Pttsie') annoonces that tbe stamps 
with portrait will very shortly be replaced 
by others, rei»«eenl^ng this time Ijeopold II. 
— the criticism is cnrt but good. 

Whatever may be the fate of the mnch- 
abased type which is now being brought into 
circulation, there can be no 
doubt as to that of the de- 
sign here represented. On 
the 29th of December tbe 
authorities — who having 
once got into a babit of 
ordering and counterorder- 
ingBmissiona,donot8eetnto 
be able to get ont of it — ordered that the sup- 
plies of these ckiffre-taxe gtampe, which were 
then all ready for distribution to the different 
offices, should be burnt, and barnl they were. 
The reason given was, that they would not 
be wanted, as it had been ultimately decided 
not to employ any unpaid letter stamps at 
all. There is one cause of satisfaction in 
connection with this conclusion, and that is, 
that in neither stamp the government nor tbe 
collecting fraternity have lost mucb. 

Bavaria. — Kissingen and Sekweinfurt. — 
Mr. Elh, a correspondent of M. Moena, baa 
written to that gentleman, admitting that the 
Eissengea stamps are of no value whatever, 
and exculpating himself from any intentional 
participation in the fraud, by which, in fact, 
he bad himself boon imposed on. This state- 




March 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOE'S MAGAZINE. 



41 



ment is dne to Mr. Elb on the one hand, and 
in final as to the cbaraoter of tbe stamps on 
tbe other. 

Kew OiuifADA. — The rather cnriona 2^ c. 
stamp issued in 1865, and withdrawn last 
year, is «itcceeded 
by what Le Timbro- 
pkile not inaptly de- 
scribes as a " little 
monster." It 
serves inclnsion in 
the list which mightnow be made of vagaries 
of stamp engraving, and mnst be one among 
the very few absolute novelties that are to 
be fonnd nnder the snn. Fuiare catalogue- 
makers should describe this design as the 
arms of New Granada in a state of inebriety. 
This amnsing little stamp is printed in black 
on deep violet paper, and is nnperforated. 

Aktioquia. — It appears that the five stamps 
of which engravings are given, are not the 
only ones that have been 
iasned for this State. There 
' has been at least one pre- 
ceding series, of which only 
two valnea are as yet known, 
the 2^ c. pale blue, and 5 c. 
dark green. M. Mahe, with 
some reason, suggests, that 
as the 1 peso differs so con- 
siderably in size from those of the other 
four current values, and ^ 
agrees so, completely with 
the above-mentioned S-c, it 
has probably formed one of 
the values of tbe previous 
series, and the snpply not 
being exhausted, has been 
continued in circulation con- 
jointly with the newer and larger stamps. 

France.— We notice, without, however, 
being able to confirm, a paragraph which has 
been " going the round of the papers," to the 
effect that on the 1st of April next (ominous 
date), a new series of stamps is to be issued, 
bearing the profiles of Napoleon III. and his 
son. According to one report, the latter will 
appear to the right of his fether, and in front 
therefore, and a crown of laurels will en- 
circle his head — indicating, we presume, a 
kind of reflected glory. We have seen 
similar reportB as to the coinage, it having 



even been stated that on the coins the 
Empreija is also to be represented. Perhaps, 
for completeness sake, the profiles of his 
majesty's conains, not omitting Prince Pierre, 
will also be added. 

Turret. — The Sablime Porte has at length 
decided to issue envelope stamps. Tbe type 
which it has chosen nrBonnt.o 
in itself no very e: 
nary features, but i 
pressed in a trulj 
manner, one half a] 
on tbo flap, the < 
the envelope below 
when the latter is 

the design, so to speak, "comes in two." 
Tbe stamp, which is in re- 
lief, is coloured yellow, but 
y if the surcharged characters are 

. •> in black, and tbe paper itself 

\ ' is of a greyish tint. The 

hieroglyphics here repre- 
sented are also in reliefj and 
appear on the front of the envelope, to the 
right of the address. Its valne is 1 piastre, 
but we believe a second value also exists — 
1^ piastre. 

We learn from Le TtmhrophUe that the 
local post of Constantinople has been re- 
established by the government, but that the 
old local stamps will not be used. 

Victoria. — This colony has just issued a 
twopenny envelope, probably the forerunner 
of a series. The annexed 
engraving will evidence its 
very great resemblance i] 
type to that of the Cinga- . 
lese, and in a lesser degree 
its similarity to our own 
penny. It is printed in 
pink on both white and 
bine paper, bnt we believe 
that white alone is the official colour. Onr 
specimen on white bears the initial v. in 
relief on the flap, and a portion of an orna- 
mental oval watermark, the design of which 
seems familiar to us. The blue paper copy 
is one of a supply stmok for the Australian 
Alliance Assurance Company, whose medal- 
lion it bears on the flap, and it appears that, 
as in this country, any one sending a batch 
of envelopes to the post-office, can get them 



42 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [March 1, 1870. 



stamped on payment of a small fee. If 
there be no restriction declared by the 
authorities as to the colour of the paper, we 
^hall donbtless find this stamp struck on 
papers of a dozen unofficial shades. 

One of our correspondents sends us a copy 
of the frank stamp of the Minister of Jnstice, 
which is now printed in red, instead of black, 
as formerly. It franks an official document 
to an Electoral Registrar, and printed oppo* 
site the address is the government printer's 
frank-stamp, a slightly ornamental circular 
device, bearing his name — JOHN perbes — in 
the centre, and the statement of his position 
— GOVERNMENT PRiNTEB, in the surrounding 
circle. It is unusual for this stamp to appear 
together with that of one of the state officers, 
as either alone is sufficient to frank the letter. 
The printer's stamp always appears on, and 
covers the postage of the government gazette, 
and is obliterated in posing through the 
post-office in the same manner as any ordi- 
nary postage stamp. 

South Austbalu. — It would seem that the 
supply of paper watermarked with a crown 
and the letters s. a., has run short, as the 2d. 
orange now comes over on the old star water- 
marked paper. 

Great Britain. — A correspondent draws 
our attention to a hitherto unnoticed variety 
of the current twopence. It is distinguished 
from the others by the thinness of the white 
lines which cut off the upper and lower mar- 
gins from the body of the stamp. On placing 
it beside a broad-lined specimen, the differ- 
ence appears very marked, sufficiently so as 
to leave no doubt that the thinness of the 
lines results from au alteration of the plate, 
knd not from any accident in the printing. 
We observe that this new variety is num- 
bered " 13 " at the sides, whilst other copies 
that we have bear inferior numbers — " 9," 
" 12," Ac, and as these figures probably 
indicate the number of the plate, it would 
seem that the change has been made on one 
of those more recently employed. Of the 
two lines the one beneath the word postage 
is the thinnest, and being but faintly cut on 
the plate, the white dots of the ground pat- 
tern interrupt it at two or three points. In 
all other respects the thin-lined variety is 
the exact counterpart of its fellows. 



Spain. — ^Nine of the thirteen values form- 
ing the new series have been issued. The 
following are their denominations and 



•s: — . 






25 mils, d' 


esco. 


mauve. 


60 „ 


97 


light blue. 


100 „ 


9i 


pcde red. 


200 „ 


>J 


^ light brown. 


400 „ 


M 


sea-green. 




1 escudo, 600 mil. lilac. 

2 escudos dull blue. 
12 cuartos lake-rose. 

19 „ yellow-green. 

All are on white paper, and perforated. 

Annexed is the type, which does not im- 
prove on acquaintance, especially when 
found, as it is, in connec- 
tion with pale and ineffec- 
tive tints. The four re- 
maining values, 1, 2,4,10 
mil., will probably appear 
very shortly. 

Our Belgian contem- 
porary notices a strange 
detail in the colonial type, 
viz., that the initials of ,the engraver, 
Eugenic Julia, appear between, and over- 
lap, each letter of the word correos. 

Canada. — It appears that the reduction in 
the size of the Dominion postage stamps, to 
which reference was made some months 
since, is really to be carried out^ and as an 
earnest of the execution of the project, we 
receive the three cents red, cut down to the 
size of the half cent^ and with the design 
made to resemble that of the latter. The 
numerals in the upper corners are absent ; 
the inscription, Canada postage, is in almost 
microscopic letterings and in lieu of the full 
denomination — three cents — ^in the lower 
margin, the word cents alone appears, flanked 
by the figure on each side. The cause of the 
change is not to be sought in any desire to 
economise paper ; it lies in the simple fact 
that the smaller size is found the more con- 
venient. The design certainly is not im- 
proved by it, and we might call upon these 
little stamps to " hide their diminished 
heads," were it not that the head, and that 
alone, remains as large as ever. The stamps, 
though in a fair way to become small by 
degrees, as the Canadian idea of conve- 



IM^KCH 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



43 



nience increases, are not likely to become 
^^ beautifully le&s," A new value, however, 
Tna.de up from the parings of the old ones — 
a,rL 8 cents — is said to be in preparation, and 
Tpvill help to make up in quantity, for any 
deterioration in the quality. 

Denmark. — It is stated that a new series, 
composed of the present denominations, with 
tlie addition of a 48 sk., will be issued in 
!March, and also at the same time a series of 
official stamps. 

Tasmania. — We learn from a correspon- 
dent, that the current fourpence is to be 
withdrawn from circulation, its place being 
taken by a copy of the Nova Scotian design 
— that lately used for the 1, 2, and 5 cent^ 
we presume. 

• Portugal. — ^We have just received from 
Lisbon specimens of the long-expected 240 
reis ; colour, a bright mauve. The 100 reis 
is now issued of a very pale lilac. 

Transvaal Re PUBLIC. — The promised three- 
pence has been issued. It is of the same de- 
sign as the others, but unperforated ; colour, 
' - violet. 

OUR CONTEMPORARIES. 

The insertion of our annual list of now 

omissions, and the pressure of other matter, 

has obliged us to omit our usual notice of 

sontemporary journals from the past two 

numbers, and we now find ourselves con- 

.' siderably in arrear. Addressing ourselves, 

without further preface, to the work of dis- 

' posing of the file of journals which has thus 

. ^ accumulated, let us commence with our old 

^ friend, 

Le Ttmhre'Poste, — The December number 

is remarkable only for the editor's avowal 

, of his continued disbelief in certain recently- 

/received varieties of the first-issued Shanghai 

,, stamps. For this he has been taken roundly 

^ to task by Tlui Philatelist^ but for our own 

'■* -part, without absolutely endorsing M. Moens' 

' ,. opinions, we must say the balance of proba- 

.jbilities is rather against their authenticity, 

' " '•and we are inclined to look on them as, at 

"'',. most, a sort of official reprint. When, some 

''^'7y®ars after the withdrawal of a series of 

^* stamps, which during its currency was very 

- '^ weXX known to, and commented on by, collec- 

j- ^' tors, unused copies of one of the values in a 



new colour are discovered, the thing looks at 
least suspicious. Why, and where, have they 
been hidden during all the intervening time, 
— in what out-of-the-way drawer at the post- 
office were they concealed ? The Shanghai 
stamps have never been scarce; there is 
one chief and only office where they are 
obtainable, and where, we believe, sets of 
the first series have been obtained since its 
supercession ; and yet we are asked to believe 
that these new varieties have been lying 
there, untouched, for years ! Certes, some- 
thing more than the mere fact that they 
have been received from Shanghai, or from 
the Shanghai post-office itself, is necessary 
to prove their genuhieness. 

The January and February numbers of 
the Belgian journals are distinguished by 
able and interesting articles from the pen of 
Dr. Magnus. In the former, he gives the 
result of a careful analysis and comparison of 
the " post-office " Afauritius. From difierent 
sources he had succeeded in gathering in all 
six specimens, three of each value ; and, as 
is the result of his examination, he concludes 
that the Id. and 2d. '' post-office '' are not 
printed from any of the twelve varieties of 
which the sheet of the ordinary " post-paid *' 
stamps is composed. Nor, again, are the 
two '^ post-office" stamps printed from one 
and the same die ; each value was separately 
engraved, but there was but a single die made 
for each value, and consequently the three 
specimens of each agree between themselves 
in all points. These ** post-office" stamps are 
much bettor engraved than the others ; and 
on the edge of the neck of the portrait are 
the engraver's initials, which are absent 
from the "post-paid" series. The "post- 
office " varieties are not, then, Dr. Magnus 
argues, the result of a blunder of the en- 
graver in the sense generally supposed : they 
are more probably the original designs. There 
are proofs of the " post-office " type in exis- 
tence; and, taking into. consideration the fact 
that they are signed with the engraver's 
initials, it would seem that they must have 
been proofs from a trial engraving (or die). 
The design accepted by the administration, 
and the replacement of the word office by 
PAID agreed upon, the engraver, ignorant of, 
or not having at his disposal the means of 



44 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [March 1, 1870. 



multiplying it, set himself to recopy it, and 
with what success every one knows. That 
some copies should have passed the post is 
not surprising, as their great general resem- 
blance to the " paid " stamps would have 
been quite sufficient to deceive the post- 
office clerks, or anyone else. This is a brief 
summary of the learned doctor's argument, 
which, based, as it is, on a scrupulous ex- 
amination of probably the largest number 
of copies ever brought together, commends 
itself strongly to the attention of the phi- 
latelic world. 

Dr. Magnus' second article consists of a 
description and comments on the 10 kop. 
hlach of Finland, recently discovered by M. 
Moens. Although it has been affirmed by 
the Finnish postmaster-general that on the 
1st January, 1845, stamped envelopes of 
two values — 10 kop. Hack, and 20 kop. red 
— were introduced, and although the post- 
master of one of the Finnish towns had 
made the same assertion, still the majority 
of collectors, with the 10 kop. red, 20 kop. 
Russian green, before their eyes, believed 
that the postal officials had made a mistake. 
Recently, however, one of M. Moens* cor- 
respondents has communicated to him two 
copies of the 10 kop. printed in black, and 
these Dr. Magnus sets himself to examine. 
He finds that they are on a rough laid 
paper, and, as it would appear, are Imnd- 
^printed ; the im^pression is consequently very 
rough, and a verification of the ' details is 
rendered very difficult. Compared with 
original 10 kop. rouge, it was, however, soon 
evident that they were not from the same die 
as the latter, but on being compared with the 
official repnnt of this value, an almost entire 
identity with it was discovered. The reprint 
has always been known to differ from the 
original, and the variation has been set down 
as the reault of retouching the die. This, 
however, it is now argued, is not the case; but 
that, in fact, the first die of all was by accident 
found, and it was from this that the reprints 
were obtained. Dr. Magnus' hypothesis is, 
that the original die was impressed not on 
envelopes, but on covers, at that portion 
where the address was to be written, — " It 
cannot be admitted," he says, "that the 
stamp was applied to the flap of an envelope, 



the. disposition of the vergeures is opposed to 
such a supposition ; and further, the traces 
of an English capital M, which we find in the 
copies before us, indicate that the stamp was 
on the side destined for the address. The 
stamping must have been done at Helsing- 
fors, the capital of the Grand Duchy, since 
the die was found there. This operation 
having, without doubt, proved defective, 
was afterwards performed at St. Petersburg, 
at the imperial printing-office, which, in 
1845, commenced the impression of stamped 
envelopes for the local post of that city, and 
it will be observed that these latter are 
struck on the face of the envelope. 

The existence of the once-doubted 10 kop. 
hlach being now amply proved, that of the 
20 kop. red becomes probable, and Dr. 
Magnus has hopes that it may be forth- 
coming. 

Le Timbrophile, — Of the two principal 
articles in the December number, that on 
the New Granadine stamp is reproduced, 
and that on the Saint Louis stamps is replied 
to in our last. The January number offers 
no subject for comment ; its distinguishing 
feature is a long and interesting paper on 
French fiscal stamps. The February number 
is noticeable chiefly for the account given of 
the false Sii>$8e stamps, and for Dr. Magnus' 
article on the varieties of the 6 rappen 
Zurich. From the former, it appears that 
some young Parisian rogue has got hold of 
the machine wherewith Messrs. Susse Freres 
used to perforate the stamps which they sold 
to their customers, and is hard at work per- 
forating, perforating, perforating, night and 
day. It is said he has received a commission 
for 400,000 Susse-perforated stamps for 
Italy ! Collectors will, we hope, take note 
of this, and be cautious in their buying. 
The article on the Zurich stamps was 
prompted by its author's fear that the speci- 
mens which he had been studying, and which 
he had returned to M. Moens, might have 
fallen into the hands of some amateur, who, 
recognising the figures on them whereby he 
had distinguished the varieties, might fore- 
stall him, by publishing the results of his 
investigations. The details given by the 
learned doctor are of much interest, but as 
they would suffer from merely partial repro- 



March 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



45 



duction, we must defer alluding to them 
until we can do so in extenso. 

The .Gontinenbcd FhUateUc Magazine, after 
lying in abeyance for several months, reap- 
pears in a new shape, and as an illustrated 
paper, under the direction of Mr.VanRinsum, 
aided by Messrs. Pemberton and Atlee. It is 
certainly improved by the change, and we 
have not observed any such grotesque ortho- 
graphical mistakes, as rendered the first 
series so amusing, though there is no lack of 
continental English in the articles. The first 
number is characterised by a tirade against 
Lyford, the American swindler, which we 
think is in questionable taste, and can serve 
no good end. The second number contains 
an article entitled, "How to assoH a good 
Collection," by a new writer — Mr. J. G. 
Symonds — who recommends the keeping of 
stamps in envelopes instead of albums ; this 
plan deserves mention, but is not worth 
discussion. The editor treats of two spurious 
emissions — those of Kissingen andLeitmeritz. 
From a letter he publishes, it appears that 
there is a private express company at 
Kissingen, but, as we had conjectured, its 
only business is the forwarding of parcels. 

The American Journal of Philately, and the 
American Stamp Mercury, are both devoid of 
noticeable, though not of interesting matter. 

ERRORS OF ENGRAVING AND 
PRINTING. 

BY W. DUDI«BY ATLEE. 

The discussion as to the Bergedorf error has 
caused us to ask ourselves the question — 
are varieties of this kind worthy of a place 
in our albums ? Our answer must be given 
decidedly in the afl&rmative ; for surely mis- 
takes of the engraver take equal rank with 
those of the printer who uses paper water- 
marked with the figure of another value, 
such as is so often found in the Australians, 
which errors are accepted by most of the 
principal amateurs. 

A few remarks on the most prominent 
mistakes may not be without interest ; and 
although much of what we are going to 
write may be already known to philatelists, 
through its having been chronicled in various 
volumes of this magazine, yet as the para- 
graphs cannot be found without first wading 



through the indexes, and that being rather 
an irritating operation when one wants to 
find anything in a hurry, we are under the 
impression that to get them all together, so 
as to be easy of reference, will be more 
satisfactory to everybody ; for, notwith- 
standing the aristocratic motto, " Time was 
made for slaves," it is not pleasant to waste 
half-an-hour in searching, for example, for an 
account of the type-set Italian contortions. 

The stamps it is our task to enumerate 
maybe divided into two heads, namely, those 
with errors caused by negligence of the 
engraver, and those printed by mistake in 
colours contrary to the usual emission. 
Errors of watermark it is not our intention 
to catalogue, for they are mostly found in 
the Australian, and for these, the excellent 
monographs published are all that can be 
needed. Those stamps with mistakes arising 
through the negligent sefcting-up of the type 
by the compositor, although not correctly 
speaking the fault of the engravers, must 
still be placed to their credit, and figure in 
the first class. 

Before taking the countries in their alpha- 
betical order, we must give our definition of 
a " collectable " variety, if we may use the 
expression. We consider, then, a variety of 
that kind, one which has arisen from over- 
sight, or carelessness on the part of the en- 
graver, and not from want of skill in making 
each stamp an accurate fac-simile of its 
neighbour; for although, of course, every 
stamp on a sheet of New Caledonia varies 
in some degree from its congener, yet as 
the artist (!) never professed (however much 
he may have intended) that they were 
perfectly like each other, we should not 
think it a matter of duty, as loyal students 
of the science, to collect the whole series^ 
whatever our individual opinions might be 
upon the subject. It may be asked, what 
about the old issues of Victoria and New 
South Wales ? We may reply, that what 
to retain and what to reject, from a sheet of 
twopenny Melbourne, for instance, is quite a 
matter of choice, and must be left to the 
taste, as well as the pocket, of the collector. 

It does not follow that because many of 
our chief philatelists diligently procure and 
place in their albums all they can find of 



46 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Mauch 1, 1870. 



each sheet, that it is imperative to do so for 
those who require a '* complete " collection ; 
for, to be gailty of an Hibernianism, a col- 
lection can be complete and still lack all the 
varieties of type, for the completeness con- 
sists in having every issue, and not in 
possessing vagaries of snch issnes. There 
are, however, what may be termed " leading " 
varieties in some of the Australian emissions, 
which we shall touch upon in their due order. 

In the following list we shall amalgamate 
both our divisions, as we think they will be 
simplified by so doing. Our first variety is 
in the 

Argentine Confederation, the 6 cent of 
the emission with small figure being found 
with two dots, or rather, two dots and a 
speck, after value. The usual issue has 
only a single stop. In case some collectors 
may fancy that there are also errors in the 
1862 set of the republic, it may not be out 
of place to mention that there are two 
distinct workings of this series, but they 
are simply varieties, and not errors. The 
plates of this issue seem to have been either 
much used or badly handled, for copies are 
current upon which the corners have almost 
disappeared, leaving only a trace of their 
former glory. These deteriorated labels are 
worthy of a place in our museum of varieties. 

Belgium. — In the right-hand corner of the 
upper portion of each of the later-printed 
sheets of the one cent 1863 issue was a 
stamp, the plate of which had evidently 
been much battered about, and then touched 
up. The improvement (?) was badly per- 
formed, for the letters encroached in many 
places upon the border. 

Bekgedorf. — We now come to the latest 
bone of contention — the 1^ sch. stamp of 
this once free city, inscribed schillinge in- 
stead of schilling. M. 'Moens wishes to 
prove that the error occurred through the 
shifting of the word upon the lithographic 
transfer, though (as pointed out by the 
editor in the December notice of " Our Con- 
temporaries ") we do not see how such a 
thing is possible. We incline to the belief 
that the word was entirely re-engraved, as 
we do not know of any system whereby any- 
thing once fixed upon stone can, so to speak, 
slide from its position. AltJiough the ques- 



tion may be instructive, and worth studying, 
it does not affect in any way either the genu- 
ineness or falsity of the stamp. Only a few 
of the labels were put into circulation, they 
being almost immediately followed by those 
with the monetary denomination, sane the £. 

British Guiana. — ^We may chronicle, eti 
passant, the second issue of this colony, 
inscribed patimus, which, as every schoolboy 
knows, is an error for pbtimus. 

Cape of Good Hope. — Two of the rarest 
errors in colour are found in the wood-block 
series, a die of the penny having been placed 
in the fourpenny frame, and vice versdy thus 
giving us a penny in blue, and a fourpenny 
in rose. An error of impression is given by 
M. Moens in his catalogue, which, we think 
is quite out of place in that exalted position : 
it is a fourpenny of the provisional emission, 
inscribed penck, instead of with the orthodox 
word. Having seen copies purporting to be 
specimens of this variety, we have, after a 
careful examination, come to the conclnsion 
that the die getting slightly worn at the point 
indicated, the white lettering became thick, 
and gave to it somewhat the appearance of a 
K, but that is the most we can say for it. By 
stretching a point, it certainly might be 
included as a species of secondary variety. 

Danubian Pbincipalities. — In looking over 
some 2 bani stamps of the last issue wo 
discovered a few specimens in which the 
inscription was most unmistakeably fosta. 
The F is well formed, and certainly is not 
a mutilated p. 

Although it is rather like leaving the 
main line of our subject, it is worth while 
to chronicle the fact, that in each sheet of 
the before-named value there are found two 
separately-engraved dies : in one the head 
being much nearer to the top of the beaded 
circle than in the other. These two types 
are divided about equally over two-thirds of 
the sheet, the remaining portion being filled 
in with copies of what we will term the 
second die, having a small circular flaw 
under the s in posta. r 

Egypt. — ^We lately saw, in the collection 
of a London amateur, a unique error upon 
one of the first series of Egyptian stamps. 
These labels, as most philatelists are aware, 
were printed in two workings : first the 



March 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-dOLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



47 



i^f 



coloured groundwork, and then the black 
inscription. In the variety under notice, the 
lettering indicating the value of 10 piastres 
is surcharged upon a 5-piastre stamp. The 
specimen is upon paper bearing the usual 
pyramid for watermark, and is of the same 
roseate hue «,s the 5 piastres. It is, how- 
ever, imperforate. 

REVIEWS OP POSTAL PUBLICATIONS. 

Oppen^e PoBia^e-Stamp Album and Catalogue 
of British and Foreign Postage Stamps. 
By Dr. Viner. Thirteenth Edition, 
London: W. Stevens. 
This old favourite, in spite of many com- 
petitors, maintains its position in the public 
esteem, thanks, in no small degree, to the 
painstaking correction and revision which it 
receives at the hands of its present editor. 
Every page, it is evident, has been carefully 
studied, and the space portioned out to 
the best advantage, attention, however, 
being given to the peculiarities of shape of 
each country's emissions. Although in a 
thoroughly cheap work economy of space is 
a necessity, yet in the album under review, 
efficiency is in no case sacrificed. Needless 
to say, the new edition has been, as the 
phrase goes, "brought up to the present 
time," and, as the editor states in his pre* 
face, " the volume, as it stands, is fully 
adapted to contain, not only all the label 
and envelope impressions hitherto issued, 
but those of many a succeeding year." In a 
postscript to the preface, the following im- 
portant information is given : " In case of 
further need, extra sheets can be obtained of 
the publisher at 6d. per dozen, or seventy- 
two supplementary pages incorporated under 
an album or catalogue cover, the latter being 
also supplied separately. Collectors wishing 
to have their albums bound in any particular 
style, can obtain them in sheets, direct from 
the publisher." 

We should recommend the publisher to 
bring out a superior edition, with the pages 
ruled on one side only, and interleaved with 
ruled sheets throughout. We have little 
doubt that a sufficient number of copies 
would be sold to cover the extra expense. 
And again, another suggestion — why not 



enlarge the popular edition, making it a 
large 4to. ? This would give room for at 
least six spaces per line, and of all sizes it 
is the most preferable; it is even superior 
to the oblong books, and like them it would 
admit, in most cases, of an entire series being 
placed on a single line. 

In throwing out these hints, we have no 
intention to detract from the value of the 
album in its present style. Successive gene- 
rations of collectors have patronised it, and 
been satisfied with it, and there can be no 
doubt that this new edition will meet with 
the same success as its predecessors. If ex- 
ternal appearance can add to its popularity, 
then assuredly this thirteenth edition will be 
even more speedily exhausted than thfey, for 
a new and brightly ornamental design has 
been adopted for the cover, and this and the 
gilt edges, make it quite a drawing-room 
book. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE INSCKIPTION ON THE RUSSIAN LOCAL 

POSTAGE STA^IPS. 
To the Editor of "The Stamp-Collector's AUgazine." 

Dear Sir, — Messrs. Alfred Smith & Co. have kindly 
handed mo the inquiry in re the Russian Locals, as fol- 
lows : 

" (1) Allow me to make a few remarks respecting the 
Russian local stamps, the inscriptions of which do not 
agree with those on the adhesives, or with each other; 
and thifi, I think, throws a doubt on their genuineness. 
For instance, the inscription on the Russian adhesive is 
noMTOUAA MApKA, signifying "Postage Stamp;" on 
that for Borowitchy it is spelt uoBTOBAfl mA*ika (2). 
Neither do the words 8E.mc.19.m nosTbi (3) on the 
Borowitchy, or i»E.\iCKAn ao'iTA (4) on the Schluessel- 
burg, which signify *' Rural Post," agree. Again, 
BUMCKOH ytipAbi (5), '^Rural Circuit," or cExdcKOH 
iiosTbi (6), "Village Post," do not agree with the 

previous ones." 

(1) Taking these items separately : I myself think 
that a little reflection would dispose of the first, in con- 
sidering that the Russ of St. Petersburg and Moscow, 
which is the cultivated language, differs from that of 
districts or towns only a few miles distant from these 
capitals, as much as the "Wiltshire or Yorkshire dialects 
do from that of London, or that of Boulogne from Parisian 
French, and therefore I cannot see that a doubt as to 
the genuineness of these locals can be implied by a 
simple reading of legend, without other points also. 



48 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [March 1, 1870. 



(2) My Borowitz stamp reads noMTOBAn MApKA, 
or exactly the same as the Bussian 1, 3, 6, 10, 20, 30 kop, 
adhesives. The one drawn in The Stamp'CoUector^ a Maga-* 
sUtu, p. 105, is incorrectly figured oa the differing; points. 

(3) This is also incorrectly drawn in the magazinfi. 
My stamp reads akmckoh iiohtu; this is equivalent 
to the inscription (4). The e being cursive, and £ 
the printing form of tho letter "lest," or our letter e; 
the H being the '* lesche," or nearly our double i, or £e; 
and the A aia in English, the difference being merely 
dialectic; the bl and A on 3 and 4 are also dialectic 
differences, bl having a sound indefinite or indescribable 
in English. In respect to the other inscriptions, 5 and 6, 
as I have not seen the stamps bearing them, I cannot say 
if they are true copies, but should imagine they are not. 

I think there can be no doubt as to the genuineness of 
tliese stamps, when I tell you that I received those I have 
direct from a governor of one of the Russian districts, 
though at present none are issued in his district. 

Besides this, the list given on p. 172 of Tlu Stamp- 
Collector^ 8 Magazine^ of last year, was drawn up from a 
Russian newspaper statement. 

I am, dear Sir, yours truly, 

W. E. HATNS. 



In continuation of my former letter respecting the 
Russian locals, in answer to the inquiry forwarded through 
the Editor of TJie Stamp- Collector' 9 Magazine, I have to 
say that I have received an answer to my inquiry which 
I told you I had sent to my Russian friends. They cor- 
roborate my letter so far as the first part of the inquiry, 
viz., that the difference of terminations of the words arises 
only from the " case ** of that word : thus, koh and KAa 
terminating semckoh, and ta and Tbi, terminating 
nOHTA or iiOHTbi, are only differences of case. 

One word I could not make out in the list given, viz., 
CEndcKOii; this should have been printed cfmbckoh, 
meaningnearlythesamea8aEMCKOM,forCE.;iO,"village." 

To resume, 

( " Postal," or 
OOHTOBAfl .. •. ^"Postage." 

^ MApKA .. .. "Stamp." 

8EMCK0H, or '\ 

BEMCKAH, or > .* "Rural." 

SEMCKOn ) 

CEJibCKon .. •• "Of tho village." 
y up ABA, or 1 
yiipARbi 5 

I am, dear Sir, yours truly, 

W. E. HAYNS. 
Hon, Sec. Fhilatelic Society, London. 



• • 



« Office." 



Sblf-Slandeb.— In the last number of the Continental 
Fhilatelic Magazine there is a lengthy article on " Two 
European Swindles by the Editor." Really, Mr. Van 

T ^iTianm OUght tO put a Stop tO thifl. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

^ VicroB G. DE Y. — We are obliged for your informa- 
tion in re the various stamps named in your letter. 

W. E. C, Clifton. — We quote your information as to 
the Tasraanian fourpence in our article on noveltieey and 
are obliged to you for it. 

W. G.— Many thanks for copies of the English 2d., 
which are referred to in another part of the present 
number. — As a collector of shades, we should certainly 
accept both the Saxon, and both tho French ; the 80 c. is 
printed in the expensive tint. 

G. W. B., M. — Continuing our reply to vour last batch 
of queries. Your Zuiich stampis forged, out your Vaud 
and Winterthur are genuine.— Your French stamps with 
Susse dentelations are very possibly some of those re- 
cently and fraudulently labricated (see the euirent articlo 
on **Our Contemporaries"). 

E. H., Derby. — Dr. Gray's Illustrated Catalogue is 
announced to be ready by the first of next month. Wo 
anticipate it will be the best English authority on postage 
stamps extant. It has been thoroughly revised and 
corrected by Mr. Overy Taylor, whose name in connection 
with this magazine, and philately generally, is so well 
known. 

Cecil, Rochester. — On the old issues of Mexico the 
sui charged inscription at the side is in block characters, 
whUst on the provisional re-issues it is in gothic type. — 
There have been several stamps issued for St, Domingo, 
which we have not space to enumerate here; you will 
find them described m the current catalogues. — ^There 
never was a 2 rls.red, and the design to which you refer is 
nothing but an imposition. 

C. W. R. L., Heathcote (Victoria). — ^We have to thank 
you for your kindness in forwarding us a copy of the new 
Victorian envelope, and for the particulars vou give 
respecting the frank stamps, of which, you will see, we 
have made use. — The subscription to The Stamp-Col- 
lector' a Magazine for Yiotoriais the same as for the United 
Kingdom— 4/ per annum — for which sum it is sent post 
free. — ^We cannot understand how it is the stamp should 
have been missing from the recent numbers, as our pub- 
lishers are verv careful that every copy shall be provided 
with one. — ^The explanation of the fact tliat a stamp 
worth sixpence was given away, is simplv that the said 
stamp is now obsolete, and that our puolishers having 
bougnt a large number on very advantejj^us terma, were 
happy to give the subscribers to The Stamp- Collector' a 
Magazine the benefit of the purchase. 

J. W. — Mount Brown has long since withdrawn from the 
philatelic ranks, and his catalogue, which did good ser- 
vice in its day, is now out of print.— If you purpose 
"going in" for a fall collection, comprising all the 
secondarv varieties of shade, paper, &c., yon had better 
obtain ifer^er-Levrault's catalogue, unless, indeed, you 
prefer waiting for the promised English translation ; if, 
nowever, you intend to collect on a more limited scale, 
the forthcoming fifth edition of Dr. Gray's catalogue will 
doubtless prove to you a serviceable guide. — Mr. Pember- 
ton has not recently issued any work on forgeries ; the 
latest descriptions are comprised in a series of papers by Dr. 
Boley, whicn appeared in The Stamp- Collector' a Maga- 
zine for 1869. — Wo can quite understand your bewilder- 
ment on recommencing the study of stamps after a four 
years' interval : such advances have meanwhile been 
made, light has been thrown on so many dark points, and 
collecting altogether is pursued in such a different spirit, 
that it will require some considerable amount of steady 
application on your part in order that you may become 
once more au courant. 



April 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



49 



OUR CONTEMPORARIES. 

The Philatelist. — Last month we were tillable, 
from want of space, to notice the recent 
numbers of the Brighton magazine, and 
now proceed to remedy the omission. The 
December number is verj readable, and 
specially noticeable for the paper on " Our 
Colonial Stamps," and that on " Permanent 
Albums." In the former, mention is made 
of a variety which we do not remember ever 
having seen — a sixpence St. Helena red 
(un perforated), without the surcharged bar 
and provisional value. As the writer of the 
paper remarks, this cannot be properly called 
an erreur dHmpression, as it must have come 
from a sheet purposely withdrawn before the 
operations of correction and perforation were 
performed. Mr. Atlee's paper on permanent 
albums is a very clear and sensible review 
of the various projects for the making of a 
really permanent book, followed by some 
excellent suggestions for the mounting of 
stamps and envelopes. 

In the January number appears the com- 
mencement of an iuteresting paper on " The 
Envelopes of Germany," from the pen of 
the now well-known "Parisian Collector." 
The March number contains a further instal- 
ment of itj in which we notice that the date 
of the second edition of the first series of 
Prussian envelopes is given as 1856, on the 
authority of Dr. Magnus. In our sixth vol., 
however, p. 142, a statement is made, on the 
authority of the Prussian postmaster-general, 
to the effect that the date of the emission 
without threads is the 2nd November, 1852, 
and although this statement came to us 
through a tainted source, we see no reason 
for doubting it. En passant, we observe, in 
the January number, the editor gives some 
information respecting the forthcoming U.S. 
series, to which he is " indebted to the 
politeness of Mr. Allan Taylor, of Boston." 
As this person is the publisher of one of the 
papers condemned by the Philatelic Society, 
of which the editor of The Philatelist is a 
member, we can only presume that the latter 
does not approve of the society's censure on 
the Boston publisher, or else thinks that 
there is nothing derogatory in accepting 
favours from doubtful characters. 



Turning to the February number, we 
notice the commencement of what promises 
to be a valuable paper on " The Stamps of 
British North America," contributed by our 
old friend, Mr. Atlee, which we specially 
recommend to the study of philatelists over 
the water, who may, perhaps, be able to 
make some emendations on the list. 

The American Jownal of Philately. — The 
most noticeable item in the February number 
is a paper on the Shanghai stamps, founded 
on information given by a gentleman residing 
there, from which we learn that the present 
municipal post-office was established in con- 
sequence of the irregularity with which the 
" British " post-office was carried on. The 
Shanghai office works for the benefit of the 
public, and not for its own profit, and hence, 
whenever the receipts have exceeded the 
expenditure, the rates have lowered. It is 
stated that the present " cent " issue, and 
its " candareen " predecessor, are used con- 
jointly, and we observe ourselves that in the 
postal tariff, published on the 1st July, 1869, 
and quoted in the article before us, all the 
rates are given in "candareens." 

We notice that L. H. B., writing in re- 
ference to Gr. Arnold's " Plaint of a Postajo:© 
Stamp," is anxious that its author should 
not be confounded with ** common philatelic 
scribblers : " — is L. H. B., who has himself 
written not unfrequently about stamps, a 
common or an uncommon scribbler of the 
class he names ? 

Le Timbrophile. — In the last number The 
Stamp-Collector'^ s Magazine is again honoured 
with conspicuous notice, M. Albis returning 
to the charges respecting the St. Louis 
stamps in a lengthy article, and combating 
the opinions expressed by our contributors 
and ourselves. He must, however, excuse 
us if we decline to reopen the question after 
the thorough discussion it has received — a 
discussion which leaves us confirmed in our 
opinion of the genuineness of the St. Louis 
pair. As to the newly- discovered 20 c, we 
reserve our decision on it for the present. 

In the portion devoted to fiscal stamps wo 
find the following argument in favour of 
their collection : 

One sees no fundamental reason for excluding fiscal 
stamps from albums ; on tlie contrary, it would seem that 



60 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MA&AZINE. [Amtl 1, 1870. 



a collection cannot be said to be formed on a rational 
basis except it includes postage stamps, telegraph stamps, 
fiscal stamps of every kind, and, in one word, all adhesive 
stamps, that is to say, paper-moneys, the application of 
whica on a document represents the payment of an im- 
post, or some analogous tax. Furthermore, it is a 
mistake to suppose that fiscal stamps are less interesting 
than the others. More varied in their application, they 
offer to the administrator, equally with the amateur, 
many subjects for study; less restricted in their shape 
and dimensions, they otfer to the designer's art a wider 
field. It might be objected with truth that they are more 
difficult of collection, but does not this very characteristic 
form one attraction the more for collectors? 

To this last question our readers will, we 
think, be disposed to return a negative 
i^nswer. No one certainly cares much for 
things which can always be had for the 
simple asking, but then there is a limit on 
the other side. The number of revenue and 
other kindred stamps is very large : few who 
might attempt to collect them could ever 
obtain a reasonably complete collection ; and 
as the search after them would weaken the 
ardour in accumulating postage stamps, the 
result to most would be the possession of 
two very incomplete collections instead of 
one tolerably well-furnished album. Besides 
this, as fiscal stamps are bigger, propor- 
tionally larger books would be required ; and 
withal, most of the specimens would be 
penmarked — a method of obliteration very 
repugnant to most collectors. 

American Stamp Mercury. — We are glad 
to find in the current number the first of a 
series of papers from Mr. Pemberton's pen, 
entitled "Old Friends with new Faces; a 
List of all Forged Stamps in the American 
Market, and how to detect them." We may 
find some fault with the grammar of the 
last portion of the title, but for the purpose 
we have nothing but the warmest praise, as 
American collectors are badly in want of 
enlightenment as to the forgeries which pass 
current among them. The first paper is 
simply introductory, and contains some very 
good advice on the subject of studying 
stamps. " There is no doubt," says the 
author, "of the general utility of word 
descriptions of the differences by which 
forged stamps may be distinguished from 
genuine. To the collector of small experience, 
it is the only means of detection ; but as no 
one can become a judge of stamps (or any 
other earthly thing) who does not study 



them, those who do study them will find 
their capacity for detection increase, so much 
so that a glance at certain prominent hum- 
bugs, as Ecuador 12 rls., Bolivia 1 peso 
blue, &c., when seen for the first time, would 
be sufficient to engender suspicion." This 
system of self-help requires as much recom- 
mendation on this as on the other side of 
the water. Those who think that to make 
a collection they have simply to buy the 
stamps, and read the magazines, will find 
themselves very frequently taken in. They 
must have something of the esprit phUatelit/us 
if they are ever to form a well-ordered 
collection, and one containing only genuine 
specimens. 

Whilst noticing Mr. Pemberton's paper, 
we may, en passant^ beg leave to demur to 
his assertion therein, that he was the first 
"to speak openly against them." Mr. 
Pemberton will pardon us if, upon a point 
of honour like this, we are dispos^ to 
question his statement, but, in fact, we 
referred to the Boston gang in our March 
number of last year, whilst his letter only 
appeared in our May number, and was then 
accompanied by a further exposure on our 
part. 

Mason's Coin and Siamp'Collector*s Maga- 
zine gives hardly a twelfth of its space, in 
the current nuniber, to philatelic matter, and 
we should think it must soon become a 
question with the publishers whether to 
continue or suppress the word "stamp" in 
the title. Except a rumour of certain forth- 
coming emissions, which we quote elsewhere, 
there is really nothing in the magazine calling 
for notice. 

Le Timhre-Posie, — The most prominent 
feature in the last number is an article by 
Dr. Magnus, proving the existence of no 
less than five varieties of the 5 reis Don 
Pedro, straight hair, distinguished from each 
other by various differences in the details of 
the design, and, among others, by the num- 
ber of pearls forming the circle : these, when 
the condition of the specimen is good enough 
to permit of their being counted, are among 
the best evidence of the variety. For our 
readers' guidance, the following are the 
numbers for the five varieties, respectively — 
76, 81, 89, and two each 76. 



April 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZHfE. 



61 



OUR WEST IiroiAN STAMPS.— II. 

{Cotitinued from Vol. vii,, Faff e 100), 
BT EDWARD L. PEHBERTON. 

Barbados Reference List concluded. 
("* means varyitig in shade.) 

? 1860. Perforation introdaced. 
§ Perf. 12^ very rough. 

34. — Bright yellow-green. 
§ Perf. 14, very rough. 
a. Thin paper. 

35. — Bright yellow-green. 

3G.— Light blue.*- 

37.— Deep dull blue.'* 
6. Thick paper, two sorts. 

38. — ^Bright yellow-green. 

39.— Bright blue.'" 

40. — Deep dull blue. 

41. — ^Very dark, almost indigo. 

42. — ^Light blue. 
§ Perf. 14 to 16, simple or compound. 
Paper varying greatly. 

48. — Dark green. 

44. — Cold green, yellowish. 

45. — Cold green, bluish .'* 

46. — Soft washy gfreen, intermediate 
with 45 and 47. 

47. — ^Bright green 1 i868, 

48. — ^Yellow-green ) soft shades. 

49.— Dark dull blue ) Fsually thick paper, 

50.— Chalky blue,"' light V No. 60 with clearly- 
and dark ) ^^* ^^^• 

61. — Light clear blue. 

62.— Cold blue ("ViSSn^Jr^n*!) 

63.— Coldblue,-lighttodark(-Ji5a„'>;j!fJ;:?*) 

54.— Washy blue ("^„"«^^*) 

55. — Dark rich bine, 1869, fine impres- 
sion. 

56. — Lake-red (usually yellowish paper). 

67. — ^Washy rose-red.'* 

58. — Deep rose-red. 

69.— Rust-red. 1865. 

60.— Bright red.«- 1869. 
1852. Value below ; no watermark. 
§ Imperforate. 

61. — Sixpence, lake-red (deep). 

62. — One Shilling, black. 

63. — „ „ sepia black. 
§ Perf. 14 to 16, simple or compound. 

64. — Silence, lake-red. 

65. — „ red, light and dark. 



66.' 
67.- 
68.- 
69.- 
70.- 
71.. 
72.- 



'Sirpence, dark vermilion. 1864. 
light orange-red** to — 
intense orange-red. 
rosy vermilion. 1869. 
■One Shilling, brown-black. 

grey-black, 
dull smeary black. 






» 



i> 



If 



II 



II 



General Goncludikq Remarks. 

In an old number of The Stamp-Collector's 
Magazine mention is made of a slate-coloured 
Barbados without value. Can any one give 
us further information as to its character ? 

I have endeavoured to give a faithful list 
of the numerous varieties of this colony's 
stamps. The object of these " Reference 
Lists " is not to render it incumbent on col- 
lectors of the French school to seek for 
everything that I catalogue, but to supply 
the want so often felt by young collectors, 
who are at a loss to know whether any 
varieties they may notice form portions of 
series, whether single, and whether much 
variation in shade is to be expected. As I 
chronicle nothing which T cannot produce, 
these lists are thoroughly reliable; and I 
mention this to assuage the wrath of those 
who object to these varieties. 

The Postmarks on the Barbados are of two 
sorts. First, an oval-shaped mark, contain- 
ing a varying numeral in centre, two bars 
each side, with four at top and three below ; 
sometimes this is reversed, being then three 
top and four below. This mark is always 
found on the imperforate stamps, on the 
green perf. 12|, on the green and on the 
blue perf. 14, and on the blue, Nos. 49, 50, 
and 51. The numerals do not seem to go 
higher than 14. The second mark is oval, 
a numeral surrounded by sixteen thick black 
bars, placed at equal distance apart. This 
occurs on the 1 shilling imperf., and on all 
perforated, excepting those mentioned above. 
It is the mark in use now. 

For the future, I do not intend to over- 
look the claims of the English school to an 
accurate list of what they are entitled to 
collect, and I have much pleasure in dedi- 
cating the following lists (the first of the 
series) to them, and trust I may not be called 
to account for any omissions; if there is 
anything additional which any single col- 



52 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [April 1, 1870. 



lector would fancy for his own part, he can 
turn to the reference list and find it, but he 
must not find fault with me for omitting any 
varieties from a list for collectors of the 
English school, their aim being to limit the 
number of their specimens, not to multiply 
them by going into details. 

Lists of the Stamps of Antigua and Barbados, 
for tJie use of Collectors of tlie English School. 

Antigua. 
Design : Diademed head of Queen to left, 
name and value in full. Rect., col. imp. 
One penny. 1. — 1862, rose- violet. 

2.— 1863, rose. 
3. — 1868, orange- vermilion. 
Sixpence. 4. — 1862, dark green. 

6. — 1868, light green. 
Barbados. 
Design: Britannia seated, name, no value. 
Rect., col. imp. 
Blue paper, 1852. Not perforated. 
1.— Green*- (|d.). 
2.— Blue*- (Id.). * 
3.— Red (4d.). 
White paper, 1856 ? not perf. ; and 1861, 
perf. 

4. — Green *• 
5.— Blue *• 
6.— Rose, 1860? 
7.— Rust-red, 1865. 
8.— Bright red, 1869. 
Design as last ; value in full. 

9.— 6d., lake-red, 1856 ? 
10. — 6d., orange, 1866. 
11. — 6d., vermilion, 1869. 
12.— Is., black, 1856? 
Note to Antigua. — By the last mail the 
Id. comes over of a more intense shade, if 
possible. The 6d. is now on thin paper, and 
is evidently in an unsettled state, as I have 
three fine shades — deep green and pale green, 
on very thin paper indeed, and smeary im- 
pressions; the third is perhaps to remain the 
new shade : it is a clear impression in dark 
green, not like No. 12 in shade, being some- 
what of a sage-green tint, but the paper is 
peculiar in tone, and shows the colour well. 
I see there was a slight error in the num- 
bering of the 6d. Antiguans, so I append a 
correction, adding those new shades which 
are on such very thin paper. 



11. — Rich dark green,** *\ 
12. — Dark cold green ' Paper never 

13. — Deep warm green f very tliin. 
14. — Washy yellow-green ) 
These two and the two next are smeary im- 
pressions. 

15.— -Deep green 

16. — Pale green 

17. — Dark: green, clear imp. 



Very thin 
paper. 



III. — Bahamas. 

L — Issued June 10, 1859. Crowned full 
face of Queen in central oval, on ground 
of crossed lines ; smaller ovals each side 
below contain a pine-apple in one, and 
a shell in the other ; Bahamas at top, 
and value below, in white letters ; scroll 
over oval, bearing interinsular postage, 
in coloured letters ; background, en- 
gine-turned network. One 'penny, 
II. — -Issued Dec. 16, 1861. Same head with 
more bust and a necklace, in a larger 
oval, on ground of crossed lines ; 
BAHAMAS at top, and value below, in 
white letters on straight solid label ; 
star in each corner ; scroll label below 
oval, bearing postage in coloured letters; 
background, an engine-turned vertical 
pattern. Fourpence, Sixpence. 
III. — Issued August, 1863. Crowned head 
of Queen to left in corded oval medal- 
lion of horizontal lines; smaller ovals 
on each side, as in the penny ; Bahamas 
in arched label at top, value in straight 
label below, both in white letters ; inter- 
stices filled by delicate scroUery, upper 
angles solid. One shilling, 
1. Of design. 

There are no deviations from the above 
descriptions. They are a beautiful series of 
designs ; the shilling value is a model of an 
exquisite stamp ; the delicacy of the scrol- 
lery, and graceful management of the cord 
around the oval, the ends of which finish so 
naturally over the label of value, and the 
two small ovals, the shapes of which are 
formed so easily by the surrounding scrollery, 
are not to be surpassed. Had these two 
lower ovals been omitted, the stamp would 
have gained in beauty of efiect : those two 
masses of white arrest the eye too much. 



Apml 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



55 



experience tlian by its positive force. When 
it cost lOd. or Is. for the postage of a single 
letter to Scotland, 2d. for the performance 
of a like service within the metropolitan 
boundary was cheerfully paid. So with 
newspapers. When a daily journal could 
not be purchased for less than 6d. or 8d. the 
expenditure of an additional penny or so, 
which franked it to any part of the United 
Kingdom, was accepted as a boon. If we 
look at the post-office statistics recently pub- 
lished we find that letters, newspapers, 
books, and patterns, supplied in 1868 the 
greater part of the revenue of the post office. 
The inland business of 1868 may be briefly 
tabulated. Postage on — 

1. 752,000,000 inland letters £3,438,000 

2. 56,000,000 inland ne^i'spapera and book- 

packeU 409,000 

3. 3,000,000 inland patterns 41,000 

Total . . . £3,888,000 

The letters which bore a single penny stamp 
yielded no less than £2,983,000— call it 
three millions sterling, as easy to remember. 
The one penny per letter brought in 87 per 
cent, of these, the first source of revenue. 
We all take more or less trouble that our 
letters shall be conveyed for the ope penny ; 
we weigh them, we clip them, or write upon 
a very thin paper ; anything to avoid doubling 
the postage. The advantages accorded to 
the transmission of newspapers and printed 
matter by the post office have been in no 
proportion to the benefits which Sir Rowland 
Hill's scheme has bestowed upon ordinary 
correspondence. The penny stamp on news- 
papers, &c., produced £158,000, only 39 per 
cent., or much under half the ratio which it 
supplies when used for letters. Nor is the 
reason far to seek. Though a penny is a 
small coin for delivering at the door of any 
house in the kingdom a packet which touches 
upon a quarter of a pound, yet the propor- 
tion which it at the present day holds to the 
first cost of a daily paper is enormous, rang- 
ing from 50 to 100 per cent. This is no 
hardship upon towns furnished with rail- 
ways ; but it is detrimental to that half of 
the people who do not reside in towns, and 
who in this matter deserve some sympathy 
even from a Chancellor of the Exchequer. 



PAPERS FOR BEGINNERS. 

BY OVERT TAYLOR. 

IIL — On tJie commencement of a Collection. 

Continuing the consideration of this point, 
and having now discussed the manner ia 
which adhesives and envelopes should bo 
mounted, perhaps it may not be out of place 
to ofier some suggestions as to the obtaining 
of stamps. As I have already observed, 
those who have none in hand would do best 
to get a few packets of used specimens from 
some respectable dealer to commence with, 
and too much stress cannot be laid on the 
necessity for choosing one of known in- 
tegrity, as otherwise the beginner will be 
thoroughly victimised, and will start with a 
collection of worthless forgeries. It would 
be invidious to mention names, but I may at 
any rate be permitted to warn those to wboni 
these remarks are addressed against bavmg 
anything to do with certain Scotch ^^5^^^ 
and, generally speaking, to distrust the c a^ 
of small advertisers in the boys' "^^S^^^^eaV 
A commencement once made, a g<^^^ ^^^o 
may be done by way of exchange, a^ ^^vVj*^* 
by judiciously laying friends under c^^^^\d^5 
tion ; and beginners should have the ^'^\y^^ 
wisdom to accept gratefully the (app^^ ^^^^^ 



tU^ 



most insignificant donations, since ^^* . ^ ^ -^ 
is thereby propitiated, and disposed ^x>^^e 
tribute further as opportunity offers, ^ t)"^ ^ 
may not unfrequently happen ^^^^ ^^\\\ 
seemingly valueless stamp turns out ^,^ ^-^e 
scarce variety. At best, however, ^^ ^ ^^ 
not do to rely much upon friends, ^-T^^ ^ 
profits of exchanges; there mnst be a ^ zxx" 

though gradual outlay, if the format! y^e>0 \^c 
reasonably complete collection is the y^cy^'^Vyi 
ner's aim. Then comes the question, ^ 

get the fullest return for money spen^' ^^%x 
wisest plan to secure this is to obtain tn-j^r"^, 
logues of the four or five principal dP ^f^ 
compare them together, and ,^^yj^^^ \^>^ 
those stamps which he sells cheape^ . ^. 



rthTorherr^aVeoIdissnesthepr^^^^^^ ^ 



to a certain extent ^ver new bufc^ 
secure the low values of new ero>^^ 
S: a few months after tb-r -PI^*- 

as no «>"*"., jrP°'"*X^ ° short c«r«-. 



\^o^ 



66 



THE STAMP-OOLLBOIOR'S MAGAZINE. [Amii. 1, 1870. 



during only a briof period, tliey become rare 
very Hoon after their wittdrawal, and 
especially oaed specimens. Sometimes it 
may happen that one pays relatively a rather 
high price, but ample oompenaation for tliis 
18 afibi'ded in the satifiiaction which ia derived 
from having bought miiny othova at a price 
f^r below tha* at whioh they are afterwards 

sold. 

Collectors whose resources are limited, 
and of course amcnigst these iiinst be classed 
the yoang collocfcops, will do well to buy the 
cheapest stamps firet^ progreaaively exhaust- 
ing the list of those at a penny, twopence, 
and so oii. By doing this they will soon 
make a good show, become acquainted with a 
large number of dosigus and series, and will 
see be<tter what remains wanting. The ul' 
timate limit of price must be decided by 
each one according to the amouat of dispo- 
sable spare cash, but to all except those who 
can really command "plenty of money," 
there must always remain a certain number 
of costly stamps practically unattainable, and 
for this the collector mast make up his mind. 
One advantage, by the way, in the after adop- 
tion of a blank album is, tliat each oollector 
will be able to arrange his possessions so as 
to leave room only for such absent varieties 
as be knows it to be within his power to 
obtain when the opportunity offers. Perhaps 
against this it may be urged that everyone 
hopes by some lucky chance to be able to 
secure the very rarest varieties ; true, bat 
should that chance occur, who would grudge 
the trouble of making such little re-arrange- 
raent as would give the welcome guest its 
proper place. 

These preliminaries having received due 
attention, it is now the writer's duty to com- 
mence that detailed review of each country's 
emissions which was projected as the prime 
object of these papers, and before doing so 
he solicits from such more experienced 
philatelists as may do him the honour to 
follow him, their lenient consideration for 
any sins of omission or commission which 
they may discover in the course of the fol- 
lowing descriptions, and likewise begs to 
assure thorn that he shall be grateful to 
receive their corroctious. 



NEWLT-ISSUED OB INEDITED 

STAMPS. 

KooaBSBDJAii. — A novelty trota an Indian 
principality is such a rare, and we may say 
almost unprecedented, occurrence, that it 
requires only to he mentioned to betwrne 
famous. This particular — shall we say bright 
particular P — impression has lain untonobed 
for two years in the cde- 
brated Ph. collection, and 
was first described aconple 
of months back by our 
Brigbtou contemporary ; 
since which the owner baa 
kindly permitted it to be 
engraved, and we have 
' the pleasure of pi-esenting the type to 
readers. We are not sorry that we have 
ifeiring to this stamp nntil in a 
position to give nn illustration of it, .as no 
written description alone could give any- 
clear idea of the design. It appears that it 
has been (and probably still is) in use in the 
territories of the Kawab of Koorshedjab, and 
its value is conjectured to be 1 anna — acon- 
jectnre, no doubt, founded on the comet-liko 
dash in the centre, resembling that which is 
found on the 1 anna Cashmere. It is printed 
in black, by band, from a wood-block, and 
impressed on the letter at the post-office. 
Impressions arc known on pale green, yel- 
lowish white, and lilac laid paper. The 
journal in which the design was first noticed 
slates positively that the design consists 
simply of the Nawab's signature, on a 
gronnd of running lines, but is this an 
ascertained fact ? 

Russia. — The 5 kopec envelope for St. 
Petersburg, issued only six months since, 
has already been withdrawn 
in favour of the annexed type, 
which differs but little Irom , 
it in design. We should be ( 
curious to know the reason 
for this abrupt suppression ; 
probably the die has received 
some injury, which has placed it hors de ser- 
vice. The colours of the new comer are pale 
and bright carmine, and it has been struck 
on envelopes of four different sizes 

Tub Dbccan. — From our contemporary, 




April 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLKOTOE'S MAGAZINE. 



The riiilaleiisf, we quote the following de- 
scription of a stamp prepared by Uessrs. Do 
La Bne &. Co., for tlie Nizam or Soubah of 
ibe Deccaa: " Reiitangnlai- oblung, l^inch 
byS-tentfas. Indian characters over a runDing 
]Hittem of florets, the onter space beiug a 
gronad of engine-tnriied dei^ign. Printed in 
liloekish k^^i^i ^'^^ perforated ; value, ^ of 
aa anaa." We have nut yet seen one of 
these stamps, and canuoi Buy whether they 

CoNFBDEKATE Si'ATES. — Ratber late in the 
day, a new Confoderate local tarns op, of 
which we hera give the 
type. Like the Kuurshed- 
jah, it u in the Pb. cullec- 
tion. It carries its own 
"intent and purpose" so 
cle:irly written on its face, 
that we need only add, to 
complete the description, 
that it is impressed ia red 
on white paper. It was in 
of Mr. F. Trifet, of Boston, 
-whom it came to its present 

-—A pair of re turned-letter stamps 
have been discovered by M. Moens— one, 
resembling the well-known type, for Spires ; 
the other, conspicuous p 
for its simplicity, for Re- 
gensbui^ (or Ratisbon). 
Tbe genuineness of this 
latter is tacitly guaran- 
teed by its introducer, 
and really, altbo ugh lie is 
satirical on those who are 
doubtful about accepting 

it, some guarantt 





, are both prin- 
ted black on white, 
and are not perforated. 

SiEAWAK. — Our Brighton contemporary 
states that it has received official intimation 
that the solitary stamp in use will shortly be 
withdrawn from circulation. Be this as it 
may, we observe that the Sarawak stamps are 
coming over more freely than at first. English 
letters are sent via Singapore, and bear a 



this indicate that the local stamp prepays 
the postage from Sarawak to Singapore, 
or merely that all letters passing through 
the Sarawak post-office, whatever their des- 
tination, must be provided with the 3-cent 
stamp, and that tbe pustage to Singapore is 
paid in money when the letters are handed 
to the post-office ? 

NoHWAV. — ifcrjeii. ^The local post has 
made a change in the design of its solitary 
stamp — a change which may 
be pronounced an improve- I 
ment on the preceJing type, I 
though if it be only by such f 
very gradual steps that the I 
town post-office aims at ar- I 
rivingf at perfection, or even R 
beauty of device, we may 
wait long enough for a stamp possessing any 
greater merit than that of clearness of in- 
scription. Tbe colour of the new 2 skilling 
is bright vermilion, on white paper. 

OuEAT Bkitaik. — Recently a plan has 
been adopted, which is said to have been 
commended by the authorities, for checking 
the theft of postage stamps. It consists In 
perforating the stumps with the initials of 
the owner, and a person advertises in the 
Times a machine for effecting the operation. 
This is better than the old method of printing 
the name on the back, as the appearance of 
the face is altered, and detection ia thus 
facilitated. 

Switzerland. — The Genevese aathorities 
seem to be all pretty 
well provided with official 
frank stamps, even the 
director of prisons having j 
a special one for himself 
of which annexed is tbi 
type. The impression i: 
in blue, and is struck oi 
the left upper corner of 
an envelope. The arms, 
it will be seen, are those of the canton, and 
in no other stamp does the key appear so 
appropriately as on this one. 

NATAL.^We have just seen a postmarked 
copy of the current sixpence printed in rose, 
of the same shade as tbe id. Bahamas, and 



68 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOB^S MAGAZINE. [April 1, 1870. 



not bearing the snrchargod inscription. Is 
this a postal or not ? A short time since 
one of our contemporaries chronicled an 
orange penny, but Le Timbre-Posie says that 
the penny stamp printed in this colour is 
used as a fiscal ; and assuming this to be 
correct, may not the rose sixpence be used 
for the same purpose, and its employment 
for postage a mere accident. Certainly it 
seems unlikely that the authorities, after 
issuing the current type surcharged with 
the word postage for temporary use, pending 
the arrival of the new design, should have 
this type reprinted for postal use without the 
extra inscription. Most probably, at the 
time the authorities ordered that otaly stamps 
bearing the word POStAOE across the face 
«hould be used for letters, they had the 
existing type (which had previously been 
used indifferently for postal and fiscal pur- 
poses) reprinted in different colours, to serve 
as fiscal stamps, and thus prevent the con- 
ftision which would have otherwise arisen.* 

Somewhat to our surprise, we found, on 
looking over our own Natal stamps, we had 
a sixpence lilac stamped IOd. across the face, 
and almost in the same position as in the 
threepence sent to us by a correspondent. 
Our copy has been in our possession at least 
a couple of years, is very clean, and otherwise 
nnobliterated. 

South African Republic. — There was re- 
cently noticed in The Philatelist an emission 
of envelopes for this country, which, if we 
are rightly informed, consisted of only 30 
copies — surely the smallest number of which 
a genuine issue has ever been composed. 
The design — if one can dignify it with the 
name — is handstamped to the right of the 
envelope, and is nothing more than a simple 
ring, with the word potchepstroom, and the 
initials Z.A.R., running round its inner edge, 
enclosing G. P. K. and the date, 1869. The 
impression is in black. A new and slightly 
different type was to be issued at the begin- 
ning of the present year, smaller, and printed 
either in black or blue. *•* We have specimens 
of two," says our contemporary, "bearing, 
severally, potchepstroom and rustenbuhg, 

♦ Le TimbrophiUy we find, confirms our view, and 
states that the shilling stamp has also appeared printed 
in violet. — Ed. 



with zuiD (Afrika) within the circle, z. a. r. 
being substituted for the initials employed 
over the date in the earlier emissions. " Their 
use is said to be to prepay the postage from 
the Cape to the Transvaal territory, and vice 
verad, but we do not see why a Transvaal 
stamp should be required to pay postage to 
the republic. 

Canada. — One of our readers observing 
from, a reply we made to a oorrespondent in 
the last October number, that we were in 
doubt as to whether the 12d. was ever 
actually used, has been good enough to write 
the Deputy Postmaster^general on the sub- 
ject, and has obtained from him the following 
reply : — 

Ottjlwa, 28th October, 1869. 
Dear Sir,— In reply to your note of the 26th inst., 
let me say that the twelvencnny postage stamps were 
issued to the public in 1851, but dia not find favour, and 
so few were sold — only, a few hundred altogether in three 
or four years — that they ceased to be issued in 1855. 
I am, dear Sir, yours very faithfully, 

W. A. SMYTH. 
W. P. Balch, Esq., M.A., 

Bishop's College, Lennoxville. 

This is satisfactorily conclusive as to the 
emission of the stamp in question ; but if 
even only a few hundreds were used, we are 
surprised that no used copies turn up. Were 
they used otherwise than for postage ? Mr. 
Philbrick. informs us that no unused copy 
of the stamp was ever seen by him, nor does 
he know of its existence. Plenty of proofs 
on India paper, c&c, exist, but the paper of 
the stamp was laid and thin, of a hard texture. 

The one-cent value has been issued of the 
small type — colour, orange. 

South Australia. — A correspondent sends 
> us a curious variety of the tenpence. The 
sheet of which his stamp formed one must 
have been put wrong end first into the press, 
and in consequence the word tenpenoij: ap- 
pears above the head, and upside down, thus 
effacing the words south Australia. This 
stamp takes rank with the Italian errors. 

Belgium. — The vacillating authorities 
have, it appears, re-resolved on issuing a 
chiffre-taxe stamp, and a M. Doms is said to 
be preparing a design vastly superior to that 
whose existence was prematurely cut short. 
The appearance of the further instalment of 
the new series, promised for the 1st ult., has 
been postponed. 



April 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



United States. — We quote from Mamm^t 
Magazine the statement, that "a new three- 
cent stamp for this government haa been 
issued. It haa the profile of Washington in 
the centre, in an oval, and is the prettiest 
and best stamp the tTniteil States govern- 
ment has ever issaed," 

Holland. — It is reported that two unpaid- 
letter stamps are to be issaed, bearing for 
desi^ a lai'go figure in the centre, indicating 
the Tftlne. The impression is to be in black 
on colonred paper, nnd the denominations 
will be 6 cent bine, 10 cent orange. 

Honduras. — Another correspondent sends 
ns s pink 2 reales, which he received on a 
letter direct from Amapala. After this, the 
most sceptical can liardly maintain their 
objections to the geunineness of the Hon- 
duras stamps. 

Tdbkey. — Two more envelopes have been 
issued — 

3 piastres orange. 
6 „ violet. 

The rnmoared I5 piastre brown is also in 
existence. 

NiCABAODA. — The normal hne of the 25 c. 
is said to be brighi green. In this case the 
BUD and air, combined, moat have had a 
Avonderfal effect on the colonr of all those 
that have been sent over to this country. 

Pekd. — It is said that a new series of 
stamps for this conntry is now being pre- 
pared by the National Bank-Note Company. 

Dutch Indies. — We are informed that the 
10 c. of the new type will not be issued 
until the exhaustion of the stock of the old 
type. 

Cetlon. — We have just received specimens 
of the shilling printed a rich deep mauve, 
on the cc. and crown- watermarked paper. 

Cuba. — The following are the colours of 
three of the new stamps — 5 c. blue, 10 c. 
green, 20 o. brown. 

Bgtpt. — The 10 paras is now printed in a 
very bright manve, contrasting strongly 
-with its previous hue. 



Facilitatino BusiNEsa. — At the post-offices in some 
of the priouipal towns in Ilalyj rooms have been opened 
where materials for vKling, inoluding a ehect of aole 
pnpcr and enielope, are supplied tor the uaifarm charge 
of one penny, to the Tery great conyeniunoc of foreigners 
and other persons receiving at the post-office letters to 
whicli an immediate aniver ia required. — T/i* Timit. 



CONCERNING REPRINTS. 

{Conlinaed from Vol. vii., Pagt 120.) 

Natal.— The first series for this colony has 
been both reprinted and forged. For these 
we may repeat the very simple test which 
applies to other great rarities ; an unused 
copy is for the great majority of collectors 
either a reprint or a connterfeit. Unused 
originals of all, except perhaps tbe three- 
pence, are of extrenie rarity, and of the ziine- 
peuce or shilling the collector who has an 
authentic fragment may esteem himself for- 
tunate. To give such positive distinguishing 
points between the reprints and forseriea 
respectively and tbe originals as would ena- 
ble collectors to decide for themselves as to 
the value of the specimens vrhich they possess, 
or which may be offered to them, is nearly 
impossible. The counterfeits are so far 
exact that comparison with originals or re- 
prints is required to decide their character. 
If, however, a collector possess two stamps 
of the same value, both unnsed and closely 
resembling each other in colonr, the more 
finely- en graved of tlie two, on which tbe de- 
tails show more plainly, and the one vvliich 
also has the smaller frown, is the counterteitj 
the other the reprint; bnt how, it may be ol>- 
jected, if both are identical in every resp^ 
—then reference must be made to some ^^"g^^ 
pel«nt authority. As originals of t»e ^^^ ■ 
and Is. are practically unattainable, ^^jjtio 
oor own part consider acceptance "^ ""^ xji.a.y 
reprints the best course to adopt. "" e ^^^^ 
add that beside tbe fine connterfeit '■***^ei^- 
to there is in existence a coarser <"^^' ^jicib 
tioned in our fourth volume (p. IS), in '^ ^.^f^:, 
the device is indented, so that it appea^s ^e,r . 
instead of in relief. This there is no ao.«»» 
of confounding with the repnuts. . ^^pS 

ILE DE LA REU«10N.-The pair ^^ ^^ «je 
iu use in this island, from 1862 to l80Lf» 
of at least etinal, >f n**- r 
greater rarity (if that be 
possible), than the 9d. of 
Natal They were little used | 

when in ^i''''^^^*''"^' . ,?^ 
payment not being obl.ga- 
^r, and ^ben they were 
withdrawn from "rculat j 
the shortsigbted ofacials 



60 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR^S MAGAZINE. [April 1, 1870. 




burnt all tbe stamps that were left, and thus 
did themselves out of a small fortune, and 

deprived philatelists of the 
pleasure of possessing origi- 
nals. They kept the plates, 
it is true, and these have 
been printed from, but 
the reprints cannot have 
brought them in very 
much, as they have never 
been sold at a high price, 
and having been introduced openly to col- 
lectors under the auspices of so honourable a 
dealer as M. Moens, no attempt has been 
made to pass them off as originals. For the 
guidance of our readers we reproduce our 
engravings of these stamps; specimens which 
do not conform to them in design are spuri- 
ous; specimens which do conform to them 
are reprints. These latter differ only from 
the originals in being on a dull ordinary 
paper, the originals being on paper slightly 
glazed. 

No other African stamps having been re- 
printed, we pass to Oceania. 

LucoN. — Our readers have no doubt pe- 
rused with interest the paper relating to the 
(probable) reprinting of two of the Lu9on 
stamps — the 5 c. " correos interior " " fuur- 
type " and its " one-type " successor, and the 
discussion being still in progress it is hardly 
necessary for us to recapitulate the argu- 
ments used to prove the fact of reimpression. 
The little we ourselves have to add will be 
found below ; our chief business is with the 
first series — with inscription corrkos 1854 Y 
55. As to the stamps of this series, the free- 
dom with which, for the last three or four 
years, they have been offered for sale, would 
seem at first sight to point to a reprint, but 
other circumstances tend to nullify this sup- 
position, and incline us to believe that these 
copies really formed part of tbe surplus 
stock. In the first place, the colours are in 
accord with those of the originals, as is also 
the paper; the gum alone looks somewhat 
suspiciously new and unwrinkled. In the 
second place, had a reprint taken place we 
do not see why it should not have embraced 
all the stamps of the first two types; yet in 
fact, while the 10 c. lake-red, I rl. slate-blue, 
2 rls. olive-green (head in oval), and the 5 c, 



orange (head in circle), have become com- 
paratively common, the 5 cuartos orange and 
vermilion, the 10 c. rose, and the 1 rl. 
bright blue (head in oval), and the 5 c. 
bright vermilion and 10 c. lilac (head in cir- 
cle), continue to be as scarce as ever. Had 
there been a reprint, the first object of the 
reprinters would have been to make a har- 
vest by the sale of those varieties which 
have always been the most difficult to get. 
In point of fact, only the values which were 
most in request when the series was in cir- 
culation — ag the comparative commonness of 
postmarked copies proves — are offered un- 
used, and of these a surplus stock might 
well remain. 

Here we may add, as our contribution 
towards the discussion of the contested 5 c. 
" correos interior," that the supposition that 
they also are derived from a surplus supply 
is rendered doubtful by the mere fact that 
they are only just brought forward. We 
well remember the period when first the 
unused copies of the early series (correos 
1854-55) were offered for sale — it is now 
between three and four years a^o at least, 
and they were accompanied by copies of the 
"correos interior" stamps of 1864, 1 rl. deep 
violet, 2 rls. deep blue, and of the litho- 
graphed 1 rl. dull green (inscribed correos 
only), but not by any 5 c. stamps, and if 
these latter, equally with the other, are, to uso 
a draper's term, " remnants," why were they 
not offered at the same time as the others ? 
The idea that a number of sheets have been 
" discovered " at this length of time is quite 
untenable, assertions to that effect have had 
their day, and were they put forth, would 
only serve as evidence of reprinting. 

In the current number of Le Titnhrophile^ 
Dr. Magnus argues that it is by no means an 
assured fact that the plates and stones which 
served for the impression of the old stamps 
were all swallowed up or destroyed at the 
same time as tbe Manilla post-office, the 
matrices at least may have remained ; once 
ascertain that such is the case, and the re- 
printing of the stamps is no longer a matter 
of doubt. As it is, the balance of proba- 
bility is greatly in favour of the supposition 
that the copies of these 5 c. " correos inte- 
rior " are no more than reprints. 



Aprtl 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



61 



REVIEWS OF POSTAL PUBLICATIONS. 

Supplement au Guide Manuel dn Collection* 
neur, Quairieme Edition, Description de 
1170 nonveaux timhreS'postes emis du ler 
Janvier^ 18G8, au mois de Fevrier, 1870. 
Paris : Pierre Mahe. 

This work is given as a pnme by M. Mabe 
to tbe subscribers to Le Timhrophile, and sold 
by him to every one else at 50 centimes. It 
is got Tip with remarkable neatness, the 
typographical part being perfect, and as it 
is printed on very tongh, thick paper, it will 
stand pretty frequent reference without 
tearing. 

From the title it would seem that 1170 
stamps were issued in the twenty-four 
months which elapsed between January, 
1868, and February, 1870, but this is hardly 
correct, as some stamps are inserted in anti- 
cipation of their issue, and several series 
already catalogued in the Guide Manuel are 
recapitulated with the addition of price. 
Among the stamps not yet out which are 
included, we may mention the Angola series, 
of which M. Mahe gives the values " on 
spec," and the 6 centimes of Belgiam, 
whose appearance is again deferred. 

One or two ctf the stamps named are de- 
cided novelties, which we do not recollect 
having seen noticed in Le Timbrophile itself; 
thus, for instance, we find the following de- 
scription of a mythical Bolivian series : — 

1866. Three mountains surmounted by a Phrygian 
bonnet, in b pearled oval. Coloured impression, licd- 
brown ; dark green. Ko value indicated. 

If the existence of these stamps be authen- 
ticated, their history is worth relating at 
length ; if not, why do they find place in a 
professed guide ? 

Several avowedly coanterfeit stamps are 
catalogued ; stamps by which, as we under- 
stand it, the post-office officials were them- 
selves deceived. At the head of these, of 
course, come the Spanish with three values, 
tbe 4 c. of 1864, the 20 c. d'esco. of 1866, 
and the 12 c. orange of 1869, and these form, 
probably, not a tithe of the forgeries which 
have passed current in Spain. Besides these 
there are counterfeits of the entire trinacria 
series of Naples, though, as M. Mahe only 
puts a price against two of the values, the 



2 and 10 gr., we presume the others were 
either " caught in the act," or were but very 
little used. 

Some '* suspicious characters '* are per- 
mitted by M Mah^ to occupy a place in his 
list without any notice being given of the 
doubts which are felt concerning them. 
The Leitmeritz series are thus described and 
priced, and so also are the issues of the 
Dresden Express Company, though no col- 
lector who cares for his album would damage 
its appearance by inserting in it such trans- 
parent humbugs. The Fernando Po stamp, 
first noticed by M. Moens in 1868, but never 
authenticated, is also mentioned by M. Mah^ 
without any reservation; and to conclude our 
criticism, two 10 c. Confederate States, bend 
of Davis, perforated, which it certainly would 
require strong evidence to prove genuine. 

The Postman'* $ Knock, St. John, New Bruns- 
wick: The Excelsior Stamp Association. 
In the opening article the editor solemnly 
announces that Providence has permitted 
him to come back from the " Valley and the 
Shadow of Death ! '* to greet his readers 
again. This announcement, both in tone 
and wording, is exquisitely droll. Has the 
editor, we may naturally ask, been allowed 
to return expressly for the purpose of greet- 
ing his readers ? In other words, has he 
been resuscitated for the purpose of, in his 
turn, renewing the existence of the Postman* s 
Knock, of which the farewell number was 
issued, as he states, to a '' sorrowing phila- 
telic public," in November, 1867 ? Why, if 
this be not the case, did our contemporary 
choose such peculiar phrases to herald his 
return to the ranks — ^phrases which, viewed 
in connection with their subject, must 
inevitably suggest a train of ludicrous ideas 
and associations ? — why, if a metaphor may 
be permitted, did he not moderate his voice 
to the size of his room ? 

Well, we will not blame him for being 
unintentionally funny, and in all seriousness 
we wish him every success, for to our know- 
ledge the editor is an honest and upright 
collector, and his magazine itself bids fair 
to be a useful one as time goes on. A proof 
of the spirit in which it is conducted is 
given in the demand for investigation into 



62 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [April 1, 1870. 



the history of the Honduras stamps, which 
unqnestionably require to be better known. 
In our own pages, at least one of our con- 
tributors has from time to time contested 
the claims of the Honduras stamps to be 
considered as genuine, and pointed out the 
utter want of anything like conclusive infor- 
mation about their employment. Lately, a 
certain amount of proof of their circulation 
has been produced, in the shape of pen- 
marked copies, for the arrival of which on 
letters from the country we have the word 
of an honest dealer. Confirmatioti of this 
fact has also been received, we believe, at 
San Francisco, but something more is 
required to settle the position of these 
stamps. 

Under the heading, " CaJifomian Locals," 
a stamp is described which is not included 
in Mr. Pemberton*s list. 

The stamp in question is rectangular, having for its 
centre the head of Haskell, the manager of the concern. 
Above and below the head are the words adams & co.'s 
EXPRESS ; and in each of the four comers, as well as on 
either side of the head, is the value— 25 cents. This 
stamp was used to prepay letters between this city and 
New York, and has long since been out of use. I know 
of but three in existence, and all are in the hands of col- 
lectors here. 

This is the description given by Mr. J. H. 
Applegate, jun., of San Francisco, and 
quoted by the Posbnan^s Knock, which 
believes that the stamp referred to was the 
first ever in actual service in California. 

The remaining contents of the number 
before us are of no great interest ; the 
" Dark Sayings of the Timbrophilic Min- 
strels," as might perhaps be expected from 
their nature, do not come out very clearly ; 
and the " puff " paragraph, respecting 
another stamp-dealing firm, is of no interest. 
This paper is sent gratis to any part of 
America, but to Europe only in considera- 
tion of 3s. per annum, in advance ! Such 
being the conditions, we cannot venture to 
predict for it a wide circulation on this side 
of the water, but it will be strange indeed if 
it does not achieve success in America. 

POSTAL CHIT-CHAT. 

The Eohak law required that bread should be printed 
or stamped with what mav be called a trade-mark, indi- 
cating its composition. Examples of this practice have 
been found in excavating the buried city of Herculaneum. 



The Force op HAnrr. — In most of the principal 
Italian towns there are two or more windows for the 
delivery of letters at the poitt'reittante offices — one, say, 
for letters addressed to persons whose names begin with 
any letter from A to L ; the other, for letters from M to 
Z. A gentleman who had been several times for his 
letters to the A — L window, and thought the official had 
had sufficient time to learn his name, went one day and 
inquired familiarly, "Any lettere for Met** "Next 
window, sir," was iJie reply of the clerk, who recognised 
in the word " me ** only tlie name of the applicant. 

Post-office Statistics. — ^We learn from a jMirlia- 
mentary return that the estimated number of inland letters 
posted m the United Kingdom in 1869 was 772,000,000 
(exclusive of official correspondence), realising £3,438,183 
in postage. It showa that the loss that would be produced 
if, on all letters reaching 2 oz. and not exceeding 16 oz., 
the charge did not exceed 4d., and if all others exceeding 
16 oz. were charged at the book-post rate, should there l^ 
no increase in the number transmitted, would be £65,247, 
Should the reduction lead to double the number trans- 
mitted, the gain would be £1,440; if treble the number 
were transmitted, the gain would be £68,127. No fewer 
than 55,000,000 newspapers and book packages passed 
through the post in 1869, producing £408,792. 

Halppknny Postage. — ^The postmaster-general re- 
ceived, on the I2th ult., a deputati<m of gentlemen who ard 
favourable to the adoption of a halfpenny rate of postage 
on printed matter weighing not more than two ounees, 
and to the adoption of the same rate on newspapers. In 
replying to the deputation, the Marquis of Hartington 
had very little doubt that the department over wluch he 
presides would be equal to the increased work, but he was 
not so confident that the rates proposed would be remune- 
rative. At present he had no statistics of such a cluuracter 
that would enable him to put the matter in a promising 
light before the chancellor of the exchequer. He would, 
however, take the opinion of the government on the sub- 
ject, and hoped shortly to be able to make a statement 
upon it in the house, — The Pall Mall Ooteite. 

FnAtTD BY A PiTMP. — ^At the meeting of the Marylebone 
vestry yesterday a letter was received fh)m the autnorities 
of the western division of the post-offioe, statuig that an 
old disused pump in Newman street, Oxford street, had 
been mistaken by some persons for a pillar letter-box. and 
several letters had been "posted" through the slit left 
by the removal of the handle. A request was added that 
the pump might be removed. A short time ago a similar 
mistake, on a more extensive scale, was discovered, with 
respect to an old pump in New street, Dorset sauare. 
Numerous complaints had been made fnim that district 
of the loss of letters, and the matter remained a mystery, 
until the pump was examined for other purposes, when 
it was discovered that 27 letters had been posted in it. 
The vestry yesterday ordered the removal of the deceptiye 
pump-case. — The Timei. 

An Illusion dispelled. — yfe noticed, some months 
ago, a paragraph in some Berlin papers to the effect that 
the Chinese valued old postage stamps so highly that 
missionaries were able to purchase little children with 
them. Great had been the sensation produced by the 
announcement, fioys and girls saw, in imagination, 
small Chinese hands stretched out to them, and heard 
youthful voices praying them to come to the rescue with 
as many postage stamps as they could procure. Instantly, 
both in Berlin and throughout the provinces, there arose 
a sort of postage-stamp mania. Fathers and mothers, 
uncles and aunts, friends and acquaintances, were en- 
treated not to destroy what might prove of so much 
service : a single postage stamp might do something towards 



ApRtL 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-OOLLBCrrOR'S MAGAZINE. 



63 



the purchase, and consequent education and conversion, of 
at least one little Chinaman. How could such pathetic 
appeals be resLsted ! Postage stamps came pouring in by 
the thousand. It seemed as if half the youthful popula« 
tion of China stood a fair chance of being bought up by 
eager young philanthropists of Prussia. Alas for the 
cruel destiny which rules human affairs ! It now begins 
to be whispered abroad that the Chinese don't, after all, 
care so very much for old stamps, or, at least, are not so 
willing as bad been supposed to give up the young folks 
to the missionaries. — Globe. 

Macadam anb the Maiiaoad. — By degrees Mr. 
Macadam so far satisfied his fellow-magistrates and road^ 
trustees of the excellence of his plan, that the London 
road out of Bristol, as far as their authority extended, was 
repaired altogether under his direction. The success 
corresponded to the anticipation. Thus it chanced that 
one day the Postmaster-general, on looking over the 
winter programme for the timing of the mail, which 
differed materially from that arranged for the summer, 
saw that there was a sta^ for which no extra allowance 
was made. " How is thisr " said his lordsliip, " you have 
allowed no ftirther time for the stage into Bristol?" 
** No, my lord," was the reply, " the mail always goes as 
fast over that stage in winter as in summer." The Post- 
master-general asked no further questions, none, at least, 
that elicited any explanation of so anomalous a fact, but 
he ordered his carriage, and made the best of his way to 
Bristol. Stopping at the post-house which bounded the 
tru!»t administered by Mr. Macadam, he walked over the 
ground, and then, w^out saying anything further, drove 
back again to town. Then he wrote for the amateur 
commissioner to come up to him. *' I want you to take 
the superintendence of all the mailroads of the kingdom," 
said the Postmaster-general. Mr. Macadam hesitated, 
and wrote to his sons, then making independent starts in 
life, to come to his assistance. The young men, who had 
generally their good-humoured jokes r^y to pass on 
their father's hobby, now thought that the old gentlemen 
was out of his senses. What ! give up the actual business 
of life, and set to work at carrying out their father's 
road-making fancies all over England ! fieflection, 
howeyer, and consultation brought the younger men 
over to the views of the elder. The offer of the Post- 
master-general was accepted, and when this account was 
given bj Sir James, the Income of that gentleman from 
the various trusts, which paid him £50 per annum each, 
was about £10,000 a year. — JUooUeclions of £ngli*h 
JEngineert, 

Rbnovatiox of used Postage Staxps. — In the 
last report he presented to Congress, the American Com- 
missioner of Inland fievenue called attention to the 
relatively low revenue derived from stamps — a result 
which he ascribed to the fraudulent second use of them 
after cancellation. It seems that in the United States, 
the cleansing and renovating of spoiled stamps proceeds 
on system, to an enormous extent ; the temptation to the 
kina of fraud being no doubt enhanced by the circumstance, 
that postage stamps, on the other side of the Atlantic, 
perfoim many of the fimctions of currency. But such 
irauds are by no means peculiar to the States, and there 
is good reason to fear that, among ourselves, postage 
stamps, and perhaps the stamps for bills and receipts as 
well, are often used again ; tne stamps which are sup- 
posed to be obliterated being cleaned by a very simple 
process so thoroughly as to defy detection, and so passed 
over and over again. The practice may not prevail so 
widely as to injure the revenue to a serious degree ; but 
the fact of its existence is a danger, for it provides an 
ever-present temptation to those who, while not hardened 



criminals, are ^et quite willing to turn over a dishonest 
penny by cheating that convenient alwtraction, " Govern- 
ment," where the stake is small, and the r^ trifling. 
Consequently, whether the exchequer is a loser or not, 
it seems advisable, in the interests of public morality, 
that a check should be adopted. The United States 
commissioner says, that no method has been pointed out 
free from difficulty or objections. Possibly not; but 
there, as here, it is a choice of evils ; and surely practical 
science is not so far behind the genius of deception that 
it cannot at least greatly limit the opportunities for finud, 
if it does not completely counteract the evil. What is 
wanted is a plan oy which, either through perforation, 
indenting, or tinting, the stamp may be so thoroughly 
spoiled that the labour of renovating it must exceed the 
value of the restored article. We have no desire to give 
publicity to processes, either of cleansing used stamps, or 
of preventing them from being used a second time. It is 
for the authorities who know the dangrr to ascertain and 
introduce a system of prevention.— I^ai/y Telegraph. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE STAMPS OF ST. LOUIS. 
To ike Editor of **The Stamp^Coixector's Magazhtb." 

Sir, — ^In the current number of Le Timbrophih M. 
Albis complaius I impute to him an imperfect acquaintance 
with the English language. In closing The correspondence 
on my part, I hope he will understand me when I say, 
assertion is not proof, neither does boldness in statement, 
nor persistence in repeating it, establish its claims to be 
deemed truth. 

I am, Sir, yours faithfully, 

TempU. FUED. A. PHILBRICK. 

A YAKIETY OF THE 20 LEPTA GRECIAN. 
To the Editor of ^^Ti£R Stamp-Collector's Maoazinb." 

Dear Sir, — ^Whilst the discussion is going on about 
the 80 lepta Greece, it may be interesting to mention that 
I have a 20 lepta Athens printed, but with 80 on the back. • 
It is not a 20 printed on paper previously prepared for the 
80, for the figures behind are in blue, showing that the 
wrong plate had been taken when the back of the stamps 
were printed. I have not seen the error noticed before, 
though one whole sheet must have been issued at least. 
I got the stamp a year or two ago from a collection formed 
at St. John's, New Brunswick. ^rr^^^^a 

EartlepooL JAS. J. WOODS. 

THE INSCRIPTION ON THE RUSSIAN LOCAL 

POSTAGE STAMPS. 
To the Editor of ** The Stamp-Collector's Maoazinr." 
Dear Sir,~I find that the printers have made awno 
sUght mistakes in the setting-up of the t>T>t?^:!fythP S 
to you on the above subject, wLich appeared ^^ "le 1^ 
month's issue. By so doing they have «J^^-P«^^!l 
senselessly. For instance, taking the ^^^^^y ,f?' 
(No. 3.) 'The fifth letter of the first word ^ouU ^^ 
teen ai English K, and ,the second letter of the same 

e instead of the B for tbe ^-^^^^^^ 

W. E. HAYNS.. 
j^,„. Son. S^. PhiUteUc Society. 



64 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [April 1, 1870, 



THE COLOUR OF THE LAST ISSUE OF FIVE 

CENTS BOLIVIA, EAGLE SERIES. 
To the Editor of ^^Th^ Stamp-Collectoh's Magazine." 

Dear Sib, — Illness alone has prevented mo from send- 
ing vou the promised results of my investigations into the 
6 c. lilagle series of Bolivia, but M. Albis' letter to the 
last Timbt'ophUe^ requires a few words of reply at once. 

First. — M. Albis states, in reply to my remarks in your 
February number, that the later 5 c. are violet, and not 
lilac. Both ]V[oens and Mahe have sold several of the 
disputed shades, and call them, 

Hahe — 5 c. lilas^bleti. 
„ • 5 c. lie-de-vin^ 
Moens — 5 c. lilas pale. 
So that their decision is for lilac and not violet. For my 
own part, I most emphatically repeat my former state- 
ment as to the shades of lilac and violet. 

Second. — As the three shades I described were actually 
before me when I wrote, and as M. Albis can see them 
any time that he likes to communicate with me, when he 
hus done so, I trust he will recant this his last statement 
that their colour is violet, but not lilac, for I say that 
both exist. 

Third. — Mens. Albis says, " Jfr. Pemherton we iraite 
$ inaenaey ' * — i.e. , calls me mad. This I can safely deny. I 
used the word nonsense fabmrditej y but to say that a 
person talks nonsense, or utters an absurdity, is not 
trailer d^insense, and this is quite a misapprehension of 
my meaning. 

Yours faithfully,. 

Birmingham. EDWARD L. PEMBERTON. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

Mr. E., Liverpool. — ^We are obliged for your notice of 
the new 3 c. Canadian. 

R.B.T.— The 3 cent St. Thomas, with brown gum, was 
the earliest issue. 

Emma, Birmingham. — The 3 centesimi unperforated 
does exist in two shades — grey, and a kind of dull lilac. 

L. C. — We have not yet seen the I centavo Nicaragua, 
and have no certain proof that it has been issued. 

W. P. B., Lennoxville.— Thanks for your communi- 
cation respecting the 12d. Canadian, of which we make 
use, after a long delay caused by pressure of matter. 

A Collector calls attention to the rogueries of some 
dealers, who shall be nameless for the present, in selling 
packets of forged stamps. We intend buying a packet 
or two ourselves, and smill give the names of the vendors, 
and a list of the forged stamps we find in their packets. 

Well-Wisheb. — The following are the addresses of the 
publishers of the two principal stamp magazines in the 
United States. — American Utamp- Mercury and Numis- 
matiet^ F. Trifet & Co., 20, State street, Boston, Mass. ; 
The American Journal of Philately^ J. W. Scott & Co., 
34, Liberty street. New York. 

A. R., Flaistow. — We are obliged to you for a sight of 
the English stamps with perforated letters, and inscrip- 
tions on the back, and you will observe that we notice 
them in another part, but as they are merely put by 
private individuals for the prevention of theft, we hardly 
think they deserve being catalogued in detail. — There %a 
au English post-office at Callao. — ^The "official paid" 
stamps you send are known to most collectors, and ac- 
cepted by many. 

Know-Nothino. — ^The design of the English pennv 
envelope stamp was never struck on an adhesive labei, 



but even you ought to be aware of the fact that the stamp 
may be cut out of the envelope on which it is impresseci, 
andi will pass the post if it be afterwards stuck on another. 
— The English with a French postmark on it must have 
franked a iourpenny letter posted on board the mail-boat, 
at Dover, or the paaseuger-boat at Folkestone. No doubt, 
French stamps on letters posted on the return boats bear 
the English postmark. 

iNauiUEa, Barnstaple. — I. — ^The 2s. English is, we 
believe, more employed to frank postage to this country 
from foreign towns where there are branches of the 
British post, and letters are despatched by Biitish mails. 
— 2. — 'IiieCape sixpence rect has not been withdrawn. — 
3. — Your deep lilac sixpence Jamaica has been in use for 
a considerable time. — 4.— Your \ gr. North German i-o** 
is, we believe, a chemically made variety. We remem- 
ber seeing one which its author admitted was thus pro- 
duced, and it was at least as thorough a deception as your 
specimen. 

J. E. W., London. — Your 50 banl Roumanian looks 
rather difterent about the profile of the prince, but we 
think this is due to the excess of the rea colour. — The 
die, too, may be rather worn. — ^I'he Roman 20 c. stamp 
has been changed to solferino for some time. It was 
noticed in The iif amp-Collector* s Magazine as far back as 
June last. — The Mexican 2 reales, green on white, belongs 
to the first issue — 1856. — The stamp No. 5 has long been 
known to collectors, and its authenticity has been much 
debated. It is said to be in use in the republic of Hon- 
duras. If, as you affirm, it was received on a letter from 
Amapala, this is good proof of its genuineness. — Your 
6d. bronze Western Australian is not a forgery, as you 
suppose : it belongs to the first issue of that colony. 

J. C. You are right in supposing that your first letter 
only reached us after our last number had gone to press. 
—With regard to the Mexican, we can ourselves express 
no decided opinion at present. It must always be borne 
in mind that the statement we quoted as to the almost 
entire identity between the genuine and the false was 
made not by acollector, but by a newspaper con*espondent, 
who, even supposing he did see the stamps himself, is not 
likely to have nad much experience in comparing them, and 
noting minute difterences : the resemblance may be quite 
enough to deceive an official, but the difterences may be 
patent to a collector. — ^We should not consider a 13 c. 
Maximilian, with the date, but without name of town, a 
rarity. — The handstruck ** lOd " on the Natal stamps can 
hardly, we think, have come there by accident; as you 
will see from our chronicle this month, another stximp 
has turned up similarly marked. — We refer in another 
part to your Cape and South Australian varieties. — Your 
Segna Tasse, with portions of two 8 baj. Roman at the 
back, is certainly curious. — ^Your Nos. 4, 6, 17 are all 
genuine, 5 is forged, 20 and 21 are reprints; the value 
of No. 17 is 1 peso. — We cannot explain, apart from its 
ordinary signification, the appearance of the word fbanco 
on your Luxembourg 30 c. — \Ve do not know Hindoostanee, 
but as it is customary in India to write in ink across 
stamps after they have been put on the letter, in order to 
prevent the servants from stealing them whilst on their 
way to post, we imagine the inscription, whatever it may 
be, on your stamp was put there for that purpose. — You 
should put the mount about half-way down the back of 
your triangular Cape. — Your English lOd. oct., without 
thread, must, we should think, be a stamp from which 
the thread, with a section of the back, has been taken ; 
we hesitate to believe it is a variety. — Please send us copies 
of the shaded and unshaded 1 gr. of the North German 
Confederation. — Your correction as to the 1 piastre Egypt 
is just. 



May 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



65 



THE CONFEDERATE PROVISIONALS. 



BY J. T^. SCOTT. 



Second only in interest to the provisionals 
described in onr January nnmber,* are the 
first issues of the Confederate States; and 
now after years of labour, during wbich time 
we have written thousands [?] of letters to 
all parts of the South, asking information, 
we have only arrived at the conclusion that 
we know next to nothing concerning them ; 
but if we should be the means of throwing 
some light on obscure points, and of discover- 
ing some new stamps, we shall consider our- 
selves amply irepaid for our trouble. 

The passing of the ordinance of secession 
by the Southern States left the postmasters 
of that section of the country without postage 
stamps with which to carry on the business 
of their offices. To those situated in small 
towns this made but little difference, but in 
large commercial centres it was found almost 
impossible to get along without stamps, more 
especially as the officials had always been 
used to this easy mode of securing the fees 
for the transport of letters. Tiie govern- 
ment at Richmond had all they could attend 
to in equipping men for the approaching con- 
flict, and had no time to spend in preparing 
postage stamps. 

Numerous inquiries kept pouring into the 
postmaster-general's office for stamps which 
a.s yet had not been prepared ; many of the 
most enterprising postmasters asking per- 
mission to prepare temporary stamps till the 
department could furnish them, a request 
-which we have every reason to believe was 
in all cases complied with. Possibly some or 
all of these requests might still be found 
amongst the archives of the Confederate 
post-office now lying at Washington, and we 
shall take an early opportunity to search 
there in the hopes of getting on the track of 
some unknown provisionals, for there is not 
the least doubt but that there are dozens of 
these interesting stamps that have never 
been chronicled in the journals, or even 
heard of by any collector; and probably 
there are many priceless locals hidden away 
in Southern schoolboys' collections, that are 

• Those of the United States. 



thought bat little of by their owners, unless 
possibly they may have been taken from the 
last letters received from a brother who 
died battling for the lost cause. 

As it is impossible to arrive at anything 
like correct dates whereby to determine 
priority of emission, we shall describe the 
stamps in alphabetical order by States. It 
must be remarked, that there appear to be 
only a few distinct designs, the others being 
evidently copied from those prepared first 
by some neighbouring postmaster. Every 
stamp we describe is before us in oar own 
or our friends' albums. 

ALABAMA. 

Greenville. — Our list commences with 
probably the scarcest stamp of the entire 
series, we never having heard of more than 
two. The design consists of four comer 
pieces, so placed as to leave a narrow space 
open across the centre, which is occupied 
with the inscription, paid five, Greenville, 
ALA. ; printed in blue on white paper. It has 
never before been described. 

5 cents, blue. 

Mohile. — The stamp or stamps issued by 
this city are chiefly distinguishable from their 
companion provisionals by a considerable 
degree of artistic merit, which unfortunately 
appears to be very deficient in most of the 
other series. 

The design consists of the figure in a five- 
pointed star ; the outside angles of which 
are filled by figures, representing Commerce, 
Agriculture, and the Arts ; this is enclosed 
in a square frame, bearing the inscription, 
MOBILE above, post office below, paid on 
riffht, and cents on the left. The comers 
are occupied by an ornament composed of 
four ovals formed in a star. 

2 cents black. 
5 cents blue. 
TVe have never seen a copy of the black, 
but it is generally catalogued, and, from in- 
formatiop we have received, we believe it 
exists. 

GEORGIA. 

Athens. — We give this stamp in our list 
without vouching for its character ; all we 
know concerning it is, that it was purchased, 
along with some Mobile and other genuine 



66 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [May 1, 1870. 



provisionals, from the oolleotion of a scbool- 
boy residing in one of the large cities of the 
Son6h. The late owner had no idea of its 
value, and sold it for a low price ; he stated 
that he took it off an old letter. We believe 
that it is genuine, and we need scarcely add, 
that it has never been described before. 

The design is the same as the Nashville 
(from which it was probably copied), with 
the exception that it has twelve stars. 
The inscription reads, t. cbawford, p. m., 

ATHENS, GA. 

5 cents, purple. 

Macon, — Is represented by a small-sized 
square stamp, printed from type, with a 
parallel rule border, with rounded corners ; 
it is divided into three" compartments, con- 
taining the following inscription, post office, 
FIVE CENTS, MACON, GA., piintcd black on 
green. 

This stamp, like most of the provisionals, 
is extremely scarce, and the only copy we 
have ever seen had lost a large piece from 
tho corner. It was first described in The 
Siaipjp'Colledor^s Magazine, vol. iv., p. 89. 

LOUISIANA. 
Baton Rouge. — This label takes rank 
amongst the scarcest of known stamps. It is 
formed of printer's type and border, printed 
on paper with a green pattern on it, some- 
thing like what is used to cover fancy boxes. 
The inscription reads p. 0., baton rouge, la., 

J. MCCORMICK. 

5 cents carmine. 

In the copy before us (which we ourselves 
took from off the letter it had prepaid) 
occurs a curious mistake; tho name reads 
McCcormick, instead of McCormick, from 
which we should conclude that there must 
have been several copies of the design " set 
up," or it could not have escaped the notice 
of the proof-reader. There have been a num- 
ber of different counterfeits of this stamp 
engraved, one of which is very diflScult of 
detection ; but we intend to devote a separate 
paper to the description of these " vermin." 

The story that went the rounds of the 
philatelic press some time ago, about this 
stamp having been prepared as a sort of 
fraction currency, is entirely without founda- 
tion, and was probably invented by the same 
bright genius who manufactured the interest- 



ing romance concerning the New Orleans 
stamps.* 

New Orleans, — There is every reason to 
believe that these were the first stamps 
issued in the Southern Confederacy; anyhow 
it is very certain that they became known 
about the first, and are decidedly the most 
commonly met with; in fact, they are the 
only stamps of the entire series — excepting, 
perhaps, the 2 cent Memphis — ^that are at 
all attainable bat on the breaking up of 
some large oollectian. 

The design consists of figure of yalae in 
centre, surrounded by paid, cents, which is 
again encircled by new ohleans post office, 
with J. L. BiDD£Lii above and below. 
2 cents red, 2 cents blue. 
5 cents brown, 5 cents brown on blue paper. 

SOUTH CAROLINA. 

CJiarlesion, — The design consists of the 
figure 6 with CTS. below in oval, surronnded 
by oval band, inscribed p. O., charlbston, 
s. c, POSTAGE PAID. The whole is enclosed in 
rectangular frame, formed of three lines ; 
the figure 5 is repeated in each comer. 

The American Stamp Mercury notes a 5 cent 
" type-set " stamp for this city, on yellow 
paper, but we have never seen such a one. 

TENNESSEE. 

Knoxville, — The design consists of the 
word PAID, with a dash and the figure 5, sur- 
rounded by eleven stars in oval, which is 
enclosed in an oval garter, inscribed c. H. 
CHARLTON, P. M., KNOXVILLE, TENN. ; the Span- 
drels are filled in with ornamental scroll 
work, and the whole is enclosed in an outer 
frame, composed of two lines, one thick and 
one thin. It was engraved on wood, and 
appears to have been first printed of a bright 
scarlet tint, which gradually turned to red- 
dish brown . In some copies of the latter shade 
the die appears to be much worn. All the 
specimens we have yet seen are cancelled by 
penmarks. It has never been described in 
any of the journals or manuals. 

We have also seen an envelope stamp pur- 
porting to have been issued by this city ; but 
we await confirraation.f It is type-set in an 

* To the effect that they were first used in 1846, and 
reissued under the Confederacy. 

f This envelope certainly exists. A copy was recently 
shown hefore the Philatelic Society. 



May 1, 1870.] THE BTAMP-OOLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



67 



outer and inner circle, with an eagle for tbe 
central device. The inscription reads c. s. 

POSTAGE, KNOXVILLE, TENN., FIVE CENTS. 

5 cents bine on yellow. 

Nashville, — Same device as the Knoxville 

adhesive, from which it was evidently copied, 

that is, if the Knoxville was not copied from 

in it. The inscription reads, w. D. m'nish, 

p. M., NASHVILLE, TENN. 

5 cents parpli$h-red, 10 cents dark green. 

Mr. Pemberton in The Philatelist for May, 
1867, says, "All other values except the 
5 cent crimson are counterfeits," but he 
must surely have found ont his mistake ere 
this. For our own part we attach very little 
importance to the colour of a stamp, as it is 
liable to change after it is printed, even pro- 
vided they were originally all exactly of the 
same shade, which, from the fact of the Con- 
federate States being blockaded, and all 
kinds of printing materials being scarce, is 
hardly to be expected. He also remarks, 
"On the imitation the border is of two 
lines, one thick and one thin." Again he 
evidently is in the wrong; we cannot say 
what he wrote from, but in the genuine 
stamps the outer line is much thicker than 
the inner one. The Mercury and The P. 6f. C. 
Haiid-Booh mention a 3 cent stamp, type 
printed ; we have one in our collection, but 
do not consider it genuine. 

Memphis is the only city that has furnished 
us with two distinct types. The first con- 
sists of figure 2 in circle, with cents cross- 
ing the figure, which is enclosed in a solid 
band, containing eleven white stars; the 
balance of the rectangle is composed of a 
plaid ground, inscribed paid above, and M. c. 
OALLAWAY below the circle. 

2 cents, blue. 

The design of the five cent is as follows : 
Oval of plaid groundwork, with large white 
figure in centre, paid above, Memphis, tenn., 
below. 

5 cents, red. 
This has also been printed on yellow en- 
velopes. 

VIRGINIA. 

Petersburg, — This is set from common 
type border, composed of small flourishes 
supporting balls ; this border surrounds the 
stamp, and runs across in three places, 



besides filling up all spaces not occupied 
with the inscription. The first space is filled 
with the words, Petersburg, Virginia, in two 
lines; in the second is post office; a large 
figure 5 occupies a square space near the 
centre, and the postmaster's name appears 
below in full — w. e. bass, p. m. The colour 
is bright red, and it is printed on thick, white 
paper. 

This was correctly described in The Stamps 
Gollector's Magazine for June, 18G6. We also 
find it named in the Mercury for February, 
1809, but there are two mentioned, one bine 
and the other black ; we should like to know 
if the editor ever saw them. 

Pleasant Shade. — This is exactly like the 
former, with the exception of the names and 
the ornament on each side of "Virginia," 
which in this case is omitted, and "Virginia" 
is printed as we have it, instead of small 
capitals as in the former. The postmaster's 
name is B. e. davis. 

5 cents blue on white. 
This stamp was first described by Mr. 
Watson in his paper read before the New 
York Philatelic Society, June, 1868. 

These are the only stamps that we have 
ever heard of being issued in this State. 
The Richmond stamps being unmitigated 
humbugs, we feel tempted to ask M. Marcou 
how he accounts for such an insignificant 
place as Pleasant Shade (but perhaps he 
will not believe in it, so say Baton Rouge) 
issuing a stamp, when the large city of 
Richmond, the capital of the Southern Con- 
federacy, does not appear to have required 
one ? — Tlw American Journal of Philately, 

'■ " *' '■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■^.^--■.■■» ■■■» a^^^.— ■ — , m.^m^ »* ■■■■■»■■■ ».PWM»^| I 

THE STORY OF A SOLDIER'S 

LETTER. 

BT PIERRE ZACOONB. 

Tcanslated from Xa FoBte Anecdotique et Pitloreique. 

About the year 1837 there was in garrison 
at Saint-Pol-snr-Temoise, in the department 
oP the Pas - de - Calais, an honest soldier 
named Goraud, who in the course of the 
seven years he had passed in the service had 
never been able to attain to the rank of 
corporal. 

And yet he liked his occupation ; but he 
did not know how to read or write, and as 



68 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [May 1, 1870, 



this lack of knowledge hardlj permitted of 
his aspiring to the marshars hdton, which 
for a long while he believed he carried in his 
knapsack, he turned a melancholy glance 
towards the home he had quitted, and began 
to dream of peacefal joys in the middle of 
his family. 

Far away, in a little-known comer of 
Provence, there was quite a group of dearly- 
loved beings, whom he had not forgotten. 
His mother first. Poor old woman of sixty, 
who several times had written him sad and 
tender letters, the reading of which had 
drawn from him many a tear. Then there 
was a brother, younger than he, and by the 
law exempted from service; this brother 
was married, he had a wife and children. 
And then, lastly, another image, a little 
dimmed but still existing, that of a young 
girl, of whom they spoke sometimes in their 
letters to him, and whom he remembered 
always. 

He was attacked with home-sickness: a 
new idea took birth from his reveries, and 
thenceforth ho had but one idea, one desire, 
one ambition — to return to his country. It 
was easy to do so. He had largely paid his 
debt to the state, had always conducted 
himself in such a manner as to satisfy the 
most exigent of his chiefs : he had but to 
demand his freedom, therefore, to obtain it 
at once. But at the very moment that he 
would have been successful in his efforts, 
and have attained the end towards which 
tended his every thought, a letter came from 
his brother, which immediately changed all 
his resolutions — a terrible letter," which 
turned the pleasures he had promised him- 
self to sadness. It told him that his mother 
was ill ; that disease had decimated his 
brother's cattle ; and that, in short, misery 
and misfortune menaced all these beings 
among whom he had formed the project of 
living and reposing. 

The poor soldier became appalled on 
reading it ; he wept bitterly over his broken 
dreams, and paused a moment to think of 
what now remained for him to do. But 
his dejection did not last long: he soon 
regained possession of himself, and set him- 
self to the struggle, and to his duty. 

A new force, unexpected, was born from 



his profound filial love. The next day, then, 
he went to an agent, whose business lay in 
finding substitutes for conscripts, and some 
days later he received from him the sum of 
1500 francs (£60) in exchange for a new 
engagement, which bound him to the state 
for seven more years. We need hardly add 
that that very day he sent the 1500 francs 
to his brother, informing him, at the same 
time, that he was about to start for Algeria, 
where his new regiment was stationed. 

Three months elapsed from that time 
without his receiving any news from home. 
Still, he was not surprised at this silence; 
but fearing his mother might be worse, or 
that his brother had met with some mis- 
fortune, he decided to write to this latter a 
second time. He informed him what be 
had done, and how anxious he was, and 
begged him not to delay long in re-assuring 
him. The reply was not long in coming. 
His brother told him that their mother had 
recovered, and that he need not fear for her 
health* He further stated that the months 
that had passed had been indeed hard ones ; 
that he had been almost ruined; and that 
he should perhaps be forced 'to quit the 
country ; but, he added, he hoped', with the 
help of Providence and hard striving, to 
surmount these cruel strokes. As to the 
pretended remittance, he laconically an- 
nounced he had received nothing. 

This letter had a sad effect on our soldier. 
There reigned in it a singular tone, which 
was not usual with his brother ; under that 
calculated coldness he believed he could 
see that at home they doubted him, and the 
blush of shame mounted to his face. He 
did not stop there. By one of those evolu- 
tions familiar to the human mind, the un- 
happy man passed successively from shame 
to scorn, from scorn to anger, and, carried 
still further, he got quickly from anger to 
suspicion. It was all quite possible. The 
remittance was made by an ordinary letter ; 
its secretion would be easy, and free from 
danger, — and so he concluded that his 
brother had allowed himself to be tempted, 
and that he had gone so far as to appropriate 
the 1500 francs, which he declared he had 
not received. 

Under the inspirations of these evil sup- 



May 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



69 



positions, he dictated a violent letter, cmel 
beyond measure, and posted it at once, 
without even allowing it to be re-read to him. 

The next day he left for a distant expe- 
dition. He was sombre, discouraged, tired 
of life. At the first affair which presented 
itself he flung himself into the midst of the 
enemy, and for several hours sought death 
with a kind of frenzy. " TJie bullets sir ike not 
those who go before them,** says the Arab poet. 
He sought death on the field of battle — it 
was the Cross of the Legion of Honour 
which he found. Alas ! a month before that 
distinction would have sent him mad with 
joy, but now he had become indifferent to 
everything, even to glory ! 

But we must shorten this recital — ^already 
sufficiently long. A year after Goraud came 
with his reg^iment to serve in jmrrison at 
Paris. One day as he was coming out of 
the barrack, he heard his name called by the 
quarter-master. " Aren't you called Goraud, 
too ? " he inquired, holding the while a prin- 
ted form in his hand. "Yes, major," replied 
the soldier, with an involuntary start. " In 
that case here's a letter addressed to you. 
As there are several Gorauds in the regiment, 
it has been opened, and I see from it you are 
requested to call at the retumed-letter office, 
for some affair which concerns you." 

Goraud tremblingly took the letter, hurried 
off to the post-office, and, arrived at the re- 
tumed-letter department, he found at last the 
explanation of the mystery which during a 
whole year had weighed so cruelly on his 
life. 

The letter which he had sent to his brother 
w^as there before him, with its contents in- 
tact. The address had been written by one 
of his comrades, and was thus arranged : — 

^^Amonsieur monsieur Jacques Goraud pour 
remettre a madame veuve Goraud^ d la 
Bastide. 

" CANTON. 

" de Marseille:* 

By an nnfortnnate freak of the little- 
experienced writer, the only word which was 
clear and readable was castox, and the letter 
had come back from China ! 

At that time the maritime service of the 
post was not organized as it is to-day, and 



the letter had taken six months to travel to 
Canton, and six months to return. Once 
back in France, it was sent to its real destina- 
tion, but the brother, for whom it was in- 
tended, had gone away without leaving his 
new address, and at last the missive had found 
its way to the dead-letter office at Paris. 

PAPERS FOR BEGINNERS.— No. IV. 

BY OVERT TAYLOR. 
EUROPE. 

Thb emissions of this division of the globe 
far outnumber those of all the others, and 
although many great rarities are found 
among them, yet the bulk of the European 
stamps are easy to obtain, as it is within 
this continent that the means of intercom- 
munication are the most completely wrought 
out, the postal rates are lowest, and the 
number of stamp-franked letters is conse- 
quently greatest. 

In treating of the issne§ of European 
countries, an alphabetical order will be 
adopted, as being the easiest for reference, 
but will be infringed on in so far as Great 
Britain is concerned : this, as the country 
which took the initiative in postal reform, 
being decidedly entitled to be placed before all 
the others in a general review like the present. 

6rt;it ^ritaiit. 

' It was on the 10th of January, 1840, and 

after an agitation extending over more tlmn 

' six years, that the postage of half-ounce 

. letters to any place within the United 

Kingdom was reduced to a penny. This 

reduction inaugurated a new era in the 

history of postal communication throughout 

the world, and to give it its full effect adhesive 

stamps became a necessity. It is generally 

! believed, and the writer is not in a position 

to positively contradict the belief, that the 

! well-known Mulready envelope was the first 

I postage design issued. Yet, if we are to 

: accept the statement made by Mr. Pearson 

Hill (son of Sir Rowland Hill), the black 

adhesive penny was issued simultaneously 

with the Mulready envelope : he gives the 6/A 

May, 1840, as the date of emission of both.* 

I • Sec Siamp'ColUetoi't Magazine^ toI. iii., p. W. 
I Beiver-Lerrault makes the date of cmiBsiQn of the Mul- 



70 



THE stamp-collector's MAGAZINE. [Mait 1, 1870. 



Dr. Gray — whose assertions are of equal 
authority — says, '* On the 6th May, 1840, 
the M already envelope was issued, for Mr. 
R. Hill still had his predilection for a cover. 
The public called for adhesive siam^s^ and 
these were at length issued; und their 
general adoption by other countries * * 
shows the advantage of the system over 
the prepayment by money, or the covers 
originally suggested by Mr. (uow Sir) 
Rowland Hill.'' 

Which is right it is not for me to decide ; 
I trust, however, that by drawing attention 
to the existing uncertainty, Mr. Hill, or 
some other competent person, may be in- 
duced to remove it by proof one way or the 
other. In view of the purpose of these 
papers, I regret being compelled to open 
with the discussion of a doubtful point ; but 
it was only in making the necessary re- 
searches before commencing that I became 
aware of its existence, and it is of sufficient 
importance to be worthy of notice, and of 
settlement. 

Without, then, expressing any opinion, I 
will, in obedience simply to popular tradition, 
take first the Mulready design. This design, 
were it familiar to the eyes of my readers 
in no other way, would be so from its 
monthly appearance on the wrapper of TJie 
Stamp-Collector^ s Magazine, It was drawn 
by the academician whose name it has re- 
ceived — ^though some say the Prince Consort 
had a hand in it, — and was intended to 
symbolise the benefits arising from cheap 
postage: Britannia being represented in the 
act of sending out angelic messengers of 
peace and good will to the ends of the 
earth. Its reproduction on brass occupied 
one of the most celebrated engravers of the 
day — John Thompson — for six months. His 
name, as well as that of the artist, figures in 
the lower margin. 

The design did not find favour with the 
peopfe, nor is it surprising that with so many 
grotesque objects in it, it soon became the 
butt of the satirists of the day. Leech, and 

ready the 27th April, 1840, and that of the penny ad- 
hesives the 13th Mav, 1840, but according both to Dr. 
Gray, and to the author of the article on the Proofs and 
Essays of Great Britain {Stamp- Collector's Magazine^ 
vol. vi., p. 135), the Mulready was certainly issued on the 
6th May, as stated by Mr. HHI. 



a host of minor artists, drew caricature 
envelopes, and the author of the Irtgoldsbij 
Ijcgends chimed in with the popular taste, or 
distaste, in his allusion to 

Those queer-looking envelope things, 
Where Britannia (who seems to be crucified) fliogs 
To her right and her left funny people with wings, 
Among elephants, quakers, and Catabaw kings. 

Perhaps the fact that it was produced in 
competition for a prize offered by the govern- 
ment accounts for its inferiority, though if 
this was not chosen out of partiality, but 
was really the best, then wliat depths of 
oddity must have been revealed in the de- 
signs of the unsuccessful competitors. 

The period during which the Mulready 
envelopes were in circulation cannot bo 
accurately stated, as they have never been 
formally superseded : an unused copy would 
still prepay a letter, and we know that as 
lately as 1859 a copy really did pass the post. 
They can only have been in general use for a 
short time, but a verylarge number must have 
been printed, and at no time have they been, 
in the common acceptation of the term, rare, 
though now so many have been absorbed 
into collections, that they are by no means 
easy to get hold of. No doubt their com- 
parative abundance is due to their having 
been preserved, not for their own sakes, but 
for the sake of the letters written on their 
backs. 

The Mulready design was issued in two 
shapes — as a cover and as an envelope. The 
cover contained a number of postal regu- 
lations and information to the public, which 
do not appear on the envelope. On the 
cover, the design is struck square with the 
paper, and the printed matter runs up the 
sides, the word postage, on an engine-turned 
label, appearing on that part of the border 
below the design which, when the cover was 
folded over, formed the outer flap. On the 
envelope, however, the design is struck 
diagonally, leaving four triangular margins 
to fold over and form the four flaps, and the 
word POSTAGE appears in the same position 
as on the cover ; moreover, to guide the 
hand in cutting out the envelopes from the 
strip on which they were printed, a thin line 
was added to indicate the course of the 
margins. 



May 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



71 



The type, atich as it was, was not finally 
completed until after eeyera! modi&oatioas 
had been made in it. Proofs of the cover, 
which are of the greatest rarity, esist, wilh 
the instructions in a smalier, thicker let- 
tering, and with an engiue-tumed pattern 
covering the whole of the lower flap ; others, 
again, with this pattern covering only a 
portion of the flap, and bo on ; and bes'ides 
these, proofs of the Mulready design alone 
were atrncfc on China paper, both from the 
original brass die and from the stereotyped 
plates.* •^*^ 

The covers were printed in sheets of twelve, 
disposed in four rows of three ; the enve- 
lopes (if I am right), in strips of six ; and 
the paper employed was what is termed 
Dickinson's, distinguished by having silk 
threads woven into its substance, which 
plainly appear in the margins of the vignette. 
This paper was adopted an a preventive of 
forgery, and other governments have since 
used it, whilst we ourselves have discon- 
tinued its employment. Both envelopes 
and COVOT8 were struck in the same colours, 
and bear respectively the same values,- 
Tix. : — 

One paimj black. 

Timpenee blue. 

But it appears that they were really sold at 
3d. per dozen above their facial value, in 
order to cover the cost of the paper ; and 
this gave room for advertisers to come in and 
supply the public, at a reduction, with covers 
bearing their an nonn cements on the inside 
margins. Thus, the Anti-slave Trade Society 
sold the covers, with their appeals and 
notices printed on the inside, at Is. and 2a. 
per dozen, and a private trader oflered the 
penny envelopes, with his advertisements 
on, at 9d. per dozen, at which price they 
were bonnd to sell. At length, however, 
the anthorities took umhrago at the nse of 
their envelopes as an advertising medium, 
and forbade their further employment for 
this purpose, though why it is difiSonlt to 
understand, since if those who thns employed 
them were content to pay the full price and 
sell at a loss, the post-office was not injured, 



but rather benefited, by a practice which 
mnst have conduced to the sale of a much 
larger number. 

It now only remains to mention that on 

passing through the post, the 

f Mulready was obliterated by 

n what is generally known as 

ll the Maltese-cross postmark, 

^ of which the annexed en- 

i graving is a fac-stmile; and 

this as a mle was struck over 

or near the figure of Britannia, that being 

the place were it would show best. 

In Jloens' album space is only given for 
one pair of vignettes — covers or envelopes, — 
and the allotted squares are barely adequate; 
and the same remark applies to Stafibrd 
Smith's album. Still, where both pairs can 
be had, it is wise to keep them, as few 
impressions surpass in interest these earliest 
emissions of the post; and besides, though 
they are rather dear to buy, many may be 
able, by diligent search among old files of 
letters, to discover used copies. 



(Tc 



,„d.) 



NEWLT-ISSUED OR IKEDITED 

STAMPS. 
Let us commence this month with two forth- 
coming novelties, of whose emission the 
rumour has often gone forth. And first, 

UoMiNiCA. — ^A London correspondent of 
onrs has very obligingly communicated to 
us a proof impression of the typo which has 
just been engraved for this island, obtained 
by him from the engraver himself. It is a 
very charmmg stamp, rivalling the St. Lucia 
in its fineness of execution, and to a certain 
extent resembling it in design, though it is 
by no means a slavish copy. The profile of 
the Queen, diademed, and with pendant curl, 
occupies the centre, on a solid ground, 
formed of very fine waved vertical lines. 
This is enclosed in alight and rather narrow 
oval frame, with double-lined edges, bearing 
the word domikica in a clearly-cut type, 
slightly raised, and enclosed within a kind 
of label, just over the portrait; and in the 
lower half is a similar label, left blank for 
the value. The spandrels ere filled in with A 
delicate open engine-turned pattern, and the 
stamp is completed by an exterior double- 



72 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Mat 1, 1871). 



lined frame. The proof before ns is struck in 
chrome-yellow on thickish cartridge paper. 
Oar correspondent gleans from the engraver 
that the emission will take place about the 
end of the year, but neither the colours nor 
the values appear to be tized on as yet. 

St. Ghbistofeer (or St. Kiite). — Passing 
now to the second novelty (for information 
respect log which we are indebted to Le 
TiinbrB-Pogi), it appears that two stamps 
are, or very shortly are to be, emitted, 
namely : — 

One penny rose. 

Sixpence green. 

The design in said to consist of the Qneen's 
head to left^ in a circle inscribed with the 
name of the island, bt. chbistophbr, and the 
Talne in words. The impression is on white 
paper, watermarked cc. and crown, and, 
without doubt, perforated. 

Victoria. — Still keeping among the colo- 
nies, we bare next to chronicle a change iu 
the type of the Victorian twopenny, which 
no doubt foreshadows a change in the whole 
series. Although the type here given has 

!i rather a bald appearnnce, 
■ it ia, aller all, pi-et'erable to 
} its predecessor. It ia, at 
) least, npQtly engraved, and 
I printed on a surfaced pa- 
j per, whilst the latter, 
j though itself a considera- 
^ hie advance on the green 
penny, which it super- 
seded, was, after all, bat arough and uncouth 
production as compared with the engravings 
of Messrs. De La Bdo, who, it is scarcely 
necesaary to state, are the febricntors of the 
new type. Judged by itself, however, the 
De La Rne stamp shows many defects : the 
letters of the word victoria are widely spaced 
aud poor ; the side discs, and the figures they 
contain, are insignificant; the spandrel orna- 
ments common aud tawdiy, and the ovul too 
narrow ; besides which, the design is too 
evidently a copy of the NataJ, and shows an 
utter want of originality. In the land of the 
blind, the one-eyed man is king, and so this 
stamp will lord it over most of the other 
Victorians; but as a specimen of what the 
first English engravers can do, it is not a 
thing to be proud of. 



So much by way of criticism, we have 
now only to add that the old colour— lilac- 
is maintained for the new type, that tbe 
" V aud crown " watermark appears in the 
paper, and that the atamp is already in 
circulation, 

BsiMiVii. — If we have reason to complain 
of the lack of talent shown by our English 
stamp designers, the Belgians make far 
louder objections on the same score. For 
our own part, we cannot see that the new 



Belgian series is so dreadfully bad as those 
who have to employ it make it oat to be; 
but, perhaps, they are the best judges after 
nil. Whether or not the ne wly- issue d*ty pes 
deservCf'the severe strictures pnaaed upa 
^ them, our readers will he 

Ij able in some measure la 
i judge &om the auneieil 
i copies of the designs. At 
i any rate, it must be admit- 
i ted the authorities them- 
\ iielves are by no means 
J hasty in courting public 
opinion, for hardly any of 
the stamps ha^ve been issued at the date pre- 
scribed by the official decree. That we are 
already iu possession of the types of the three 
values here represented, ia due, as n^rda 
two of them, at leaat, simply to M. Uoens' 
perseverance. The 30 c. came out some time 
in March, during which month we receired 
a used specimen from a correspondent, but 
too lat« for notiue in our last. The 40 c. 
and I frano are, we believe, just out. The 
colours of the new comers are as previaasiy 
stipulated, viz : — 

30 centimes amber. 

40 „ carmine. 

1 franc violet. 

And in addition to these the 5 centime^ 

amber, identical iu type with the 6 centinies, 

has made its appearance. The 6 centimes 



May 1,1870.] TUE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



ivhich ie yet to come to complete the serie?, 
will also, it is said, be modelled ou the 
design of the 6 c. 

Holland. — From Belginm to its iieifrhbonr 
is an easy jump- Here the now unpaid tetter 
Btamps nre the objects of our attention. We 
announced last month that they were to ap- 
pear, and also gave the values : 
5 cent bine. 

10 „ orange. 

We now have the pleamive to place an en- 
graving of the type before 
our readers. The rather 
myEte lions-looking inscrip- 
tion in the npper margin 
means simply to pay, tiio 
word in the lower margin 
completing the meaning, — 
carriage (or postage) (w }>-<y. 
The design has a regular 
Datch appearance — solid, heavy, laboured, 
and plain. 

New Granada. — Passing now to the other 
hemisphere, we have to chronicle fresh addi- 
tions to the list of Granadine stamps. N^ovel- 
ties from NewGranada have long since ceased 
to excite surprise ; a far greater novelty 
wonid be the lapse of six months without a 
new emission. There is, indee<l, something 
almost provoking about the constant appear- 
ance of fresh series, for they none of them 
last long enongb to become even moderately 
common, and as for the high values, they 
seem for all practical purposes to exist only 
in the dealer's catalogues. Bat the most 
difficult thing in connection with these 
stamps is to find a reason for their emission. 
It cannot be the fabrication of counterfeits, 
for the moat active gang of forgers would 
tire in the attempt to keep their stock of 
imitations level with the current type. Nor 
can it he the large consumption of stamps 
which keepa the administration in a constant 
ferment, nor any desire to obtain a really 
respectable type, for each snccessive deeigti 
ja, to say the least, couEin-germaii to its pre- 
decessors, when it is not more nearly related. 
Well, we must prononnca the Dundreary 
formula over the difficulty ; " It is one of those 
things which," &c., and simply recommend 
our readers not to apply to any Colombian 
official for a complete list of his country's 



omisRions, for we feel sure it would pnizle 
him to comply with the request. 

Bat enough of badinage : let ns to the 
work of description. Of the three valnes 
here represented, two, the 50 cT and 1 peso, 



replace the same values of the 1B67 series, 
which remained in use until the end of 
December last ; tbo third is conjectured to 
belong to the SOUSE-PORTE issue, though we 
feel inclined to doubt that such is the cage, 
as all the " sur-tax " stamps bear tbe word 
aooRE-PouTG, which this does not. The 50 
centavoB presents an unusual variation from 
I the usual type, both in its 
inscribed margin, and in 
the peculiar lettering of 
the leading inscriptions 
within tbe rectangle. The 
1 peso, on the contrary, has 
little to distinguish it from 
the crowd that has gone 
before, and the 25 cents is 
remarkable only for having a number of 
little disks at the side. The colours are : — 
25 centavos bluish-grey (bik. imp.) 
50 „ green > ^^ ^^.^^^ 
1 peso flesh ) 

We may ittcntiiin that the initial s, in the 
inscription e. s. se axtioquta means soberano-, 
or "sovereign." In B:igliah, the line wonld 
read "Sovereign State of Antioquia." 

SfAiN.—The congress stamp has submitted 
to another change. This time it is the arms 
which have been aHered, 
to suit the altered notions 
of the times. It is true 
the regal crown remains, 
perhaps, as M. Moens i 

suggests, hecauae of the ' 

recent vote of the Cortes 
in favour of monarchy, 
but the arms appear as on 
the fiscal stamps issued 



74 



THE stamp-collector's MAGAZHfE. [May 1, 1870. 



under the republic. The new stamp is struck 
in blue, and was iu use on the 80th of March, 
if not earlier. 

Nuw South Wales. — We have lately had 
placed before us for inspection a set of proofs 
from the ateliers of Messrs. De La E»ue, for 
a new sizpennj stamp for this colony. The 
design strikes us as simple and eifeotive. 
It consists of the Queeoa's head to the left, 
in an oval frame, which for legend bears 

NEW SOUTH WALES, POSTAGE SIXPENCE. This 

oval is circumscribed by a hexagon with its 
two vertical sides a littJe longer than the 
others ; and the hexagon in turn is completed 
into a rectangular form by the addition of 
four lines, two running parallel with its 
longer sides, and the others at right angles 
to them; There is an entire absence of side, 
border, or corner ornamentation, and the 
design has a practical business look about it, 
and a certain simple elegance quite to our 
taste. 

We are not yet informed when the issue 
ma^* bo expected, but believe this design is 
approved, and will be before the public in 
the shape of a stamp ere long. Meantime, 
we can chronicle these proofs, which are 
struck on glazed card, in black, lilac, and 
green. The first bears date Feb. 26, 1870, in 
printed letters; probably the date when the 
design, in its present shape, was submitted. 

Ceylon. — Emanating from the same es- 
tablishment, and to be found in the exceed- 
ingly fine collection of a London amateur, 
we have recently noticed proofs of the lately- 
issued tenpenny envelope, struck on glazed 
card, and in' red-brown (the colour of issue), 
rose, carmine, and black. 

Stratts of Malacca.— ^We have also to 
chronicle a stamp of a denomination of value 
entirely new for this settlement, viz. : a proof 
in black of th« die of the 4 cents stamp as 
now in circulation, but instead of cents, the 
valae beneath reads pence. Evidently the 
printed* had the regular dies in his possession, 
and the only alteration is in value ; we 
rather regard this as a trial stamp, and the 
currency altered from pence to cents, as 
being that circulating in the settlement. At 
any rate, the proof is one of extreme beauty 
Cas to our fancy all proofs in black are), and 
of great rarity. 



Great Britain. — ^We must not omit to, 
notice, and we commend the fact particularly 
to the attention of the writer of the paper on 
British Essays, that we have met with, in an 
oiOGLcial collection, a proof of the three»half- 
penuy envelope design, struck on card, in 
briglU or<mge ydlow, in lieu of the pink 
hitherto known ; and in the same album, we 
saw a design for a three*halfpenny stamp 
which was submitted to the authorities, and 
formed by taking the head and groundwork 
of a common penny stamp, putting the word 
postage in a curved line over the head of 
the Queen, and the words three HAiiFPENCE 
below the bust in two lines. These legends 
were gummed on the stamp in the specimen 
we saw ; no doubt this design preceded tbe 
well-known curvilinear triangle, printed in 
red mauve, and so commonly mjet with. 

One must go abroad to hear news of home. 
Onr ever-active contemporary of Le Timhre- 
Paste has found out that a sheet of the current 
penny stamps, unperforaied, was recently de- 
livered to the Cardiff post-office. It was found 
among a number of perforated sheets^ and 
was unquestionably the result, in every sense 
of the word, an oversight. As some foreign 
collectors cat<fllogue the unwatermarked six- 
pence as a Maltese stamp, because a sheet 
showing this variation happened to be sent 
there, so also may we not expect to see tbe 
unperforated penny figuring as a local Cardiff 
stamp in Frencb catalogaes ? 

United States. — M. Moens notices a spe- 
cimen of the 15 c. with the vignette wrong 
sid« up. 

The following aro stated to bo the values, 
designs, and colours of the new series, which 
is probably in circulation now : — 

1 cent, bust of Franklin, blue. 

2 „ „ Jackson, dark brown. 

3 „ „ Washington, green. 
6 „ „ Lincoln, red. 

10 „ „ Jefferson, light brown. 

12 „ „ Clay, purple. 

15 „ ,, Webster, deep yellow. 

24 „ „ Scott, violet. 

30 „ „ Hamilton, black. 

90 „ „ Perry, scarlet. 
Mason^s Magazine, to which, we are indebted 
for the above list, says there is still some 
uncertainty with regard to the colours, as it 



May 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLEOTOR'S MAGAZINE: 



75 



may ultimatelj be decided to print some of 
the stamps in green. It adds, with a kind 
of patriotic lament, that it regrets the new 
3 cents is to be ^ree», as it will be in general 
appearance much like the 20 cents Confede- 
rate stamp. This new series, if it at all 
answers to onr expectations, will be a very 
handsome and interesting one, forming, as it 
will, quite a picture gallery of the leading 
American celebrities, bat it is a pity that 
there is no room in it for portraits of 
Vanderbilt, Fisk, and Barnum, for they are 
all representative men. 

Portugal. — Some little time back we 
noticed as a new emission the 26 reis Azores 
with the surcharged word in smaller and 
closer type, but we now lenrn that stamps 
showing this variety were among the earliest 
printed. There were but a few hundred 
thus surcharged, when it was resolved to 
use a bolder and more extended type: this 
variety is consequently rare, and will become 
still more so. Some few also are found with 
the word acobes struck upside-down — these 
must be classed with the erreurg d' impression. 
Natal.—- Our supposition last month as to 
the cause of the issue of provisional stamps 
was only partially correct. It now appears 
the penny orange, sixpence rose, and shilling 
violet, were used as fiscals before the emission 
of the provisionals, and it was because these 
fiscal stamps were ignorantly employed to 
pay postage, and to prevent any further 
mistakes on this score, that the postage 
stamps were issued with the word postaqe 
surcharged, and that it was decreed that 
only the stamps thus distinguished should 
be applicable for postal purposes. 

Canada. — ^We have al- 
ready chronicled the issue 
of a curtailed edition of the 
Dominion series, and now 
beg to put in the annexed 
illustration in evidence of 
the design of the new 
comers. The promised 8 
cents has not yet made its 
appearance. 

Philippines. — ^A new type is stated to have 
been issued for these islands, resembling that 
in circulation in Cuba, but without any date 
after the value, as it is intended to make this 




emission serve for two years. The values 
are, 6, 10, 20, and 40 c. do esco.; the colours 
are unknown. 

Cuba. — Here we will take the opportunity 
to complete the information given last month 
as to the colours of the new Cuban stamps, 
by stating that that of the 40 cents is rose. 

A correspondent informs us he has in his 
possession a 1 rl. green, printed on the usual 
dull white paper of 1856, bub bearing the 
watermark of interlaced loops peculiar to the 
emission of 18*55. Can any of our readers 
show similar varieties ? 

Mauritius. — The one shilling is now 
printed in blue, and it is said the ntnepenoe 
will be in green, 

THE SURCHARGED SPANISH 
STAMPS. 

(Abridged from *'Le Timbrb-Poste.") 

Just after the revolution of 1868, the Spanish 
government gave orders that the mark habi- 
LiTADO POR LA NACiON should be impressed ou 
all the stamps bearing the royal arms or the 
G^gj of Queen Isabella. For the execulion 
of this decree, the government had from 
five to six hundred stamps made in bronze, 
and these were sent to the revenue officials, 
and to those who sold stamps for the account 
of the government. The hurry which oc- 
curred in preparing these stamps accounts 
for the want of resemblance between them, 
although they all bore the same legend, and 
also for the existence of three sorts of char- 
acters, if not more. With regard to the 
colour in which the inscriptions were struck, 
it will be easily understood that the stamps 
being distributed among many hands^ each 
emploije used what colour he pleased — black 
or blue, more or less clear. 

The government order to apply the mark * 
Habiliiado npon the stamps of 1808 and 1869, 
bearing the efB.gy of the queen, was fully 
carried out with the stamped paper, but it 
was not the same with the postage-stamps. 
The clerks, during the first few days which 
followed the promulgation of the order, com- 
plied with its provisions, but afterwards — 
probably because it was found that the work 
was too great — ^they disobeyed orders, and 
ceased to affix the mark, and the govern- 



76 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [May 1, 1870. 



ment finding this to be the case, withdrew 
its decree, and interdicted the circulation of 
the " Habilitados " stamps. 

I have [says the writer of the article] 
several Cuban and Philippine stamps of 1868 
and 1869, but none bear the mark " Habili- 
tado." 1 believe that the Madrid ofiSce 
sent to the provinces and colonies a certain 
number of handstamps, but that the colonial 
administration, after marking some hundreds 
of stamps, permitted the law to fall into de- 
suetude. From these facts it results that 
authentically surcharged stamps are exceed- 
ingly rare. 

As to the mark, habilitado pOr la ju??ta 
REVoiiUTiONARiA (and not reBolutionabia), 
I have never seen it. Genuine specimens 
bearing this mark mast be extremely rare, 
for the handstamp was never used except at 
Madrid, and there only for some days. 

REVIEWS OF POSTAL PUBLICATIONS. 

A D^criptive Catalogue of all American and 
Foreign Postage Stamps, New York: 
J. W. Scott & Co. 
This is a neatly-printed catalogue, with a 
rather gaudily ornamented wrapper. The 
list is a comprehensive one, and as the 
publishers are numbered among the few 
really trustworthy American stamp dealers, 
no collector in the states should be without 
it. The printing is remarkably well done, 
the type, though small, being very clear and 
legible ; but the appearance of the book 
would be better if the lines which cut off 
each country's issue were omitted, which, 
as they really serve no useful purpose, they 
well might be. We should likewise recom- 
mend Messrs. Scott to adopt the European 
system of numbering the stamps ; it would, 
we have no doubt, facilitate their trade. 



An Illustrated Catalogue of Postage Stamps for 

the use of Collectors, By Dr. J. E. Gray. 

Revised and corrected by Overy Taylor. 

Fifth Edition. London: E.Marlborough 

& Co. Bath : Alfred Smith & Co. 

Under the auspices of the publishers of our 

magazine, this, the fifth edition of Dr. Gray's 

catalogue has just been given to the public. 

To reach a fifth edition is no uncertain trial 



of popular favour, and the modest announce- 
ment by the editor, Mr. Ovory Taylor, gives 
but a faint idea of the real labour and trouble 
involved in such an undertaking. 

As our first impression of a man arises 
from his external appearance, so a glance at 
this convenient sized volume satisfied ns; 
and on a more close inspection we found 
that same excellent and careful printing and 
beauty of typography, for which (if we may 
be permitted to say so much) this magazine 
is remarkable, and which we have heard 
commended as conscientious and thorough 
work by eminent printers in England and 
abroad. 

In the edition under notice, paper, type, 
and wood-cuts are, for the price of the volume 
(1/6), wonderful, and we doubt not every 
British collector, whatever be his particular 
" school '* of collecting, will find it to his 
advantage to possess this, the only catalogue 
of stamps in our language at all au cnuraiU 
with the day. 

Mr. Taylor preserves the old arrangement, 
viz., that of taking the quarters <rf the globe 
in order, and arranging the countries alpha- 
betically under each head. This is the plan 
which M. Moens advocates ; it has many and 
great conveniences. 

The very elaborate and scientific descrip- 
tions of Dr. Gray, which tended rather to 
confuse most minds, have been judiciously 
pruned, and now the stamps are so described 
as clearly to identify everything, and yet 
not to overload the list with minute differ- 
ences. This part of his task — and a by no 
means easy one — Mr. Taylor seems to have 
discharged particularly well. 
' Notice is taken of perforated and unper- 
forated stamps, hut beyond the bare mention, 
no attempt is made to classify and distinguish 
the kinds of perforation; indeed, the scope of 
the work would not admit of this. The 
chief leading varieties in colour, where a 
marked difference is created, are noticed, 
but mere shades are wisely passed by. 

Some valuable and pertinent foot-notes 
will be found interspersed through the book; 
many of these contain excellent remarks of 
interest alike to the beginner and the ex- 
perienced collector, e.^., those on pp. 21, 61, 
62, 136, &c. 



May 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COI^LECTOB^'S MAGAZINE. 



77 



It is almost needless to state that the latest 
issues are duly set forth, e.g., the new series 
for the Dutch Indies, the Victoria 2d. en- 
velope, the Turkish envelopes, and the 1870 
of Spain, head of Liberty (?), all appear ; 
but the chief labour has doubtless been in 
the revision and re-arrangement^ according 
to the very latest research and knowledge, of 
the whole of the old materials. 

Herein lies the chief value of this edition. 
'We know of no other catalogue, in any 
la^nguagSy to which one can turn and find the 
whole of the Swiss stamps classified accord- 
ing to the now accredited information on the 
subject. Similarly, where else can we find 
the California local stamps even named ? 
To hunt for these things in the pages of 
magazines is wearisome to a degree. To 
Lave them all collected, and a really sub- 
stantial catalogue before one, embracing all 
that is of use, is a convenience all can appro* 
elate. 

The instances above referred to are not 
solitary ; besides being far ahead of all exist- 
ing catalogues, this is the only one in the 
language worthy of being used at the pre- 
sent date. 

The editor has carefully collated the fruits 
of Mr Pemberton's researches, and those 
published in the foreign journals,, and the 
reader has a short practical compendium of 
the results ; bat the firamework is given, by 
the aid of which, if his tastes so lead him, 
the most enthusiastic collector of varieties 
can indulge to the top of his bent. 

Some few errors have glided in, and it is 
best to notice them now. On p. 91, Mauri- 
tius : we doubt if the famous island-printed 
errors, post office, were ever issued as 
stamps at all. We incline to think them 
proofs of a trial die, and which, from their 
similarity to the actual issue, were obliterated 
by the letter-stampers without remarking 
the difference. Dr. Magnus, we believe, 
shares this opinion with us, and has an- 
nounced it in an interesting monograph on 
this very rare variety. 

But whatever be its true nature, it exists 
in the one penny as well as twopence variety. 
Our editor gives the latter, but omits the 
former. Hiatus Jiaud valde defiendus. 

Again, New South Wales, p. 159, 1849 



envelope, a cover for Sydney, the value is 
erroneously given as f wo pence ; it is one 
penny, as the very reference given to The 
Stamp-Collector's Magazine, 18G9, p. 124, 
shows. 

No doubt some other like slips may be 
found, but they are comparatively trifling, 
and do not detract from the value of the 
work as a whole, or impair its usefulness to 
all. 

Every collector in English-speakinsr coun- 
tries — the Greater Britain of Sir C. Dilke — 
owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Tnylor ; and 
as a perfect catalogue is as far from attain- 
ment as a complete collection, we hail with 
pleasure this list which satisfies all reason* 
able requirements, and which all can afford 
to possess, and none to be without, 

POSTAL CHIT-CHAT. 

It is the desire of the post-office that the pub- 
lic should make greater use of the envelopes bearing im- 
pressed stamps than they do at present. 

A Pbculiab Incident. — Some days ago, says the Havre 

Courier, yit. Z , director of a financial company at 

Evreux, addressed a registered letter to Mr. X , rail- 
way contractor, containing 4000 francs. The postman 
delivered the letter the next day. The seals were intact^ 

but Mr. X having opened it, found only three 1000 fr. 

bank notes within ; one was missing. Complaint was 
immediately made to the proenreur'imperiAl ; an invest!* 
gation was commenced, and the same evening an indl-: 
vidual was arrested who admitted he had stolen the mis- 
sing bank-note — but here the affair became coraplieated; 
The following day Mr. X was advised by his corres- 
pondent, that by error only 3000 francs had been enclosed, 
mstead of 4000 francs, and at the same time he received 
the bank-note of which he was short. What does that 
seem to say } And yet, the most incredible thing of all, 
the man who had been arrested declares still that he has 
stolen a thousand francs. 

An absvbd rumour was current in Paris a few dara 
back. It was said that the Emperor, in addition to the 
general proclamation respecting the plebiscite which is 
to be placarded in all the communes, was also going to 
address a letter to every one of the ten milHon electors in 
the empire. At first, so ran the report, it was intended 
to lithograph the letter, which was to be in the hand- 
writing of the Emperor, but as it was found that litho- 
graphy would not lend itself to the production of such an 
enormous nnmber of copies, it was decided to hare re- 
course to typography. It was further stated that the 
postmaster-general had been requested to prepare for the 
distribution of these letters, and that the soldiers in gar- 
rison in Paris were hard at work writing the addresses. 
It was a well-fledged canard^ but it did not have a long 
existence, and when one considers the mechanical diffi- 
culties connected with every stage of the work — ^from the 
printing to the delivery by post within a given time, one 
can onlv wonder that it ever found a moment's credence. 

The Seona Tassa Stamps. — A correspondent sent ns 
& couple of months back a couple of Segna Taasa stamps. 



'8 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGA2INE. [May 1, 1870. 



on the l)ack8 of which could he traced portions of the 
design of the 8 baj. Roman, and even a thin iihn of the 
latter's surface. Uow the transference could have been 
effected we had no means of conjecturing, so in our April 
number we contented ourselves, when replying to the 
sender of these stamps, with the admission that they were 
curious. A friend, long resident in Italy, has, however, 
since furnished us with a key to the solution of this little 
problem. It appears that letters from Rome to Italy can 
only be prepaid to the frontier by the Koroan stamps, and 
the internal postage from the frontier to destination has 
to be paid by tiie receiver, the amount of the postage 
being collected by means of the unpaid-letter stamps, 
which the Italian officials frequently stick or<?r the Roman 
stamps, so that the latter are completely covered. The in- 
ternal single rate being 20 centimes, two 10 c. Segna 
Tassa stamps are employed, and our correspondent's pair 
having no doubt served in this manner, brought away 
with them portions of the Roman 8 baj. when removed 
from the letter. 

Diamond cut Diamond. — Messrs. Bowles Brothers & 
Co., the American bankers of London and Paris, have hit 
upon an ingenious plan for circumventing the United 
States post-office, and obtaining the benefit of the cheapest 
route for letters between the States and France. Half- 
ounce letters for France sent by the direct line cost in all 
1/6 postage ; but the same letters sent from the States to 
England cost only 3d., and the postage for a half-ounce 
letter from England to France is another 8d., making Ud. 
in all. Messrs. Bowles Brothers call the attention of their 
friends to the anomaly, and suggest that they should in 
future address all their letters to Messrs. Bowles* care in 
London, and these gentlemen will forward them from 
London to Paris. By this aiTangement there will be a 
saving of 7d. postage on every letter, and as Messrs. 
Bowles are the bankers of by tar the greater portion of 
the well-to-do Amciicans who visit the Continent, the 
number of letters on which this saving "will be effected 
will no doubt amount to many thousands. Newspapers 
they propose to receive and re-forward in the same man- 
ner, at an economy to their clients of from one-half to 
two-thirds of the expense. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE »* TOO-LATE" TRINIDAD, &c. 
To the Editor of "The Stamp-Collector' s ^Lioazixe.' * 

Sib,— In a recent number you noticed some "too- late" 
stamps of Trinidad. I have just obtained a specimen 
of the 6d. with too-late printed in red diagonally in two 
directions, and after examining it I am disposed to difier 
from your conclusions. 

Ist. — As to these cross inscriptions being printed on a 
whole sheet at once. I annex a sketch of the stamp in 
question, from which you will see that in each case the 
last letter of the surcharged inscription is wanting. This 
proves that the too -late is a trifle too large, and could 
not have been printed on a whole sheet at once, because 
if that was done the whole inscription must of course be 
contained on each stamp, or could not be made to fit at all. 

2nd. — You consider tnat this inscription represents the 
"too-late " charge, and that the stamp is sold to the pub- 
lie to represent the ordinary postage, plw the "too-late " 
charge. 

Now, my specimen is not obliterated beyond the cross 
inscripticns, yet the price I paid for it was only 2d., and 
this seems to prove that at any rate it cannot have a facial 
value of more than 6d. 



I should therefore conclude that these "too-late" stamps 
are mere official labels of no value to the public, though 
possibly indicating a charge to be made on delivery of a 
too-late letter, and the inscription itself must be made by 
means of a hand-stamping machine, and each one printed 
separately. I may add that the two inscriptions on my 
stamp appear to be from the same die. 

1 note you accept my correction with regard to the 
Egvptian one piastre stamp, old issue, but it still remains, 
as 1 oefore remarked, a curious fact when taken in con- 
junction with the exhaustion of this value, that the one 
piastre stamps are on totally different paper to the rest of 
the series. Can anv one explain the reason of this ? 
Were they prepared first, and tlie watermarked paper in- 
troduced only after the supply of this value had been 
completed, or were they origrmally printed on watermarked 
paper, like the other values, but a later supply struck off 
m an emergency on the plain paper, from which the 
specimens now in the market would come ? Have you 
ever seen a watermarked specimen ? What I cannot get 
over is, that although the stock of this value became 
exhausted, it is now as common as the rest of the series ; 
but the specimens are all quite different in appearance, 
and certainly look like reprints. 

Yours truly, 

Manchester. J. C. 



THE STAMPS OF ANTIGUA. 

To the Editor of "The Stamp-Collectoh's Magazine." 

Dear Sir, — In the April number of this magazine thero 
appeared a list of the Antiguan stamps. This was a very 
useful list, but it occurred to me, that if the stamps were 
arranged ii^ order of emission it would be better, and 
would also give a better display of colour than having 
all of one colour together. 

List op Antigua. 

Issued 1862, Id., rose-violet. 
„ ,, 6d., dark green. 
„ 1863, Id., rose. 
„ 1868, Id., orange. 
„ „ 6d., light green. 

Barbados. 
Britannia, seated, name, without value. 

1. — Issued 1852, green, blue paper. 

2. „ „ blue. 

3. „ „ red. 

,, 1856, white paper, imp. 

4. „ „ green. 

5. „ „ blue. 
6. 



If 



„ red. 

,, with value below. 

7. n t) 6<i'f lake-red. 

8. „ „ Is., black. 
Issued 1861, white paper, perf. 

9. „ „ green. 

10. „ „ blue. 

11. „ ,, rose. 

12. „ 1865, rust red. 

13. „ 1866, 6d., orange. 

14. „ 1869, bright red. 

15. „ „ 6d., vermilion. 

The above I have boiTowed from Mr. Pemberton's list, 
for which I thank him. 

Yours respectfully, 
Braintree, B. HARRISSON. 



May 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



79 



THE BAEBADOS STAMPS. 
To the Editor of "The Stamp-Collector's Magazine." 

Sib, — ^In his last paper on "West Indian Stamps, Mr. 
Femberton asks for further information respecting the 
(mythical?) slate -coloured Barbados, so confidently spoken 
of in your magazine for November, 1865, and January, 1867. 

I hare long given it up as a mistake, for many reasons. 
I have had thousands of Barbados stamps passing through 
my hands, from the earliest issue down to 1868, and have 
examined each singly without discovering this unknown 
claimant to postal honours. In the spring of 1867 I 
received a letter from Barbados offering me a postmarked 
specimen (as described in TJie Stamp- Collector' s Ma^a- 
ztne), for seven-and-sixpence. I at once sent out for it, 
but when it arrived it proved to be a common blue one 
changed to slate by chemical or atmospheric agency, and 
a few horn's in cola water restored parts of the stamp to 
its normal blue colour. A short time after this disappoint- 
ment I was told that a post-office clerk at Bridgetown, 
Barbados, had an unused specimen in his collection, but 
whether it were an essay or an issued stamp was not 
known, and that he would probably part witn it for a 
'* consideration." Full of hope, and delighted at the pros- 
pect of being on a par with the much-envied " German 
amateur," I immediately commissioned a person to secure 
it for me ; but the answer returned was, that the post- 
office clerk had been accidentally drowned, and that his 
collection had passed into the hands of his sister, who, 
though she hardly knew one stamp from another, could 
not be induced to part with anything, however trifling, 
which had belonged to her beloved brother ! Thus ended 
iny search after this West Indian ignii Jatuus. 

'That a sheet of Barbados stamps without value was 
once upon a time printed in slate colour for the govern- 
ment to choose from, is more than probable, but that they 
were ever issued, I have yet to believe ; for had they been 
in use, even for a few days only, like the far-famed 
'*Gauchos," some one or other would surely have found 
one ere this. The theory, that being a twopenny stamp 
it was almost useless, and consequentlv speedily with- 
drawn, is, however, very plausible ; that value never 
has been popular or general in the West Indies. Jamaica 
adopted it, 1 think, about 1861 or 1862, and Bermuda in 
I860, but, if I recollect right, no other island has issued 
it. True it is, that British Guiana, which is sometimes 
eiToneously called part of the West Indies, has a four- 
cent stamp; but I am now speaking of pence — ^not cents. 

With regard to postmarks, Mr. Femberton seems to 
think that the central numeral goes as high as 14. As he 

grofesses, a few lines before, to " chronicle nothing which 
e cannot produce," I venture to ask can he produce a 
Barbados stamp bearing this numeral? In my own 
experience, which was considerable up to 1868, I have 
never met with more than eleven numoere, commencing 
with No. 1, which I have understood to indicate the 
eleven parishes into which the island (which contains 
oiilv about 60 miles) is divided ; viz., St. Michael, Christ 
Church, St. Philip, St. George, St. John, St. James, 
St. Thomas, St. Joseph, St. Andrew, St. Peter, and 
St. Lucy. Bridgetown, the capital, contains the parish 
of St. Michael, and is, if I am rightly informed, repre- 
sented by the postal numeral, 1. Ine others I have 
not been able to identify ; but I may mention that, in 
making up my sets, I find No. 4 the most scarce to obtain. 
CUfion, FENTONIA. 

P.S. — I possess a Barbados postmark not mentioned by 
Mr. Pcmberton — a specimen on imperforated blved paper. 
It resembles that now used on the Newfoundland stamps, 
and has neither figure nor name of district. 



THE BOSTON SWINDLERS AND THE FHILA- 
rj?Xi«r—KOORSHEDJAH— GUADALAJARA, &o. 

To the Editor of *^ The Stamp-Gollecto&'s Magazine." 

Deab Sib, — I thought it was <^uite time that some 
notice should be taken of the published indebtedness of 
The FhilateliaCe editor to the politeness of Mr. S. Allan 
Tat/lor, of Boston^ which inexplicable civility appeared 
in January last, and was criticised by you last mouth. 
Since then, in the March and April numbers, similar 
notices have appeared, from which it is but reasonable to 
infer, that a system of monthly pufts is being established. 
Everyone knows that Taylor, Lyford, and Chute, form 
that celebrated fraternity, yclept The Boston Swindlers ; 
and that Taylor is the principal of the three, Chute 
having, apparently, retired into paths of less ostentatious- 
ness, whUst Lyford is simply a lad who acts under Taylor. 
Under such circumstances, the taste which dictated mose 
three polite puffs from the pen of the editor of The 
Fhilateliet is most questionable. 

As the editor of The Philatelist is a member of that 
Committee (of the Philatelic Society) which passed a 
vote of censure upon Taylor, Lyford, and Chute, their 
works, letters, ana doings, the three puffs for Taylor are 
inexplicable ; they are, too, excessively galling to those 
who have, in the interest of philately and honesty, done 
their utmost to expose the swindling nature of the man 
and his business, for he is thus openly quoted as a 
respectable unit of society, and an authority to be 
thanked, instead of being simplv ignored. As long as 
these three puffs are not recalled or explained, so long 
will they remain a lasting insult to those who have 
arrayed themselves against the man and his gang, and 
who have been so scurrilously attacked by him in his 
disgraceful papers. 

I don't know what exceptional sources of information 
M. Moens or the editor of The JPhllatelist may have on 
the subject of Koorshedjah stamns, but as the three 
specimens which are being described, and a fourth on 
blue paper, liave all been my property originally, and are 
all known to fame, I hope 1 shall not appear egotistical 
in saying, that any description of the meaning of the 
design, or any attempt to fix its facial value, is quite 
supposititious. Last November, through the kindness of a 
correspondent, I received the three which all the maga- 
zines are describing (on pale green, amber, and lilac, all 
thin laid paper) ; they reminded me that I had, a long 
time before, had one on blue paper; after a diligent 
search, I found it, and the three on fancy papers I gave 
to Mr. Ph. These are all / ever saw, ana none of the 
members of the society appear to know it, so it is incorrect 
to say that they have been in the Ph. collection for over 
two years. My old one I described in the February 
Stamp-Collector* s Magazine^ and I obtained it, with some 
circular blue and black Cashmeres, at the time the latter 
first appeared. M. Moons thus getting scent of it, w'ith 
praiseworthy alacritjr borrowed one of Mr. Philbrick's. 
engraved it as an upright, termed it adhesive, and namea 
it 1 anna; but, as it i^ an oblong, is handstamped upon 
envelopes, and is of unknown value, M. Moens was not so 
successful as he might have desired. So little is known 
of them, that it is important that that little should be 
con-ecUy told, which is why I trouble you with the 
preceding remarks. 

I lately received some unused Guadalajara provisionalB, 
among which were two undescribed varieties, viz., 2 rls., 
1868, on thick wove paper, light rose-pink, and 1 peso, 
1867 (un), on lilac batonne paper, with mterior vergeurea 
(linear paper, with thick lines about one-third of an 



80 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZECfE. [May 1, 1870. 



inch apart, with thin close lines hetween them, all the 
lines being laid). - .u x 

Let me call your readers' attention to a forgery of tliat 
scarce and little-kAown Confederate local, the KMxyilU, 
Tenn., 6 c. red : it is yery roughly engraved, and printed 
from the frame of a die used for a forged Nashville, the 
design of the latter being the same in generalities as the 
Knoxville; the forgery is on thick, spongy paper, the 
original not so, as far as my experience goes. 

Kecently some half dozen of the rare carriers stamp, 
head of Franklin, unused, have appeared ; they are in dark, 
rather brown yellow, are wnguanmed, on tough thinmsh 
paper ; whether these are stamps as issued I do not know, 
but 1 have received them sometime back as proofs; cannot 
our American friends enlighten us ? Turning to your 
number for October last, Mr. Ireland, of the Washington 
post-office department, says, "the stamp was orange- 
brown; proofs blue on pink, also green and yellow. 
Now the only used specimens known appear to be blue on 
pink. TJie American Journal of I'hilately mentions it 
as cancelled by dots, and as existing orange, brown, unused, 
on ordinary paper, and orange on plate paper. Query, 
did the issue consist of orange-brnwn (or more properly 
brown-yellow) on plain paper, and of blue on pink paper, 
or of the latter only, all others being proofs or specimens? 
I think the latter, because the unused brown-yellow has 
been known for years, as existing in the Ph. collection, 
and by hearsay as described by Levrault (p. Ill), headhig 
Baltimore, hrun rouge eur Have. As American proof- 
stamps, or, more con-ectly speaking, the great maiority, 
have been obtainable at various times, and as the blue on 
)ink, which undoubtedly exists as a bona-^fide emission, 
las remained unknown until lately, it is more than pro- 
bable that the only one issued for postage was the blue on 
pink, others being proofs or specimens. 
Youi-8 faithfully, 

Birmingham. EDWARD L. PEMBERTON. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

0. p. Q.— Send us the article you refer to, and if it be 
suitable for our columns, we Mill find space for it in our 

next number. . , , j. ^ xi. 

Dane. — When this magazine is ordered direct from the 
publishera, no charge is made for postage— a single copy 
18 sent post-free for foui-pence. 

J. B. B., Norwich.— You will see we notice your 
variety of the 1 ,rl. Cuban in our article on new issues, 
with a view to elicit further information. 

Capt. Preston. — We cannot account for the omission 
of the Scinde stamp from the new edition of Dr Gray's 
catalogue, and take this opportunity to draw the editor's 
attention to it. It certainly 'seems to be fully deserving 
of notice. . 

S. M. B.— The Cuban \ rl. plata f. of 1864 was issued 
on xo^'iinted paper, and on a deeo rose paper; vour 
copy, if on pure white, must be a faded specimen of the 
former.— The circular Mecklenburg stamp, whatever else 
it may be, is certainly not a postage stamp. 

^, -w. S.— It is stated on good authority, that the re- 
duced rate of inland postage for newspapers and nrinted 
matter will come into operation on the Ist of October 
next. We suppose, therefore, that the new halfpenny 
adhesive stamp will be issued to the public before that 

date. 

K. A. D., Wolverhampton.— Your Confederate States 
stamp is a forgery.— The Indian eight annas, surcharged 
witli crown and 24 cents, is one of Uie Straits Settlements 



provisionals, and an obsolete stamp^— The Sd. Victoria 
(figure in corner^ was issued in 1867 ; it is included in 
Dr. Gray's catalogue. Your specimen is obsolete, as the 
design was r&-issQed last year in orange. — The Sd. lake, of 
tiie same colony (figure at sides), was issued in 1966, and 
was only in use for a couple of months. 

I. P. C, Falmouth. — The two Peruvian stamps you 
mention (10 c. and 1 sol.), with figure of value in centre, 
are both fiscal s, and their use for postage is probably only 
the result of an accident. It is, however, worth noting 
that they have been received on a letter from Callao 
within the last six months, properly postmarked, and 
unaccompanied (as we understand) by any of the ordinaxj 
postage stamps, so it may eventually turn out that their 
emplo3rment has been permitted by the post-office. For 
the benefit of philatelists in general, we may also add 
that the Bt.amps thus employed are of the last fiscal 
emission, viz., 10 c. violet, and 1 sol. dark orange; and 
of these, the former bears the word callao surcharged 
in green letters, and the latter in black. Oar correspondent 
must not bo surprised at finding no mention of mem in 
the catalogues, seeing what is their generally-accepted 
character. 

J. C, Manchester. — AVe insert such portions of your 
communication as are of general interest in our corre- 
spondence columns, the remainder we will now reply to, 
and in the first place, thanks for early copy of the 30 c. 
Belgian tjrpe, and also for German 1 gr. — 1. Mexico.^ We 
can only congratulate you on your good fortune in ob- 
taining the engraved f and 13 c. Maximilian, without 
black inscription, at 2/ each. You only paid half the 
market price of ordinary copies. — 2. Turkey. Can you 
not get the sender of the letter which was contained in 
the envelope j'ou forward for our inspection to obtain 
information from the post-office at Constantinople as to 
the meaning of the handstamped mark which appears on 
it } AVe cannot ourselves explain its signification, unless 
it be taken that the sum of f. 2 40 c. paid the postage to 
Marseilles. In any case, this handstamp is a great 
curiosity, and it would be worth while getting s<Mne 
explanation respecting it. — 3. Switzerland, We should 
be much inclined to doubt whether the word khein is, 
after all, anything more than a postmark. 4. La Guaira, 
Your ^ rl. iJlue and 2 rls. yellow are both genuine, and 
belong to the second type.— 6. Your Natal are reprints. 

J. N. R., Deal. — 1.— The best test we can give for dis- 
tinguishing the lithographed from the engraved Mexican 
head of Emperor, is the greater fineness of the latter. — 
2. The 1 and 2 c. (figure), and the 6 c. (head), Sandwich 
Islands, exist on both white and blue paper ; the 13 c. 
(head) on white paper only; the 13 c. (figure) is a 
fictitious stamp. — 3. The stamp inscribed kanton-bebn 
comes from the Swiss canton of Bern, and is a fiscal, 
though it has been occasionally used for postage. —4. The 
Spanish stamp inscribed habilitado fob la nacion is, 
no doubt, genuine; whether the inscription is also, is 
another question, as that has been forged, and impressed 
on genuine stamps. Stamps with the true surcharge are 
scarce, respecting their use you will find fhll information 
in an article published in another part of the present 
number. — 6. Ihe existence of the 10 c. lilac Lu^on (head 
in circle), mentioned by the writer of the paper on 
** Reprints'* last month, is very doubtful. He, we be- 
lieve, based his reference to it on its mention in an 
article published in Le Timbre- Foste in 1865, where it is 
chronicled without reserve, but it is not included by 
Berger-Levrault or Moens in their lists, and Mahe cata* 
logues it with a point of interrogation against it. The 
editor of Dr. Gray's catalogue, no doubt, felt that under 
these circumstances he was not justified in noticing it. 



June 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



81 



OUR CONTEMPORARIES. 

Press of matter last month compelled us to 
postpone onr nsual notices, which we now 
proceed to give. 

Le Timhre-Poste for April contains little 
that is remarkable. The chronicle occupies 
nearly half the number, and is followed by 
an article on the Koorshedjah, in which is 
embodied a letter from Mr. J. PL, giving 
information respecting it similar to that 
which occurs in Mr. Pemberton's letter last 
month. The article winds up with some 
rather peevish remarks on Mr. Pl.*s love of 
criticism, which leave the reader under the 
impression that M. Moens is needlessly 
sensitive of even the mildest correction. 
After the Koorshedjah article comes an 
instalment of the *' Envelope Papers," by 
Dr. Magnus, and the number closes with a 
very sentimental exordium of the postage 
stamp, made up for the most part of ideas 
neither new nor striking. 

The May number is more readable. We 
observe that in the " Chronique " the editor, 
paying more attention to the wild assertions 
of an obscure American pamphlet than to 
the doubts expressed in more respectable 
publications, comes forward to vindicate 
the Honduras stamps from the suspicion 
cast upon them, declaring that he holds, at 
the disposal of sceptics, the official journal 
in which appeared the decree authorising 
the emission of these stamps, and the letter 
he received from the Comayagua post-office, 
enclosing specimens of them. 

In the course of the same article, M. 
Moens throws doubt on the authenticity of a 
specimen of the 9 kr. Bavarian, first series, of a 
shade similar to that of the 18 kr. of the same 
emission, submitted to him by one of our 
most eminent philatelists. " These erreurs 
d*tmpr€8sio7i" he remarks, " are obtained 
(we have just been experimenting ourselves) 
with soda and boiling water. The one 
thing necessary is to find a 9 kr. of a green 
which gives you the tint of the 18 kr.** 
Without passing any opinion on the parti- 
cular stamp in question, we quite agree with 
our Belgian contempornry in doubting the 
value of these newly-discovered varieties. 

We know very well that they can easily 



be manipulated, for some months since a 
notorious American swindler sent us for 
inspection, as if out of bravado, some thirty 
or forty changed stamps, and implied, if he did 
not only openly state, in the impudent letter 
which accompanied them, that these varieties 
owed their existence to his nefarious skill. 
This individual has rewarded the editor of 
The Philatetist for his polite attentions, by 
** selling " him (we beg our contemporary's 
pardon for the expression) with a brown 
one-cent Canadian stamp, and also with a 
fictitious Boston local, which he assures our 
confrere is in actual use at present. As this 
worthy creature is probably still occupying 
himself with the fabrication of spurious 
stamps, we think we cannot do better than 
address to our readers the warning ono 
sometimes hears in a crowd — " Take care of 
your pockets." 

Returning from this digression to our 
friend Le Tlmhre-Poste : the next article to 
which our attention is drawn is the one on 
the New Granadian 50 c. " sobre-porte," on 
white paper. This stamp was noticed by 
M. Albis, in Le Timbrojyhile, so long since as 
February, 1868, and that gentleman de- 
scribed it as diffenng from the ordinary type 
only by certain trifling variations in the 
figures 60, in the " cs.," and in the size of 
the letters of the inscription sobre-pobtb. 
The specimen, which is said to be unique, 
has just passed through M. Moens* hands ; 
and, as the result of a very searching com- 
parison between it and the common type, 
M. Moens arrives at the conclusion that 
the ** white " paper stamp is from another 
die, and differs in all points from the 
ordinary representative of the type. Upon 
this he reasons, that " even supposing a 
whim of the administration, whereby an 
impression on white paper was ordered, 
such caprice would not have necessitated 
the re-engraving of the design ; and if the 
stamp is unique at present, a few inquiries 
after it would soon cause it to abound/* 
The final conclusion of this argument need 
hardly be pointed out. 

Following this article comes another short 
paper, headed *' The 50 mil., 18G7, of Spain," 
in which M. Moens describes what he be- 
lieves to be a forgery of that value. He 



82 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR^S MAGAZINE. [Jctne 1, 1$:0. 



found the supposed spurious individual, 
which had passed the post, among his stock 
of used specimens, and ho conjectures that 
the discovery by the officials of the imitation 
of the design led to its being superseded 
by the last 50 mil. stamp, with head of 
Isabella, although that lady had then left the 
country. He gives a long list of diflferences, 
but we may content ourselves with indi- 
cating what he states to be the principal 
one. In the genuine stamp, the spandrels 
are covered by minute vertical lines, inter- 
sected at intervals by lines of little dots : 
there are three rows of lines, and two of 
dots. In the counterfeit, the spandrels on 
the right are entirely filled by little vertical 
lines; and those on the left, though inter- 
rupted, show no trace of the dots. The 
most curious circumstanco in connection 
with this stamp, if it really is false, is, that 
the perforation is precisely the same as for 
the genuine. To meet this rather damaging 
objection against his case, M. Moens can 
only start the query — Who knows but what 
the same machine may have served to per- 
forate both the true and the false stamps? — 
Who knows ? 

The concluding article has reference to the 
post-office stamps of Mauritius. Dr. Magnus 
had observed that one of the specimens of 
the penny, from which we described, had 
its left upper angle filled with an ornament 
differing from all the others. Mr. J. PL, 
having since examined the stamp, finds that 
this ornament is really that of one of the 
common " postpaid " stamps, and an inquiry 
addressed to the owner elicits the fact, that 
the. specimen of the post-office variety in 
question being short of its upper left corner, 
the missing portion was replaced by the 
corner of one of the ordinary postpaid 
stamps. So neatly has this piece been 
"dovetailed" in, that the "join" was not 
noticed even by such an acute observer as' 
Dr. Magnus. Altogether, the point involved 
is slight in itself, and only important in so 
far as it is connected with the analytical de- 
scription of so rare a stamp. 

The Philatelist, — Both the A^ril and May 
numbers of this journal are distinguished by 
the general excellence of their contents ; the 
former is specially noticeable for the con- 



tinuation of Mr. Atlee's very careful and 
accurate list of the British North American 
stamps ; the latter for a further instalment 
of " A Parisian Collector's " exhaastivd 
article on the Envelopes of Germany. In 
another part of the present number we quote 
some interesting remarks on shades of colour 
which occur in the course of the paper on 
envelopes. The only other items to which 
reference can here be made are — ^first, the 
description of a Charleston stamp now 
in Sir Daniel Cooper's possession^ of the 
genuineness of which corroborative evidence 
is derived from its being mentioned in the 
monograph on Confederate locals, by Mr. 
Scott, which we reprinted from The 4^nerican 
Journal of PhUaiehf last month; and secondly, 
the editor's assertion that there is no truUi 
in the report we recently copied from Le 
Timhrophile^ to the effect that the Susse per- 
forating machine was being surreptitiously 
employed to turn large numbers of ordinary 
French stamps into "Susse" varieties. "The 
simple facts," says our contemporary, " are, 
that the wealthy possessor of one of the 
finest Parisian collections has been amusing 
himself with perforating a few specimens for 
himself and friends." 

The three American journals, in the num- 
bers before us, combine to reproach us, 
though in terms which savour more of sor- 
row than of anger, for alleged want of 
courtesy towards them. Mason's Magazine 
is severe upon us for treating its assertion 
respecting the issue of a 3 cent stamp as a 
t'umour. The American Journal of Philatehf^ 
complains that in " Our Contemporaries " 
for April we quoted the worst article in the 
number of this journal under review, because 
it would not do to let European collectors 
think that American papers ever contain 
anything to interest them: and Tiis American 
Stamp Mercury declares that it must have 
been spite, as it could not be ignorance, which 
caused us in a recent article to ignore the 
announcement in its impression for Decem- 
ber, 1868, of the date of issue of the 12d. 
Canada. 

Taking these strictures in their order, we 
may reply to the first that confidence in the 
statements made in American papers is a 
thing of comparatively recent growth, and as 



June 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



83 



to the particular emission noticed, there had 
been so many reports circulated respecting 
both the new and the preceding United 
States series, that we could not take any 
assertion as to stamps in preparation as 
absolutely correct. Secondly, the complaint 
of The American Journal of Fhilatehj receives 
its best answer in the fact, that when we 
lighted on the valuable article on Confederate 
locals, which appeared in its April number, 
we took " French leave " to reprint it entire. 
Lastly, we beg the editor of The American 
Jotimal of Philately to believe that we did 
overlook the prior publication in his maga- 
zine of the facts relating to the emission of 
the Canadian 12d. 

Wo are glad to find that our remarks on 
the very small allowance of philatelic matter 
in Mason^B Magazine have been followed by 
a considerable and commendable change in 
its arrangement. Under a new editor, the 
philatelic department, instead of being con- 
fined to a couple of pages, is in the current 
number permitted to occupy more than five ; 
and— another praiseworthy innovation— we 
observe an article appears bearing the same 
heading, and similar in intent to the present. 
Our own mac^azine comes in for a larore share 
of the criticism, but this we have no reason 
to complain of, as we feel it an advantage 
to be acquainted with the views of our 
readers abroad, albeit Mr. Mason's remarks 
are of a somewhat " assumptions " nature — 
to quote an expression coined in a recent 
parliamentary debate. We observe with 
pleasure that our initiative in giving a 
monthly resume of our contemporaries is 
being followed on the other side of the 
water, and we have the testimony of The 
American Journal of Philately to the effect 
that our remarks have been found of use. 

The April number of the last-named jour- 
Dai is noticeable for a very striking feature, 
— the printing of the illustrations of stamps 
in the proper colours of the stamps them- 
selves. The effect is very good indeed, 
though it is too much to expect that the 
exact shade can be imitated. Besides two 
types in black, there are represented .the 
new 3 c. green United States, the Russian 
rose-carmine 5 kop. envelope, the blue Swiss 
** prison" envelope, the vermilion new Bergen 



2 sk., and a unique variety of the blue 13 c. 
Sandwich Islands figure, — or in other words, 
two blue, two rose or red, and one green 
stamp. To reproduce these designs in their 
proper colours, and the accompanying letter- 
press, the centre page on which they appear 
must have been passed four times through the 
press, by no mpans to the printer's delecta- 
tion. All the types show up very well, and 
have a novel appearance, but the best is de- 
cidedly the new 3 c. United States, the shade 
of which has been hit " to a T." The pub- 
lishers of the journal deserve credit for their 
enterprise, though we hardly see how the 
improvement can prove a paying one. The 
sight of these coloured engravings may, how- 
ever, prove a stimulant to stamp-collecting, 
and so become indirectly a means of bring- 
ing grist to the publishers mill, and the only 
thing to be feared in connection with them 
is that they may be cut out by rogues and 
sold to simpletons, as being in fact the 
stamps they but represent. 

The Postman's Knoch. — A couple of months 
since we reviewed the number of this journal 
for October last. We have now before us 
its March number, and it appears that a 
variety of circumstances have prevented the 
publication of The Knock between the two 
dates. Furthermore, we learn from an 
" editorial," that there is little chance of its 
being continued, as the proprietor and editor, 
Mr. E. A. Craig, is (or was) on the point of 
removing to California, where he fears the 
printer's bill will prove too high to admit of 
his continuing the paper. We are sorry for 
this, as Mr. Craig has always been con- 
spicuous for the honesty and integrity of 
purpose with which he has both written and 
acted. We hope, however, that a change 
which will be a loss to the American philatelic 
fraternity will be again to Mr. Craig himself. 

The closing number oFThe Postman^ sKnoeJc 
is a good one. It contains some observa- 
tions respecting the questionable surcharged 
Canadian stamps, which we quote else- 
where, and besides this there is a large 
amount of readable matter. Among other 
articles is one on a blue Canadian 5 cents 
envelope, a specimen of which was dis- 
covered by the editor in the collection 
bolonging to the son of the money-order 



84 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [June 1, 1870, 



superintendent for New Brunswick. Mr. 
Craig is inclined to believe it was nob a mere 
proof, but, as it was officially sent by the 
Canadian to the New Brunswick postal de- 
partment, considers it must have been the 
specimen stamp of an emission. We hardly 
feel, however, that the evidence adduced by 
Mr. Craig is sufficient to prove his point. 
He applied to Mr. Smithson, of the Ottawa 
post-office, whom we presume to be the 
gentleman whose letter respecting the 12d. 
Canada we recently published, and Mr. 
Smithson returned him the stamp with the 
information that it was "a specwie?i,'* adding, 
" the stamped envelopes issued were 5 c, red 
and 10 c. brown." As Mr. Smithson gives 
the colours in which thev were issued, it is 
evident that though he calls the blue a speci- 
men, he means, in stamp phraseology, a 
'proof, Mr. Craig perceives this, and attempts 
to depreciate Mr. Smithson's authority, say- 
ing he has only been in the post-office for 
two or three years ; but be that as it may, 
it appears Mr. Smithson was right respect- 
ing the twelvepenny Canada, and if right 
on one doubtful point, he may be right on 
another. 

Among other noticeable articles there is 
one of an entirely novel character, on 
"Eminent Philatelists." Mr. Craig, under 
this title, with rather amusing egotism, gives 
his own biography, preceded, however, by 
that of Mr. George Stewart, jun., the editor 
of the now defunct Stawp-Golledor^s Montlihj 
Qazettey a paper which in its day and genera- 
tion did much good. Mr. Stewart is cer- 
tainly a young man of talent, or he would 
not have succeeded in establishing the New 
Brunsivlck Quarterly yfhen he was but 18 years 
'of age. This paper enjoys, we believe, a large 
circulation in the provinces, and is made up 
entirely of original matter contributed by 
persons living in British North America. 

With regard to Mr. Craig, we can pardon 
while we smile at the spirit which prompted 
him to narrate his own history to his readers, 
when we learn with what perseverance he 
has worked to carry on the papers he has 
brought out, and also to conduct his business 
during almost incessant illness. 

"Mr. Craig," says the biographical notice, 
"has edited two stamp periodicals. The Stamp 



Argus y and The Postmarks Kiwck^ and with 
regard to the first series of the latter, when 
it is remembered that he had to write every 
line of its contents himself, that his means 
of obtaining information were limited, and 
that in most cases he got it up, corrected 
proof, and prepared it for mailing, while he 
was propped up in bed, and suffi^ring in- 
tolerable agony, it will be considered at least 
passable." 

We should rather think so too. Mr. Craig 
was sent to Europe " in the faint hope that 
the voyage might save his life," and though 
a Liverpool surgeon succeeded in " brin^nc: 
him through 'all danger, no earthly skill 
could restore him to anything like health." 
He is still an invalid, hobbling about on a 
pair of crutches, and is now going to Cali- 
fornia in the hope that he may there 
" eventually recover, if recovery is possible." 
Our readers will not blame us for quoting 
these details, and we are sure their best 
wishes will be with Mr. Craig^. 

Up to the moment of going to press, wo 
have not received our copy of Ije Tinihro- 
phile, which is now a month overdue. 

PAPERS FOR BEGINNERS.— No. V. 

BY OTEKT TAYLOR. 
EUKOPE. 

6reat §ritam, tontintteir. 

We pass now to the consideration of the 
first adhesive stamp — the black penny, — 
issued either simultaneously with, or soon 
after, the Mulready envelope, as may be 
ultimately determined. This stamp has 
served as a model for hundreds of others, 
both as to design and size; and in it>s second 
colour has remained in circulation for nearly 
an entire generation. Beside many of its 
confreres it presents but a poor appearance, 
and yet so much has the penny stamp, 
through its long currency and its associa- 
tions, become as it were one of the " insti- 
tutions" of the country, that we all of us 
feel for it a certain tenderness and respect. 
And as to the poverty of its design, it must 
be borne in mind that beauty was barely 
even a secondary consideration in the minds 
of the authorities when deciding on the type 
to be adopted. A device which should serve 



June 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



85 



its purpose, and at the same time offer the 
greatest difficulty to the then mnch-dreaded 
forgers, was their object, and no one can 
deny that that of the penny stamp fulfils 
these requisites. Its execution is of the 
finest, it states plainly the use of the little 
rectangle on which it appears, and the 
representation of the Queen's head which it 
bears sufficiently indicates its governmental 



origin. 



•Simple as the typo appears, we yet know 
that it is composed from two separate dies — 
the one consisting of the effi^ry, and the 
other of the groundwork. The original 
block of the head was engraved by Heath, 
the eminent engraver, in the year 1840, and 
the copies made from it were introduced by 
a transferring process into the plates used 
for printing the penny and twopenny 
stamps.* As it was found that the lines 
were not deep enough, and the plates con- 
sequently wore out too soon, a transferred 
impression from the original engraved head 
was put into the hands of an engraver 
named Humphreys, about the beginning 
of the year 1855, and he, without inserting 
any new lines or work of any kind, deepened 
the old lines ; and this impression, so 
deepened, has since been used as the original, 
and all the plates since made for printing 
the stamps have been tranfers fi'om it.f 

♦ See TJte Stamp ■CoUeetor'ii Magazine, vol. vi., p. 8. 

+ Only a couple of years ago a paii* of very remarkable 
proofs of the original design were discovered. "We think 
the account given of thcin by Mr. Pemberton, to whom 
the credit of the discovery is due, is well worthy of being 
given in extenao. Il occurs on p. 16 of tne second 
volume of T'le PhUateliit^ and is as follows: — 

" Owing to one of those pieces of good fortune which 
now and again happens to a collector in search of the 
valuable, a pair of essays, from which our "penny 
postage" stamp was taken, have been brought to light. 
Tliey are side by side on one piece of cardboard, impressed 
lin black, and have been for many years in the hands of a 
well-known picture dealer of London, who had them 
framed and glazed, having received them direct from the 
Jate Mr. Charles Heath, who engraved them. We will 
distinguish them as Nos. 1 and 2, and proceed to give a 
verbal description of their wonders. 

"No. 1 represents the Id. stamp now in use as it 
would be witli the top and bottom inscriptions cut off, 
t.«., we only have the Queen's head with the back^-ound, 
and no corners. The background is exactly like the 
stamp in present use; and the head, whicn is quite 
finished and finely engraved, is neaily similar, only it is 
a little wider in the head; the outlines, from top of 
crown to tlie end of the bust, are straightcr, and the back 
hair is sun-ounded by a white line. On the die, before 



When once the desiofu had been settled 
on, the next thought seems to have been for 
the paper, the colour being the last thing 
decided on, as is evident from all the proof 
impressions being on the same paper as that 
on which the stamp was ultimately used. 
Still keeping before them the fear of forgery, 
tlie authorities chose a white paper, bearing 
as watermark a small crown in outline. 
This is easily perceptible on holding the 
stamp to the light; and here let me observe, 
en passant, that the study of watermarks is 
now become of such recognised importance, 
interest, and utility, that no stamp collector 
worthy of the name, not even the youngest 
beginner, can afford to neglect it; and by 
giving attention to watermarks from the 
very first, the habit of observing them 
grows easy. 

The colour, as before said, was the last 
thing settled, and before black was chosen, 
proof impressions were struck from the die 
in red, mauve- pink, purple, grey, slate, and 
blue-slate, and in more than a dozen varieties 
of shade of these colours. These proofs are 
of great rarity, and though in mentioning 
them here for completeness' sake, I am very 
far from representing it as incumbent on 
collectors, and especially beginners, to go 
out of their way, and put themselves to 
considerable expense to procure them, yet 
on the other hand, it must be said that if by 
chance the opportunity occurs to obtain 
them, they are well worth possessing, as 
they serve not merely to ornament a collec- 
tion, but also to illustrate the history of a 
stamp, showing by what gradual steps its 
ultimate form or colour are arrived at. 

In the case of the first penny stamp and 

printing off the essay, the engraver has made an intended 
alteration, consisting of fine dotted lines from the top 
of the crown to the bottom of the bust, thereby reducing 
the width of the head and bust, making the outlines 
more curved, and consequently more elegant. 

"No. 2 shows us the head as altered in No. 1, but 
mthout the white line surrounding the back hair, the 
head bein^, therefore, exactly like that on the Id. and 
2d. now m use. The bacKground, however, is very 
different, being a very elaborately engraved pattern ; at 
the foot is engraved postage one penny, m capitals, 
and in one straight line. 

" The stamp finally adopted for the first adhesive used 
in England is taken from these two essays : the head of 
No. 2, with the background of No. 1, ol coui-se, adding 
PO.STAGE at top, ONE PENNY bclow, and a square in each 
angle." 



86 



THE STAMP-COLLEOTOR'S MAGAZINE. [June 1, 1870. 



(for they must to some extent be taken 
together) its companion, the twopence blue, 
the final decision appears to have been in- 
fluenced by a regard for the colours of the 
Mulreadys — perhaps, as to the penny, by 
some consideration for the comparative 
cheapness and certainty of a black impres- 
sion. The black penny stamp is one of the 
very few of which there are positively no 
varieties whatever — for the V.R. official was 
not a stamp at all, but an essay. If some 
faint variation in the shade of colour can be 
distinguished, it is the most that can be 
done, and such trifling differences are not 
worth noting or collecting. 

With regard to the V.R. official, about 
which there was once a great deal of doubt 
and discussion, its history has been so clearly 
ascertained, that there is now no question 
but that it was an essaj/, that is to say, a 
design proposed by or to the postal authori- 
ties, but not actually put in circulation. It 
is simply the ordinary black penny, with the 
small disks in the upper angles occupied 
with the letters V.R., and it was intended to 
frank official correspondence, but it was 
ultimately decided not to employ it, but 
to allow official letters to be franked by the 
signature of the despatching officer. Some 
few of those stamps, however, were printed, 
and some cancelled, in order that experi- 
ments might be tried with several kinds of 
obliterating inks which had been suggested.* 
The cancelling mark employed was black, 
very thick, and formed of concentric rings, 
which completely effaced the design. These 
postmarked impressions are all, or nearly all, 
still in the custody of the post-office. Un- 
obliteratod copies are found in most of the 
leading collections, but have always been very 
rare, and are daily becoming more so; indeed, 
the price of a specimen now depends (as 
was said of the Nicaraguan 2 cent when it 
first came out) on the dealer's conscience. 
All the known specimens are derived from 
the few sheets which were saved by officials 
present at the destruction of the stock, and 
as no fresh supply is ever likely to be forth- 
coming, they must always remain at a price 



* See The Stamp -Collector's Magazine, vol. iii., p. 159; 
vol. vi., p. 133. 



which renders them unattainable to any but 
the favourites of fortune. 

Looking at the V.R., one is strack with 
the exceeding simplicity of the device for 
producing official stamps, as compared with 
the elaborate designs subsequently adopted 
by other countries for similar stomps. A 
couple of letters in the angles was all that 
was thought necessary, but now were it 
desired to issue official stamps we may be 
sure Messrs. De La Rue's ingenuity would 
be taxed to produce a type worthy of the 
occasion. And not, after all, without some 
reason, for, as experience has shown, simple 
designs are easily counterfeited. The Y.R. 
itself has been so, not for the purpose of 
deceiving the government, but to defraud 
collectors. 

Many are the modes adopted to produce 
counterfeits of this stamp : one, rather 
successful, being to take an ordinary black 
penny, scratch out the ornaments in tbo 
corner disks, and print the letters V.R. in 
their place — stamps thus fabricated have 
been sold to unsuspicious collectors at 10/6 
each. But lately the design has been re- 
engraved for some swindler, and so accu- 
rately that the unwary may easily be de- 
ceived by the imitation. Those who wish 
to have full details of the differences between 
it and the true stamp will find them at 
p. 183 of the sixth volume of TAe Stamps 
GoUector*8 Magazine. It will be sufficient 
here to mention the most easy mode of 
detection, that of comparison with the com- 
mon black penny, which of course the true 
V.R. is identical with in every respect, 
except in its distinctive corner letters. If 
this be done, it will be at once observed that 
the profile is remarkably different in expres- 
sion. To quote from the original description 
— "The nose of our gracious sovereign is 
too pinched-up and pointed. It is not easy 
precisely to describe in words hotv the 
expression is made so unlike that of the 
stamp, but the slightest comparison will 
prove the fact, and at the nostrils especially 
the variation of contour may be seen." Be- 
sides this, the watermark is an unreal affair, 
not formed in, but in some measure im- 
pressed on, the paper, and is faint, indistinct, 
and not traceable in its outline. These 



June 1,1870;] THE STAMP-COLLEOTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



87 



forgeries come from Leipzig, and my readers 
will have to be carefnl in accepting speci- 
mens known to have been received from 
abroad. The points above referred to should 
be sufficient to identify the forgery, but if 
any doubt be felt, purchasers should submit 
their copies to some experienced judge ; and 
it may be worth while to mention that 
genuine copies are rarely, if ever, sold at less 
than two guineas each. 

Returning now to the original black penny 
stamp, we have but to notice the apparently 
insignificant cause of its suppression — its 
not showing the postmark cloarly enough, 
owing to its colour, — ^a cause which has led 
to the withdrawal of not a few of the black- 
printed stamps of other countries. The 
Maltese-cross mark, struck in black, was 
first used, but as this did not show up 
clearly, the mark was then impressed in 
red; and as it was still found to leave too 
faint a trace, it was decided to change the 
colour of the stamp itself to red. It may 
be conjectured that the authorities were not 
merely dissatisfied with the impression left 
by the obliterating mark, but that they also 
feared the chance of its being effaced by 
roguish bands (as it no doubt easily could 
be from black- printed stamps), and used 
stamps being thus made to serve again. 

Noting here that the first English stamp 
is the only one of this country's emissions 
which has been postmarked in red ink, let 
us now pass on to the twopence blue. 

This stamp was issued in July, 1840, some 
short time after the appearance of the penny, 
of which it is the counterpart in every respect 
but colour ; and it was withdrawn, or rather 
superseded, either at the sanie time as this 
latter — viz., at the end of the year, 1840, — 
or early in 1841. 

Its history is unmarked by any striking 
fact. The type, and even the colour, had 
been arrived at by means of the proofs of 
the penny, so that there existed no necessity 
for taking proof impressions of this value, 
and none, we believe, are known to exist. 
Berger-Levrault catalogues an emission on 
un watermarked paper, both of this value, 
and of the first red penny, but, as it would 
seem, without reason. I have never seen 
any notice elsewhere of the existence of such 



stamps, and Dr. Magnus distinctly declares 
in his monograph that all the first penny 
and twopenny stamps were on paper water- 
marked with a small crown. 

The two original values being now intro- 
duced to notice, forming, as they do, a 
series in themselves, and being still in exis- 
tence, the simplest plan will, I think, bo to 
continue their history down to the present 
lime, and then revert to the higher members 
of the series. 

The red snccnssor to the black penny 
made its appearance on the 1st January, 
1841. It is the custom to term this stamp 
brick-red, or red-brown, but though, in 
point of fact, all the specimens which have 
been preserved are of some such hue nvw^ 
we have Mr. Pearson Hill's word for tlio 
fact, that " the brown and brick-red penny 
labels are simply labels originally printed 
of the snvie colour as the present, in which 
the ink has faded by time."* The word 
faded should, perhaps, be read " deepened," 
as we know that our penny stamps, when 
they literal ly/acZtf, become lighter; with this 
verbal correction, the statement is one which 
can be substantially accepted. It is true 
that considerable variations of tint exist 
among the cuiTcnt stamps, but the colour of 
all is the same in the main, namely, carmine- 
red, or, as the French term it, afnarauth 
foncL It is a colour most easily affected by 
atmospheric or chemical agency, and ac- 
cordingly, although the catalogues specify 
some dozen shades, the number might be 
almost indefinitely multiplied. 

And again, another fertile source of colour 
varieties lies in the action of the gum upon 
the ink. Our first stamps, the black penny 
and blue twopence were rendered adhesive 
by a preparation which did not affect the 
ink, hence we find that the paper is in the 
same state as when it received impression, 
except for a mellow yellowish tint, the result 
simply of age. The earliest edition of the 
penny red must also have been backed with 
this kind of gum, for all the specimens I 
have seen postmarked with the Maltese 
cross are on yellowish-white paper. But 
for the subsequent editions, down to the 



♦ See TU Stamp- Collector' t Magazine^ vol. iii., p. 111. 



8S 



THE stamp-collector's MAOAZINE. [June 1, 1«70. 



year 1858 at any rate, a different gum must 
liave been employed, which in coarse of 
time has given a blue tint to the paper — a 
tint differing in intensity, but uniformly 
noticeable, on all the old copies of this 
stamp. 

Now my readers can decide for themselves 
how far tliey will accept varieties, which are 
of very inferior interest regarded intrin- 
sically, resulting, as they do, not from any 
fault of engraver, printer, or paper maker, 
nor from any accident in mixing the colom^s, 
but simply from the action of time. Decidedly 
they are not things worth running after, or 
spending money to obtain; and if they are 
worth having at all, it is simply as repre* 
senting certain incidents in the "life" of 
the stamp. Taking this view, and con- 
sidering also that specimens on blue paper, 
and in contrasting shades of colour, can be 
obtained at the cost of a little searching 
among old letters, thore can be no great 
harm in filling up the spaces allotted for 
them in Moens' album. 

The design of the blue twopence submitted 
to a modification in 184j1, viz., the addition of 
white horizontal lines to the marginal in- 
scriptions. The exact date when the altered 
design was issued appears not to be known. 
Mr; Pearson Hill, the great authority on 
dates of emission of English stamps, makes 
no mention of it ; Moens puts it as March, 
1841; other catalogue-compilers have been 
content to indicate the j'^ear only. Proofs 
exist of this stamp before the addition of 
the letters in the lower angles. The colour 
remained unchanged. 

The red penny and the blue twopence, 
with white lines, continued in circulation as 
originally issued until the year 1850, when 
both stamps were perforated. In 1854 the 
watermark was changed to a larger crown, 
the one which is still employed. In 1858 
the twopence appeared with letters in all 
four corners; and in 1864 the penny was also 
subjected to this slight facial alteration — the 
only one, if we except the minute figures at 
its sides, to which it has submitted since the 
first issue of the design. The minute, figures 
are, I believe, only the numbers of the plates 
whence the stamps are printed, and have 
not the slightest value to collectors. 



NEWLY-ISSUED OR INEDITED 

STAMPS. 

United States. — The members of the pro- 
mised series have begun to make their ap* 
pearance. At the moment of writing we 
are in possession of the five lower values, — 
1, 2, 3, 6, and 10 cents ; and probably by the 
time this impression is in the hands of our 
readers the remainder of the issue will be in 
circulation. 

The designs more than come up to thd 
expectations which had been formed oi them. 
The series, one may now anticipate, will, as 
a whole, stand unrivalled, and we trust will 
become a model for the emissions of other 
countries. To philatelists it will have a 
farther and peculiar interest, as it owes its 
existence to the strong expression of public 
opinion against its predecessors. These latter 
were condemned, not because they did not 
answer the purpose for which they were 
manufactured, but simply because they were 
considered unworthy, in point of design, of 
the great nation for whose use they were 
intended. The press was so unanimous in 
urging their suppression because of their 
ugliness, that the postal department oould 
not resist the pressure. To us, and to our 
readers, who are accustomed to look at 
stamps not merely in their useful, but also 
in their artistic aspect, this result is most 
gratifying, and politicians of the liberal 
school may point to this change with plea- 
sure, as exemplifying the power of a free 
people to control affairs relatively of the most 
trifidng nature. It is the first instance on 
record of a ' series being withdrawn on 
account of its* lack of beauty, but we sin- 
cerely trust it may not be the last. 

The information given in our last re- 
specting the designs and colours turns out 
to be substantially correct, at any rate as 
regards those values which are already 
issued, viz. : — 

1 cent (profile of Franklin), bright blue. 

2 „ ( „ Jackson), deep brown. 

3 „ ( „ Washington), deep green. 
6 „ ( „ Lincoln), pale carmine. 

10 „ ( „ Jefferson), dark brown. 
These stamps present to us the " old familiar 
faces," but the values yet to come will be 



JuMB 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



Qilton, 



occapied with the hitherto unrop 
notables— Clay, Webster, Scolt, H 
and PetTj, of whose lives we hope 
bo able to give a short sketch. Even oni- 
old ftienda appear to us ander new aspects : 
the profiles are drawn with snch botdaesa 
and delioacy combined, that they come out 
mnch better than on the preceding issuea. 
Moreover, it is tlte first time that two ncnong 
the statesmen represeuted—Jefferaon and 
Lincoln — have been drawn in profile. Jeffer- 
son's portrait has a, very fine effect, the 
features seem perfect ; Lincoln's, too, ia 
improved l^ the change, bnt the likeness is 
not so exact — he looks too much like a 
patriarch, at least so far as we can judge 
Irom the obliterated copy before us. 

The colours are worthy of the designs — 
that of the 1 cent is the richest blue we have 
ever seen, and the green of the 3 c. ia 
remarkably effective. Not less admiitible 
are tbe deep tints of the 2 and 10 cent 
stamps, but the colour of one of these two 
must soon be altered, fur there ia but the 
difiereuce of a shade between them, tind by 
gas-light thero ia acarcely any diatiuction at 
all to be obseired. 

Tbe new comers are rather above the 
ordinary size, care, no donbt, having been 
taken in deciding as to the dimensions to 
give no uffenoe on this score. The designs 
are admirable from their simplicity, which 
trnly deserves the epithet "classic." No 
attempt is made to distract attention fi-om 
tho effigy by any tawdry border ornaments. 
Three of them— the 2. 3, and 10 c— show 
the portrait in a solid oval, which is con- 
tained in a large shield that all but fills the 
rectangle; the other two have the central 
device in a frame of the plainest character; 
a label over the portrait, inscribed ir, s. 
POSTAGE, another below with the value iu 
words, and a not too-obtrusive numeral in 
tbe lotver margin, complete the design. 
Only on the 2 c. there is a delicate tracery 
of . oak and laurel leaves, emblematic of 
Andrew Jaoksou's triumphs. Finfllly, the 
1 cent and 10 cents are on paper impressed 
with tbe qnadrilled square ; the others, if 
wa may judge simply from our specimens, 
are on plain paper. 

We nope next month to bo able to give 



illostrationa of the entire series, and bad 
not our engraver been pressed >vith work, 
we should have received the fac-similes of 
the 1 and 3 cents in time for insertioa ia 
the present number. 

We learu from the Ainericaii Jotirnal of 
Philatebj that the new issue of envelopea 
" will be of the same deaign as the stamps, 
bnt the shape will be oval." They will be 
ready about the 1st of July; and, says onr 
contemporary, " from the proofs we hare 
seen, we judge them to be worthy com- 
panions to the adhesives." The referenoa 
to the design is rather ragne, but we under- 
stand it to mean that the envelopes will be 
adomtd wilh the same portraits as tbo 
adhesives of like value, only thoy will be in 

New Orleanh, — The present year has 
been fertde in discoveries, and especially of 
American stamps. Some 

I of tho resuscitated emis- 
sions have been roughly 
trested, but if our infor- 
mation be correct, the 
stomp of which tho nn- 
nesod engraving is a copy, 
ia saiia ripivcho. It has 
been for several years past 
in the collection of one of our leadinji; 
amateurs, and was received by him from a 
Kenllemnn who formerly resided at New 
Orleans. 

It appears that it was denignud to snper- 
sede the well-known 6 cent provisionals, 
and on the point of making its appearance 
when tho federals ni.ide lUUs, and the oon- 
sequoiice was that the dies, plates, sheets, 
and all otber things appertaining to the 
emission were abruptly consigned to tha 
fiiimes. The local service was at an end, 
and the copy whence wo describe is tho only 
specimen of tbo stamp known to bo in 
existence, though in that philatelic terra 
iiieugnita, the Southern States, thero may 
be others still stored away. 

The colour of thia typo ia carmino-red. 
Tbo design is above tho average of thoBO of 
the confederate locals. 

St. DoyiNao.~-A oorrosponJont has shown 
UB a copy uf tho last stamp of St. Domingo, 
printed on blue wove paper, and precisely 



90 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Jdnb 1, 1870. 



oorre.>}po<idiDg to those recently described, 
except tihut there is do lettering in indication 
of vbIuo abore or below. The motto in the 
riband — Biob Fatbia libertad — is there, and 
this is all. 

The specimea in question is postmarked, 
aodtoonrviewhasclearly not been tampered 
with. It is evident to anyone who sees a 
^eet of the stamps, that the printing of 
the word corkeos and the value is done at a 
second operation, after the arms and frame of 
the stamp have been impressed on the paper; 
the position of the lettering in many cases 
pi-oves this. Probably, therefore, a sheet 
of bine stamps was aocidently omitted from 
this second op«:ation, or the type slipped, 
and this one -specimen escaped. 

Canada. — We raentioaed in ouv April 
chronicle thai the one-cent orange of the 
new type had been issued. 
We now have the pleasure 
to insert an illustration 
thereof. 

In connection with the 
mythical halfpenny stamp 
surchai^d 8(1. btg., and 
discovered by M. Moens, 
the following very per- 
tinent remarks occur in the Postman's Knock. 
The editor says bis reasons for doubting the 
stamp are—First, that it oould bo no object 
to any postmaster to do such a trick, as he 
could not be compelled to pnt stamps on 
letters at all, and only would give himself 
extra trouble without remuneration when he 
did BO ; Geooad]y,no subdrdinate postmaster 
would dare to surcharge a stamp in this 
way, as he would most certainly lose his 
situation for attempting to sell bis stook 
above its facial value. Of course, the autho- 
rities at the general post-office oonid do it 
if the^ pleased ; bat anyone who will read 
the postmaster-general's report of the origi- < 
jial stock remaining on hand at the time 
the cent issue came in use, will see that 
there never was any lack either of tlie 
" eightpence sterling " label or of any of the 
others. Thirdly, if a postmaster should 
dare to change the values in this way, if 
such an attempt were not taken notice of as 
swindling, it would be regarded merely as 
an obliteration, and this surcharged stamp 



would count to the poster of the ktter as 
exactly one halfpenny, while the recipient 
would have the pleasure of singiug songs of 
joy (in an undertone) as he paid doablo 
postage on the " insufficiently " prepaid letter. 
Deccah. — Annexed ia an engraving of the 
new Deccan stamp 
"" referred to in our 
April nnmber. The 
value is f anna^ and 
the colour deep 
olive. Can any of 
our readers deci- 
pher the inscrip- 
tion ? Are the two 
"cobra capella" hoods, words, or merely 
ornaments ? 

North Qbrman Cosfedebatiok. — We owe 
to one of our correspondents information of 
a slight but noticeable variation in the design 
of the 1 groschen adhesive. It conasta in 
the insertion of what appears at first sight 
bt be a thick, solid, vertical line, and two 
thin side lines, in the body of the central 
figure of value ; a closer inspection, however, 
shows that the middle line is formed of a 
diagonal shading, the lines of which mn 
from right to left. As our correspondent 
observes, this variety is found indifferently 
on perforated and pierced stamps, and on 
mottled and nnmottled paper. The speci- 
men he sends is singularly clear and com- 
plete ; we have ourselves looked over a large 
nnmber of copies, but could not find on any 
of them more than a few indistinct traces 
of the middle lines. We, however, took the 
opportunity to examine the other values of 
the series, and fisnnd the I kr. green and 
3 kr. rose, with a similar variation in the 
design. Of the few specimens of the former 
at the moment in our possession, all showed 
the lines in the figures, or traces of them, 
but it will require farther investigation to 
prove whether the wbole issue of that value 
is thus characterised. Of the 3 kr., our 
stock is larger, and among these the pro- 
portion of specimens on which the lines or 
shading appeared was about two out of five. 
This shading appears in both carves of the 
figure 3, but all our copies evidently show it 
only incompletely. Onr correspondent stales 
that the 1 kr. envelope exists with the 



June 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLKCTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



Ot 



shaded figure, bat we have not }-et come 
acroea a specimou showing this character- 

DouiMCA. — The sabjoined cat is that of 
the design described in 

oar last number. Onr I H 

engraver has done his 11 II 

best, and if the copy is | i| 

far below the original, it I i| 

is not bis fanlt. No vroud- I J|| 

cut could approach it in 9 H 

South African Repdbuc. — Aatheadheeive 
stamps for this country were net ready for 
isRuo at the commencement of the present 
year, the postmaster- general decided upon 
emitting a few more provisional envelopes 
for the benefit of local traders and the public. 
The die used for the previous ones having 
been destmyed, a few were impressed with a 
small hand-atnnip, bearing round the circle 
POTCHEF3TR00M zuiD AFIUKA, and in the centre, 
z. A. R., with the value written in by hand, 
6d. pence. These were placed upon exactly 
tbo flsme style of envelopes aa the first issue, 
and were printed in black. They lire, of 
course, now obsolete. Similar envelopes 
were provided for Prktohia and Rcstenduhg, 
inscribeil, vespectivelj', with the names of 
those towns. 

Sak Salvador. — A doubtful rumour is in 
circulation, to the effect that a one centavo 
stamp, colour hlae, is shortly to be issaed, the 
type to be similar to that of the current 
series; it is, however, little likely, even if 
such an emission has been decided on, that 
choice has been made of a colour which 
would inevitably clash with that of the half 
real. 

Hanovbh. — M. Moens has discovered that 
the 1 guten gr. of 1850, which has hitherto 
been soppnsed to be on un watermarked 
paper, in reality possesses a watermarlc, 
consisting of a simple square of the form 
and about the size of the stamp itself. He 
adds, "It is not certainly such a watermark 
as is generally found, bnt still is one none 
the less for that; mannfacturera' marks alone 
ought to be excepted from the category of 
watermarks." 

Fbance. — The lanreated 1 centime has at 
length made ite appearance. The design is 



ideotical witb (hat of the 2 and 4 c, the 
colour is exactly that of its predecessor. 
The new comer has a very neat appennince, 
and, in reviewer's phrase, we con predict for 
it a very large circulatiou. As yet it is only 
in partial nse, the stock of the old type being 
used np before the new is employed. Onr 
own specimen, the only one we have as yet 
seen, we took off a circular fVom Dunkerque, 

Bei.GiUH. — It appears that this country is 
abcint to follow the Austrian lend in emit> 
ting oorrespoudence cards. The project has 
been approved by the charaberB and the 
cards are to he issued within six months 
after the promulgation of the low. M. Moens 
has faith in their ultimate apponrnnce. 

pAftAnuAy. — It is reported that the pro- 
visiooal government has issued a series of 
postage stamps, which have been in nae siiico 
the 1st March. Wc await confirmation of 
thi. 



HOW SIIADKS 01'' COLOUR ARK 
PKOUUCKD. 
The author of tbo valuable artii'lo on " Thu 
Envelopes of Qermany," now in oonrao of 
publication in The PkilalelUt, makes tlio 
following interostiiig remarks in rofei'enco 
to the manner in which shades arc produced. 
The colour of the 3 sgr. Prussian envelope 
of 18CI, which he describes as dull nt<me, 
forms the text of his observations. With 
regard to it ho says ; — 

" It is very difficult to convey by words 
the exact calonr which we desire to present 
to the eyes of onr readers. This difficulty 
arises not only from the imperfection of our 
own description, bnt nUo from the fact that 
in different persona the oi-gan of colour 
difiers so much as to cause one man to see a 
colour, if we may so express it, in a different 
light from that in which another sees it. A 
further difBculty also ariies from the colours 
themselves : so few stamps are printed in 
primitive colours. For the most part, the 
colour is formed by the amalgamation of two 
or more colours ; and as this amalgamation 
does not always take place in the same pro- 
portions, we have no longer a simple dark 
or light shade of colour, bnt we hare a 
different tone of colour, according as the 



92 



THE STAMP-COLLECfrOR'S MAGAZINE. [June 1, 1870. 



pfoporfcion' of one ' or other of the com- 
ponent colo'nfa Varies from the standard. 
Aa a simple instance of this, wo may take 
the actual penny stamp of Victoria, the 
normal colour of' which is green; in addition 
to which, we find yellow and blue greens in 
every variety of shade, as also in the three- 
penny laureated of N'ew South Wales. As 
for the old sixpenny (diademed head of 
Queen) of this latter colony, the printer 
seems to have wandered all round his 
palette, until one can scarcely say which 
is the normal colour. 

** But even if by some circumlocutory 
process we are able to give a tolerably 
accurate description of a composite colour, 
it is still necessary to give it a name. It is 
all very well to say, *Take so many parts 
of yellow-ochre, so many of burnt umber, 
adding a soupt^oii of prussian-blue, and fiat 
mistura;^ but what is to be the name of 
this mixture when formed — a mixture which 
is neither ocbrc nor brown? Now this is 
preoifsely the difficulty we encounter in 
finding a name for the colour first brought 
into use in 1850 for the French 10 centime 
stamps, and for which the French created 
the name hisire — hicus a non lucendo, — for 
what that colour has to do with the bistre of 
the artist's colour-box we are at a loss to 
conceive, except that they are both a species 
of brown. In the preparation of this colour, 
it seems as if the French colour-mixer had 
never been able to hit it 'off. It is not that 
he has gradually subsided into the colour as 
it exists at present, but between 1850 and 
the present date the variations in the tone 
of colour are as irregular as the diagram 
drawn by a self-registering weather-cock. 
Something like one of these varieties was 
taken as the normal colour for the stamp 
representing the value of 3 silber gv,, when 
the postal convention was made with the 
Tour and Taxis post-office in 1861 ; at that 
time the colour chosen did not differ very 
widely from the French 10 cents., but since 
that time they have become as wide as the 
poles asunder. While the French have been 
coquetting with the yellows, the Tour and 
Taxis, and its allies, have been revelling 
among the red-browns ; and the French 
catalogues, though they still continue to 



call the 10 cent, bistre, are driven to call the 
Tour and Taxis, and its allies, red-brown or 
red'bhitre. 

"In this dilemma, we have thought it better 
to designate the normal colour adopted by 
Prussia, in 1861, for the 3 sgr. envelope, as 
dull stone; the true colour of what we wish 
to express by dull stone being that found on 
the 9 kr. and 3 sgr. envelopes of Tour and 
Taxis, with violet inscriptions ; for, as these 
envelopes only remained in use for about a 
year, the colour of the impression forms a 
better standard than we can meet with 
elsewhere." 

REVIEWS OF POSTAL PUBLICATIONS. 

An Illustrated Catahrftie of Postage Strmpsfor 
the use of Collectors. By Dr. J. E. Gray. 
Revised and corrected by Ovbry Taylor. 
Fifth Edition. London: E.Marlborough 
& Co, Bath : Alfred Smith & Co. 

The experienced amateur who, under the 
simple nom de plume of " A Parisian Col- 
lector," has rendered important services to 
the science of philately, has been good 
enough to send us the following critique of 
the above work, which we feel pleasure in 
inseHing as a 

SECOND NOTICE. 

We hail the appearance of the new editioTi 
of Dr. Gray's catalogue, brought down to 
the 'present time, with great satisfaction, 
because we think it will tend to increase the 
number of collectors. , The catalogue is 
simple, and the editor appears to us to have 
done very wisely, when writing a work for 
general use, not to have overloaded it with 
varieties of perforation and paper, and too 
many shades of colour He has pointed out 
when series are perforated, and when not 
perforated, and noticed some of the more 
prominent kinds of paper ; but when a col- 
lector has advanced so far as to have got 
together anything like the number of stamps 
described in the catalogue, he will most 
probably be disposed to advance in the 
science, and to feel for himself some interest 
in studying the diiferent degrees of per- 
foration, the various kinds of paper, and 
will have begun to add to the shades of his 
stamps. 



June 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLEGTOE'S MAGAZINE. 



93 



Ifc seems to be impossible to lay down any 
general rules for the collection of shades. 
For ourselves, we endeavour to collect such 
as vary in some essential point, such as, for 
instance, in Ceylon, the brown and red- 
brown 6d., the rose and the redder 4d. ; but 
we discard degrees of the same shade of 
colour, unless the difference is extremely 
well defined. With regard to perforations, 
we think all such as mark a point in tlie 
history of a stamp are worthy of collection, 
such as the early Belgian stanips, the 18C3 
series of Austria ; but what is the particuhir 
value of a stamp which has accidentally 
escaped from perforation we have been at a 
loss to discover. We regard the varieties 
of paper in the same way. For the most 
part, wove paper is more uniform in thick- 
ness than laid made. The latter varies 
much in thickness in the same edition, 
and we are satisfied, by examination of 
sheets of stamps issued at the same time, 
that a most sensible difference often, exists 
in the subst«,nce of the paper of the same 
lot. The number of postage stamps has 
now become so vast, that few have the time 
or the opportunity to study those of every 
country. We therefore regard the catalogue 
in question with especial favour, as adapted 
to the wants of the major part of collectors, 
and as affording to all a very safe foundation, 
upon which they may always continue to 
build, even if they desire to go into higher 
flights. 

Further, we approve of the arrangement 
of the catalogue. The stamp-issuing coun- 
tries are arranged alphabetically, under each 
quarter of the world. We confess that we 
never did like the geographical arrangement 
adopted by M. Berger-Levrault ; and though 
we lay claim to a tolerable acquaintance 
with geography, yet we have often found 
ourselves at fault, and would have been glad 
of a table of latitudes at the commencement 
of the work. The printing, &c., is all that 
can be desired, and, taking into account the 
moderate price, we shall be surprised if the 
work does not meet with a very large sale. 

Having said so much in praise of the 
work, we shall be forgiven if we point out a 
few errors, most of which, however, are 
little better than simple errata. Thus, the 



first issue of Bavaria is described as per*- 
forated. The stamps of the North German 
Confederation are described only as per* 
forated, while the whole of the groschen 
series, and some of the krenzer series, were 
issued uuperforated also. Th^o 3 kr. euve** 
lope is omitted, as also those of the Victoria 
Invalid Stiftung. The 6 pf. Prussia, 1850| 
is described as " brown,** it should bo 
vermilion ; and among the envelopes we find 
chronicled a h lilac and 6 green, on paper 
without threads with black inscription, which 
certainly we have never seen or heard of 
before. The 1865 Spanish series is described 
as perforated and uuperforated, but the 
4 cuartos never was perforated. The ar- 
rangement of the Swiss stamps appears to 
us to be very judicious, and we only regret 
that the Winterthur retains a separate place. 
The 5 reis Azores and Madeira exist uuper- 
forated as well as perforated. The 2d. " post- 
office" Mauritius is chronicled, but not the 
Id. ; surely if the former has a place, the 
latter should also. In the 1861-8 series, no 
distinction is made between those on plain 
and those on watermarked paper. In the 
list of Canada stamps, the date of 1857 is 
assigned to the |d., 3d,, Gd., and lOd., whilst 
that of 1850 is given to the 12d. ; for the 
proper dates, as far as they are known, we 
would refer our readers to the paper of Mr. 
Atlee on these stamps, in the February 
number of The Philatelist, We see that the. 
editor has admitted into the list of New 
Granada stamps the very suspicious Sobrei 
Porte of 1868. We doubt exceedingly, the 
authenticity of these stamps, and believe 
them to be spurious. In the St. Domingo 
series of 1802 the colour of the un real is 
green, not yellow, or buff*; and we notice 
the omission of the \ real straw colour in 
the series 1866-9. We think the editor is 
mistaken in saying that the 5s. Trinidad 
does not exist marked too-late. We have 
had it for some months past in our own 
collection. The Venezuela stamps of 1860 
have also been perforated, and we believe 
officially. Among the uuperforated series of 
Queensland, the editor inserts the Is. ; we 
have never seen a satisfactory copy of this, 
and doubt its existence. The series on 
yelure paper of New Zealand is entirely. 



94 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOE'S MAGAZINE. [June 1, 1870. 



omitted, as also the series on plain paper 
of Tasmania. The editor, we observe, dombts 
the authenticity of the Suez Canal stamps. 
All that we can say is that our own copies 
came direct from the company, by order of 
M. de Lesseps. We know that they were 
used by the company for a short time, but 
the authority to continue their use was 
withdrawn by the Khedive. The stock on 
hand is now selling at waste-paper prices. 
Obliterated copies are as rare as obliterated 
specimens of the stamps of the Ionian 
Islands. 

We have now only to repeat that in our 
opinion Mr. Overy Taylor has executed his 
task with judgment and accuracy, and 
deserves the thanks of all philatelists for 
this his latest contribution to the science. 

~a" - - - - ' ' ■ ■ *■ • ■■■ ■■■■■■■■ .T^ ■■■■ -^ ■ ■ mm^ ,— -.,,■■■ — ■ ■■ ■ , 11 ^ ■» ■ ■■ ^m 

POSTAL CHIT-CHAT. 

A Sensible Remark. —The New York "Evening Poftt 
says, if letter postage be reduced to one cent, there will be 
two sent where there is one sent now. 

"Well Posted Infoemation. — It is not necessary that 
a postman should possess a good voice, but it is a most 
essential thing that he should have a good "delivery." — 
Jfnn, 

Interesting to Dentists.— The Kew York World 
thinks the peculiar expression of George Washington's 
mouth on the new postage stamp is only to be accounted 
for by the fact that the gum is placed at the back of the 
head. 

Notice to Corrrspondexts.— -^ country newspaper 
Bays : ** We cannot impress too strongly upon all coiTes- 
pondents when in doubt whether the postage of a letter 
IS a penny or twopence, the force of the old proverb : 
* Two heads are better than one.* " 

An Irishwoman lifted tip h^r voice in bitter 
lamentation at a post-office in one of the Western cities, 
the other day, when the official told her he had a letter for 
her from the dead-\etiex office. It was a long time before 
she could be made to understand that it was not an avis 
de faire part, as the French call their invitations to 
attend funerals. 

Done the thing slick.— A gentleman sent a lad 
with a letter to the post-office, and money to pay the 
postage. Having returned with the money, ne said, 
** Guess Fve done the thing slick. I seed a good many 
folks puttin' letters in the post -office through a hole, and 
80 I watched my chance and got mine in for nothing." — 
American Stamp Mercury. 

The St. Louis Stamps.— The engraver of these 
stamps, Mr. Kershaw, has just made affidavit before a 
notary public to the effect, that "during or about" the 
year 1845, he, by order of the then postmaster, Mr. 
Wimer, engraved a copperplate, containing the engraving 
of six jpostage stamps, bearing the coat of arms of the 
state 01^ Kissonri, for the use of the post-office department 
of St. Louis. 

Singular Circumstance. — "For some days past," 
says the Nord, ** the postman at fiemersdael, Belgium, 
had found small particles of wool and straw amongst his 



letters, for the prescinco of which he could not account, 
as the box was out of the reach of children. As on one 
occasion he observed a bird flying away from the aperture 
in the lid, he closely examined the interior, and found 
that a swallow had built her nest inside, and had laid 
four eggs there! A remarkable circumstance is, that 
letters are being constantly thrown in, but she does not 
seem to pay any attention to their fall." 

Kpankla Cal para Encalar. — A pamphlet 

bearing this curious title, which we will not attempt to 
translate, has just appeared at Madrid. It is, says Le 
TimbrC' Poste, the first work treating of postage stamps 
which has been published in the Spanish language, and 
is signed Dr. Thebussen, the nom de plume of our con- 
tributor, Mariano Pardo de Figueroa. It consists of 
24 pa^es, and only 1*50 copies have been printed. The 
press nas deigned to notice this brochure, and has been 
good enough to bestow upon it the praise which it cer- 
tainly merits. We hope the author will not stop here, 
and that he will find imitators in Spain, notwithstanding 
all the attractions to la vie contemplature which that 
country offers. 

A Testimonial to Sir Rowland Hill. — A few weeks 
back there appeared in the Morning Post a rather novel 
proposal, made by some one who appreciates the benefits 
of our postal system, and believes its founder has not 
been adequately remunerated, to the effect that a fund 
should be raised for him by donations of penny stamps. 
The writer suggests that every one who coincides with 
him should enclose a penny stamp in an unstamped en- 
velope, addressed to the postmaster-general, such letters 
to be " dulv registered." and the contents credited to Sir 
Rowland Mill. The idea is an original one, but to carry 
it out the consent of the authoriiies would be necessary, 
and the usual rule that not less than two uncut stamps be 
received would have to be temporarily suppressed. 

Advice to Philatelists. — Smoke! and, above all, 
buy-plenty of tobacco in small packages. The following 
anecdote will explain the recommendation. A stamp col- 
lector of Marseilles went recently to a tobacco shop and 
asked for two sous worth — take note, two sous — of the 
fragrant weed. The mistrras of the shop, of an economical 
disposition, caught sight of a piece of paper which had 
once been an envelope, and did not fail to utilise it to 
wi'ap up her merchandise. The timbrophlist, when he 
got home, turned out his tobacco, examined the wrapper, 
and found — what? — a new fourpereny green Mauritius. 
Since then all the collectors of Marseilles have taken to 
smoking, and buy their tobacco in the same quarter. We 
are not told if they have been equally fortunate. — £e 
Timbre- Poste. 

^alfpfjjny-Postaoe. — ^As our readers are aware, the 
estimated loss to the revenue this year by the reduction on 
the postage of printed matter is ;£ 120,000. The Pall Mall 
Gazette, in referenee thereto, says : " We hope that the 
postmaster-general will place among the public records of 
his office the estimate upon which the post-office founded 
their opinion in regard to the consequences of the change, 
so that in five years hence this may be compared with Uie 
actual results It will be a circumstance without pre- 
cedent if the figures of St. Martin's-le-Grand are not 
wonderfully distanced by facts. Rowland Hill counted 
on a fivefold increase, and received ninefold. We are 
the last of European nations to adopt such a beneficent 
reduction, but we shall not be the least successful. The 
proportion of letters of all weights to parcels oi printed 
matter under 4 oz. passing through the post-office is now 
20 to 1. This shows how greatly the reduction was needed. 
A threefold increase will pay, but who would yeature to 
say that a tenfold rise will not be speedily attained ? 



It 



June 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE; 



95 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE UNITED STATES POSTAGE STAMPS. 
To t/te Editor of *^Tn^ Stamp-Collectou's Magazine." 

Deaa SiK,— It may be interesting to the many readers 
of the magazine to state, that there juts now in actual use 
in the United States four different emissions of postage 
stamps. 

I posted a letter a short time since bearing stamps of 
the issues of 1861, '69, and 70; and a few days ago a 
letter passed through this post-office with a 5-ceut stamp 
of 1847 affixed to it. 

Yom-s, &c., 

Thiladeiphia, Pa. L. W. D. 



SPANISH " CONGRESS " STAMPS. 

To the Editor of "The Stamp-Collectok's Magazine." 

Sir, — In your May number you say, in speaking of the 
new congress stamp,* that the arms (except the crown), 
appear as on the fiscal stamps issued under the republic. 
[Excuse me for saving that there has not been any republic 
established in Spain. Perhaps you intended to write 
*' under the revolution ; " in that case you were right. 
The money, telegraph stamps, congress stamps, &c., all 
bear the snield adopted since the fall of Isabella II., t.^., 
the arms of Castile, Leon, Aragon, Navarre, and Granada, 
Yours obediently, 

MARIANO PARDO DE FIGUEROA. 
C. de PAcademie de VHistoire. 
Medina Sidonia, Spain. 



MR. PEARSON HILL ON THE DATE OF ISSUE 
OF THE PENNY ENGLISH BLACK STAMP. 

To t/te £ditor of "The STAiiF'CoisLisiCTOR'B Magazine." 

Sir, — ^In his article, which appears in your May number 
on the postage stamps of Great Britain, Mr. Over v Taylor 
— the gentleman by whom Dr. Gray's catal(^ue has been 
revised and corrected*- expresses a hope that I will furnish 
proof of the accuracy of my statement, that the Mulready 
envelopes and the black penny adhesive labels were issued 
on the same day, seeing that such a statement is obviously 
irreooncileable'with Dr. Gray's assertions, which are to 
the effect, tliat the envelopes were issued first, *^as Mr. 
li. Hill still had his predilection for a cover," that "the 
public called for adhesive stamps" (which Dr. Gray 
claims to have been the first to suggest), " that tJiese 
were at length issued," and proved far superior to money 
prepayment, ** or the covers originally proposed by Mr. 
(now Sir) Rowhmd HiU." 

As there are, and always have been, numbers of letters 
passing through the post too large to be enclosed in the 
Mulready envelopes, and too heavy to be franked by a penny 
or twopenny lute of postage, the manifest absurcUty of 
attempting, even in the beginning, to carry out a system 
of prepayment by stamps without employing adhesive 
labels, should, I think, have led Mr. Overy Taylor to 
doubt Dr. Gray's statement rather than mine, and to call 
upon him, not upon me, for proof; especially as Mr. 
Overy Taylor's connection with Dr. Gray must, 1 presume, 
afibra him every opportunity of referring to that gentle- 
man for information on the matter. 

In proof of the accuracy of mv statement that the 
Mulready envelopes and adhesive labels were issued on the 
same day, I annex to this letter, for the information of 
your readers, a printed copy, which I have been fortunate 
enough to obtain, of the identical Notice, which was issued 



u 
(( 
u 
it 
II 
il 
n 



to all postmasters on the 29th April, 1840, enclosing speci- 
mens of the Mulready envelopes, and, as you will see, of the 
penny adhesive labels, preparatory to their being issued 
to the public. 

On the following day, another notice was Issued, of 
which a printed copy is filed in the books of the General 
Post-office, but of which X have been unable to obtain a 
duplicate. I shall, Jiowever, have much pleasure in 
showing the original to Mr. Overy Taylor, if he will 
favour me with a call. It begins as follows : — 

** NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC, 

♦'IXSTRUCnOXS TO ALL POSTMASTERS. 

" General Post-Office, 
''April, 1840. 

"The Lords of the Treasury having fixed the 
6/A Mai/ next for the issue of postage stamps, on and 
after that day all letters written on stamped paper, or 
enclosed in stamped envelopes* or having stamps affixed 
to them — the stamps in every such cuse being equal in 
value or amount to the rates of |>oatage now chargeable 
on such letters if prepaid— will pass free of postage in 
whatever part of the United Kingdom they may be 
posted." 

I have more evidence in abundance at hand, if it were 
necessary, but I think Mr. Overy Taylor w ill now admit 
that Dr. Gray's statement is inaccurate, and he will, I 
hope, cause it to be corrected in all future editions of his 
catalogue. 

Though the refutation of Dr. Gray's statement is so 
t^asy, I greatly regret tliat Mr, Overy Taylor has raised 
any discussion upon the point. His so doing necessarily 
opens a much wider question; as this reK>rcnce, in a 
journal of such authority as your magazine, to Dr. Gray's 
statements (the first which has appeared since I became 
acquainted with it), renders it impossible for me to 
continue to ignore them, though otherwise I would 
willingly have contented myself with the contradiction 
which his claims have already received from Sir Rowland 
Hill,* rather than enter on a controversy, which may 
possibly cause annoyance to Dr. Gray, a gentleman for 
whom I have entertained, ever since I can remember, a 
most friendly feeling. 

Although Dr. Gray has greatly modified the statements 
which he put forward in the earlier editions of his cata- 
logue, he still claims to have been the first to suggest the 
system of low and uniform rates of postage, prepaid by. 
stamps, giving as the date of his suggestion, the year 
1834. 

To show, as I am quite prepared to do, the utter impro- 
bability of Dr. Gray having, at tlie date he mentions, or 
at any time before the publication of Sir Rowland Hill's 
pamphlet, made such a suggestion, would extend tJhis letter 
Deyoiid all reasonable length, and would, at present, be 
premature. The Uniform Penny Postage System (which 
IS essontiallv the system of low and uniform rates of post- 
age, prepaid by stamps) has, for the last thirty-three years, 
been associatea with the name of Sir Rowland Hill» audit 
is surely not unreasonable to require that those who now 
question his claims to the authorship of that system, 
snould produce some evidence, beyond tneir bare assertion, 
in support^ of their pretensions. Until they do so, they 
have, I think, little or no claim to consideration. 

In all scientific societies, as Dr. Gray must be well 
aware, rival claims to any invention or discovery are 
decided by priority of publication. Sir Rowland Hill, in 
his pamphlet, and in his evidence before the Com- 

• See leitter in Mhenaum, 20th December, 1892, and Purliomentary Paptn. 
No.H6«lSM. ' r , 



96 



THE STAMP-COHiECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [June 1, 1870, 



missioners of Post-office Inquiry (see their 9th Report), 
pubiUhed his plan as fkr bHck as 183T, while the eartiest 
jmblication of Dr. Giuy's claims was, I believe, in the 
year 1862, that is to say, twenty -five years later, and 
twenty-two years after the plan had been in actual 
operation. 

Though hia statemeuts have been repeatedly challenged. 
Dr. Gray has hitherto failed to produce anj^ documentary 
evidence in support of his claims ; and «ntil he does, he 
can hardly oomplain of injustice if the public assume that 
no such evidence ia forthcoming, and tnat his statements 
are based upon his recollection, or fancied recollection, 
alone. I huTe now shown that on so important but so 
slmpifi a question of fact aa that raised by Mr. Overy 
Xaylor (one of the most recent, moreover, of the facts to 
which Dr. Gray's statements relate). Dr. Gray's memory 
has fiiiled him altogether, and I think I may therefore 
safely, leave your readere to draw their owu conclusions 
with regard to the other claims he puts for«'arcl. 

Before closing this lett<»r, however, it is only just to 
Dr. Gmy that I should state my full o<mviction that he 
would never have put forward any claim at all had he 
not honestly and sincerely believed it to be will founded. 
His belief in this matter appeai-s to be one of those 
strange oases of hallucination, well known to the medical 
profession, in which people, beginning, perhaps, by 
wishing they had taken part in some §rcat measure, end 
by persuading themselves that they did,— « well-known 
instanoe being thefcase of Qeoi^e IV., who during the 
latter years of his Ufe believed,, and constantly as:'erted, 
that he had commanded the British troops at the battle 
of. Waterloo. 

With every apology for the length of this letter, 
I have the honour to remain, 
Yours obediently, 

London. PEARSON HILL. 

[copy.] 
TO ALL POSTMASTEBS. 



GENERAL POST OFFICE, 
Aptl, 1840. 

I BEO to inclose you two Specimens of the Penny 
and Two-penny stamped Covers and Envelopes, and two 
of, the Penny adhesive Labels, (the Two-penny one is 
not yet ready) which I must beg you will carefully 
preserve, in order to compare them in case of doubt with 
the stamped Letters that may pass through your Office. 
In the event of vour suspecting that the Stamps used on 
any Letters are forged, you will not detain the Letter, but 
siinplr take the Address, and report the circumstance to 
me .without lose of time, in order that the Party to whom 
the Letter is directed may be at once applied to. You will 
observe, however, that the adhesive Stamps vary almost in 
all cAses, one from the other, having different T^etters at the 
bottxxn comers, and I point this out that you may not be 
misled by this circumstance, and be induced to suspect 
Forgery, where the Tariation of the stamps has been in- 
tentional. The Numbers on the Covers and Envelopes 
also vary. You will eaa*efully Stamp with the Caneellmg 
Stamp that has been forwarded to you, the stamped Covers 
and Envelopes, as well as the adhesive Stamps, the two 
fonner must be struck on the figure of Britannia, and in 
case of more than one adhesive btamp beins: attached to a 
Letter, each Stamp must be separately obliterated. The 
use of the Cancelling Stamp, however, will not dispense 
with that of the ordinary dated Stamp, which will be 
struck on the Letter as usual. Where the value of the 
Stamps is under the rate of Postage, to which the Letter 



if p're-paid in Money would be subject, you will Surcharge 
the Letter with a Pen in the usual manner. 

You will acknowledge the receipt of this Letter and 
the Specimen Stamps by return of Post. 

By Command, 



8BC&ETABT. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

X» N. R.-^The one groten Bremen is a fiscal.- — The 60 e. 
white New Granada, 1863, is not generally believed in. 

G. W. B., M. — We can only acknowledge the receipt of 
your stamps and queries, which came rather late to hand, 
and ninat defer our reply until our next impretsion. 

S. L. Jl,, Birfcenhead.— The half-schilling Heligoland 
is the only value of that island that has yet been perfo- 
rated : the three other values are still issued rouletted. 

11. K., Birifitol^-*-Baden, Luxembourg, and Wur^rabui^, 
are the only states of those named in your list which stUl 
use their own stamps. All the othersemploy theConfedera- 
tion series. 

CoPB AjJ JtET) York. — }l. Befjger-Levrault has not yet 
published his catalogue ju English. The only recent 
work of the kind is Dr. Gray's Illustrated Catalogue, 
which may be had of the publishers of this magazme. 

A YouNO CoLLGCToii. — There is not the least deabt 
as to the ffenuine character of the Transvaal^ Republic 
s'amps. We have oui-selves received them direct from 
the postmaster of Potohef^taroom*— the principal town of 
that state. 

K. Wallis, Dublin. — The firet postage stamps used in 
Tasmania were issued in 1853, and aire the one penny 
blue> and fourpenoe orange ; both are inseribea ta.n 
diemen's land, and bear a rude profile of her Majesty 
Queen Victoria. 

W. C. M., Bristol. — The 10 pennia Finland, printed in 
the same colour and on the same paper as the 5 pnen., we 
had not before seen, though we nad heard of it. We 
believe it to be a genuine erreur cT impression, and no 
doubt it is scarce. 

A Simpson, Montreal. — You do well to purohase vour 
old Swiss stamps only of trustworthy dealers. ^This 
country's stamps have been most frequently forged, and 
good pdges even sometimes 6od it difficult to discrimi- 
nate between the bad and the good. 

Amateur, Chelsea.— The kingdom of Holland has 
issued three series of stamps : the first in 1852 ; the 
second in 1864 ; and the third in 1867-9. The last com- 
prises six values bearing the profile of king .to left, and 
four, of lower denominations, with the armsof thecountiy. 

Sbnok Don Pa.rdo de Figueroa. — Nous insdrons 
d*autre part traduction de la communicatioii ^ue tous 
avez Men voulu nous faire au sujet du nonveau timbre du 
parlement Fspagnol. Nous profitons de cette occasion pour 
voas prier, lorsque vous obtiendrez des rcnseignements 
quelconquQ sur lea emissioBS do votrepa^s, de nous- en 
tavoriser, et nous leur donnerous le meiUeuer acoueil. 
Nous vous envoyons le No. 87 de notre journal et vous 
rettneisoions de voire remise en timbi^es. 

W. H. E., Newcastle, Staffordshire—The explanation 
of the appearance of your Peruvian stamp. oh an envelope 
side by side with the shilling and sixpenny English, is 
not very diffioult. The Peruvian paid for the transmission 
of the latter from some interier town to the seaport, Callao, 
where there is a branch of the British poat-omce, a^d the 
Engli!«h stamps paid the postage from Callao home by 
British mail-packet.^'The gt«en stamp is not a one peso, 
but a one dinero. and t« described in Gray*B- Catalogue, 
see No. 10 in the list of Perunans. 



July 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOE'S MAGAZINE. 



97 



A CARD FEOM LORD HARTIXGTON. 

" What greafc events from little causes 
spring' ! ' ' What national customs and 
fashions, affecting the physical and moral 
well-being of millions, arise from some 
apparently trivial fiscal arrangement, or 
small change of taxation ! The treaty with 
Portugal, which introduced into England 
tlie common use of port wine — what a fear- 
ful heritage of gout has it not lefl in the 
constitution of the whole wine-drinking class 
of the nation! Agaiui the share the old 
window^tax had in making people like dark 
and stuffy rooms ; and how the various laws 
for and against linen, woollen, and calico 
manufactures influenced the clothing and 
cleanliness of England, and the whole com- 
mercial interest and political peace of Ireland 
— ^these, and a hundred other instances, 
might be cited to show how completely we 
are at the mercy of our legislators, not, as 
we might fancy, only for our laws and our 
taxes, but also for the most intimate habits of 
private and personal life. The introduction 
of the penny postage alone revolutionised a 
custom which had endured among the most 
polished nations for two thousand years. 
That cheering composition, a real letter, the 
literary vehicle in which the lighter thoughts 
of Xenophon and Gicero and Pliny have 
come down to us, — the elegant play of 
Ganganelle and Sevigne and Cowper, came 
all at once to an end. The dignified epistle 
ceased to be written, even by the prosiest of 
mortals ; the brief, pert note reigns for ever- 
more in its stead. The literary minuet has 
given place to the literary jig, and the 
biographers of the next generation will find 
it hard to preserve a scrap of the familiar 
intercourse of their heroes and heroines. 
Instead of great lustrous diamonds there 
will be nothing to set but a few sparkling 
brilliants, into which the thoughts will have 
all been chipped. 

Now we are going to try changes in the 
postal system, of which the results may very 
possibly be quite as remarkable as those of 
the introduction of penny stamps. The 
halfpenny newspaper stamp will do a good 
deal, but the halfpenny card, we apprehend, 
will have more curious and novel effects. 



The beneficial consequences of the introduc- 
tion of this cheap stamp in the increased 
circulation of the printed matter it is design* 
ed to further, are obvious enough. But the 
really new thing will be the use which may 
be made of the halfpenny cards. As our 
rea<]ers are aware, this addftioiial boon con- 
ceded by Lord Hartington — whose reign at 
the post-office is already distingaished by 
these great reforms — will consist in official 
stamped cards, to bear an address on ono 
side, and an open message on the other. < 
Such cards have indeed been in use in Get* 
many for some time. But it must almost 
inevitably be a very different experiment to 
introduce them to our overworked and far 
less ceremonious people. It is difficult to 
say who among us, except a few idle fine 
ladies, will not seize on them with thankful- 
ness. First there will be, of course, the 
obvious pecuniary economy of a halfpenny 
on the stamp, and the value of the envelope. 
This alone would be sufficient recommenda* 
tion for that by no means inooasiderable 
proportion of the population which does not 
feel that noble passion, the disdain for half- 
pence. Bat to many more the trouble of 
seeking note-paper and envelope, folding the 
paper, fixing the loose stamp, and fastening 
the adhesive envelope, are troubles of which 
the evasion by the use of a plain and already 
stamped card will be of much greater impor- 
tance than the saving of cost. Twenty notes 
may be despatched on such cards during the 
time now needed for the preparation of ten 
for the post-box. Nay, even the need to sit 
down at a writing-table will be abolished. 
Carrying a few cards in our pocket-books, 
we can scribble a line or two wherever we 
may find pen and ink, or with an indelible 
penoil write it as we walk along the street. 
Doubtless special pencils suitable for the 
purpose will be forthcoming, and the whole 
cumbrous paraphernalia of correspondence 
will be reduced to the contents of a waistcoat 
pocket. Nor will the economy of labour 
stop here. Among the evils under the sun 
in 1870 the plague of daily and hourly notes 
is one of the bitterest to flesh and blood. 
The idle, the dull, the impertinent members 
of society actually prey like mosquitoes upon 
the occupied and careworn. Their endless 



98 



THE Stamp-collector's magazine. [Julyi,187o. 



notes eaob aot as a tiny proboscis stack into 
the victim's skin, and not withdrawn without 
its drop of blood and consequent irritation 
of tissue. Everybody asks everybody else 
every question they please, on the plea that 
they post-pay their own inquiries. Will A 
tell B the address of ? WiU D be good 
enough to introduce E to P ? Will G re- 
commend H*s school ? or read I*s manu- 
script? or dine with J? or sit at home to 
receive K ? or lend L £10 ? or induce M to 
receive his verses into his magazine ? Every 
man and woman who does anything in the 
world receives such letters by scores, to- 
gether with appeals to help charities, public 
and private, altogetiier innumerable. Who 
will not, then, jump at the chance of always 
replying on the postal cards whereon a 
** Yes" or a "No, thank you, " must neces- 
sarily satisfy the claims .of politeness ? 

The authorities have calculated on the 
publicity of these card messages as fixing 
some limits on their use. We should not 
like to wager they will find these limits as 
narrow as they suppose. Who cares, after 
all, whether the postman, or his own servant, 
sees that he invites, or is invited, here or 
there, or promises to go or stay at home, as 
the case may be. The publicity in the case 
of the officials will only be the same as that 
of telegrams which nobody heeds; and the 
curiosity of servants can be checked either 
by locked letter-boxes, or by another obvious 
resource, the adoption of which we look 
upon as one of the most curious probable 
consequences of the new system. Ladies 
will, perhaps, take to writing their messages 
in French, German, or Italian ; and gentle- 
men may send theirs in Latin ; while between 
near relatives and friends, all sorts of secret 
symbols will be arranged to cheat inquisitive 
eyes. In the former case, what a stimulus 
will be afforded to the learning of the gram- 
mar of foreign tongues, and what delicious 
stories we shall find circulating about the 
bad Latin and queer French of our acquaint- 
ances. Few are aware how imperfectly they 
have acquired a foreign tongue, till they are 
called on suddenly to write in it, and we 
suspect that many an M.A. of Oxford and 
Cambridge — nay, even many a D.D. — will 
find it as hard to ac^cept an invitation to a 



tea-party in accurate Greek as the Irish 
bishops do to make a Latin oration at the 
(Ecumenical Council. As to the various 
ciphers, they will be an education of them- 
selves; but probably they will all yield to 
some system of shorthand which will reduce 
correspondence to its final minimum, and 
enable us to say " Yes " with the Algebraic 
sign for plus^ and " No *' with the sign for 
minus ; and invito our friends to dinner by a 
round O, to signify the table. How delight- 
fully such a plan would abridge some of the 
toils of pleasure, if not of business, it is 
needless to point cuit. Thus, instead of 
" Dear Mr. Jones, will you give Mr. Brown 
and myself the plcRsure, &c., " Mrs. Brown 
might — for the card»post will at once excuse 
and encourage brevity — simply send a card 
with a circle at the top, and under it 
"8th, 7.30?" and Mr. Jones would reply 
by another cai'd bearing the simple inscrip- 
tion of the sign for " Yes." Then, lastly, 
for the morning visits of London — cannot 
we all have our names lithographed on 
postal cards, and merely address one of 
them, whenever etiquette requires, to our 
dear friend, at whose door we should be 
otherwise compelled bodily to leave it ? 
Truly, with such contrivances, the burden 
of life in London will be greatly lightened, ^ 
the consumption of that "pestilent fluid," 
ink, essentially diminished, and friendship 
itself rendered — well, not quite so serious a 
tax as many of us find it now. — Eclio. 

OUR CONTEMPORARIES. 

The Tkilatellsi, — The June number is full 
of readable matter. The further instalment 
of the article on the Envelopes of Germatiy 
forms the piece de resistance^ and contains the 
conclusion of the list of the Prussian series. 
We observe with pleasure that the same 
writer has forwarded to the editor, in com- 
petition for a prize, an essay on the envelope 
stamps of this country, the publication of 
which we shall await with interest. 

Tlie American Journal of Philately, — The 
May number of this periodical is hardly up 
to its usual level. There is a fair amount of 
smart writing, but a deficiency of original 
matter. The coloured cuts, 'however, arc 



July 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



99 



beyond all praise, and tend strongly to dis- 
prove onr own statement last month, that 
exact identity of shade with the originals 
conld not — and oonld not be expected to — be 
obtained. The reproduction of the Belgian 
stamps are really deserving of the title of 
fao-similes. 

!Z%e American Stamp Mercury, — All the 
magazines are alike this month — they con- 
tain nothing, in the strict sense of the word, 
remarkable. The American Stamp Mercury 
ifl no exception to the rule, it gives no in- 
telligence of any special importance, and we 
are driven to note the conclusion of the 
translation of Dr. Magnus's monograph as 
the most prominent feature of the number. 
There is, however, a curious little article on 
the last page, which is worth notice. It 
gives details of the first auction-sale of stamps 
which has ever occurred. It took place at 
the Clinton Hall Book Sale Rooms and Art 
Galleries, New York, and the stamps offered 
were said to comprise the entire stock of a 
bankrupt European dealer, several small 
Anierican collections, and many exceedingly 
scarce stamps, together with a job lot of 
albums. Among the leading items in the 
sale, we find 

1 set. of three Sydney stamps, 

uncancelled ... ... 1 dol. 75 c, 

1 Knoxville 5 cent red ... 2 „ 25 c. 

1 Sandwich Islands 5 c. 1852 11 „ 

1 United States carrier 

stamp, orange ... 4 „ 50 c. 

1 yellow Mercury Austria... 2 „ 75 c. 
[Qy., reprint,] 

6 (?) and 10 c. St. Louis ... 9 „ 

^ peso Peru, cancelled ... 9 „ 
The Elnoxville and Sydney sold at ruinous 
prices, but the others mentioned fetched 
about their market value. 

We observe the table of contents contains 
two novel items : — 

" Old Friends with New Faces (omitted 
from this number, the author having failed 
to furnish copy in time for publication). 
— E. L, Pemherton," 

" The Massachusetts Coinage. — Th e author 
being unable to furnish his article, it will not 
be continued.— H. E. W." 

The editor must have been non-content 
when he inserted these notices, and the 



contributors referred to will not, we shoxdd 
imagine, be too well-pleased on reading this 
amusing specimen of an American rap over 
the knuckles. 

Le TimbrophUe, — Since our last article was 
written, we have received three numbers of 
this valuable but irregular magazine. The 
March and April numbers are principally 
noticeable for the exhaustive articles by 
Dr. Magnus and M. Albis, on the Bolivian 
stamps, a translation of the first of which 
will appear in our next number. Under 
the title of Le Vieux-Neuf, the editor refers to 
a fictitious St. Louis stamp, concocted some 
years ago by Allan Taylor, and, without pro- 
fessing to believe in it, he goes to the expense 
of engraving it. We remember seeing this 
absurd stamp a long time back, and never 
deemed it worthy of notice. Its fabricator 
now sends it to M. Mahe, with a letter in 
which he tacitly admits it to be spurious, 
and in which he asserts that the known St. 
Louis stamps are humbugs. M. Mahe in- 
serts this letter, and then asks if this is not 
" rather conclusive." M. Mahe's way of 
reasoning is most amusing. If a notorious 
swindler sends him a design purporting to be 
that of the stamp of a certain country, and if 
at the same time he admits his design to be a 
mere concoction, it follows that an assertion of 
his respecting other stamps, purporting to be 
for the same country, and known or believed 
to be genuine, is entitled to full credence ! 
According to this, if any one in Spain sends 
M. Mahe a type which he (the sender) ad- 
mits he has forged, and at the same time 
declares that the stamps inscribed " comuni- 
caciones," and generally supposed to be 
genuine, are in reality worthless, M. Mahe 
will consider such information as rather con- 
elusive ! Granting, for the sake of argument, 
that the St. Louis stamps are of doubtful 
character, the assertions of Mr. S. A. Taylor 
are, at any rate, not worth quoting one way 
or the other, and the proof is that no one 
would accept a stamp as genuine, merely be- 
cause he should say it was. 

In the May number of our Parisian cmifrere 
appears a translation by Dr. Magnus of the 
reports which have appeared in the English 
journals of the meetings of the Philatelic 
Society. The learned translator appends to 



100 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [July 1, 1870. 



the report some very sensible observatiotis 
relating to the plan of comparing, at the 
meetings, the members' collections of the 
stamps of given countries. He says, this is 
all very well, in its way, and instmctive to 
those who are present at the comparison, 
bnjb to obtain any permanent benefit from 
this proceeding, notes ought to be taken at 
the time of the specimens, exhibited, with a 
view to compiling a catalogue from them 
afterwards ; such notes to include mention of 
the collections in which the rarest varieties 
figure. 

The translator also gives his opinion 
against the formation of an official collection 
of stamps by the society, as he argues that 
possessors of really valuable stamps would 
rather exchange them for others they have 
not got, than give them away, and that a 
collection consisting merely of the com- 
moner varieties, would not be worthy of the 
society. There is considerable force in this 
objection, but permit us to suggest that 
though rare stamps might only be attainable 
(if at all) by purchase, yet many of the 
now-current emissions which may be freely 
given by members, may, in time, from one 
cause or janother, become of considerable 
rarity. 

Following the report on the Society's 
meetings, comes an attack on the 20 c. New 
Orleans stamp, of which we gave an en- 
graving last month. We should like to hear 
the other side — that of the owner of the 
assailed stamp — before we give any opinion 
ourselves, and we trust he may be induced 
to come forward to reply to the arguments 
against its genuineness. 

ERRORS OF ENGRAVING AND 
PRINTING.— n. 

BY W. DUDLEY ATLEE. 

Finland. — tJpon information received, the 
writer made a search and instituted in- 
quiries as to the existence of a 10 pennia 
stamp of this country, struck ofl^ in the 
colours of the lowest value, r. e., brown on 
lilac paper ; but, notwithstanding much 
trouble, the reward was nil, Moens gives 
it in his catalogue among the current emis- 
sion, but does not price it. Although this 
compiler is a pretty safe guide, he is, of 



course, like the rest of mankind, liable to err. 
We cannot prove a negative, but should be 
glad if some one can give the questiou an 
answer that we can condider positive. 

pRAKOB. — Another error, arising from the 
inserting af the wrong die in the "form," 
is found in the stamps of the Republican era. 
It is a 15 c. printed in black, instead of its 
normal blue colour. Certain ** shams '* are 
about which might pass toUtster as the gentiine 
article, were it not for the difibrenoe in <^e 
paper. The test is a very simple one, for 
the bond'fiJe stamp is upon toned pafier 
similar to that used for the 20 c. black, of 
which, by the way, it is an error; but the 
counterfeit is on paper of a different and 
whiter kind. We have applied the word 
" stamp " to this label, but we have never 
seen or heard of a specimen which bore a 
postmark; therefore essay is, perhaps, a 
more correct, and certainly a safer expres- 
sion to apply to it. The swindles being 
" doctored *■ from the 16 c. green, &how the 
deception when held up to the light* 

In the splendid collection of " A Parisian 
Amateur " there exists a copy of the 20 c. 
Republic, printed in the exact shade of the 
25 c. blue, and duly obliterated with the 
small dots which followed the " gridiron " 
postmark. For full particulars of this rarity, 
and of the surcharged 25 c, we cannot do 
better than refer the reader to the article 
in our last volume under the heading, " An 
Interesting Embryo.*' 

Germany. — The only error to chronicle is 
the I groschen rose of the present issue of the 
Confederation. This was evidently placed 
in the frame of the 1 sgr. It is rouletted, 
and is a very scarce variety. 

Granadinb Confederation. — ^This r^nb- 
lic, so prolific in postal emissions, only gives 
us two erreurs dHm^resstoti, These are 
found in the 1868 series, and ariee from the 
correct colours of the 20 c. and 50 c. being 
reversed; therefore presenting us with -the 
former in green, and the higher value inred. 
Both these varieties are well known, but the 
rarest is the 20 c. 

GRfiECE.-— Some few years since, we saw 
a copy of the 20 lepta similar to the one 
described by Mr. Woods in April. We be- 
lieve that the numerals at the back are'£rst 



July 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



101 



printed npon the sheets, and then the design ; 
but in this instance the "form" of the 20 
lepta for printing the reverse of t]ie sheets 
had an 80 slipped into it by mistake, which 
would account for both the stamp and 
nuTnerals being in blue* 

In November last The PJdlatellst men- 
tioned a pair of 5 lepta in the roseate hue of 
the 80 lepta as being proofs from the Paris 
Exhibition. Although some doubt was after- 
wards thrown on their genuineness, it is 
BOW pretty generally allowed that they ** are 
what they seem to be." 

Hamjwjrg. — On the authority of M. Mahe 
we must note a 1|^ sch. of the 1866 emission, 
printed in rose, but we have not seen the 
stamp, and have but little faith in it. 

Hanover. — The only variefeies we have to 
notice for this kingdom consist in the sizes 
and positions of the hureU or network. The 
" fractional '* series of 1856 are found with 
two classes of this netting, one much finer 
than the other. The largest is the acknow- 
ledged authorised emission, but of the small- 
er only the /o thaler was issued to the public. 
The others — one-third and one-fifteenth of a 
thaler — are supposed to be merely essays. 
Although the above are not errors, we feel 
it necessary to mention them, so that they 
may not be mistaken for what really do 
come under that heading. Of these there 
are the 1 guten-groschen green, and 15 thaler 
rose, which have the hureU placed upon 
them vertically, instead of horizontally. 

Holland. — We feel somewhat nervous in 
avowing our belief in the existence of such 
a long-cast-off stamp as the 5 c. of the first 
series in black. We fully expect to be un- 
mercifully "set upon'* for our presumed 
folly, but we well remember seeing a pure 
deep black specimen of this label, in the year 
1865, in the collection of an officer now in 
India. That it had passed through the post 
there conld be not the slightest doubt, as it 
was " well " obliterated ; and as to its being 
"doctored," we do not think it is possible to 
translate a blue stamp into such a jet black 
as the one we are describing. We were un- 
able to obtain it, but made a note respecting 
it at the time. 

India. — A balf-anna blue of the first issue 
is given by Mahe, in his Guide Marmel^ as 



having an erreur de lUliograpliie^ in the shape 
of a malformation of the word India, which 
is given thus — inqia. How this peculiar 
transmogrification came about we are at a 
loss to state. We court information on the 
matter. 

Italy. — Nearly all the vagaries which are 
presented by the stamps of this state must 
be laid at the door of the embosser, for in 
the first series of journal labels he has re- 
versed the central numerals, giving us a 
one c. black with figure 2, and a 2 c. of the 
same sable hue with the unit as its em- 
bossed value. 

In some of the 1855 emissions, with a 
recklessness almost bordering upon treason, 
he has placed the head of his august sovereign 
in the uncomfortable position known to tne 
initiated as " down-side-up," thereby allow- 
ing the king's subjects opportunities for 
making rude and unfeeling remarks as to 
the topsy-turvyness of his majesty's power. 
How many men have lost their heads for less 
than this ! 

Stamps with tele renversde are found in all 
the values, but we have never noticed the 
error in the 40 0. oramje, or in the yellow 
10 c, although they may exist. 

We must not omit to mention the varia- 
tions which were discovered upon the 20 
centesimi of the present issue soon after 
their emission. To exhume an old subject, 
we must state that an accident having 
happened to the matrix, the engravers, to 
hide the flaw, placed four white dots over 
the part injured, and they will be seen in 
the elliptical frame, above and below the 
ornaments on each side which divided the 
inscriptions. The plate " getting into the 
wars " again, it had to be retouched up, 
when eight more dots were added, which 
— ^to quote a writer at the time— -"may be 
observed in the lefthand upper part of the 
stamp, between PC and after E ; and on the 
right, between al, and below the letter K, 
In the loftfaand lower part, between the 
letters U[ and also the ci ; and on the right, 
between the EN and under the first i in 

CEUTBSIMI." 

These two varieties are only found in 
dark blue, and both were used for making 
the provisional surcharged 15 c. 



102 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [July 1, 1870. 



We need merely remark, eii passant, that 
in the current chiffre-taxe the lowest value 
is inscribed in the plural, as centesimi, and 
that the 1 lira is suffering under a similar 
error, being marked lire. This, as it has 
been before stated in these pages, is defen- 
sible on the ground of economy, the govern- 
ment making two dies take the place of 
four. 

A CONTRAST. 

POST-OFFICE REGULATIONS AND 

CHANGES IN 1753. 

The following is an extract from a book 
called The Bath and Bristol Guide, published 
in Bath in 1753, and lately reprinted by a 
local paper. It give» such an amusing in- 
sight into the postal arrangements of a cen- 
tury ago, that we feel sure it will interest 
our readers : — 

" The Posts from London to any part of 
England or Scotland are Tuesdays, Thurs- 
days, and Saturdays; the return on Mondays, 
Wednesdays, and Fridays. But to Wales 
and Ireland the Post goes only twice a week, 
namely, Tuesdays and Saturdays, and re- 
turns from Wales Monday and Friday — but 
from Ireland the return is uncertain. The 
Postmaster to provide horses on all the Post 
roads; and not providing sufficient horses 
he is liable to a forfeiture of £5. He is to 
receive for furnishing a horse to ride Post 
3d. per mile and 4d. for the guide, and he 
shall not charge anything for carrying a 
bundle so as it does not exceed eight 
pounds. 

** Besides this excellent convenience of 
carrying letters and men on horseback, there 
is of late an admirable commodiousness both 
for men and women travelling; and that is 
by Post-chaises, wherein one may be trans- 
ported to any place, sheltered from foul 
weather and foul vvays, at so easy a price as 
9d. per mile, either single or double ; and the 
passenger or passengers are allowed to carry 
any weight provided it does not exceed sixty 
pounds. 

" The Post is obliged to travel 6 miles an 
hour. By a statute made in the 9th of 
Queen Anne the following rates are ap- 
pointed to be paid for Post letters : 



England or South British Inland. — 
Letters or Packets, 

" From London to or from any place not 
exceeding 80 miles distance, a sheet or single 
letter, 3d.; two sheets, 6d. ; three sheets, 9d. ; 
and an ounce of letters, Is. ; and to and 
from any place above 80 miles from London, 
4d. single, 8d. double, and ounce. Is. 4d. 
North Britain, — Letters or Packets. 

"From London to Edinburgh and the con- 
trary, 6d. single, Is. double. Is. Gd, treble, 
and 2s. the ounce. From Edinburgh, not 
exceeding 50 miles in Scotland, 2d. single, 
4d. double, 6d. treble, and 8d. the ounce. 
From any place above 50 miles and not ex- 
ceeding 80 miles in Scotland, 3d. single, 6d. 
double, 9d. treble, and Is. the ounce. And 
if to or from places above 80 miles from 
Edinburgh in Scotland, 4d. single, 8d. double, 
Is. treble, and Is. 4d. the ounce, 

L'eland. — Letters and Parcels. 
"From London to Dublin and the contrary, 
6d. single. Is. double. Is. 6d. treble, and 2s. 
the ounce. From Dublin to or from any place 
not exceeding 40 English miles, 2d. single, 
4d. double, 6d. treble, and 8d. the ounce. If 
above 40 miles from Dublin, 4d. single, 8d. 
double. Is. treble, and Is. 6d. the ounce. 

*^An account of the expence of sending a letter or packet 
by express* to the following places^ and so in propor- 
tion to any other place, according to the distance, the 
same being despatched from the General Post-Qfice at 
any hour toithout loss of time. 



.. 2 



To Bath 
„ Berwick . . 4 
„ Bland ford . . 2 

! 2 

. 1 



„ JJlandtord . . 
„ Bridgwater . . 
„ Bristol 

„ Calno . . 1 

„ CaiTtiarthen . . 4 
„ Chippenham ' 1 
„ Devizes .. 1 
„ Dorchester . . 2 
„ Dover . . 1 

„ Edinburgh . . 5 
„ Exeter . . 2 
„ Gloucester . . 2 
„ Haverfordwest 3 
„ Hereford , . 2 
„ Hungerford . . 1 
„ Dilaidenhead . . 1 
„ Marlborough 1 
„ Minehead . . 2 
„ Monmouth .. 2 
„ Newbury . . 1 



8. d. 

1 
9 6 

2 
10 9 

3 6 

17 6 
5 6 

18 
16 3 

9 

12 6 
1 

16 9 

1 6 

9 

7 
10 6 



13 

19 3 
5 6 

8 



£ 
. 3 
.. 1 
.. 4 
.. 3 
.. 4 



To Newcastle 
„ Oxford 
„ Penrjm 
„ Penrith 
„ Fenzaiice 
,, Plymouth .. 3 
„ Portsmouth . . 1 
,, Reading ,. 1 
„ Salisbury . . I 
,, Scarborough 3 
„ Shaftesbury . . 1 
„ Sherborne . . 2 
„ Shepton Mallet 2 
„ Taunton . . 2 
„ Twerton , . 2 
„ TiTiro • . 4 

„ Wells . . 2 

„ "Weymouth . . 2 
„ Worcester . , 2 
„ Yarmouth . . 2 
„York ,, 2 



8. d. 

15 6 
7 6 
6 

19 3 



13 

8 
11 

3 
13 

9 
19 

8 

12 





9 
6 
6 
9 


6 
8 
9 



17 6 
3 



7 
9 
3 
2 
18 



3 


9 





• [From London r — ^Ed.] 



July 1,1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



103 



SAINT CHRISTOPHER. 

Two miles to tbe north of Neris, and forty- 
six to the west of Antigua, lies a little island 
which has only within the last couple of 
months followed its neighbours' example in 
issuing postage stamps. 

Four years ago an emission was talked of, 
and at a time when frauds in the way of 
essays were frequent, an attempt on the 
credulity of collectors was made, in the 
sha-pe of a set of pretended proofs of a 
forthcoming series for this island. The 
badly-employed talent of the engraver was 
temporarily rewarded by the purchase of his 
productions by collectors, but after a few 
months had passed they fell into disrepute, 
and were ultimately discovered to be entirely 
fictitious. 

Since then the stamp world has heard 
little of St. Christopher; nor has the 
general public heard much more, for St. 
Kitts (to quote its more popular name) is 
not an island which occupies a very con- 
spicuous position, and only careful students 
of the news brought by the West Indian mails 
can be at all an courant respecting its pro- 
• gress. 

Still, it must not be supposed that St. 
Christopher is declining — it keeps the even 
tenor of its way, but that way is an upward 
one ; and certainly it is not likely to retro- 
grade for want of educational facilities, for 
we find that there were in 1858 no less than 
34 schools in the island, or one to two 
square miles. The revenue has risen five- 
fold within a brie^ period : in 1834 it was 
£3,600, in 1857, nearly £20,000, and it 
probably has increased in the same ratio 
since. This advance is ascribed to the 
system of free labour, which has had such 
a contrary effect in other colonies. 

The general make-up of a West Indian 
island can almost be guessed beforehand : 
a conple or so of large towns, a mountain 
ridge, and a sprinkling of plantations, form 
the principal items, — and these are the 
chief characteristics of St. Christopher. The 
political features are not more difi&cult to 
conjecture: a governor, a very diminutive 
house of assembly, and an executive, con- 
sisting of two or three officials, who each 



fill half-a-dozen high-sounding positions, and 
hardly make a decent living out of the lot — 
such are the notable points which we find 
repeated monotonously in all the minor 
islands of the West Indian group. 

The only really peculiar thing connected 
with the island is its name, which was given 
it by its discoverer, Columbus, and is, in 
some Sort, a souvenir of him, as it was his 
own Christian name. 

THE NEW ZEALAND STAMPS. 

The following information respecting the 
origin of the N. z. watermark, and the mode 
in whitih the New Zealand stamps are en- 
graved, comes from a specially trustworthy 
source, and will, wo have no doubt, be read 
with, interest. 

The reason some stamps have been printed 
on paper with n. z., instead of a star water- 
mark, arose from a mistake. One hundred 
reams of paper were ordered from England, 
and the N. z. put as the watermark by error ; 
the government being short of paper used 
some of this on its arrival (about forty reams 
have been used), but on receipt of paper 
with the star watermark, the use of the 
other was disconMnued, as being of inferior 
quality. It is very probable that some of it 
may b% used soon, as th»e office is nearly 
out of the star brand of paper, and it may 
all be used before new arrives. No account 
was kept of the stamps which were printed 
on this paper, but it was used indiscriminately 
for all denominations required. 

The adhesive receipt or bill stamps are all 
printed off the same form, v'.e,, the Queen's 
head and lines of the stamps are first en- 
graved on wood, off which a set of electro- 
type plates are taken, and from these a steel 
plate is engraveicl, large enough for a whole 
sheet of paper. 

The stamps are engraved from this plate, 
the denominational value of the stamp being 
printed iti the ordinary way, after the stamp 
itself has been printed — thus, one steel plate 
suffices to engrave all the receipt or bill 
stamps that are used in the colony, the 
difference being in the colour of the ink used 
for printing the engraving. The printing 
of the value is a separate process. 



THE 6TAMP-CX>tLECT0Il'S MAGAZINE. [Jdly 1, 1870. 



NEWLY-ISSUED OR INEDITED 
STAMPS. 
We hare dalayed ihe prnparat^on of tbia 
article natil a perilongly late period of the 
month, boio;; TtnoertHin whether tho pro- 
raised illustrations of the United States 
ftampa would arrive in time Cot insertion. 
The engraver has, however, redeemed bis 
promise, and we. are hnppy to be aHe to 
place all the types before onr readers.- 
Ujiitsd Statrs, — We have already de- 



scribed at length the designs of tho five 
lower values, but, fur clearness' sake, it 



may bo as well to repeat the information 
as to colours and portraits. They are as 
follows ; — 1 c. bright 
bine, Franklin; 2 c-. deep 
bi*owi), Jackaon ; S c. 
deep green, Washinptnn ; 
fi e. pale carraiuf, Lin- 
coln ; 10 c. dark browii, 
Jefferson. 

The remaining five 

values of fbe new setiss 

, areont, though if T^monr 

is to bo believed, their circulation has been 

terliporarily Hoapendod, to gtvo time for the 

e)ilianBtion of the two previous emissions. 

ThfiBe higher vabica arc, in our opinion, 

. qnitc equal tio the five lower denomiuationa 



by which they were preceded. The designs 

are quite as chaste, the oolouriiLg s« effective, 

ibe execation aB delioftte. 
Tbe 13 oant beora the, 

bnst of Henry Clay, and 

is very neatly designed. 

The portrait itself has 

quite A classical appcai^ 

nnce, and gives one a good 

idea of the acntc states- 
man it represents. The 

colour is a kind of par- 

plish blnclc. ..r- 

The 15 cents is the simplest of all : the 
design may be said to be 
composed merely of the 
portrait (that of Web- 
ster) and the snrroaod- 
ingovai. The colour cho- 
sen (a brilliant orange) 
is pleasing; and if the 
indented square were, as 
on some other values, 
conspicnons for its ab- 
sence, there would have 

been nothing to complain of. 

The Sli cents is strikingly beautifiil. Ibis 

more highly ornamented by fer than any of 

the other \'Hlues, but the embellislunents 

have been disposed with such romaricable 

taste that they deserve nothing but praise. 

On the upper edge of the 

oval containing the bast 

of handsome old General 

Scott are arranged Ibo 
thirteen emblematic 

stars, and the insci'ipti 



I'AOK, I 



I'y 



vided 



letter, 

long the nine central 
ones. Helow tho oval, on 
the I'ight, are three mus- 
kets piled, and on the left a flag and cannon ; 
numerals of value in the upper comers, and 
tho value in words in the lower margin, 
complete a design which is truly rem arkaUa 
fur its elegance. If anything were needed 
to enhance tho effect, the colour— a rich 
violet — supplies the want. 

Al^er the 24 cent comes the 30 c, which 
mo.^t reaembles tbe lower values, the portrait 
(Hamilton's) appearing on an oval in the 



July 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



103 



centre of & shield, whicb nearly fills the 
Btamp. This is a fit companion for the 
12 cents, to which indeed its colonr (a 
greyish black) is rather too closely allied. 



The 90 cents bears the profile of the naval 
hero. Commodore Perry, ia (he centre of a 
large oval, of which a portion of the border in 
formed of a rope, ivhinh serves to snspend 
the label containing the value in words ; an- 
chors at the two lower comers still further 
illustrate the vocation of the represented 
officer. The colour of this value is a rosy-red. 
The specimens from which we describe 
are clear and perfect impressions, bat it 
Reems that tho printing haa not been of 
equal excellence throughoot, as our Brighton 
contemporary remarks that " in all the 
specimens of the 30 c. and 90 c. he haa 
seen, either from a peculiarity of the paper 
or other extraneous cause, the impreasiona 
are sadly blurred." 

St. Ch hi btopher.— We announced last 

month the emission of these stamps, and are 

w now able to confirm the 

I statement, npon ocular 

I demonstration, of its cor- 

I rectnesB in the shape of 

5 specimens of the stamps 

5 themselves. We cannot 

^ but express ourselves 

'i pleased with them, as 

though they do not rise 

far above the usual De La Rue type, they are 

characterised by greater neatness and taste 

than, many of the productioDs of that famous 

bonse. The colours, of conrse, have a great 

deal to do with the appearance, and those 

which ba*'o been given, respectively, to the 

two values, tho penny and sispence, are 

woli chosen ; the green of the latter value ia 

very pretty. Pleasing as these stamps are, 



they yet present the mioimani of intrinsic 
interest. Had tbe^ borne, instead of a 
raonolonons repetition of the Queen's head, 
tbo armorial bearings of the island, how much 
more interesting they would have been. 
Mnsing observers of the stamps will observe 
that the familiar appellation, St. Kitts, has 
been diiioarded, in favour of the more formal 
title, Saint Christopher. 
JSsvi Soma Wales. — 
In our Mayonmber wede- 
scribed the forthcoming 
sixpence from a proof 
impression. This proof 
has since beeu engraved, 
and from the annexed 
illustration our readers 
will be able to judge 
whether our expressions ol 
warranted. , 

New Gbakaoa, — ^We 
recently announced the 



fao-stmile thereof, wl 
judge for themselves 
will probaUy be dlsj 

allowance of 99 per cent, ought to be made 
to colleotorH who wish to obtain specimens. 
Antioquia. — In our number for March last 
we gave the fac-simile of a 2^ centavoa for 
tbis state, of a far more primitive type of 
design than the 5 c. by which it was ac- 
companied ; a 10 c. pale lilac on white, 
greatly resembling the former, bas now been 
discovered, an engraving of 
which is annexed. It is now 
argued, and with great ap- 
pearance of reason, that 
there have been in all three 
emiaaiouB for this state. 
The 2| c. above alladed 
to, and the 10 c, which 
figures hereivith, ai-e mem- 
bera, according to this hypothesis, of the 



loa 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOE'S MAGAZINE. [July 1, 1870. 



w|ioIp of the watermark* Taking up one by 
cbjmqe, we eaw it 4ated .1867, ajid gave up 
fivtb^wejearch in (J^spnir, or w.^ sbould pro- 
bably bave tp cbronicle as^ many varieties as 
en Y^opejB.. So iar as w^ bad patience to verify, 
tbesq are all impressed with a fanciful V, 
The, fipjtajlest envelopes, most frequently de- 
void ,Qf watermOirk, exhibit portions of the 
same inscription as the second size, and at 
tii,mesi the.ivvord post., The seal impression 
i^ ^,, rpsfe.. .All are . on , highly gla?pd. satin 
l^id p^ppr of valuing consistency. Which 
of th^ suyiiry varieties jabove,, numerated or 
implied, .isVtp be .qpn^iderpd by the quasi- 
piiristV..a^ ^ no^jn^l typ^.? We pause for 
^.reply,. We baye^r^a^rved fourteen for our 



f « • < « / ' 



OTO-CoU^ctip^/',. . 

.,ilussi.A,7^Another correspondent, to whom 
we must admit oiir obligation, sends »s copies 
o£.,tb^,8>qp, |?^u^sy3, Ae design of whidi is 
struck' on the gcQundwork of the 5 kop., 
\fjiic}i^ as our readers are aware, consists of 
repetitions pf tj;ie Roman nnimeral v. Tbis 
must take rai^k as a remarkable and pecu- 
liilTly interesting printer's error. The stamps 
6;i. which it appears are i^ the ordinary 
coXoujs, black aiad. greei^, and, as wp may 
ppeaame the error was confined tp a few 
sh^ts at most, this yarieiy.must soon be- 
come very rare. '. ► 

Austria*— 7 We learn from Le Tirnhropliile 
that the violet newspaper stamp of 1867, 
hi^d. of Mercury,, ha^ already ceased to 
Qxiflt. jl^ere was butone supply printed, 
and, says our contemporary, "notwithstanxj- 
ing 03^ reiterated inquiries, "we have foijind 
it ipxppssible to obtain qopies.*' 

In <?otttradiction of this statement, we read 
in^.ie ,J^Wr4,^u*<6,.th,at for.the past two 
ippnths, Ijie jp^urnal stamp; has been pputed 
ift, bi;ight, 3fiole|t;* Wp aIso learn fronji this 
iatt!Br:.Wth9ri,ty, that j^ustei^ ja .a^put to 
fbljpw thk . Pru^i^n ' initiative in using, up 
all t|e old envelopes ^by .cip;yering the im- 
prpsseii stamps with adhpsiye S kr. . , 
. HQL?jLNp.7^From^/i6 General Stamp Advpx* 
tmr^B. publipatioDL issued by Mr,Van,Binsum, 
which has taten the place of the ijiow defunpt 
_Gf(n>tine)itqJ Philatelic: M(^^ glean in- 

telligence of a forthcoming emission of a set 
of envelopes, aewfipaper bauds^ and post 
cards for Holland, It is .surprising how 



rapidly the number of this country's stamps 
has increased since the supe;:cession of the 
first long-lived trio, and it is still moira sur- 
prising to notice how rapidly the idea of 
post-cards is being taken up .by the European 
states. 

RouMAjtu. — The current series, already 
numbering several values, has just received 
an augmentation in the shape of a 3 bani 
deep mauve. The design is that of the 
2, 4, ;and 18 bani, and, like ita, predecessors, 
is un perforated. 

■^.111 — - ' Mil II I " '^ ~ 

A COLLECTION OF JIEADS. . 

I thijtb: «ome of .your readers may be in- 
terested to learn of a little supplementary 
colldCtion of staBEips which J have formed, 
CkQiusi^iog. solely of those which are onaa^ 
manted with portraits. 

' I have jpaade ity certainly^ for my own 
pleasure in the first plaoe, but as I am an 
ardent. lover of philately, and like to propa* 
gate it wherever I can, an eqaaUy strong 
motive has been- my desire to have a little 
collection at hand, which would illujstrate, 
in a very special manner, obo of the* chief 
uses of the soience, for the purposie of 
showing it to ,tbe. uninitiated, witli a view 
to conver^g them, if |f>oss£ble, into etamp 
collectors, or at leaat inspiring them with 
proper respect for the pursuit. ■, 

I have found that it is useless to expect 
mere phiHstines to com^eh^nd or take any* 
thing. more thana ooldly cii^mplimaotary in- 
terest in my collection proper. Which I have 
endeavoured to arrange in humble obedience 
to the dictates of our philatelic authorities. 
To them even the evident difierences of shade 
are barely visible, and th6 finer characteristics 
of varieties it is- useless to attetapt to explain. 
I have learnt, therefore, not to Waste tiihe in 
(Mcpatiating over those beauties and rarities 
which are pleasing to a trained ey6, and' have 
foiitod that to gain attention it is n^ssary 
to point to. the more obviously interesting 
portion* of my albutn, and especially^ tor the 
historica! value of stamps. 

Following up this idea, it occtii^re^ td yhe 
to> form -a little supplementary 'colle6tion of 
the " head " stamps, choosing just otie of 
each, and I have found this plan atiswer very 
welli The portraits an DW>st of the frf^unpa 



July 1,1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



10^ 



are good, and many are wonderfully exact. 
That of onr own gracious Queen is an ex- 
ception to the rule, but the effigies of the 
Emperor of the French and the Kong of Italy 
are yery Kke. Agaio, lady-examiners of my 
collection look with interest on the features 
of Queen Isabella, in whose favour, by the 
way, I hftve been bound to make an excep- 
tion to my rule to admit but one portrait. 

Old Bomba's classic face always attracts 
attention, and so do the unclassical linea- 
ments of the kings Kamehameha. The fine 
Argentine portraits draw forth inquiry as to 
whom they represent, and so, unfortunately, 
does the equally fine head on the new Chilian 
stamps. 

The Prince of Wales, on the 10 c. New- 
fonndland, is readily recognised, and the 
portrait of old Jacques Oartier excites in- 
terest. The portraits on the old American 
stamps are pretty fomiliar, even to the out- 
side world of unbelievers, but some of those 
on the new series will no' doubt give rise to 
questions, to be prepared for which I must 
rub up my own biographical knowledge. 

Butr I need not prolong these gossipping 
remarks. I have said enough, I think, to 
prove thSrt my plan has a good deal in its 
favour, and I need hardly, therefore^ allude 
to the pretty appearantJe of these effigied 
stamps as another argument. If some of 
my reader's should be disposed to follow my 
example by making a similar cblleetiori, I 
think they would soon increase the number 
of their philatelic friends. 

THE PHILATELIC SOCIETT. 

Both the Committee and General Meetings 
on the 7th ultimo were fully attended. The 
departure of the President for Australia^ 
though much regretted, was compensated 
for by the superintendence of the Vice- 
President. The annual accounts were pro- 
duced by the Secretary, and passed with 
great approval ; there being, after the pay- 
ment of all expenses, a tangible balance in 
hand, which will be devoted to the further- 
ance of the Society's objects, and the 
advantage of its members in general. 

Dr, Viner proposed that exhaustive mono- 
graphs of the. issues of all countries should 



be g^dually prepared on the principle of 
those valuable ones published by Messrs.' 
Pemberton and others in The Philatelist: 
that these should be from time to time 
printed and distributed gratis to the several 
members. These monographs, when cotti- 
pleted, w31 form a full and authorative 
catalogue of all the accredited varieties of 
postage stamps proper. This idea, meetmg 
with general approbation, it is hoped will 
be eventually carried but. M:es,nwmle it is 
contemplated to publiali the proieeeditogs bf 
the Society during its twelvemonths' exist- 
ence, and forward them to all members. 

Sundry specimens were exhibited and 
compared, including the numerbus varieties 
of the Victoria twopenny envelopes, somo 
of the newly-emitted United States stamps, 
genuine U.S. locals, and a beautifil proof on 
cardboard of the new U.S. 6 cents in' brown, 
the norbial colour being pink. ' 

It was mentioned that the designs for thef 
forthcoming halfpenny stamp are already' in 
existence in Messrs. l5e La Rue's atelier. 

In reference to certain * observations on 
his acceptance of information from a quartet^ 
lying under the ban of the Society, Dr. Viner 
took occasion to explsiin that he did so from 
no disrespect to its members, but sfmpfly 
from a wish to impart all derivable know- 
ledge on philatelic matters to collectors in 
general. He also submitted, that communi- 
cations of interest, when obtained, are en- 
titled in common politeness to courteous 
acknowledgment. 

A committee meeting was held on the 
21st, at which, and at the previous ones, 
donations of stamps .for the Society's Refer- 
ence Collection were made by the various 
members. Dr. Viner presented the latest 
edition of Oppen's album. The Society has 
received the accessions of many members, 
proposed fend elected at this and regent* 
meetings, notably a lady member, residing 
at Wellington, New Zealand, and Sr. Don 
Mariano de Figueroa, of Medina Sidonia, 
Spain, whose philatelic manual, the first 
published in that language, has just ap- 
peared, under his nom de guerre of Dr. 
Thebussem.* 



^tai^i««a«*^Mk^iAaft«aki^ 



* Thk Tepoct is copild from 2>l« PhilaUlkL 



110 



THE stamp-collector's MAOAZINE. [July 1, 1870. 



Unlike the "May meeting,'* that which 
was held on the 4th ult. was bat thinly 
attended. The chair was taken by the Vice- 
President, and among the members present 
were the Secretary, Dr. Viner, Mr. Ysasi, 
and Mr. Overy Taylor. 

The most interesting item in the proceed- 
ings consisted in the reading and discussion 
of an interesting communication from New 
Zealapd, the principal items of which are 
given at length in another part of the num- 
ber. The secretary was instructed to cor- 
respond with the writer of the same, with 
a view to the further elucidation of certain 
obscure points connected with the history of 
the New Zealand stamps, and it is to be 
hoped that further valuable details will be 
forthcoming. 

REVIEWS OF POSTAL PUBLICATIONS. 

KpanJcIa (carta dirigida al SenorBon Ednardo 
De Mariategui por el Doctor Thehussem), 
Madrid, 1870. 

We reprinted in our last number a brief 
notice of the above work from Le Timbre- 
Paste, and being now, through the courtesy 
of its author — Senor Mariano Pardo de 
Figueroa, — in possession of one of the 150 
copies which formed the now-exhausted 
edition, we are happy to be able to bring 
this interesting little brochure again before 
pur readers, and only regret that our very 
slight acquaintance with the Spanish lan- 
guage prevents our referring to it in any 
but the most superficial manner. 

The work is divided into seven sections : 
the first refers to the different terms de- 
signating Spanish stamps and post-offices, 
with a fling at the new term comunicaciones ; 
the second section is devoted to a kind of. 
sketch of philately and philatelists, the facts 
related in which must astonish uninitiated 
readers in Spain; section the third is entitled 
"Chitchat" (a term which we are spared 
the trouble of translating), and treats of the 
Spanish stamps, regarded from a philatelic 
paint of view, and in this connection the 
critiques on the new issue, which appeared 
in our own and other magazines, are quoted 
in the language in which they were written ; 
the fourth section treats of the obstacles in 



the way of dealing in stamps in the country 
of the Hidalgos, and here we notice that 
the author quotes those laws against the 
sale of stamps by unauthorised persons 
which he refers to in a letter published in 
another part of this present number. He 
laments the total absence of periodicals, 
books, or other writings, on stamps, except 
such cursory notices as appear in the [official] 
Post-office Review; the fifth section consists of 
an apology for stamp collecting ; the sixth is 
occupied with certain suggestions respecting 
stamps, for the benefit of the chiefs and 
subordinates of the Spanish post-offioe, 
followed by a table, showing the percentage 
of heavily-cancelled stamps among several 
of the principal stamp-issuing countries, 
whence it appears that 44 per cent, of the 
Spanish, 75 per cent, of the Philippine, and 
86 per cent, of the Cuban labels are ren- 
dered illegible by the obliterations. The 
seventh section consists of an explanation 
of the curious title Kpanlcla, which turns 
out to be an abbreviation of ca iii'aiicald, or, 
in good Spanish, Cal para Encalar. 

This brief analysis will serve to show the 
scope of the work. ^ It is intended for 
general reading, and as it is the first which 
has appeared in the language, we may 
anticipate it will do much to popularise 
collecting in Spain. A second edition is 
now in the press, and we trust that it will 
speedily meet with the '' happy despatch '' 
which the first has received. The printing 
is surprisingly neat, and in all respects this 
little book is worthy of the honourable 
position it occupies. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE 2^EW PARAGUAY. 
To the Editor of "The Stamp-Collector's AIaoazixe." 

Dear Sir, — Anything, either joro or con, cancerning the 
genuineness of the renewed rumour of au emieaion for 
Paraguay is worthy of mention, so I send you a oopy of 
a note received from the consul-general in London res- 
pecting them : — 

"Mr. Greene begs to inform Mr. Atlee that he has- not 
heard of the issue of any postage stamps by the Para- 
guayan government, and in the present unsettled state of 
affan*8 in that country, he doubts whether any have been 
issued." 

Yours truly, 

Birmingham. W. DUDLEY ATLEE. 



July 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-OOLLEOTOR'S MAGAZINE, 



111 



THE TWOPENNY BTAMP OF BARBADOES. 
To the Editor of " The Stamp-Collector's IUoazin a." 

Sir, — " Fentonia," in your magaxinc for May has 
written a lengthy letter, the greater portion of which 
is devoted to the now obsolete 2d. stamp of this island. 
He seems entirely to doubt that such a laoel ever existed. 
I beg to assure him that the 2d. stamp is no mvth : that 
it did exist, and passed current, although but for a short 
period. 

I must repeat that Mr. Tinling, our postmaster, has 
again assured me that he recolucU tctll when these 
stamps were used. 

I must also call your attention to my former remarks, 
viz., that a gentleman employed at the secretary's oflSce 
(and who is now a partner m one of our largest mercantile 
houses) had substantiated what 1 had previously written, 
and that he had referred to the order-book, and told me 
the colour, value, and time, when they were ordered. 

I will also, in proof that such a stamp did exist, 
volunteer a small bit of information : The postage from 
this to the neighbouring ports was, at the time when 
these stamps were issued, od. ; frequently pai-ties had not 
a penny laoel by them, and rather than take the trouble 
to sendf to the post-office, would cut a 2d. stamp in two, 
and place one half, together with a 4d. label, on their 
letter ; this was permitted to pass the post, and so reached 
its destination. 

When I was in Martinique a few years past, Mr. 
Coepel (a merchant of that island) permitted me to 
examine his old lettei-s and papers, and to take from them 
any stamps that I required. I found three or four letters 
that had oeen posted with a 4d. and half of a 2d. stamp. 
I managed to obtain two halves which matched nicely, 
and placed same amongst my collection. This is the one 
that I informed you I had oeen happy enough to obtain 
in the room of that which I parted with for such a 
tempting price. 

Tne specimen which " Fentonia" refers to, as having 
been in the collection of a post-office clerk here, was not 
a 2d* I saw the stamp ; it belonged to Mr. Parks, the 
unfortunate clerk who was drowned at Demerara. The 
specimen in this poor fellow's album was perforated, and 
tne 2d. labels were not. 

Apologizing for having so largely occupied your space. 
I am. Sir, yours obedientlv« 

Barbadoes, BIllDGETOWN. 

[Would our correspondent kindly state irh^t the colour, value, and time 
of ui-der vhieli were nimmanicated to him wero, tritli any other pajileu- 
lara he may be In possession of; this we know would be extremely ac- 
ceptable to our readers.— Ed. J 

THE FIFTH EDITION OF DR. GRAY'S 
CATALOGUE. 

To the Editor of ^^T^^ Stamp-Collector's Maoazixe." 

Deau Sib, — I have had the honour to receive as a gift 
from ray respected fiiend, Mr. W. E. Hayns, the honoraiy 
secretary of the Philatelic Society, a copy of the above 
work. 

Fresh and inexperienced recruit of philately as I am, I 
yet must tell you that I was charmed with the mngnifl- 
cent introduction to the book; the rest I am unable at 
present to understand fully, and as regards the catalogue 
itself I can but admire, not judge. 

Pennit me, however, to make one observation. At 
page 62 occurs this note : — 

" Specimens of many of the stamps issued anterior to 
1862 exist with one line each way, drawn across with 
pen and ink, or with three printed bars, crossing trans- 
versely, and obscuring the design to a considerable degi^ce. 



These specimens formed part of tlie ronuiindtr:* of their 
respective si ries in hand when the same were withdrawn, 
and the obliterating mark was made by order of tho 
authorities (by whom, as may be presunuMi, these re- 
mainders were sold to dealei-s), to prevent their being 
used hy any chance for prepayment of postuijo." 

Now allow me to quote som'e of the laws which are to- 
day in vigour in unhapuy and miserable Spain : — 

** Any person who shall remove the postmarks from used 
stamps, or sell such stamps to the public, sliall be put at the 
disposal of justice, that he may be judged and punished 
conformably with the laws."— i&ya/ Dtcree, ICtJiMai-ch, 
18oi, art. 111. 

Again, let us see what is the state of the law respecting 
the later issues, and the stamps now in use :~ 

" It is an infringement of the law against smuggling 
(contrebande) for any person other than tlie govcrnnu nt 
[or those whom it may appomt for the purpose ?] to sell 
postage stamps."— -8oy«/ Order, I8th xsovomber, 1860, 
art. i. 

You will see from this that stamp collecting in Spain 
is without protection. Dealei-s in stamps I~t here are 
none in the country. Tlie goveniinent burns or destro^-s 
the useless stamps [the remaindei-s of sunpressod series], 
and to sell them would be to incur all tne consequences 
of a criminal act. 

Just as is done in certain offices in India, Canada, and 
other places, so in somo portions of Spain, obliteration 
with pen and ink is still performed. The law respecting 
the operation is as follows * — 

" In the rural offices (termini in Spanish, Carterias, a 
word which, however, is not found in the dictionary of 
the Spanish Academy), the stamps whicli piepay lettcra 
destined for another rural office, and which aro not for- 
warded by an estafctte, are to be annulled by means of a 
crosSf made with pen and ink." — Order of tlie rostmaater' 
General, 14th Sept., 1857. 

You can now decide as to the vfduc of tho above quoted 
note from Dr. Gray's catalogue. I believe it to be wrong. 

In the second edition of the brochure, entitled KpaM(fy 
which should appear in the course of August next, I 
consecrate an entire chapter to the consideration of this 
matter. I sliall have the pleasuro to send you a copy, 
Svhich pray accept. 

Yours obediently, 

M.UiIANO PARDO DE FIGUEROA, 

Medina Sidonia* C de I'Academie d'Jiisloire. 

[Our learned and estMmed eorraspondent has prodiMod good rea- 
sons why dealnrs should not, and cannot, exist In Spain, and yet we 
can assure him that they do (alat, and we have pleasant recollections of 
the ocular demonstration of this fact, which we received some .years ago, 
In the visit of » young gentleman (rotn i(i«di-id. who dealt in Spaitlsh 
stamps. It Is, In fact, throiich him, and one or two others, that these 
stamps, even the old issues, have b<>«ome, with Csw oxceptionn, eo eoai- 
mon. We have seen many entire aheeta of the stamps of tlin 1858-7 series 
obliterated by pan and ink, or with the hurlxontal printed Hues, in the 
manner referred to by Dr. O ray, and It was, at any rate, a reasonable 
eunjecture on the edittir's part that these obliteratiuns were mivde hv the 
puthorities, before hant^iiig over the remainders to the dealers. If the 
sli»eta are not " remjihtders " of the series, what are the^ f— eortaiirijr not 
reprints.— Eo.] 



DR. GRAY'S CATALOGUE-THE BLACK PENNY 

ENGLISH. 

To tJie Editor of '* The Stamp-Collectoe's Magazine." 
Deau Sir, — I cannot thank you too heartily for tho 




less grateful to **A Parisian Collector" for point* 
ing out the eiTors in it which had escaped my attention. 
Several of these errors are, it will be seen, simple erreun 
de plume^ though they are such as ought not to have been 



112 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Jui.v 1, 1870. 



allowed to pass in the priX)f8. Among these may be nott>d 
thfi catnloguiug the newly-found Sydney as of the value 
of twopence, uic description of the first 6 pf. Prussian 
as brown, &c. Other of the eiTors noticed ars ot the 
nature of inqualifiablc omissions, and I am verv glad that 
they have been pointed out, as 1 shall be the Letter able 
to remedy them in future editions, and meanwhile pur- 
chasers of the catalogue are apprised of their exiuteneo. 
Tour leni»it judgment nrccluues the necessity of my 
urging, in excuse for the occurrence of these errors, 
such considerations as I might otherAvise hare to advance, 
and I trust that thoae who take the eafealogue as their 
guide will be equally indulgept. 

Replying to Mr. Pearson UiU's courteous letter in your 
last number, my first duty is to own myself fully con- 
vinced, by toe evidence he hat brought forward^ of the 
simultaneous issue of the black penny adhesive and the 
Mulrcady, aud to express my satisfaction at finding this 
point dettnitely settled. Mr. Hill blames me for doubting 
nis on^ial statementt and considers 1 ought to have 
called on Dr. Gray in preference to him for proof, and he 
also expresses regret at my having recalled to mind the 
old dispute between I)r. Gray and Sir Rowland Hill, over 
their nval claims to be oonsidered as the " inventor" of 
the pK)8tage stamp ; but ^Ir. Hill hardly takes account of 
my situation in tiie matter. 

In the course of an examination of the history of the 
JSngUsh stamps, I light on a fact which is perfectly new 
to me, and entirely at variance with my belief. Fearing 
that I might have allowed to escape my attention a fact 
well knoM-n to everyone else, I set myself to search among 
all the authorities at my disposal, aud in the result I find 
ample indication that it has been as much overlooked by 
them as by me. Lastly, I turn to the Introduction to 
Gray's catalojgue, and tind additional confirmation of my 
conjectures, in the paragraph which I embodied in my 
article | and if I gave it special prominence, it was for 
these simple reasons : that Dr. Gray was in the prime of 
life when postage stamps were issued, that he evidently 
took great interest in tnem and foUow^ed their progress 
carefully, and that he might be reasonably supposed to 
have been certain of the correctness of the statement he 
made regarding the prior issue of the Mulreadj. His 
manner of making the statement, and his ascnption of 
motives for tho issue of the cover firstj gave it a more 
trustworthy aspect; and coming, as it did, in strong 
corroboration of the popular belief, it appeared to me to 
deserve quotation as against Mr. Hill's date. 

Whether Dr. Gray was right or wrong in giving, as a 
reason for the prior emission of the Mulready, ** Mr. Hill's 
predilection for a cover," did not concern me for the 
purpose of my argument, aud the assertion was only 
valuable to me as giving an appearance of greater 
deliberation to the statement in suppcnt of which it was 
adduced. I was well aware, when writingt that Sir 
Rowland Hill had contested tne claims put forward by 
Dr. Gray, and it would perhaps have been better had I 
stated explicitly my reasons for quoting the paragraph in 
which they are to a certain extent implied, but I did not 
suppose tliat there could be any mistake on this point. 

Mr. Hill points out with great force that the Mulready 
would not have been issued alone, as it was insufl&cient 
to envelope bulky or weighty packages of which the 
postage would be more than twopence. Such an incon- 
gruity at once strikes any one concerned in the actual 
working of the postal machinerj^, and accustomed to 
consider all kinds of practical questions attendant thereon, 
but it is an idea which would hardly occur to those who 
are unacquainted with the management of the post-office. 
Mr. Hill will therefore, I hope, not think hardly of me, 
if this consideration escaped my notice. 



The latter part of Mr. HiU's letter I have no need to 
discuss. To Sir Rowland Hill the credit of our pn-sent 
postal system in its entirety is so evidently due, that he 
can afford to leave Dr. Gray the pleasure of believing that 
he thought of the postage stamp first. 

Again thanking Mr. Hill for his courtesy in coming: 
for^vard to sot an apparently doubtflil point at rest, 
I am, dear Sir, yom-s truly, 

OVERT TAYLOR. 



ANSWERS TO COBRESPOlfDENTS. 

Inquuleu, Cheltenham. — ^Your verj' deep orange 12 c 
Spain, 1867, comes from one of the last sheets prmted. 

A Philatelist.— The 3 pf. and 6 pf. Piiisaan envel 
lopes, owing to the very short cireuUtien they enjoj'ed, 
are, and no doubt always will be,, rare, — We have no 
information of a projected new series for Belgium. 

TouiroBxaitnrsK.-^The unused Bremen stamps, which 
struck you assuspieioua fcom their cheapness, aiie genuine 
enough. They are "remainders" of the stock, and got 
into dealers' hands when the is&u^ was Avithdrawn. 

A. K. P., Brixham,^*/rhe blue French journal stanip 
pays postage as well as duty. Its real value is A c< We 
remember naving recently seen a rose 2 c. on a Paris 
paper, but expecting to meet with plenty more, did not 
take the trouble to secure it, and have not since met with 
a single specimen. 

Kmma, Winchester. — The label you forward cannot ex- 
actly be termed a postage stamp, though it Is Sufficiently 
interesting to be worthy of inclusion in a philat«liBt'« 
album. We may add, for the benefit of other readers, 
that it is a rectangle, and that it has for device a clock- 
face with the words day and month below ; it is, more- 
over, perforated, and an inscription runs round the buhp» 
gin stating that the design has been duly registered, &c. 
The use of this stamp is to indicate the exact hour and, ^ 
if necessary, minute of posting a letter, as well as the dtiy 
and month, and it is intended to be stuck on the lap of 
the envelope containing the letter. We remember seeing 
specimens when it fii-st made its appearance some five 
vears ago, and believe the inventor was Geot*ge Hosseyv <rf 
local post celebrity. 

G. W . B., M. — 1. We fear the question of the genuineness 
of the thin paper Mexican must be left unsolved ; and 
that unless deoisive proof of their beuig forgeries is re« 
ceived, they should be considered genuine* We have 
only the word of a non-collector as to the exactness of the 
resemblance between the false and the true ; and our own 
argument against the thin paper stamps is foimded on his 
assertion, unsupported by any decisive proof. 2. The 
watermark on the Montevideo 15 c. is not a watermark 
properly so termed, but merely a letter of the Word 
TUKKEY MILLS— the name of the mills in which the 
paper was made. 3. Your 2 and 6 lept. Greek are of the 
Paris-printed series.— The omission of the star water- 
marked South Australian 2d., 4d., and 2s. from Br. 
Gray's catalogue, deserves, and will no doubt, receive the 
editor's attention. 4. The diflference in the shading on 
the neck of the portrait on the 2s. Victoria is well worthy 
of note. We purpose mentioning it in our next. 6. 'We 
have seen a number of perforated 1 din. gret^i Peru. — 
Among the stamps on sheet 2, only the Hamburg is 
forged, though we have not had the opportunity of fully 
verifving the Swiss 2^ rap. Should you be sending 
another batch of stamps, we should be glad to luivo tiie 
chance of further examining it. The di^rence in 
length between the two varieties of the 48 c. British 
Guiana has, we believe, been ahready noticed.— The deep 
and light varieties of tbe Austrian are worthy of collec- 
tion ; no doubt they are the result of different workings. 



Aug. 1, 1870.] THE 6TAMP^-00LLECT0Il"S MAGAZINE. 



113 



if 
Ir 



PAPERS FOR BEGINNERS,— No. VL 

BY OVEBY XA.YLOB, 

EUROPE. 

6mt §ritam, mim)f. 

In the preceding paper, the history of the 
penny and twopenny labels, frpm their 
creation down to the present' time, was 
narrated ; we have now to retrace onr steps, 
for- the purpose of examining the other 
adhesives; end in the first place, the em- 
bossed trio claim our attention. 

With respect to one of the»e — ^the six- 
pence lilac,— I find, mnch to my snrprise, 
that Mr. Pearson Hill's list is in conflict 
with the general opinion; butin fehia instance, 
after Mr. HilPs justification of the accuracy 
of his date for the penny black, it is our 
duiiy to accept his statement as of superior 
authority to all others, Berger-Levrault 
gives " 1842 ' ' the date of emission of the 
embossed eizpenee ; the author of the mono- 
graph on the Essays of Great Britain speaks 
of the " embossed sixpenny, tenpenny, and 
OI19 shilling of 1842 ; '' Mount Brown quotes 
this year, so also do the French and Belgian 
authorities; and this date has never been 
ohallenged by any other writer; but Mr. 
Pearson Hill gives March^ 1854, in his list, 
anil his access to the best sources of infor- 
mation guarantees the correctness of his 
statement. . Moreover, it must not be sup- 
posed that Mr. Hill here is. referring to the 
envelope stamp, for at the foot of his list 
he adds a note, to the effect that " the dates 
in the embossed stamps were first inserted 
about the middle of the year 1855;'* and 
in a letter published in the volume of TJie 
Stamp-Collector's Magazine, in which the list 
appears, he says, "The sixpenny and shil- 
ling embossed stamps, wiihaut date, and the 
tenpenny stamp, were all adhesive labels, 
and to the best of my belief never were 
printed on envelopes," — ^an assertion whieh 
the general experience of philatelists has 
fully confirmed. 

We find, then, that the date of emisaion 
of the embossed sixpence has to be advanced 
ttcelve yearsy and that although s.tiU legally 
current, its general circulation was limited 
to about two years and a half, namely, from 



March, 1854, until the issue of the surface- 
printed sixpence, which took place on the 21st 
October, 1856. That it should, under these 
circumstances, be as common as its com- 
panions. — the tenpence and one shilling — is 
oonclusive proof that it. was much more 
extensively employed than these latter. 

The old date of " 1842 " for the emission 
of the tenpence and shilling has long since 
been abandoned. Mr. Hill's dates are as 
follows : — 

Tenpence (first issue), October, 1848. 
(Withdrawn in 1855, and, in 1863 the few 
thousands remaining on.hand were reissued). 

Shilling (without dates)) Sept., 1847 ; 
and they have been adopted without question. 

It will strike the observer as curious that 
after choosing a typographic mode of en- 
graving for the penny and twopenny ad- 
hesives, and printing the penny and two- 
penny envelope stamps in relief, the authori- 
ties should yet adopt embossed designs for 
the sixpence, tenpence, and shilling adhe- 
sives. If a passing speculation may be per- 
mitted, one may suggest that this difierence 
arose from their desire to distinguish these 
higher, values by a finer style of engraving 
-r-to give, in fact, somothinor better in stylo 
than the penny stamp for the money. Be 
this as it may, as soon as it was decided to 
employ these types for the envelopes, they 
were withdrawn from circulation as ad- 
hesives, to give room for surface-printed 
stamps. 

The designs of the embossed stamps are 
so well known to all, that no lengthened 
description is necessary ; suffice it to say, 
that they all bear the profile of Queen to 
left in an octagonal frame, and that the 
frame of the sixpence is ornate, whilst the 
others are plain. The colours are : 

Sixpence lilac (or violet at choice). 
Ten pence w a rni brown. 
Shilling green. 

It is only among the copies of the- first- 
named that any difierence of shade can be 
found, and among them, the difierence is so 
slight, as to be unworthy of distinct notice. 
Only a couple of years since it was dis- 
covered, by an acute French observer, that 
the sixpence bore a watermark — the letters 
V.R. It is otherwise unfurnished with any 



lU 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Aug. 1, 187ff, 



check on forgery, and as this watermark 
remainM undetected, even by philatelists, 
for BO many years, it is hardly necessary to 
say that it is far from clear. The other two 
values are printed on whivt is termed 
*' Djekinson " paper, with two silk threads 
running vertically through the paper. No 
proofs of any of these stamps are in exist- 
. ence, but the writer on the Essays of 
Great Britain mentions that copies are to be 
found of all three with the word s!»ecimen 
printed across in black, and he has a shilling 
•with this word in red. 

The three values are very common, and it 
requires but little tronblo to secure a good 
used -specimen. Unused copies, also, are 
far from rare, especially of the tenpenny, of 
which, as Mr. Pearson Hill states, the re- 
mraindor of tlie stock was issued so late as 
1863. The withdrawal of this value in 
1855 shows it was not a value much in use, 
and it would W interesting, to know for 
what special purpose it was first issued. 
Since the augmentcution of the Marseilles 
rate, the value, represented by a new. type, 
has been revived, and is now, to use a 
commercial phrase, in brisk demand. The 
sixpence and shilling values were found so 
useful that, under one form or another, they 
have always been maintained in circulation. 

After the embossed stamps comes the 
first batch of surface-printed adhesives, 
viz., the 

Fourpence, deep rose, 31st Jaly, 1855. 

Sixpence, lilac, 21st Oct., 1856. 

Shilling, green, Ist-Nov., „ 

Of these three, the sixpence may, I think, 
without fear, be pronounced the most taste* 
fully designed, although the shilling merits 
commen(lation for its simplioity ; as to the 
fourpence, there is certainly a poverty in the 
arrangement, which prevents the type from 
being considered other than commonplace, 
and barely even mediocre. On these three 
stamps let us note the first appearance of 
that diademed profile of her Majesty, which, 
with occasionally slight variations, has done 
service on nearly all the colonial stamps 
engraved by Messrs. De La Hue. It is a 
portrait in the severely-correct style, but 
with less of individuality to recommend it 
than even the profile on the first penny. 



A close examination of the stamps gives 
ground for a belief that the portraits, though 
very similar, are not identical : in other 
words, that they were engraved separately 
for each value. Yet I hesitate to assert 
positively that such is the case, as there 
would seem to be no reason for snch a 
proceeding ; and where the appareat differ- 
ences are minute, the eye may be misled, 
especially when, from an accidentof printing, 
a detail which is oleaA" in one stamp may be 
rendered obscurely in another. Utrnble to 
make so thorou^' a compar;kion nsl could 
wish, I can but express my doubts, and 
leave the point for later decision; 

The three values were perforated. The 
trial of the perforating system first made 
with the penny stamps in 1850 Jiroving suc- 
cessful, these higher values were selijected 
to the improvement ;:und, €91 pfxsBanif it is 
worthy of remark, that the embtMSsed six- 
pence issued in 1654, < eome four yeara 
after tlie adoption of the system of p^- 
foration, was yet put in circuiatian un per- 
forated ! ,1 

The watermarks of the three values were 
as follows : fourpence, garter ; sixpence and 
shilling, heraldic fiowers m corners; Of 
the fourpenny stamp, there exist some 
specimens with a smaller garter, and this 
variety is further and pronvinently dis- 
tinguished by being printed on bluish paper. 
From a statement made in vol. iii. of Tiie 
Stamp'OoUeeior'a Magazine {p. 110), it ap- 
pears that some few sheets, were, in 1855, 
printed quite accidentally on hhxB paper, 
and put into circulation with theiOithers/but 
as soon as the paper was noticed^ xk) move 
was used. The most singular point in 
connection with this variety is its possession 
of the smaller watermark abovd iMiticed, 
which is entirely peouliair.to it as far.. as is 
known ; and hardly less bingnlar is the faet, 
that some of the stamps from ikieae * blue'- 
paper sheets were actually surcharged with 
the word specimeNj and sent <mt • to the 
provincial offices, to be, as the word in&ports, 
specimens of the issue. 

Let us now go aa to whatsis ^nerally 
known as the '^ smalUletter series,'' the 
members of which were issued in.-the<qoarse 
of the year 1862,- and, together with the 



Aco. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



115 



»» 



three valuos of 1856, comprised two new 
ones. The list reads as follows : — 

Fourpenoe, red, ") 16th Jan., 

Ninepence, yellow-brown, ) 18C2. 

Threepence, rose, Ist Mfiy, 1862. 

Sixpence, lilac, 21st Oct., 

Shiilin]^, green, • Oct,, 

The ^'snmlUletiter" stamps are so called from 
thoir having a small letter inserted at each 
angle, afler the manner of the twopence. 
To make room for these letters, various 
slight alterations were made! in the designs, 
which tended bnt little to Uieir improvement, 
The framework was, as is evident^ entirely 
i*e-engraved. The fine reticulations in the 
spandrels of the fonrpence g^ave place to a 
gronnd of waved lines ; the arched labels, 
which in the first issue touch the side 
margins, are made shorter, and the side lines 
of the (Hrde between the two labels are 
thickened. The sixpence was less changed : 
the gracefhl corner ornaments gave place of 
necessity to the square blocks containing 
the letters ; and the curves, which made the 
design so graceful, were abolished in favour 
of angles ; the thin inner line of the circle is 
more perceptible than in its predecessor — 
voila toui I The shilling, besides the corner 
alterations, shows the oval interrupted on 
each side by blocks containing the figure 1. 
This figure was at first supposed to be a sly 
way of indicating the value, but everyone 
knows now that it is merely the number of 
the plate from which the stamps are printed. 
All three values have the inscription in 
larger letters. 

With regard to the new values, the three- 
pence may fairly be pronounced a success, 
and the ninepence a failure* The threepence 
takes attention at once from its unusual and 
pleasing form, its rich colour, and the skill 
displayed in the arrangements for the inser- 
tion of the comer letters ; the ninepence^ on 
the other hand, shows a weak design, with a 
poor and ineffective colour. The watermark 
for both consisted of the heraldic flowers. 

It would seem that the trial made of the 
small letters was not satisfactory ; probably 
their sise threw some obstacles in the way in 
the printing from the consequent difficulty of 
manipulation, hence it was decided to reissue 
the five foregoing stamps with corner letters 



Threepence, 
Fourpenoe, 
Sixpence, 
Kinepenoe, 






»> 



»> 



of the same size as those on the penny and 
twopenny. At the same time, opportunity 
was* taken to carry out on all the system of 
showing the number of the plates or trans- 
fers which was first tried with the small- 
lettered shilling. The following are about 
the dates of this emission : — 

One Shilling, February, 1865. 

~ March 

July 
Sept 

December 
To give room for the larger letters, tl>e 
threepenny was much disfigured. The frame- 
work was ro-engraved, the border round the 
profile widened and made coarse, and a 
little circle was inserted in each side of the 
frame to contain the progressive number of 
the plate. The fonrpence was similarly 
changed, the entire framework was re-en- 
graved, the numeral disks added on either 
side of the upper label, and the lower one 
rounded off convexly to match ; the inscrip- 
tion is in a prettier and clearer typo than in 
the preceding editions of this type. The 
sixpence loses all the primitive simplicity 
which so charmed in the first issue; the 
sides are crowded, a circle containing a star 
appearing at the top, and a numeral disk 
at bottom. In the ninepence several minor 
changes were made, the re-engraved frame 
shows the groundwork running vertically, 
instead of horizontally, and an attempt to 
give an ornamental character to the intro- 
duction of the blocks, by the addition of 
running lines. The shilling is hardly 
changed at all. The watermarks for all re- 
main the same, but it is worthy of note that 
a sheet or two of the sixpence was by acci- 
dent printed on unwatcrmarked paper. This 
variety is very scarce, and is known to foreign 
collectors as a Maltese stamp, because the 
sheets were sent out to Malta. 

In Jane, 1867, appeared the three new 
values, lOd., 2s., and Ss., respecting which it 
is only necessary to observe that they are' 
distinguished by new watermarks, the two 
lower values bearing a sprig of rose, and the 
higher a Maltese cross. Latterly, the sprig 
of rose has been adopted also for the 



Threepence, 
Sixpence, 



Ninepence, 
Shilling, 



116 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOH'S MAGAZINE. [Aug. 1, 1870. 



and it will probably in time supersede tbe 
garter on the fourpence. Here we must 
note, en passant^ that a few of the sixpences 
have been issued un perforated. 

To this review of the adJiesives it may not 
be thought out of place if I venture to tack 
the following observations from The Stamjp- 
Collector's Magazine (vol. v,, p. G7), respect- 
ing the way in which they are printed : — 

"' It may interest some of our readers to 
know, that whenever a plate is made up 
for printing any of the English stamps, as 
soon as it ia finally set up in the frame, a 
few proofs in black, on common paper, are 
struck off. This is done- chiefly for the 
purpose of correcting and checking the 
lettering in the angles, which are filled into 
their spaces after the rest of the stamp is 
completed. A series of the stamps is made 
in soft steel from an original mother die, 
and then hardened, the angles being left 
for the insertion of the letters afterwards. 
There is a very well-known proof in blue of 
the twopence, with the square spaces in the 
two lower angles blank, which was taken 
before the lettering was filled in. 

"When the letters are filled in, and the plate 
completed, before any impressions are struck, 
the plate is tested by the proofs above re- 
ferred to, which are most carefully read by 
a principal or manager. The government 
inspectors, who have charge of the plates, 
and in whose presence they are made up on 
the spot, are (and properly so) exceedingly 
careful and vigilant. They count the very 
number of the proofs thus taken for revision, 
and require them back again, after correc- 
tion, when they are at once destroyed, so 
that no specimen of these has ever found 
its way into a collector's hands." 

It now only remains to notice the special 
purposes for which the higher- value stamps 
were issued. The threepence was originally 
intended to cover the postage to Belgium 
and Switzerland ; in 1864, however, by a 
new regulation, it was settled that the 
weight of home letters should advance by 
half-ounces instead of by ounces, as previous- 
ly, and the threepenny stamp is now called 
into use for the prepayment of letters 
weighing three half ounces ; its employment 
has lately been still further extended, through 



the reduction of the rate for letters to France 
from fourpence to threepence. The four- 
pence must, we think, have been intended, 
principally, for the now-reduced rate to 
France; the sixpence paid the half-ounce 
postage to the United States and other 
countries ; the ninepence was primarily 
intended to pay the rate on Indian and 
Australian letters, but on the raising of the 
charge to tenpence, the well-known stamp 
of that value was issued in 1867. The use 
of the ninepence is now very restricted, and 
it is about the only English stamp of which 
obliterated copies are worth anything. The 
shilling pays the rates to South America, 
and to a number of out-of-the-way parts, 
whilst the two shilling and five shilling are 
intended for heavy foreign letters. 

The British stamps are not merely used 
in the British Isles. There are a number 
of branch offices situate in foreign parts, 
notably in Constantinople, Alexandria, Buenos 
Ayres, and Callao ; they are also in use in 
Gibraltar and Malta, and the stamps which 
come from these places are well worth pre- 
serving, as they bear special postmarks; 
thus Malta postmarks with an M, Constan- 
tinople with a C, and so on. Some years 
ago, when collecting was in its infancy, the 
Gibraltar marks were mistaken for postage 
stamps, but the philatelic world was soon 
undeceived. 



ERRORS OF ENGRAVING AND 
PRINTING.— HI. 

BY W. IWTDLEY ATLEB. 

Liberia. — The only error exi&ting amxing 
these stamps may be called a " fraudulent " 
one, as it was the covert work of a person 
engaged in the establishment of the printers. 
Itappears that having surreptitiously obtained 
access to the " form " of the twelve cents, 
he procured some lilac ink, and struck off a 
few labels in that colour. These he sold to 
a tradesman in the city who " dabbled " in 
stamps, by whom they were sold to a small 
London dealer, whose honesty, unfortunately, 
was considerably below the profit he gained 
by the transaction. 

The real character of these articles was 
not discovered for some time, and even then 



J 



Aug. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



117 



not until all were disposed of. Very few- 
copies aare to be had now, and we think that 
not more than a couple of sheets were printed 
at the most. They are only interesting as 
mementos of a "played-out " swindle. 

The twenty-four cents lilac, mentioned by 
the extinguished Pendragon, is altogether a 
myth, and the sight of it by that individual 
iu Birchin-lane, during 1861, must be either 
a phantasy, or else the specimen was a 
" doctored " one. 

LuBECK- — The ^^ zwei-und-ein-Jialher^' error 
is by this time almost as familiar to all of 
us as " household words," but as a descrip- 
tion of it is needed to make our chronicle 
complete, we will give it. The stamp is a 
two schilling, inscribed with that value in 
the angles, but having its denomination 
given as "two-and-a-half" in the surrounding 
oval. Two are found upon the sheets of the 
ordinary brown 2 soh., side by side, in the 
lowest row. 

Luxemburg, — There are several mistakes 
in the minute lettering representing the 
value in the stamps of the present series. 
It is scarcely worth while to give a complete 
list of these various contortions, as they 
mostly are so indistinct as to require a mag- 
nifying glass of " hextra power" to discover 
their whereabouts. Among them we find 
such eccentric spelling as cenumes, ceiitimes, 
CENTINES, et hoc geiius omne, 

LucoN. — By describing all the varieties of 
the Philippine labels we should be departing 
from the rule laid down in our initial paper, 
as the numerous differences are what may be 
termed "intentional," or varieties that the 
engraver had not the power to prevent. 
Those collectors who wish to be au fait in 
this subject, are advised to turn to Mr. Pem- 
berton's list, which is to be found at page 
143 of our third volume. 

The only "collectable error" we can rightly 
so call, is that of the one real in the earliest 
set (this is the type that has the inscription 
Correos 1854 and 55 helow,) The error con- 
sists in the omission of an E, thus making 
the word cobros. 

At one time, a variety was given of the 
6 cuartos of 1864 with the Queen's lips 
thicker, and with the neck thinner, but this 
seems to bo nothing better than a forgery. 



Mauritius. — Most of our readers will recall 
to mind the " paper war " which occurred 
some two years since in this magazine, 
respecting (among other things) the first 
issue of the above colony. Pendragon rose 
and " played " at being censor, egotistically 
setting himself up to teach those whose 
knowledge of philately was far superior to 
his own. He, however, after various acro- 
batic distortions of his own remarks, sank 
into oblivion — never to rise again. 

His grand coup of ignorance was made 
when he tried to prove that upon one die 
only had the engraver placed the words 
POST-OFFICE, instead of post paid. This of 
course was soon proved to be a falsity, as 
not only the twopenny, but the penny also is 
found so inscribed. The colour of the former 
is a bright rust-red, and of the latter, a deep 
blue. 

It is now generally acknowledged that 
these rarities are the original designs which 
were prepared for the government, but from 
some unexplained cause, the engraver was 
required to alter the inscription from office 
to PAID. From their close likeness to the 
emitted type, some few were passed by the 
postal clerks without detection. 

Of the usual tj^pe Moens catalogues two 
of the higher value, inscribed pence and 
penct, respectively. We have ourselves seen 
a copy of the former, which was so clear 
that it admitted of no doubt ; but the latter 
is a stranger to us, although it probably does 
exist. 

Mexico. — We now come to a stamp which 
in our estimation ranks as the prince of 
errors. It is the one real of the 1861 tjpe, 
head of Hidalgo, printed in black on the 
lilaw paper of the two reals. This is of the 
greatest rarity, only five copies have been 
emitted. 

In the surcharged letterings upon several 
of the labels, there are various mistakes, but 
as we believe Mr, Pemberton is compiling 
an exhaustive paper on the stamps of this 
country, we will leave them for that gentle- 
man to mention. 

Modena. — The amount of trash we are 
asked by continental dealers to accept as 
Modenese errors is something astonishing. 
In fact these so-called varieties, and the large 



lis 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Aug. 1, 1870. 



and still increasing brood of reprints, not 
only of this state, but also of Parma and the 
Two Sicilies, are enough to dishearten any 
collector. 

These stamps seem to be like Artemus 
Ward's kangaroo, "full of little eccentrici- 
ties." The Modena vagaries have been in- 
sidiously launched forth at different times, 
until their total number has reached, accord- 
ing to M. Moens, no less than tJiirtij'three, 
How very industrious some people must 
have been since 1865 to find as many as 
tiveniy-eigJit errors, which no one had ever 
heard of before! What splendid perseverance, 
and what a reward ! We think about half- 
a-dozei^ are genuine, but by far the majority 
are nothing more than delusions. Mount 
Brown, in his fifth edition, gives in the arms 
series, 5 cnet, 15 cetn, 15 cnet, 40 cnkt, and 
49 cent ; whilst Berger-Levrault, in his Ger- 
man edition, only mentions the three last. 
Moens in his first manual does not name any 
of them, neither does Brecker in his Italian 
catalogue. 

There may be a few others beside the above 
that are "correct," but they are so mixed up 
with the forged, that their identity is lost. 

As to the errors in the provisional set, we 
do not believe in one of them. 



THE FIELD-POST OP THE FRENCH 

ARMY. 

Apropos of the outbreak of war between 
France and Prussia, we venture to cull from 
the interesting little work by Pierre Zaccone, 
entitled La Posto Anecdotique, some details 
respecting the way in which the postal ser- 
vice of the l^rench army is performed. 

The organisation of the French field-post 
dates back to the Spanish war of 182*3, when 
a government decree directed in what man- 
ner it should be carried on. By this decree 
the control of the military service was given 
to an officer having the title of Commissary, 
who had under him an inspector for each 
corps d'armeS, one or more postmasters and 
receivers for each such corps, employes of 
the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class, according to the 
number and position of the corps, and lastly 
couriers and postilions, termed sous employ 4s, 

At the outbreak of war, on receipt of 



notice from the minister of finance the post- 
master-general organises the personnel of the 
field service, and the commissary takes eom- 
mand. He it is who controls all the ex- 
penses, whilst the inspectors supervise the 
working of the service of the different 
offices, and the couriers between them doing 
the ordinary and the extraordinary journeys. 
All the employes are bound to wear a 
uniform, which they have to pay fbr them- 
selves. If they fall into the enemy's hands, 
they are treated as non-combatants upbtt an 
exchange of prisoners. 

The postmaster of each oftee may Require 
of the military commander a sentinel to 
guard by night and diy the funds and 
letters, and he or the couriers may require 
an escort. 

Should the equipments of an office, its 
funds, or its coiTespondenee, be lodfe through 
force majeure, the facts connected with the 
loss are narrated by legal documents (^procei 
verhaux), but under the title of fore^ majeure 
are comprised only four kinds of events, 
death, fire, capture or destruction by the 
enemy, or seizure by armed brigatids, and it 
must, even when such events arise, be 
proved that there was no negligence or 
want of precaution shown by the officials. 

The days and hours of arrival and depar- 
ture of mails, as also the locality of the 
offices, have to be determmed according 
to the situation of the army, notice being 
given by placard affixed at the office with 
regard to the times of posting and delivery. 

Suoh are the rules which guide the field- 
post, but since the Crimean war the titles 
of the leading officials have been changed, 
the head authority being now termed 
paymaster-general, and his subordinates, 
tresoriers payeurs. When the army is on 
the march, the post follows immediately 
behind the quarter-master's staff; in the 
camp it takes a place in the centre, a few 
paces from the head-quatters. It is utider 
the tent that the diverse operations of the 
service have to be performed, A few feet 
off is the post- wagon, confided to the guard 
of an official, and in the box hung in front 
of, or behind the wagon are flung a myriad 
hasty letters, written amidst tumult and 
uproar, and which between their rough folds 



Aug. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOB'S MAGAZINE. 



119 



contain words of hope and joy for many a 
sorrowing mother. 

The life of the postal emploijfis is a life ' 
full of dangers aiiid nnforeseen accidents. ! 
When there are not enough couriers to ' 
carry the despatches, the agents have to take 
them themselves, bat are then escorted by 
a sufficient force. We have spoken of the 
letter-bpx attached to the side of the wagon. 
AVhilst the letters are dropping into it, the 
agent is a few paces off receiving or paying 
money ; behind him again, a few feet, are 
his men getting ready his meal. There is 
noUiing in this to remind one of the ordinary 
conditions of the service. It is a continu^ 
movement ; an incessant variety of inci- 
dents, always new; an existence full of pri- 
vations, but relieved by that Gallic gaiety 
which is the foundation of the character of 
French soldiers, and gives force to French 
armies. 

Such is the attraction of this life for the 
valiant brigade of postal employes^ that as 
soon, as the first symptoms of war present 
themselves, the postal administration and 
the finance minister are assailed with re- 
quests — they may go who please — to be 
allowed to start, not in quest of advance - 
menrt nor distinction, you may be sure, but 
of that life of adventure which exercises so 
powerful an influence over young hearts; 
such enthusiastic spirits experience but one 
regret, and that is, that permanent armies 
are no longer iu fashion. 

l^TEWLY-ISSUED- OR INEDITED 

STAMPS. 

United States. — ^We copy from the American 
JoumoL of. Philately the following paragraph 
respecting a prob£|,ble new issue. " We have 
received information that it is the intention 
of the post-office department to issue another 
stamp, and that of a value that has not 
heretofore been employed in this country. 
There have been two designs prepared, one 
bearing the profile .of Baron Stuben, and 
the other of La Fayette. The framework 
will ponform in design to the present issue. 
The colours have not yet been decided 
.upon." We learu from one of our corre- 
spondents that the postage to several of the 



German States has lately been fixed at seveii 
cents, and that the reported new value will 
probably be to cover this rate. The same 
correspondent states that he has seen the 
1 and 12 cents of the new issue unperforated, 
though gummed, and on the usual paper. 

Just at the moment of going to press we 
receive specimens of two of the new en- 
velopes, the 2 and 3 c— we say envelopes, 
but in fact our eopy of the 2 c. is struck on 
a newspaper wrapper. 

These forerunners of the series bear out 
the rumour that they would be worthy of 
the adhesives. They are very plain, but are 
also very well executed. The design con- 
sists simply of a bust, the same as that with 
which the adhesive of like value is adorned, 
upon a solid ground in broad oval. This 
oval bears, in sunken letters, the inscription 
u. s. POSTAGE, the value in words, and a 
raised numeral on either side in a small 
circular disk. Altogether, the type is a 
strong reminder of the first issue, but the 
busts are far better cut, and stand out in 
fine relief If there is anything to grumble 
at, it is the smallness of the lettering ; if it 
had been longer and bolder, the inscription 
would have shown up to more advantage. 

The colour of the 2 c. is a rich brown ; of 
the 3 c, a deep green. The watermark 
consists of the letters p, 0. D. and u. s., inter- 
laced, forming a kind of monogreiQ. The 
former are two- thirds of an inch, the latter 
an inch*aud-a-half, in length. Both sets of 
letters are in a kind of open Gothic character. 
This watermark is repeated at intervals of 
about three inches, and lies almost hori- 
zontally in the envelope, whilst on the wrap- 
per it is disposed vertically, and runs down 
the centre, the space between the repetitions 
being only about an inch. 

The paper of the envelope is a rich buff, 
thick and laid, the lines of the vergeure rjan- 
ing diagonally from left to right ; the wrap- 
per is also of laid paper, but thinner and 
more coarse, showing the watermark less 
distinctly than in the envelope. When 
unfolded, it measures 6j inches in width 
and 9J inches in length. It upper edge is 
curved, and gummed on the inside ; colour, 
a dull straw. The envelope measures 5^ 
inches by 3? inches. 



120 



THE STAMP-OOLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Aug. 1, 1870. 



THb new series is being maiinfiictnred by 
a new contractor, Mr. G. H. Reay, who has' 
eleven presses made expressly for the work ; 
and the AmeHcan Journal of Philately states 
that the issue has been delayed owing to a 
disagreement between the government and 
the contractor, which it was at one time 
feared wonld lead to the recission of the 
contract, notwithstanding the preparations 
that bad been made. Happily, as is now 
evident, the difficalty has been tided over. 

Spain.— Our valued correspondent, Senor 
Pardo de Figiieroa, sends us a new frank 
stamp, issued during the present year, and 
employed for the official correspondence of 
the Treasury Department. The specimen 
before us is hand-struck in black on a dull 
grev paper, it consists of a rather largie oval, 
witn the inscription running round the 
margin, direccion gral. del tksoro pnBMCO. 
In" the centre are three lines of print, as 
follows : — 

- ' COR^RESPA OFICIAL. 

' ' ...; " KILOG. 

......... ' GRAMOS. 

Prom this it will be seen that the old system 
of franking' the official correspondence by 
weight is still pursued. Our own copy of 
this stamp shows the figures " 20 '* in ink 
before the word gramos. Probably each 
departtneift has a hand-istamp special to 
itself — like the one now described, plain and 
iisefnl. • 

Odr correspondent, in reply to our inquiry 
of la«t month, states that printed matter 
weighing not Inore than 5 grammes is pre- 
paid (and, as we understand, from one end 
of Spain to another) by the 1 milesima 
stiamp ; the 2 mil. franks from 5 to 10 
gramhies ; and so on upwards, at the rate of 
1 milesimg^ fbr every 6 grammes. These 
fticts prove, at any rate, that sufficient en- 
couragement is giren in Spain to the circn- 
litttion of printed matter, and the ifevolu- 
tionary government deserves credit for its 
efnlighteried procedure in this direction. 
That it is impossible to buy less than five of 
tbese 6taraps, the smallest coin equalling 
5 mil., is, after all, no great drawback, and 
We hardly think Sienor Pardo de Figueroa 
would like to be troubled to give or take 
change in 1 milesima pieces. It is rather j 




gTIV0DE<5 



X 



curious, however, that whilst, as our corre- 
spondent states, the peseta, or franc, is now 
the unit of currency, the government uses 
the escudo as the unit of denomination for 
the stamps. 

We must not omit, wbile writing of these 
new values, to rectify an error in our fi^rst 
notice of the 1 and 2 mil. We bad but a 
single value of each before us, and, looked at 
by gas-light, they appeared sufficiently alike 
to justify our stating that there was but the 
difference of a shade between them; Sub- 
sequent examination of entire sheets by 
day-light shows that the 1 mil. is printed in 

a kind of lilac on fiesh, 
and the 2 miL m bi»^ on 
flesh. 

Annexed is an illustra- 
tion of the type desca'ibed 
last month, as used by 
the administration of the 
Spanish post-office to 
frank its official con^e- 
spondence. The impres- 
sion is in black on white. 
Russia. — The editor of Le Timbtvphile has 
discovered a variety of the Current 80 kop. 
envelope. The design is, in essentialcT, the 
same as the ordinary one, but the interior 
oval is larger by 1 millimetre each way, the 
circle containing the numeral is also larger, 
and so is the numeral itself. These dif- 
ferences *ire evident upon the slightest 
examination. Further, the inscribed border 
shows a different pattern, and the l^Mers of 
the inscripHon are thicker, and vary in shape 
from those of the common type. Our con- 
temporary inquires whether it is a fiew or 
an old issue. 

North German Confederahon,^ — Post- 
cards for the Confederation have just been 
issued. We have not* seen any 6ut«elvi>s as 
yet, but from tbe following description, 
taken from Le TimhrophUe, it w6uld fm{)^r 
that it docs not bear the impression of any 
one of the postage stamps. *- Tbd inscrip* 
tions are in black, instrudjions in lowter pArt 
of card, and the back left entirely blank for 
the communication. No value; blaek on 
chamois." 

New Granada. — ToUina. — The same au- 
thority promises an early solution of the 



Aug. 1, 1870.] TtlE STAMP-OOU.KCTOB'S MAGAZINE. 



mystery cotiuected witK the Bt&mp for this 
stnte which wo engraved last moutli, mean- 
while he cnntirms the Btatemeab that ToHnm 
is a New Granadian stat*, and gives a de- 
scription of ft variety of the type which he 
bau found. We think, however, that before 
quoting thi§ description it would be well to 
learn a little more about the stamp itnelf, and 
therefore await M. Ualie's details before 
go in J into the matter. 

JjKTAMT. — Ruttian Sleam Navigation Com- 
panij. — JuRt as prisoners in gaol are now 
photographed, and their " cartes " sent round 
to the police-otliocs, so has the stamp here 

represented sat for its en- 

1 graving, with Uiis single 
difference, that it is at 
present only suspected. In 
the interests of justice we 
reproduce it here, to tba 
end that if a fraud it may 
, I be convicted (pity, in that 

case, that its producers can- 
not be also) ; and that if a genuine stamp, 
its worth may be proved. Detective Moena 
has had his eye on it since April, 1869, 
when a correspondent sent him a specimen, 
with the statement that he had taken it off 
a letter, &q. — a statement wbicb our Belgian 
friend wonld not accept. Latterly, however, 
several s]ieijimens have turned up, and it 
becomes desirable to know at once in what 
diass they are to be put, If, then, this 
should meet the eye of anyone capable of 
brining evidence ■pru or con, the aoouer he 
publishes it the better, fur the sake of his 
brother philatelists and the truth. 

DcNUAiiK. — A higher value than any yet 
issued has appeared within the last few days, 
viz., 48Bkilling. Thoshape ^ 

upright rectangle, circnm- 

Kcribing an oval ; in the 

centre of the latter is a 

circular disc, with thefigures 

48 eurrounded by a laurel 

garland, and surtuuuutfd 

by a crown. The outer 

band of the oval bears danuakk postfri.m. 

48 8K, The spandrels and outer frame are 

printed in a red-brown tint, the oval in 

niaure. The eutire effect is noat and un- 



pretending. The paper is watermarked with 
a crown, and the stamp perforated precisely 
as the current series. 

South Africak Republic. — We have, we 
find, omitted to notice the arrival of the 
threepence perforated d la roulette. These 
now arrivals also show diiTerences of shade, 
and there may now be distinguished — a lilac, 
a rich mauve, and a bluish mauve. The ori- 
ginal nnperforated specimens are very few 
in number, and must become increasingly 
rare. The last supplies of the penny re- 
ceived direct were printed in the colony. 
They are unperforated and very coarsely 
printed. 

From a copy of the Siaali Courmil, of the 
ISth April last, we learn that the date of 
emission of the postal series was fixed, by a 
presidential decree therein published, for the 
Ist of May. 

St. Helena. — An old correspondent writes 
as follows : " As the Azores 25 reis with 
smaller inscription has been mentioned in 
your magazine, I think it may be interesting 
to your readers to know that the recently- 
printed shilling stamps of this colony have 
the surcharged inscriptions in shorter and 
thicker letters than the previous ones. I 
have also seen a copy of the fourpence with 
the letters of the usual size, but wider apai-t, 
and consequently more spread over the face 
of the stamp." 

Victoria. — Another correspondent calls 
our attention to a hitherto unobserved pecu- 
liarity connected with the two-shilling stamps 
of this colony. The old issue, green on 
white, has the profile unshaded, whilst the 
current, blue on yellow, shows the neck and 
chin thickly shaded with oblique lines run- 
ning from left to right. On the earlier im- 
pressions this shading quite covers the neck, 
leaviugooly a narrow white margin ujidor the 
chin ; but in proportion as the plate iias be- 
come worn by use, the oblique lines have 
become shortened, so that at present they 
hardly extend over half the neck, and a 
large unshaded patch is left under the chin. 
The specimens, four in number, sent by our 
correspondent, evidence the gradual disap- 
pearance of these lines, each specimen being 
no doubt the result of a different working. 
Wc may add, the obliteration of the shading 



122 



THE STAMP-OOLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Aug. 1, 1870. 



IS not the solo proof of wear and tear ; the 
lettering of the inBcriptions has become 
thicker, and so also have the lines of the 
aoroll oirnanients at the angles. 

Austria.^ — light and dark shades of all 
the values maj now be distingnished, the 
dark shades being the result of later work^ 
ings. 

-. HoLLAXD.-r-M; Maibe notices the appeaT^• 
ance of nnperfoi^ated . copies of the current 
1, 5y and 10 oents^ \mt with reason argues 
that these ane merely stamps which have, by 
accident, escaped per&iration, and ate not t6 
be centered as a^new emission. 

SwiTZERLAuj^.-— Recently- received copies 
of the 80 c. emvelope show i^e stamp printed 
in a deeper and mere vivid Woe. Speci- 
mens of the 10 e;*aQd 30 c. adhesives show 
both extremes of shade. The light blue 30 c. 
approaches aboaosi to slate. 
• FBANCB.--*The latest impressions of the 
30 c. brown shows the circular disk oovered 
with horizontal lines. Honour to whom 
honour' is due: this peculiarity was first 
ntrticed by M. Mahe. . 



■fr*: 



t ¥ r ^ »■< ■ 



THE BOLIVIAN STAMPS. 

The last two numbers of Le Tlmhropldle are 
prnicipally noticeable for some excellent 
papers, by Dr. Magnus and M. Albis, upon 
these interesting and peculiar stamps, which 
we cannot resist the temptation to lay 
before oiir readers ; and this we the more 
readily do, as they are devoted in part to 
the consideration of certain arguments put 
forth by Mr. Pemberton in these pages. 



.TIIR BQLIYIAN 5 CENTAYOS. 



BY DR. MAGHUS. 



Variott»» artielesy- by M* Albis, on the 
Bolivian stamps, have appear^ in * this 
journal - Thanks >to our collabomteur, ihe 
^orks. of ihe American forgers have received 
t&e oonaideration due to them, through the 
pfdbiieatiit»SL of precise and circumstantial 
itifoi^natioii respectiiig the engraving and 
emission of these stamps. It is. known that 
each sheet is composed of 72 stamps, ^very 
one diffiftring from the rest in the details of tkc 
design' (eagle or frame) and of the l^end, 
and thai 'as many plates were engraved as 



there are values, namely, four for the 5, 10, 
50, and 100 centavos, respectively. 

Has there bepn but one plate for each 
value ? The fact seems scarcely questionable 
with regard to the 10 c., which was hardly 
used At all, and also for the 50 and 100 c, 
which are generally well preserved speci- 
mens ; but IS it the same for the 5 centavos ? 
— that is the point we propose specially to 
examine. 

M. Albis (TimhmpUle, p. 480) says, " The 
first engraving ^^tecuted by M. Est^uch (the 
engraver) was that. of. the 5 centavos, of 
ivJmcJi two steel plates wei'^ madey We think 
M. Albis has advanced this last statement, 
not upon information furnished to him by 
his correspondents, but^ upon a direct e:i:- 
amination of. the. sheets of these stamps, 
which arp not difficult to find. A superficial 
study seenis^ in effect, to indicate that there 
were several plates. We ,haye under our 
eyes two sheets, belonging tp us, and of 
which the stamps, when compared indi- 
vidually, present.tbpseremark^le differences 
with which, no. doubt, pur collaloraieur, 
equally with ourselves, was. struck, 

, The same remarks have been, made by 
Mr. Pembertou, in TJie BtdjnpiPollecior^s 
Mci^azlne^ whence we extract the following : 

In December a laiige quantity of 5 o. green, and dO e. 
vellow, and .a very few 100 q, blue^ were roceived in Paris 
by ^t. E. ]Srune3,.in sheets, tie sent me a sheet of each 
df the first, and a pair of 100 e. I fotmd discrepancies 
in the 5 o. whiph I oould not £Eithom^,.thQi\gh I found the 
high values genuine beyond doubt. I found M. Nunes' 
sheet was unlike the old sheet received early in the yenr, 
and did not contain speoitdens of any <^ the dies I found 
9a my. own single green or Hlao st^n^. Hitherto M. 
Albis' theory of two plates for the 5 c. value has been 
accepted, all'the green oeing given as from one (the first), 
all the lilacs from another (the fleoond) plate; but hang I 
Jiad. green 5 c. .in a s^^eet of seventy -two se^^arately 
engraved types, not one of which types I could identify 
fram among a lot of old genuine specimens iVom the 
tiro plated of this valtie. At this juncture, loollected all 
tljie specimens I could of thQ d c, to the number of aliout 
two hundred, including an old sheet of seventy-two typ^ 
in green. ' I identified four used specimens from &ur 
difii^ent typos uponM. Nunes- sheet,. This, refitted the 
genuineness of that sheet, but complicated matt-ers res- 
pecting M. Albis' two plates, one green, one lilac, because 
this gave two green sheets; -whilst, as none of tille Kiacs 
win*e to be fou«d upon either of th^m, thoy ver^ eithor 
from a third sheet, or else foiled. !^ut to cut a long matter 
short : after much examination, I at last got a cine, 'and 
found that of the green stamps fodr plates nndoubtedly 
existed, and that the lilacs wore from one of these pUttes. 
The fii-st three plates have the borders, letters, and 
numerals alike; the first two plates, furtnei*, have the 
pinion fuatfacrs of the wiags alike, €to their only differento 



Aug. 1, 1870:] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



123 



is in the shading of the badv, and of the globe ; but the 
second plate has had some or the letters a in contrato3 
crossed, which in the first plate are uncrossed. The thiixl 
plate, that of M. Nunfia, has the eagle and globe much 
different, and the pinion leathers of the wings, although 
unquestionably^ the same in numb^* as in their corre- 
sponding dies on the old sheet, are, from wear I suppose, 
mere outlines, and the body of the eagle w very little 
shaded. The l^urth plate i9 altogether different, and was 
printed from in two snades of ^een— intense dark green, 
and rich deep gre^n ; in slate, m red-violet, and in lilac. 

We have reproduced in full this passage of 
Mr. Peraberton*s letter, because the facts 
which it contains will serve as an argument 
to support the proposition which we intend 
to put forward. But first let ns rectify bis 
errors. M. Albis, in speaking of the two 
plates, did not say that the one had served 
for the 5 c. green, the other for the 5 c. 
violet. He confined himself, in the passage 
which we cited at the commencement, to 
annonncing the fabrication of two steel 
plaites, without specifying the special employ- 
ment' of the one or the other^ and he confirms 
this style of allusion in the last number of 
Le TimhropMle. Well, to us, botli that 
opinion and Mr. Pemberton's appear to be 
inexact. We trtke it on ourselves to assert 
that there has been but one single plate for 
the 5 c, which served for the two ethissions, 
and this we shall try to demonstrate. 

Left us remember, first, that the engraving 
of the 5 o. is a sunken engraving {en or&im^ 
upon metal. The printing-ink fixes itself 
in the sunken lines^ and the damp paper 
being applied, its ** filling," by making it to 
penetrate, causes the ink to adhere, and 
results in the production of the design. 
It is the system employed in a large number 
of countries, for it is more easy to recognise 
good engravers in iailh douce, than passable 
artists in the contrary mode, which permits 
of typographic impression. This much 
established^ it will be admitted that the 
metallic plate is susceptible of depi^eciation, 
that the weari,og down of the. Srurface has 
the effect, as it were, of bringing up the lines 
to its level, and consequently of causing the 
disappearance of the corresponding parts of 
the design— at first, the portions more 
superficially hollowed out, then those of 
medium depth, thus leaving visible only the 
dcjepest lines, without which there would be 
r.o trace of the design. It follows, then, 
that as the plate becomes more worn, the 



sheets successively printed show fewer 
and fewer of the details ; but the last 
impressions must still ofier a portion of thoso 
which are found on the first. If our readers 
will be good enough to turn to our articles 
published in Ijs Timhre*Po8te on the Mau* 
ritius stamps of i^e first series, they will find 
the same facts developed. If, up to the 
present time, the CMdministrations have con- 
tinued to use tlie engraved plates, until the 
designs have almost entirely disappeared, it 
does not follow thai Bothing else eould be 
done. There exist certain processes, by the 
aid whereof, and either with the burin, ot 
with acid, it is possible to re^sink^ or hollow 
out afresh, the worn lines, or to trace new 
oneS' on the effaced part ; and this, we 
believe, has been done with the plate of the 
Bolivian 5 centavos. 

It is here that the facts noted by Mr. 
Pemberton, a^id already known to us for 
some months past, should find place^ Mr. 
P. admits the existence of four plates* **The 
three first, '^ says he, "have the frames, thd 
letters, and the figures alike; the' first two 
plates further have the pinion feathers of the 
wings alike, i^o their only, diffefretiice is in the 
shading of the body and of the globe." 

It seems to us difficult, not to say impossi- 
ble, for an engraver to reproduce his design 
with such an absplute fidelity as Mr. P. sup- 
pases, and that sfiveniy4wo times running. 
This circumstanQp at once renders his sup»- 
position inadmissible. On the contrary, the 
particularities he mentions are easily ex- 
plained by the employment of one and the 
same plate. Here is the proof. 

A. — The plate as it comes from the en- 
graver's hands, shows all the details of the 
design and inscription. All the lines, even 
the most superficial, are apparent on the 
proofs [first impression F], asxd in like mau* 
ner, the eagle and the globe possess all their 
shades. We will cite in this oonnection a 
stamp in our collection, the second in the 
second row^ which, besides the heavy liuefs 
fi*om the pinions, presents on eaoh one singly 
several more fine and regular lines^ indicating 
the rows of little feathers; and which lines, 
through the wearing down of the plate, dis- 
appeared after some workings. Several of 
the a's of coNTQATOs are not barred ; it is aa 



124 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Aug. 1, 1870. 



omission of the engraver, easy to conceive, 
but which it was not judged worth while to 
correct. 

B. — As the plate began to wear after the 
first few workings, the finer lines of the wings, 
and a portion of those which formed the 
shading of the body of the eagle and the globe, 
dUmppeared titUe hy little. To this period in 
the condition of the plate we ascribe one of 
our two sheets — the one which we consider 
the. older. It shows the shading of the body 
of the eagle well, marked, formed of oblique 
lines more or less interlaced, and of some 
few lines almost vertical. On the globe are 
found a certain number of very short and 
nearly vertical lines, and other oblique lines 
situated on the right side. Still, on examin- 
ing the stamps with a magnifier, one per- 
ceives that the stamps near the margins of the 
sheets have lost some of the ground lines in 
that portion of the oval whence pprings the 
eagle & head. It may be, however, that the 
printing of those portions of the sheet has 
been bad or ineffective. The oblique lines 
remain, the vertical alone are wanting or 
incomplete. Here, then, are the first two 
plates reduced to one alone. 

C. — However, the workings continue ; the 
frames, letters, and figures of the different 
types are still very clear because the lines 
have been so deeply sunk. The principal 
parts of th^ eagle and the globe continue ; 
but all the details Iiavs disappeared ; such as 
the shading, the isolated parts of the pinions, 
and of the hiead. The breast of the eagle 
is nearly white. The administration, not 
wishing to make new plates, and awaiting 
probably those which it had ordered at New 
York, caused the old plates to be touched 
up by the engraver. He re-sinks the worn 
lines, and traces new ones. The body of 
the eagle is the principal subject of these 
first amendments, for it is the part which 
has become the most worn, and to an in- 
aitentive eye this third aspect of the. type 
passes for the result of a new plate. Of this 
period, we possess the lower right quarter of 
a sheet, and we have met with a certain 
number of single specimens. Two, still at- 
tached vertically to each other, and which 
we take to be tne sixth types of the first and 
second rows, bear a stamp on which this 



date is mentioned — Fev. 1, 1868 — a date 
which indicates approximately the time when 
these stamps were in use. 

It was in the coarse of this same year that 
the series engraved by the American Bank- 
Note Company was emitted. We take, then!) 
this sheet of ours to be the one considered by 
Mr. Pemberton as produced from a/owr^/t plate, 
and concernino^ which he simply says, that it 
is completely different, and served for the im- 
pressions in two colours — green and violet. 
Further on we will furnish proof. At this 
time took place the retouching of tlie A's of 
contratos, which on the sheets of the first 
two periods were without the trarosverse bar, 
and not at the second period, as Mr. Pem- 
berton affirms, for we find the eighth stamp 
of the fifth row, the A of which had not been 
barred, on the sheets of the^ second period, 
provided with a bar on the fragment of the 
sheet of the third period. This remark ap« 
plies equally to the other similar faulfjs in 
the words boi«ivia and cbntavos. There is 
no part, eyen down to the figure. .5, wbioh 
has not submitted, or at least on some of the 
stamps, to a slight retouching, apparociable 
on comparison of the sheets. 

Towards the end >of this period all the 
lines of the globe disappeared, except 4he 
horizontal ones, and those on the Qagle's 
body diminished in numb^, breadth, and 
height. One might almost establisb another 
period in the history of the stamp, charac- 
terised by the disappearance from tJie globe of 
all biU the JiorixoiUal Uues^ 

D. — The impression oon tinned, notwith* 
standing that the wearing, down of the. plate 
became more and more manifest.. A second 
retouch now took place, and this time both 
the eagle's body and the globe wem "re- 
paired." First of all we notice that the 
ground lines of the oval and of the spandrels 
have been remade, for the space between 
them is sensibly different. In oonsequence 
of this retouching of the ground, the eagle's 
head offers some striking differenqea. The 
old shading of the body has in great ^rt 
disappeared, but has been remade. Instead 
of being short and horizontal^ er slightly 
oblique, the lines are nearly yertioal And 
longer, bat the engraver contented himself by 
reforming only a few lines on the sides of the 



Aug. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



123 



eagle's body. The wings have not been re- 
touched, but the lines have been thinned down 
by wear, and are broken at the extremities. 
The globes have no longer the short vertical 
dashes, the horizontal lines are thinner, and 
in many instances are broken. The oblique 
dashes on the right are less numerous, or are 
entirely wanting. To shade the globe, there 
are cut on the right side some very short hori- 
zontal counter-lines, which become one of the 
principal characteristics of this renovation. 
The letters are disposed in the same manner. 
The deterioration of the plate causes the 
lines to appear less coarse. This is the sheet 
from Mr. Pemberton's third plate, the one 
obtained from Mr. Nunes, upon which " the 
eagle and globe differ much, and the pinion 
feathers of the wings, although unquestion« 
ably the same in number as in their corres- 
ponding dies on the old sheet, are mere out- 
lines, and the body of the eagle is very little 
shaded." 

These circumstances, quoted by Mr. Pem- 
berton, are rigorously exact. We are able 
at this moment to re-confirm them upon an 
examination of several sheets, which must be 
contemporaneous with the one which Mr. 
P. obtained from Mr. Nunes. It is evident 
that these sheets are the fruits of the last 
workings, for one finds the general disposi- 
tion of design of the second period, the re- 
mains of the retouching of the third period, 
and ft certain number of new lines indicating 
a second renovation. 

Thus, then, we cannot see our way to ad- 
mit that thesfe were from plates, as Mr. 
Pemberton will have it. There was certainly 
but one, and the stamps derived from it can 
be divided into four different periods, which 
we distinguish as follows. 

Firsi period, — Plate fresh from the en- 
graver*s hands, and furnishing specimens on 
which all the lines are delicate and admira- 
bly preserved. We doubt if there is in ex- 
istence an entire sheet, but one can form a 
good idea of it from isolated stamps. 

Impi^ssdon, yellowish green. 

Second period. — Plate half-worn, and on 
which all the finer lines are already effaced. 

Impression, apple-green. 

This is the period to which our first sheet 
belongs. 



Third period, — Plate more worn, but re- 
touched, the portions treated being princi- 
pally the eagle's body and the ground of the 
oval and rectangle, and showing on heavily- 
inked copies all the new lines surcharged on 
the remnants of the old ones. 

Impression, very dark green, nearly black. 

To this period belongs our quarter of a 
sheet. 

Fourth period.— Tl&ie so nearly worn out 
that the lines added on the occasion of the 
previous retouching have themselves three- 
fourths disappeared. Kew retouch, affecting 
principally the globe, and characterised by 
the existence of horizontal counter lines over 
about a third of the right side. 

Impression, very dark green. 

It is to this period that the greater part of 
the entire sheets belong. 

If now to the consequences of wear and 
tear of the plate be added the results of ink 
defective, either through being too thick or 
too thin, we find the natural explanation of 
all the differences which may be found in 
sheets of the same period, and of the disap- 
pearance and reappearance of certain trifling 

lines. 

^To be continmd.) 



REVIEWS OF POSTAL PTTBLICATIONS. 

Alfred Smith ^ Oo.'s Descripivoe Price Odta^ 
logue of the Postage Stamps of All 
Nations: Fourteenth Edition. London : 
E. Marlborough & Co. ; Bath j Alfred 
Smith & Co. 

Every edition of our publishers' catalogue 
consists of a thousand copies, and a fevr 
months is sufficient for the disposal of each 
in succession. It seems but a day or twO 
since we reviewed the thirteenth edition, 
and now the fourteenth is before us. E-eally, 
if this goes on, we shall be driven to keep ^ 
review constantly in type, and our labour 
will be reduced to the changing' of the 
number of the edition. This last is, in fact^ 
a reprint of the previous one, with, however, 
all the new issues added, so that purchasers 
become au courant, both as to the latest 
emissions, and the latest changes in the 
market prices of stamps. 



126 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZIWK [Aug. 1, 1870. 



POSTAL 'CHIT-CHAT. 

A PIECE OF GOOD LucK. — Bear Sir, — I read an account 
in your last issue of a man buying a sous worth of tobacco, 
ana getting a rare stamp with it ; perhaps I was more for- 
tunate than he. I went into a sliop a short time since, 
to look at some foreign stamps which w^ere for sale, and 
while there the shopkeeper told me he had some envelopes 
which he had had fbr a number of yeaiti. After a few 
minutes' search he found them, and they turned out to be 
blue Hiilreadv envelopes. In reply to my offer to buy 
them, he saia he should be glad to sell them for what 
they cost him } so I bought them, forty-one in all, at two- 
pence each^ and sold them again to a London dealer 
and others/ and I made about jt5 of them ; but the most 
amusing part bf (he affair >vas that the assistant in the 
Shop kindly promised to order ^ome more .for me, if she 
could! 

Notice to Collectors of^ Revenue Stamps.— The 
Aorrespondent to whom we are indebted for a sight of the 
new Spanish postage stamps, sends us also a revenue 
stamp for Spain, one of a series which has just made its 
appearance. It is like almost all bill-stamps, a naiTow 
upright tectangle, and is perforated. In the centre are 
the revised arms of the country in an oval inscribed db 
200 ESCUDOS ABAJO, an inscription which is, of course, 
varied for each value. A kind of scroll-bordered disk, of 
irregular shape, occupies the space on either side of the 
oval, between it and the extremities ; the upper margin 
bears the word giro, and the lower the value, 10 cen- 
TiMOd. It ife printed in lilac, and nil the values' are in 
the same colour. The 10 c. is the lowest value, and -20 
escndos the highest, how many there are between we 
know not. 

A PEIMITJVB P0ST-0!?PiCE.— A Wiok fish-curer, in 
writing to a friend in Wick IVom Castlebay, one of the 
Barra fishing stations, on the 24th June, says, — " I have 
received your letter, which has only been eight days on 
the road — the quickest despatch in iny experience. We 
have no regular poi^ hers. Our post 'Office is a small 
wooden shM, with one pane of glass, the dimensions of 
the house being— height about 7 feet, length 7 feet, and 
breadth 7 feet. The postma&ter is a voluntary one, who 
goes about collecting letters for despatching, and travels 
with them to Northbay, which is seven miles distant. 
The return letters he delivei-s at the ** office " described 
above. His pay is voluntary, no government aid bein^ 
allowed, and ne looks for Is. fbora each boat's crew, and 
ds. from each fish-curer. This place, taking it all in all, 
is the most dull and outlandish which I have ever seen. 

Halfpenny Post-cards. — At the close of May last, 
in reply to an inquiry addressed to him by Dr. Lyon 
I'layrair, the Marquis of Hartington said that the Govern- 
ment had decided, in connection with the reduction of 
postage on newspapers and printed matter, to adopt a 
nalfpenny card postage : that was to say, cards would be 
issued bearing a halfperaiy stamp, on one side of which 
the address would be written, ana on the other any com- 
nranication^ whether in writing or in print. The Govern- 
ment thought that these cards would be a great accommo- 
dation to the public, while they would also, on account 
of their uniform size, light weight, and small bulk, be 
extremely convenient to the post-office, which would be 
enabled to deal with them with much greater ease than 
with ordinary letters. At the same time, considering 
that these would be open and very brief communications, 
they would not interfei*e materially with the revenue de- 
rived from the ordinary letter postage. 

The latest Caricature op theMulready has been 
broujjht out by Monsieur Maury. Britannia's place is 



usurped bv a rough portrait of M. Maury himself, stand- 
ing in a box marked timbreicnoafe etrangers^ and filled 
with stamps, which, relatively to the portrait of the 
Parisian dealer, are of gigantic dimensions. M. Maury's 
anns arc outstretched, and a cloud of stamps or letters 
reach away on each side. On his right are the usual 
Mulready elephants, which' are being loaded with pack- 
ages labelled *' Maury." In the lower right comer are 
two plump-faced boys, one stud ving Le OaUfttionneur, the 
other examining his album. On the left of the central 
figure are a group of Indians, one dancing wildly and 
waving about a letter tHie pbatHMA Iios. juSt given him, 
whilst the others are eagerly inquiring if there are no' 
letters for them. In the comer is a mim rolling a cask 
marked timbres'poafe, Mnwyy^ Fari8\ and in the .right 
lower comer a group of ladies, in fashionable attire, read- 
ing M. Maury 8 paper. The flap of the envelope is 
covered with our friend's advertisements. 

STRAifGE, BUT (not) TRUfe. — Another mad-Englishman 
story ! When shall we ever be sufficiently grateftrl to 
the lively journalists of Paris for the light which they 
generously shed on English habits, manners, and eccen- 
tricities? We should not know ourselves but for these 
kindly illustrations ; and we are quite interested by in- 
genious descriptions of "the farmer of Piccadilly, drinkmg 
grogs, atid plaving on the bagpipes " Now we hear of 
ah English millionaire, who announced in the newspapers 
that he would marrv any young jrirl, or widow under 
thirty, who would bring him five millions of used postage 
stamps. We presume this was to test her perseveiiance J 
but we are not told what the man of m^ans proposed to 
do in the event of two or more applicants coming forward 
at the same time, Ho^^'cver, a young Belgian lady — for 
this story has been manufactured in Brussels before being 
sent on for registration to Paris— accoraplidied tlie task, 
and came to England with fire huge cnests of postage 
stamps. Great was the joy of our countryman. In his 
deligftt he began to count the stamps ; but he had only 
reached the number of 4,677)584, when he was struck 
with piental alienation, leavin|f his expectant spouse in 
despair. At present she is waiting for his recovery. The 
Chronique de Bruxellts, having related the story, rises to 
the exaltation of a pun which is not translatable into £n- 
glislu She ought, says the Chroniqu^^ tq hav^ lcno«*n 
that a man who wanted so many stamps {timbres) would 
end by being timbre— ot "cracked." The Figaro calls 
this *^ Hn0 93Beenent$ plai^anterieJ" Perhaps it is. 

In the ooursb of the fast month we h^ro reeeived 
a letter signed " A Collector," and containing .some sug- 
gestions respecting the collection of stamps which it is 
difficult to believe have been seriously m«4e. We have 
not space to insert the entire letter, biit a summary of its 
contents will suffice. The writer proposes that stamps 
should be arranged solely with reference to their colour, 
form, and design, and not by countries or by series. He 
savs : " An old issue of Norway with head turned, to the 
le^t, and a Saxony one with head of king turned to the 
right, look well together ; and in like manner a Hanover 
with head of king to left, and a United Sta.te8 with head 
of Washington to right I think, on the whole,, it i«. better 
to have only one of a kind at first; there are, nevertheless, 
a fevr exceptions. Hamburg and American locals are all 
very pretty. * f A very small Bergedor^ blu^i is .to be 
either amongst a number of small ones of other countries, 
or in the centre of a page, making the number of squares 
on each side equal ; a light green stamp should be placed 
against a pink one ; a red-brick against a green.; a black 
against a yellow," &c., &c. Why should the writer of this 
remarkable proposal take the trouble to collect ^oStag? 
stamps at all ? Why not content himself by oiitting up 



Aug. 1, 1870.] I'HE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S atAGAZUSffi. 



127 



sheets of coloured paper into squares and oblongs? — ^he 
would then have complete control over tiie si^e, and 
might choose what colours he pleased. Seriously, we are 
Burpnsed at anyone, even the often- quoted *' youngest 
collector," advocating su<;h an arrangement (or rather 
negation of all arrangement) as th& above at the present 
time. It may be veiy weU for dealers' sheets, but. our 
correspondent's album, if made on such a principle, must 
be indeed unique. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE ITALIAN AND ROMAN TOSTAGE. 
To tJie Editor of "The StAMP-CoLLECioii's 3Iaoazike." 

Dear Sib,— In a p^rag?-aph of "Postal Chit-ch^t" in 
3'^our May number, headed "The Segna-tassa Stamps," 
you say you have. been informed, by one of your Italian 
friends, that letters from Home to Italy can only be m*e- 
paid to the frontier, and that for thijs reason Italian 
receivera of Iloman letters always have to pay the other 
half of the postage, represented by "segna-lassa" stamps, 
which are put on those letters by the administration itself. 

I beg to say, on the contrary, that this is not the case, 
and your co-respondent evidently must be in an error. 
I liave been staying for fourteen months in Italy, and am 
receiving and wrilinff nearly every day letters from and 
to Rome, which are always prepaid by " venti centesimi" 
stamps^ the eutii'0 postage between the United Kingdom 
of Itali/ and liontie. 

The; reason for your fi.uding segna-tassa stamps, on the 
backs of which were to be ^een portions of a Romap stanm, 
can therefore only be, that the letter had been insum- 
cieutly pi-epaid) aud afterwards charged by the olHcials 
with the extra postage, by means of asegna-tassa stamp 
stuck: over the Roman, whiich really happena sometimes. 

Exci^se, dear Sir, tho liberty which I have taken;, and 
believe m^ 

. Yours most tiiih', 

^ncona. . . AXBERT ST^UDEL. 



HONDtlRAS STAMPS AND UNITED STATES 

LOCAJ.S. 

To the Editor of ** Tke Stamf*Collecto&'8 Maoazinb. *' 

Deab Sik, — ^To set all doubt at rest as to the genuine- 
ness of the Honduras stamps, I am happy to be able to 
corroborate the statement that appeared m your number 
for August, 1865, having been informed by the Consul- 
general for the Republic that he himself caused the labels 
to be issued either at the latter end of 1865, or early the 
following year. 

I would not trouble yott to mention this, only there are 
some who, like Thomas of old, " will not beliere." ' 

I have commenced gathering materials for some papers 
on the United States locals, but feel that it is almost like 
going to sea in a cock-boat without any oars, but I tinist 
to accomplish the task I have set myself, if I can Obtain 
the assistance of my brother philatelists. I hare already 
" much to be thankful for " m that way, and shall feel 
obliged by the sight of any postmarked or undoubtedly 
genuine copies that I may be favoured with. Letters 
directed "Birmingham " will duly reach me. 

Yours ti*uly, 

Birmingham, W. DUDLEY ATLEE. 

[AnothiY correspondent wrote also in confirmation of the genuineness 
of these stamps, of which Ive received one on a letter hy last mall from 
Britaik Honduras.— Ei>.j 



DR. GRAY'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE. 
To the Editor of "The Stamp-Collector's Magazine." 

Sir, — ^In the course of looking over the above excellent 
catalogue, as revised by Mr. Taylor, I detected several 
slight errors— chiefly omissions and reduudancies^un- 
noticed at pp. 77 ancl 93 of your magazine. These I how 
send to you, with a view by no means to depreciate thp 
catalogue — which I certainty think no collector could ^o 
well without,— but rather for the guidance, of bednnefs, 
and in order that the mistakes may be corrected in the 
next edition . I have not noticed several marked varieties 
in colour— such as*Denmark. 4si. red^ Italy, Spain, (*57, 
&c.), which I think it would be well to include, especially 
where, as in Sweden, Kussia (first Issues), two separaC^ 
sets, light and dark, mav be made out ; neither hiave I 
particularly looked into the different waten^ark?, &c., of 
our colonies, the lists of which, however, seem ral^^jf 
defective. ■, \, 

Allow me to suggest to Mr. Taylor that authorised 
changes i^ the number of perforations, running through 
a whole set — as in Austria, '63, and AYurtemburg, '59,- 
might be as reasonably included as changes in wateniiark, 
the former being generally accompanied by some other 
change in colour or paper, as is the case with the Ku33iaiV9 
and Servians. 

Trusting you will think this worthy o'f insertion, 
I am, Sir, yours faithfully,/ 

Inverness, ' P. L' A. 

Austria. — Postcards — omitted. :. 

„ (U).— If these and the violet Frentjh n^jjkSr 
paper stamps aj-e given, I see no r^^asoo why the 
ilungarians,. our own old. impressed newspaper 
stamps, and others, should be excluded. Of thp 
latter, those representing postage alontit might, at 
any rate, be included j th^y are, without due 
cause, wanting in all catalogues.^ (See Th^ 
I'hilatelift, voL ii., p. 65.) 

Austrian Italy (3).— 2, 3, and 15 s. Hieseare as 
deserving of a place as Komagna 6 baj., Ai-gen^* 
tine Confederation 10 and 15 c. (large figure), 
and Confederate States 1 c. This applies also to 
the posthumous stamps of Belgium, jBrunswick^ 
Spam, Shanghai) &c. 

Belgium (3). — 2 and 5 c, unperf — } 

Brunswick (I «.).— 3 sgr. (on white), ^j^rf.— omitted, 
„ (I ^.).— i, 1, and 3 sgr. (on col.) perf. — } 

Moldavia (I). — ^27 p. — omitted. 

Denmark v3 a,).-— 2 s., />«rjr.— omitted, 
„ (5 «.). — 2 s. — omitted. 

France (3). — lfv.,peff — ?► 

Thuen and Taxis, North (1 6.). — These are all given 
as perf. This only applies to those of 1862-4, 
which are found unpc^., rouletted, and roul. 4)n 
colour. 

,4 „ (2).— Also found ronl,' This 

distinction (between perforation proper, and 
perforation a la roulette) being given in, Wur- 
temburg, &c., should, I think, be kept up 
throughout. 

„ South (2). — ^The above applies here 
also. 

„ „ (1 b.\ 1862.— All three are 

found roul.., not 9 kr. only, and, aloug with 1 kr. 
of 1860, roul. on eol. 

North German Confederation. — Most of the stamps 
here are found unpeif., perf., and roul. I^o 
mention is made of theeomponnd envelopes. No 
exhaustive list has, I think, been given of their 
numerous varieties, 



»» 



» 



» 



128 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Aug. 1, 1870. 



Hambubo (1 «.)•— 2^8., 1867, and 7 s. mauve, unperf. — ? 
Hanoyeb, 1853. — 3 pf. brown (wmk.) — omitted. 



»♦ 



(4) . — unperf. —omitted. 
(6) .-3 gr. " 






yellow, and 10 gr., perf, — ? 

Italy (1) .— ^ lire, "perf. —} 
„ (3). — 20 c, bar* I may here mention that I have 
recently seen a copy of this stamp without any 
dots. 

LuxEBiBOURG (2).— 1865 and '67, and (3), '68, are all 
roul. on col. The 40 c. orange of this set is not 
given. 

Pbussia. — 1858. 6 pf. — omitted. 

(6). — " Prussian arms" should be "value in 
words." 

4 pf., envelope (Inval. Stift.) — omitted. 
(12). — ^inscription alro found above and below 
stamp. 

Finland (1). — Adhesive — ? 

„ Envelope. First issue, 10 k. black, and 20 k. 

red — omitted. 

Poland (4). — Also in right jtjomer. 

HoLSTEiN (2). — P(pr/*.— omitted. 

Servia (1 a.).— 1 and 2 p., perf., on both thick and thin 
paper—? 

Spain (14 «.).— The 4 c. is not found unpei'f., instead of 
as at TJie Stamp-CoUeetor*8 Magazine, p. 93. 

Switzerland (2), (3), and (4).— Varieties with line 
round shield— omitted. 

Turkey (I a.). — Thick paper, 20 p. and 1 pi. — omitted. 
„ (2). — Several values, unptrf.— omitted. 

Wurtemburo. — Returned-letter stamps — omitted. No 
notice is takeu of the P. 0. 0. cards ot this and 
other German states. Those of Wurtemburg 
have lately undergone some slight changes. 

Indla..— 1868. 8 annas— omitted. 

Scinde. — \ anna — omitted. 

Sierra Leone {l).— C/nperf.—} By the way, is any- 
thing furtner known of the Fernando Po stamps? 

Brazil (3).— 10 c. black, per/.—} 

British Guiana (5) is given unperf. y instead, I suppose, 
of (4). 
„ „ (7). — Sixth border — omitted. 

Confederate States. — Many omissions of undoubtedly 
genuine locals — Ma^on, Knoxville, &c. 
„ „ {I).— For 6 c., read 5 c. 

Mexico. — Several omissions (see The Phttatdist, iii., 86, 
and elsewhere). 

Newfoundland (3).— 2d., 4d., 6d., and 1/, orange-red 
— omitted. 

New Granada. — Stamps of individual states of this 
republic seem cropping up. What of that men- 
tioned at p. 80 of The Stamp Collector's Maga- 
zine, vol. V. ? 

St. Domingo.— The ** Note " applies to the green and 
blue 1 rl. also. 

United States (2).— 24 and 30 c, unperf—} 1 c. 
blue (eagle)— omitted. 
J, „ (20). — These are little better than our 

own railway stamps. (See 'The Stamp- Collec- 
tor's Magazine for 1867, p. 80.) 

Sandwich Islands (1).— 2 c, 5 c, and variety of 13 c. 
— omitted. 
J, ♦, »» 1865. Provisionals, with figure, 

5 c. (two varieties), 13 c. (?)— omitted 
,j „ (J b.). — 1865 has inscription dif- 

ferently arranged. 

New South Wales (4).— Brown, flesh (?)— omitted. 

Victoria, &c. — Many varieties, perf. and unperf., 
wmkd. and unwmkd.— omitted. 

LrvoNiA.— Old circ, blue (?)— omitted. 

T. B. Morton & Co. {with steamer), 20 p., 1 pi.— omitted. 



Saxon and Bohemian Steam Navigation Co. (r). 

BussiAN Navigation Co. — 1864, large square blue — 
omitted. 

Page 177. — The list mentioned here of spurious stamps of 
other countries than the United States, wliich 
would be very useful, ia not to be found (at any 
rate, in my copy). I think it a pity the U. S. 
locals have been omitted, especially as the list 
of false stamps is far from complete. The 
reason given — that specimens cannot be obtained 
genuine — would apply to many other stamps 
contained in the catalogue. I trust Mr. Taylor 
will reconsider the poiut ; a good list of these 
locals is much wanted, and, besides, a catalogue 
must be incomplete if such is absent. 

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

Mrs. E., Liverpool. — ^We will .refer to your letter in 
our next number. 

C. B. S., Cambridge. — Thank you for " Conscience 
money." You will be much happier for having acted 
honourably. 

W. J. 1)., Dundee. — Not only the 10 k. of the current 
Austrian series, but also all the other values exist both in 
light and dark shades, a fact we notice this month else- 
where. 

Mabel. — The brown one-cent Dominion can hardly yet 
be said to possess any great value, and we doubt much 
whether it would pay you to keep over your stock for any 
lengthened period. 

A.. X. X. — ^The obliteration, M. q. e., on your French 
colonial stamp signifies ** Martinique."— We have heard 
nothing more of the reported accession of Newfoundland 
to the Confederation. 

A. T. H., Canterbury — We notice your remarks on the 
Honduras stamps in connection with a letter which, we 
publish in our cori'espondence column. We think the 
genuineness of these stamps may now be considered a.^ 
fairly established. 

D. H. E, San Francisco. — We are obliged to you for 
your courtesy in forwarding the specimen of the Green- 
nood and Newbauer Northern Express envelope, which 
you will find correctly described at p. 189 of Dr. Gray's 
catalogue. — We send you our latest price list. 

Dr. J. A. Petrie, Elizabeth, N. J. — We know of no 
change in the opinion of philatelists respecting the 
"Gauchos;" they are still looked on as rare and genuine 
essays. — AVe have never heard of a bronze 6 c. Spanish, 
1851, and see no reason to believe in the existence of such 
a stamp. 

R. C. M., Carlisle. — The government of the kingdom 
of Persia has not yet adopted the use of postage stamps. 
Several so-called Persian "essays" have occasionally 
made their appearance ; but, having no ofiKcial authen- 
ticity, they are of little or no value. — The laureated 
5 centime French stamp has not yet been issued to the 
public. 

Unfortunate, Chichester, complains sadly of the 
change in colour of several valuaole red and yellow 
stamps in his collection. Stamps of these colours are 
notably liable to change, the New Zealand penny, the 
yellow Ionian, the first Prussian 6 pf., &c., but we think 
that if collectors will be careful to keep their albums in 
rooms beyond the suspicion of damp, tney will have less 
to lament on this score. We have ourselves learnt wisdom 
by that common method, experience. Having discovered 
that some of the above-named stamps, which we kept in 
a rather damp cupboard, were beginning to turn brown 
at the edges, we removed them to a drier place, and, at 
any rate, arrested the decomposition of colour. 



Sbpt. 1, 1870.] THE STAJIP.COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



129 



PAPERS FOR BEGINNERS." No. VII. 

«Y OVERY TAYLOll. 
EUUOPE. 

ittat §ritain, tmtluht 

The Englisb envelopes offer, on the whole, 
much Itess interest thnn the adhesives, tor 
the reason that they have never been really 
f)opular, and that the circul»tion of all but 
the lowest value is of an exceptionally limited 
nature. The public has never taken to 
them; the ad^'antago of having a roady- 
stainped envelope at h^^nd has never wei<^.hed 
against the necessity of purchasing a stcck 
in advance, and the facility with which an 
adhesive can be stuck on aiuj envelope that 
comes to liHndi)as been ^tal to the empkiy- 
nient of the embossed stamps. And thi?, 
too, notwithstanding the fact, that they may 
bo cut out and stuck on plain envelopes, a 
proceeding which is punishable on the 
Continent as an infraction of the law. Not 
long' since, the Marquis of Hartington stated, 
in the House of Commons, that it was the 
wish of the postal authorities to see the 
stamped envelopes more extensively used, 
but he did not suggest any means wherebv 
they might be popularised, and it is difficult 
to see how they could be, unless, indeed, it 
were by abolishing the charge for the enve- 
lopes themselves, and selling them at their 
facial value — a measure which might meet 
with strong opposition from the stationers, 
as tending to injure their trade. 

Meanwhile, p]nglish envelopes have a kind 
of intermittent circulation, and to very few, 
except philateHsts, is their existence known. 
Even to them, as above remarked, the en- 
velope emissions of our country have an 
inferior interest to those of other states, and 
their history presents fewer striking features. 

The issue of embossed envelope stamps, if 
it did not enter into the original scheme of 
the founders of the postal system, was de- 
cided on very soon after the appearance of the 
Mulready and its companion adhesives. It 
was a step in advance at that time, for the 
public geuei-ally had hardly become used to 
envelopes, and mercantile men preferred, as 
many still do, to write the address on the baqk 
of the letter, so that the postmarks might be 



struck on the letter itself, and remain .legal 
proofs of the date of posting and of delivery. 
The Mulready covei'3, however, not proving 
satisfactory or convenient, it became necesr 
sary to adopt envelopes as a substitute, and, 
no doubt in expectation of a wide .currency, 
the penny, rose and twopence bluo/we?:^ 
issued. These two stamps, like their con- 
comitant adhesives, occupy, a. place apar/b 
from the rest; and following the pl^n T 
adopted with the latter, it will be besjt to take 
them first and alone. 

The penny rose was the first ;of the two 
to make its appearance : it was issued' ik 
January, 1841, almost simultaneously With 
the penny red adb-esive j ■ the twopence fol- 
lowed in April of the same year. Levrault 
quotes the 29th January for both, but ik 
evidently in error as to the latter. - •- 

Their emissitm occasioned the production, 
by Mr. Wyon, of a series of essays of re- 
markable value and interest. Some ataong 
the designs offered are very beautiful, ai^d 
all, or nearly all, were executed in. the finest 
style. To attempt to catalogue them here 
would be to depart from the purpose of the^ 
papers, and further, the work has been 
already so completely done, that there is no 
excuse for repetition. SuflSce it to say, ..that 
even after the die had been chosen^ several 
changes and modifications in the subordinate 
parts of the design were made before that 
form in which the penny actually appeared 
was arrived at — chief among which was the 
suppression of a second and outer oval frame. 

The design as adopted is, to say the least, 
a respectable one : the profile is very clearly 
cut, and nothing could bo simpler than the 
accessories. It will be remarked, that whilst 
the penny bears the inscription above, the 
twopence has it below the portrait, a variation 
of which it is difficult to perceive the utility; 
also, that on the edge of the bust are the 
letters w. w., and a figure, which sometimes 
precedes and sometimes follows them ; these 
letters are the initials of the engraver — W. 
Wyon; thenumber is that of the die. The 
paper employed was the same as that used 
for the Mulready and the embossed adhesives, 
viz., the Dickinson, with two silk threads, 
one blue and one rose, running through the 
texture. Varieties, however, have been noted 



130 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Sept, 1, 1870. 



by acute observers, some characterised by 
the possession of three threads, others by 
two threads, both red or both bine ; others, 
aq^ain, by the absence of the flap-seal ; indeed, 
the celebrated French philateh'st, M. Berger- 
Levranlt, makes two distinct emissions of the 
envelopes on Dickinson paper — those with 
and those without the seal, and advanced col- 
lectors increase the number of their stamps 
by including each diflcrent-sized envelope 
on which the stamps were struck. These 
miuor varieties may not be without interest, 
and may deserve mention in a complete 
history of the English envelopes, but we 
beginners can afford to disregard them, for 
the present at least, as tending rather to 
confusion than enlightenment. 

With regard to the seal, however, it is 
desirable to note that only those envelopes 
which bear the one consisting of the heraldic 
flowers were sold over the counter of the 
post-office; all those with or without private 
seals were impressed by the government to 
onler, the envelopes being furnished by the 
Arms or persons who bought the stamps, 
and this rule holds good to the present day ; 
so that if the possession of the orthodox 
seal be taken to enhance the value of the 
envelope, those which are sold at the post- 
office are worth more than those which are 
stamped in execution of special orders. 

The colour of the penny — a clear rose — 
varies scarcely at all, but of the twopence 
blue two distinct shades may be distinguished 
— light and dark. 

Besides the envelopes, there were issued a 
sheet of wnting-paper bearing the impressed 
stamp, and a newspaper-band. I have never 
been able to meet with a copy of either 
myself, anil believe them to be of considerable 
rarity. Of the former of these two, the 
following is the description : " The stamp is 
struck on a half sheet of white letter-paper, 
with three silk threads in the substance 
thereof, and the impression is so placed as 
to permit the paper to be folded in two, to 
form a sheet of note, which, being doubled 
in three, leaves the stamp at the right upper 
corner of the letter." The date of emission, 
I have some reason to believe, should be 
fixed in 1844-, and not in 1841, as has been 
asserted ; on this point, however, we must 



look to Mr. Pearson Hill for enlightenment. 
Whenever issued, their circulation roust have 
boen extremely limited, for they were even 
less popular than the envelopes, as they did 
not answer the purpose for which they were 
intended. It was to meet the wishes of 
mercantile houses, who had raised the ob- 
jection already noticed — to the effect that 
their letters, when enclosed in envelopes, no 
longer bore the official postmarks — that these 
sheets were issued ; but it is said that the 
st^mp was so badly placed that, by no exer- 
cise of ingenuity could the sheet be so folded 
as to show ft in the upper right-hand comer.* 
The newspaper-band has never been cata- 
logued in any English work, so far as my 
knowledge extends. It is to M. Berger- 
Levrault that we owe our acquaintance with 
it, and, after him, to Dr. Magnus, who thus 
describes it in his article on envelopes: 
" Half the size of the sheet previously de- 
scribed. The silk threads lie, relatively to 
the stamp, in a horizontal position, and are 
two in number — one red, and the other blue. 

One penny rose, on slightly-bluish paper. 

The band is but a variety of the sheet ; this 
latter being cut into two, the first portion 
served as a band for journals and printed 
matter, which could only circulate under a 
cover open at the ends." This description 
leaves us in some doubt whether the band 
ever had an independent and separate exis- 
tence, or is anything more than the stamped 
half of the letter-sheet. The only proof 
that it was a separate issue is, that it is of 
bluish paper, whilst the letter sheet is, in 
the description above quoted, said to be of 
white; but this proves very little, as the 
stamp may have been impressed on blue as 
well as on white letter-sheets. 

Some time in the course of the year 1855, 
a fresh edition of the pt?nny rose and two- 
pence blue appeared, differing from the 
previous ones in two particulars : first, in 
the oval of the stamp itself three small 
circular disks are cut, which bear the date 
of emission in figures, thus, 3-9-55, secondly, 
the envelope is of ordinary paper, destitute 
of silk threads. The penny continues to 
bear a flap-seal, though somewhat smaller, 

* See The S lump- Collector' 8 Mag Mine ^ vol. iii., p. 74. 



Sept. I, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



131 



and different in design, but the twopence 
hafl none. 

The twopence, like the penny, was sold 
at the post-oflBces, but several years since, 
about lh62, I think, it was withdrawn from 
general circulation. 

Towards the end of 1855, three new 
envelopes appeared, viz., the 

Fourpence, vermilion. 
Sixpence, lilac. 

Shilling, green. 

The two latter were simply the types of the 
adhesives, of the same values, with the date 
inserted after the same manner as in the 
penny and twopence, but en the sixpence 
one of the date-circles, and in the shilling, 
two, encroach on the central disk. The 
fourpence is an admirable impression ; ex- 
tremely simple and clear in design, and 
brilliant in colour. 

The exact date of issue of these stamps 
cannot be ascertained. Mr. Pearson Hill 
gives November for the fourpence, but it 
seems probable that, although its emission 
and the types to be adopted may have been 
decided on in that month, the first supply 
was not actually struck off until December. 
The writer of the oft-quoted article on 
British essays says that "the fourpence, 
dated 8-12-55, the sixpenny, dated 5-12-55, 
and the one shilling, dated 7-12-55, were all 
three issued, marked specimen, on a sheet of 
thick cream-laid paper, with the legend, 
£!tnbo8sed postofje stamps, to he si nick upon 
paper and envelopes,** Now, it seems only 
reasonable to suppose that the " specimen " 
stamps were struck in advance of the general 
emission, and sent round to the provincial 
oilices to show what were the stamps about 
to be issued ; and as the above-mentioned 
specimens are dated, respectively, the 5th, 
7th, a^d 8th December, it follows that the 
ordinary stock was not in use until, at any 
rate, the middle of that month. 

The list of envelopes is completed by 
notice of the 

Threepence, dark rose, 
issued in July, 1859. The design of this 
stamp is striking, but not of any remarkable 
beauty. Though modelled after the adhesive 
of the same value, it has not the same 
pleasing effect. 



It would seem that all the higher values 
were issued solely to oblige commercial 
houses, as there is no trace of their ever 
having been sold at the post-offices. In a 
preceding paragraph we have discussed the 
que'stion of the date of emission of the 4d., 
6d., and Is., but further consideration shows 
that no day can be fixed on, unless it be that 
of the official notice that the dies had been 
prepared, and were at the service of any one 
who might like to order a certain quantity. 
Such notices must, I presume, be in exist- 
ence, and they would form a safe guide, as 
far as they go, but the exact date could only 
be obtained by reference to the post-office 
ledgers, showing when the first orders were 
executed. 

Considered relatively to the adhesives, the 
English envelopes may be considered rare. 
Stamp dealers have had a fair number struck 
off to meet the wants of collectors, but these 
are sold, like foreign issues, at about double 
the facial value. Used copies are only to be 
met with in very small numbers, but are 
probably somewhat more plentiful abroad, 
as these envelopes are principally used by 
merchants fur their continental correspond- 
ence. 

That it does not pay to impress the higher 
values is evident from the fact, that the 
authorities have not thought it worth while 
to complete the series by issuing the Pd., 
lOd., 2s., and 5s., and unless such measures 
be taken as were suggested at the com- 
mencement of the present paper to popularise 
the values already in existence, there would 
be nothing surprising in the withdrawal of 
these latter, with the exception only of the 
penny. 

Meanwhile, philatelists increase the num- 
ber of their English envelopes by the collec- 
tion of varieties, for whose inclusion ' no 
sensible reason can be given — varieties whose 
interest is, one might fairly say, in inverse 
ratio to their expense. I allude to the 
envelopes on coloured paper, to the com- 
binations of values, and to the stamps which 
are surrounded with a band bearing the 
name of a private person or firm. 

The post-office used to permit, and, not- 
withstandirg assertions to the contrary, does 
still, I believe, permit, the impression of 



132 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Sept. 1, 1870. 



the embossed stamps on paper of any colour, 
provided only that it be of sufficient thickness 
to receive the impress. Originally, this 
permission was only taken advantage of by 
business men, to get supplies struck on the 
orthodox commercial blue paper, but some 
speculative person had all the values struck 
on rose, yellow, lilac, &c. Again, the post- 
office will impress two stamps on one enve- 
lope, with the intent to form, from the 
compound of the two values, a third, which 
is not represented by any single stamp. 
These compound values might be supposed j 
to cover rates of postajye which no s'ligle 
stamp exactly meets. But in point of fact, 
the privilege accorded by the post-office has 
been used, and I have every reason to believe, 
exclusively used, to create fanciful varieties 
for sale to collectors, which, whether they 
really represent a postal late or not, never 
are, or have been, used to prepay postage. 
I have never yet seen, nor heard of, a used 
specimen of a compound English envelope, 
and very much doubt if there be one in ex- 
istence. 

The production of these varieties has been 
carried to a ridiculous extent. An envelope 
with a sixpence placed before the fourpence 
is considered different from an envelope 
bearing the fourpence placed before the 
sixpence, a " sixpence and threepence " is 
different from a *' threepence and sixpence," 
and so on. The force of folly could no 
farther go, and collectors who buy such 
varieties are hardly less to blame than the 
dealers who first made them popular. No- 
thing speaks more forcibly of the absurdity 
of these varieties than the fact, that by 
ringing the changes on compound values, 
and impressing these and the single values 
ou five or six different papers, nearly a 
hundred varieties are to be obtained, repre- 
senting a facial value of nearly four pounds, 
and a selling value of six or seven pounds. 

The collection of these stamps has been 
fostered principally by the allotment of 
spaces for them, or for a portion at least, 
in Lallier's album. I have not a copy of 
this album before me, but I know that two 
or three pages are given up to these factitious 
varieties. The compiler of this album is not 
a collector himself, and he is guided in 



arranging his book by friends who are of 
that school which collects anything and 
everything ; and, from fear, perhaps, of ex- 
cluding some stamp of value, he includes 
such a quantity of rubbish that his albnm is 
thoroughly worthless. It is very much to 
M. Moens' credit that he has had the sense 
to omit these " paper " and " compound " va- 
rieties of JSnglish envelopes from his album, 
and their omission alone goes far to support 
our recommendation of it as the best album 
for beginners. 

We come now to the third class of what 
might be roughly termed artificial varieties, 
those which consist of the official stamp, 
surrounded by a band bearing the address of 
private firms. The government permits this 
band to be superadded, but will not allow 
anything more than the address and state- 
ment of trade or profession to appear on 
it. Anything like an advertising puff is 
strictly forbidden, but for the mere sake of 
putting their names conspicuously on their 
envelopes, some of the leading mercantile 
firms have taken advantage of the privilege 
offered. Thus, we find complete series of 
envelopes, with circular bands, inscribed 
Smith, Elder, ^ Go.—W, K Smith 8r Som^ 
The Home News {Orindlay Sc Go,), &c. Be- 
sides these, there are some that are rarely to 
be obtained now, such as Borne Sf Son — Taw^ 
son — Stafford Smith 8f Smith, A short time 
since I met with one variety myself, in aheap 
of common envelopes, which has never been 
noticed — a penny rose, with an oval band, in- 
scribed George Farmiloe 8f Sons, London^ E,G. 
One of the "Smith Elder'' stamps— 
the fourpence — obtained for a time unique 
celebrity, through its being catalogued as an 
Indian envelope in Lallier's album, and a 
place being allotted for it on the Indian page. 
The explanation of this blunder was to be 
found in the inscription, £AST indca agents, 
whichroccupied the lower margin. Since then 
a new type has been adopted for the band, 
and the entire series simply bears the ad- 
dress, coRNfliLL, E.G. It is doubtful whether 
they are now in use, as Messrs. Smith, 
Elder, & Co. have given up their city business 
to another firm — Messrs. Henry King & Co,, 
— ^and the city address is, consequently, no 
longer correct. These " Smith Elder " stamps 



Sept. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



133 



have always been difficult to obtain, as the 
firm put au absolute veto on their sale to 
collectors at any price, and only the fortu- 
nate few in friendly relation with it have 
been able to get unused copies. 

The " Smith & Son " series is, on the 
contrary, by no means rare. The penny 
and twopence are impressed on newspaper 
wrappers, and very extensively used ; and as 
this firm sends out a large number of news- 
papers to the continent, these stamps are 
very common there. 

The facility for making varieties by means 
of bands has been but little taken advantage 
of by stamp- dealers. Messrs. Stafford Smith 
& Smith, Bath, issued the penny and two- 
penny bearing their " George Street " ad- 
dress, and the entire series with the " Queen- 
square House " address ; but both of these, 
as I have good reason to know, were prepared 
for bond-fide purposes, and were used, with 
few exceptions, for the prepayment of their 
letters. Only one small supply of the "Queen- 
square House " set was ever printed, and the 
stamps belonging to it are scarce. Another 
stamp-dealing firm, holding a good position, 
had all the envelope values surrounded with 
an address-b^nd, struck on different-coloured 
papers, for sale only. This is the worst phase 
of variety-producing, and as such may be 
hibernically described as doubly worthless. 
They have had, however, very little success, 
and as even Lallier does not notice them, we 
may hope they will soon sink into oblivion. 

The value of any of these ring-stamps is 
very contestable, and they are decidedly not 
worth collecting w^holesale ; a single speci- 
men, as an example of the genus, is amply 
sufficient ; and if I have treated of them at 
length, it has been only because they are 
less known. 

I will close this part of the subject with 
an extract from Dr. Magnus' article on 
envelopes, revealing some differences in the 
designing of the head on the English series, 
which have escaped general observation. 
It is as follows :— T-" We must not quit this 
series without drawing attention to a differ- 
ence in the design of the Queen's head, 
which we have not seen noticed anywhere. 
The curl which hangs from the chignon is 
very thin in the 6d., very small in the 2d., 



and thicker in the penny, where it has the 
appearance of a corkscrew. It is fuller still 
in the 3d. and 4d., and seems to be farther 
off from the bust in the shilling. The hinder 
part of the bust seems straighter in the 
earlier stamps, and more concave in the 
later, and the lower edge of the bust is not 
perfectly identical. These and other moie 
minute details seem to indicate as many 
engravings as there are values, a belief iu 
which we are confirmed by Mr. Ph." 

ESSAYS. 

Under this head I propose only to men- 
tion the two threehalfpenny stamps, as al- 
though a vast number of essays were sub- 
mitted to the post-office prior to the issue of 
the first adhesives — essays, moreover, which 
have already been catalogued by able hands, 
— these two alone occupy the exceptional 
position of stamps not merely proposed to, 
but adopted by, the post-office, and on the 
point of being issued, when the order au- 
thorising them was rescinded. Such, how- 
ever, is the fact ; they were produced to 
anticipate a proposed reduction in tariff, 
which would require the halfpenny value to 
be used in combination with the penny. 
Thousands of stamps are said to have been 
printed, but the bill which would have 
legalised their use was rejected at the last 
moment, and the stock was consequently 
destroyed. From this it results that com- 
paratively few specimens have been preserved 
and that they are of considerable rarity. 

To give a description of these essays we 
will borrow from a fruitful source* : — 

1860. Rectangular stamp, head of Queen 
Victoria, diademed, to left, in a curvilinear 
triangle inscribed postage three-halfpence. 
Watermark, large crown, perforated. 

l^d. lilac-pink. 

There are two distinct varieties of this in 
colour, the one being a rosy-lilac, the other 
a more blue tinge, which latter we incline to 
ascribe partly to the adhesive matter at the 
back. The copies met with are usually 
marked specimen, and those not so marked 
are very rare. 

Envelope, April 2nd, 1860. Simultaneously 



» '* Notes on the Proofs and Essays of Great Britain." 



134 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [S&pt. 1, 1870. 



with the proposed l^d. stamp an envelope 
of the same value was approved. 

Queen's head, diademed, to the left, in a 
curvilinear triangle, inscribed postage three- 
halfpence. This was struck on thickish 
cream-laid paper, vergeure diagonal, and the 
colour was like that of the common penny 
envelope, as in the preceding case, with the 
word SPECIMEN across it. 

LOCAL STAMPS. 

It is impossible to conclude a review of 
our English emissions, however cursory, 
without some reference to these stamps. To 
me they seem intrinsically to be of very 
little interest, and M. Moens is to be blamed 
for devoting two entire pages of his album 
to them, but no collector should be without 
one or two of them, as they are evidences of 
one of the chief causes of the reduction in 
the postage of newspapers and circulars to a 
halfpenny. 

They took their rise in Scotland, the Edin- 
burgh and Leith farthing being the first 
which appeared. Th's was brought out by 
a Circular Delivery Company which took its 
name from these towns, and proposed to 
deliver circulars within their limits at a 
charge of a farthing each. Subsequently the 
company came south, and extended its enter- 
prise throughout London and several of the 
chief commercial towns, and though its ope- 
rations were never formidably great, still the 
post-office took fright at its competitor and 
jmt in full force against it the enactments 
which preserve to the government depart- 
ment the monopoly in the conveyance of 
letters. Trials took place before police 
magistrates ; it was then urged, but unsuc- 
cessfully, that open printed circulars were 
hot letters ; the magistrates decided against 
and fined the company, and then the matter 
was taken up to a higher court — the Exche- 
quer or Exchequer Chamber, I believe — and 
there the post-office suit was finally success- 
ful. But the company, though it was forced 
to give way, had done good service in show- 
ing the public what might be done in the 
way of reducing the inland postal rates. 
There had been some prior suggestions from 
isolated but influential chambers of com- 
merce that a farthing or a halfpenny rate 
ousrht to be tried, but after the demonstra- 



tion of the financial success of the cheaper 
rate afforded by the defeated company, pub- 
lic opinion was aroused, and the advocates 
of reduction, led on by Mr. Graves, M.P. for 
Liverpool, obtained without much difficulty 
from the Postmaster-general a promise that 
their proposal should be considered. This 
promise, though it at first seemed only an 
official way of staving off action, has been 
promptly followed by a large concession, and 
a month after the publication oF the present 
number, printed matter will be forwarded by 
the post-office at a charge of a halfpenny. 

There is still room for further concession, 
such as for instance the reduction to a half- 
penny of the postage on local letters, by 
which I mean letters posted and delivered 
in one and the same town, but meanwhile 
we may rest and be thankful ; and, to return 
to my text, a portion of our gratitude is due 
to the Circular Delivery Company. 

The stamps of this company, which, it 
must be admitted, served more as mere ad- 
vertisements than as franks, were multiplied 
as the philatelic demand for them grew, and 
now their name is legion and their value 7UI. 
Hence with the knowledge we possess that 
many of the changes in type which occurred 
were made solely for the purpose of selling 
the altered stamps to collectors we cannot 
respect them much, but as mementoes of 
an advance in postal progress, one or two 
are worthy of admission* I forbear to give 
a list of them, as to do so would be throwing 
away space ; suffice it to say that my readers, 
if they want to get a copy or two, will find 
no difficulty in procuring them, as every 
stamp dealer keeps them. 

NEWLY-ISSUED OR INEDITED 

STAMPS. 

Great Britain. — By the kindness of Mr. 
Atlee, we are placed in a position to give 
early intelligence respecting the forthcoming 
halfpenny stamps. He has favoured us with 
three specimens, obtained by him from the 
chief office, and these we proceed to describe. 
1. Tlie Adhesive. — This, in its general ap- 
pearance, accords with the description quoted 
by us in our July number. It is a qneer 
little thing, with enough in shape and design 



Sept. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



135 



to prevent the slightest chance of confusion 
with the venerable penny. It is a transverse 
oblong, about six-eighths of an inch in length, 
by four-eighths in breadth. The profile of 
the Queen is in the centre of a rather small, 
white oval, which leaves a considerable mar- 
gin on all sides. The ground is formed of 
an engine-turned pattern of interlaced lines, 
running vertically. There is no inscription 
of any kind, but on the margin of each lateral 
side is the value expressed by the fraction 
— |(Z. — in white figures, on a solid ground, 
and in the corners are the usual letters. The 
watermark runs through several stamps, 
and consists either of the words halfpenny 
POSTAGE or HALFPENNY in written characters ; 
in the copy before us, only the letters lfp 
are visible. The colour is such a compound 
that it is diflScult to describe it, but we may 
venture to term it lake-pink. Ihe specimen 
from which we describe is un perforated, and 
will become valuable as a proof impression, 
as the regular issue will, of course, be per- 
forated. 

2. The Newspaper Wrapper is a strip of 
nn watermarked paper, more than a foot in 
length, about five inches in width, with its 
upper end curved and gummed. It folds 
up into four, without counting the flap, and 
the stamp is struck on the uppermost fold, 
at about half-an-inch from the edge, and 
one-third of an inch below the top. The 
design is very neat : it consists of a narrow 
upright rectangle, with corners rounded. 
The Queen's profile occupies the centre of a 
-white circular disk ; above, on an arched 
label, is the word halfpenny, in long, narrow 
letters; and below are three small solid 
circular disks, with the date divided out 
between them, thus — 1,-10,-70. The re- 
mainder of the stamp is filled in with an 
arabesque pattern. ^The impression is in 
bright green. 

3. The Fast Card. — Unusual taste is shown 
in the arrangement of the design. The 
card is of a light buiF colour, about 4|- inches 
in length by 83 in breadth ; a Greek-pat- 
terned frame encloses the stamp and the 
place for the address. The design is some- 
thing like that of the new St. Christopher 
series, and consists of the Queen's head in 
a cii'cle, with ornaments in the spandrels, 



and a broad label in the lower margin, 
inscribed halfpekkt, the whole forming a 
rectangle. The inscription, which occppies 
the upper portion of the card, to the left of 
the stamp, is thus disposed : 

POST CARD. 




THE ADDKE88 ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS BllJB. 

To 

It will be understood that the stamp is not 
stuck on, but is impressed with the rest of 
the design. The whole is printed a light 
lilac. 

It is worthy of notice that the plates are 
not numbered, nor is any space left for the 
insertion of rotation numbers hereafter. We 
do not observe that there is any kind of 
check-letter in the card ; as for the wrapper, 
that, it will be seen, is treated as an envelope, 
and at each successive emission, the date 
will be changed. 

Spain. — A word of caution to inexperienced 
collectors may not be out of place respecting 
certain fictitious varieties which have been 
lately manufactured : we refer to the Spanish 
stamps surcharged "Y^." Wo have seen 
this abbreviation struck in deep blue ink 
on the 1, 2, and 4 milesimas, and 12 c. of 
the new series, on the 2 rls. Spanish of 1856, 
the 12 c. of 18G0, and a number of others. 
The absurdity of the addition in connection 
with most of these values will be at once 
manifest A stamp, value 1^ or 2 J milesimas, 
should deceive nobody, but there might be a 
chance of collectors being taken in by a 2 
reales bearing the surcharged Y^, and it is, 
therefore, as well to warn our readers that 
no Spanish stamp has ever been thus marked, 
and that varieties showing this surcharge 
are entirely worthless. 

PoiiTUGUESE Possessions. — Of late we have 
witnessed considerable additions to the 
number of Portuguese stamps. The home 
series has been provisionally utilised for 
Madeira and the Azores, and now we have 
to chronicle fresh accessions, in the shape 
of new and distinct types for tho Portuguese 



THE STAMP-COI.LECTOR'S MAUAZINK. [Sbft. 1, 1870. 



l)088e8sion8 in AiHca. We have, for a long 
time past, been awaiting the issue of a aeries 
for Angola, and now it appears, accompanied 
by an entirely nnexpect«d set of stamps foi- 
the St. Thomas and Prince Itlamts. 



A compauson of the two types will show 
that they are identical in de»;igD, except on 
two points. That for St. Thomas and Prince 
Islands has the name in the circle, and 
CORRGIO in tlie margin ; wlitlst that for 
Angola has the circle occupied entirely with 
the Greek pattern, and the name in the 
upper margin, tlie word cOrheio not appear- 
ing at all. It may be thiit the suppi-ession of 
this latter word was intei:tii>nal, and should 
he lalten to indicate that tlie Angolan stamps 
will not be employed ex.lnsively lor postal 
purposes, or (the moie j.robable eiig-gestion 
of the two) it may bo that the St. Thomas 
having been engraved after the Angola, the 
opportunity was taken to remedy an evident 
omission in the latter, by insei'ting the word 



bright yellow, 
atone. 
brick red. 
green. 






25 „ rose. 

&0 „ green. 

100 „ bright violet. 

The impression is in colour, on wiiite, and, 
as will he seen from the engravings, the 
stamps are perforated. The Angolan emeries 
was to come into utic ou the Ibt of July lust ; 



the St. Thomas and Prince will probably 
not be issaed fur some time, to jndge from 
the fact, that the specimen from which we 
describe is a proof, bearing the word pkova, 
in block type, across the face, and that it 
was sent to aa from Lisbon. 

For the guidance of our younger readers, 
we may mention that the islands of St, 
Thomas and Prince are in the gulf of Guinea, 
and contain togetlier a population of alwut 
30,000 souls; Angola is on the mainland, 
between Congo on the north, and Benguela 
on the south, and posaessea 400,000 in- 
habitants. 

Peeu. — We are indebted to M, Moens for 
notice of the stamp of which the annexed 
engraving is a copy, but he is unable to 
explain its use, and no in- 
formation is forthcoming E 
from any other source. E 
The white portions of the E 
design are in relief, the rest 1 
is printed vermilion. It E 
is a qneer-looking stamp, E 
which does not give much 
indication of its employment on its face. 
M. Moens suggests that there may be a 
special rate for tbe conveyance of letters by 
railway between the three towns whose 
names appear tliereon, or that it may be the 
emission of a private company, hut to indulge 
in speculation is useless. The stamp may 
turn out to bo what, in French slang, is 
termed iine carutte ; in Knglish, a humbug. 
We prefer, therefore, to await the arrival of 
the information which M. Moena has re- 
quested of bis correspondent, before bestow- 
ing further attention upon it. 

NoUIH G-EKMAN Co.lFtLDERATIOS. — The last 

philatelic importation from the seat of war 
is a field-post envelope, for the use of the 
soldiers of the Prussian army. It is an ugly 
looking aff^r, C^ inches by abont 4^, printed 
on paper of a brownish white hue, and with- 
out any device of an ornamental character. 
Ah.ive is the inscription FEr.D-POsr dbief, and 
in the right-hand upper comer a circle to 
contain probably the postmark. Lines are 
left for inserting the army-corps, the divi- 
sion, number of regiment, company, squadron 
and b.ittery ; also, of course, for the name of 
the addi-easee. On the back are various in- 



. I, 1870] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINK. 



graving o 



n white o 
of brown, i 



structions of tlie usual order, and a place for 
the name of the sender, It is certainly an 
article of more use than beauty. 

Levant. — We gave last tnonlh Iho en- 
stamp which appears to have 
y the Russian Steam Navigation 
Coinpanj, but of whicli nothing certain is 
yet known. Since then, a 
second type has been dis- 
covered, and of this also we 
publish an illustration. Both 
stamps are printed in two 
colours. The one described 
last month has the framework 
of blue, and the central device 
3 Bcsrlet ; the other has the frame 
md the centre of blue. We may 
here mention that the bine- and -scarlet (value 
2 piastres) was noticed by the PlululdM in 
its April nnniber. 

Pkince Edwuhd Island. — A new stamp 
has jnst made its appearance for this colouy, 
and is probably fhe forerunner of a series. 
It has been engraved, we presume, by tlio 
Canadian Bank-Note Company, and is to 
some extent a reminder of the 5 cents New 
Bmnswick, both in type and size. The 
portrait is in the same style, but is a fresh 
engraving, and the face looks e\'on younger 
and more childish than on the New Bruns- 
wick stamps. It is contained in an oval, 
which is nearly surrounded by a border, 
inscribed prince edward island postagk; 
and below, within scroll ornaments, appears 
the denomination, 3d. stg. — cv. 4|d. The 
frame also consists of scroll work. I'he 
stamp is nuwatermarked, perforated, and 
printed in a warm brown on white, 

Italy. — The two designs here represented 

tnust be put in the same category with the 

Ajnerican Sanitary Fair stamps, Tliey were 

prepared on the occasion of the last carnival, 

=, by a Genoese litbograplier, 

]l by ov.ier of M. llavano, 

I the director of the Genoa 

a theatre, and sold by him 

it for the benefit of a chari- 

;i table society, which had 

organised a masked ball at 

theatre. " Every one 

bought them" (we quote from Le Tijnbre- 

FosU), "the purpose being bo praiseworthy; 



II 



and tbey placed their pnrcbasi 



the a 



. then 



i on the hand, 
se, in order to 
contemporary 



r stamps, and iJie 



prevent frejh offers." Cm 

saya, the effigy, which is 

that of M. Ravano, was 

traced, or, as we under- | 

stand it, stuck on the 

stamps of 20 and 50 cen- 

tesimi. As there is no 

30 ceutesirai stamp, the 

5 c. is, no doubt, meant to j j 

be indicated. The colours 

were those of the i 

values 20 and 60 c. The inscription, 

BEGiNA, 1K70, may be translated freely as 

CARNIVAL, 1870, — the word reqina signifying, 

literally, a mask, in the Genoese dialect. 
ROMK. — The annexed type is said to be 

that which has been adopted for the new 

Roman series, but is evidently incomplete — 

the inscription and value having yet to be 
inserted in the octagon. The 
y s, design has a very liiero- 

filyphical appearance, and if 
it was the intention to com- 
bine the Papal emblems with 
classical figures, the attempt 
/ is certainly a failure. The 
emblems are certainly not 
capable of snch treatment, and should have 

been left alone to form the central device ; 
the addition of a really tasteful framework 
would alone have sufficed to form an at- 
tractive type; but the present essay shows 
only a labyrinthine confusion of legs and 
key-handles. Pending the perhaps distant 
date when the now series shall be in use, 
the one in existence keeps the oven tenor of 
its way, and the only change to signalise is 
the appearance of the 10 c. printed on a 
brownish vermilion paper. 

Paeaouay, — M. Moens, replying to the 
letter from Mr, Atlee which appeared in our 
July number, argues that as the Argentine 
Republic has established post-offices in 
Paraguay, it may also be on the point of 
issuing stamps for that country, and that, 
assuming such to be the case, the govern- 
ment would not inform its diplomatic agents 
abroad of its intention. This may be very 
true, but the sneer that follows, as to the 
insertion, in the English journals, of insig- 



138 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Sept. 1, 1870. 



uificanfc letters, opinion de Pierre, opinion de 
Paul, is not in the best taste. The English 
journals encourage the transmission of in- 
formation by their correspondents, and do 
not despise the slightest contiibution to the 
stock of philatelic knowledge, believing 
that a guarantee of the permanence of 
philately is found in the interest taken by 
its readers in all that relates to the science. 
At any rate, the columns of the English 
journals are not occupied with attempts to 
hoax their readers, by the description of 
pretended issues for Moresnet, nor by inter- 
minable squabbles over verbal inaccuracies, 
discovered by the one in the pages of the 
other. Whoever will take the trouble to 
glance through the volumes of Le Timbre^ 
Paste &nd Le Timbrophiln, will find no incon- 
siderable portion of their space taken up by 
a series of accusations, rejoinders, and sur- 
rejoinders, upon trivial omissions or faults 
of style, containing not a siugle philatelic 
fact of importance to redeem the mass of 
verbiage. Under these circumstances, we 
commend to our contemporary's notice the 
old proverb, which advises abstention from 
stone- throwing by the inhabitants of glass- 
houses. 

New Granada. — Tolima, — Mr. Pemberton 
writes, " I received specimens of Tolima last 
month from Bogota. There were two differ- 
ent dies amongst them, and they were all 
on blue laid paper. That they belong to 
Tolima, and that Tolima is a state of the 
Confederation, Republic, or what not, of 
Columbia, there can be no question. It ap- 
pears more than probable that the system of 
each state issuing its own stamps may extend 
to all of them in process of time, for I re- 
ceived a 5 centavoB for the state of Cundina- 
marca, colour red, design precisely the same 
as that of the current 20 c. of Columbia, 
engraved on p. 208 of Dr. Gray's new edition 
(and erroneously described there as lilac, all 
1 have seen have been blue), except that the 
stamp is shorter, owing to the omission of 
the words correos nales at top, and con- 
sequent contraction of the design. The 
stamp is distinctly marked correos, with the 
name of the state round the centi*al circle. 
I received also a newly-issued 10 pesos 
Columbia, to match the 5 pesos which you 



have engraved, also a new 5 cent eri suite, 
in the usual variations of lemon and orange. 
Is the lilac 20 c. mentioned in Dr. Gray's 
catalogue a myth ? I think so ; all 1 have 
seen have been blue." 

SocTH African BiEpcblic. — We noticed 
last month the arrival of penny stamps, 
printed in the republic, or " colony," as the 
Philatelist terms it, and distinguished from 
the previous supplies by the roughness of 
the impression, and by the paper being 
unperforated. It now appears that supplies 
of the blue sixpence and green shilling 
have also been struck off at Pretoria in the 
same rough manner. Our Brighton con- 
temporary, referring to them, says, " Of the 
blue, we received but a single sheet, and 
this presents a peculiarity noticeable among 
some impressions of other countries, viz. : 
the reversal of one of the dies ; the same 
singularity is offered by the sheets of green, 
which have the stamp on the left-hand upper 
corner reversed; the anomalous individual 
in the blue is in the left-hand lower one." 
It adds, " None of the violet threepennies 
have yet been printed off in the republic. 
There are colour-essays of the latter in 
circulation, probably gut up for sale, in pink 
and blue." 

Denmark. — ^We may anticipate the ap- 
pearance of a goodly number of essays for 
the new 48 sk., for no less than eight types 
were proposed by the engraver, of which 
the one engraved last month was accepted, 
leaving seven for the use of collectors only. 
Two of the rejected closely resemble the 
chosen design, differing only in slight details; 
the third has the figure of value in a shield ; 
surmounted by a larger crown, with dan- 
mark POSTFRiM JIRKR above, and value below ; 
the fourth resembles the adopted type, but 
has a triangle at each comer ; the fifth has 
the same frame as the fourth, but the figure 
of value is on a small circle in the centre of 
a fancy design ; the sixth has a fancy design, 
stretching from side to side ; the seventh 
has the figure in an oval, and the space 
between it and the inscribed oval contains a 
greek pattern. It is hardly necessary to 
quote the colours of the first proofs seen, 
as, no doubt, there will be a rainbow series 
of each. 



Sept. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



139 



Mauritius. — The sixpence is now printed 
of a dark green hue, and, says onr Belgian 
contemporary, the one shilling blue has been 
withdrawn from circulation, and replaced 
temporarily by the Is. yellow, pending the 
exhaustion of the stock of the 2d. blue, tlie 
identity of colour having brought about a 
confusion between the two stamps. As to 
the reported chansres in colour of the nine- 
pence, of which Count de P. possesses a 
specimen in green, the postmaster of Mau- 
ritius says, there has never been any idea 
of issuing a new tint, as he still possesses 
more than £4000 worth of the violet. 

Bolivia. — It may be as well to notice 
here that there has been an extensive 
manufacture of blue 5 centavos, obtained by 
steeping the green of the " fourth period " 
in acid. These blue stamps are of a deep 
colour, approaching to indigo, and have a 
very new look about them. Caveat einjtior. 

Holland. — Rectification of colours of the 
unpaid-letter stamps : the 5 c. is brown on 
orange, the 10 c, carmine on blue. The 
colours originally given were those of proof 
copies. 

Sr. Domingo. — There has lately appeared 
another variety of this very changeable 
series ; the UN real is now printed in lilac- 
grey on ordinary paper, and gummed. 

TJnited Statks. — We have received the 
new 3 cents envelopes on white and on lemon- 
coloured paper. 

Trinidad. — The 4d., cc. and crown water- 
mark, stamp of this island is now of a very 
beautiful blue violet. 

A POSTMASTER-GRNERAL'S 
ADVERTISEMENT. 

TuANKS to the kindness of a correspondent, 
we have before us the copy of an advertise- 
ment inserted in the principal American 
papers by the United States Postmaster- 
general, requesting tenders for the manu- 
facture of stamped envelopes and wrappers. 
It is not often that we see a state post-office 
putting up such work for open competition, 
but the department has ceased to do business 
with Messrs. Nesbitt & Co., and from this 
advertisement it is evident the report of its 
dispute with its new contractor, Mr. G. Q. 



Reay, had more foundation than was at first 
supposed. Whether the remainder of the ex- 
pected series will appear, or whether we shall 
have to wait the result of a new conti*act, 
remains to be seen : meanwhile, the condi- 
tions offered to manufacturers are of suffi- 
cient interest to make it worth our while to 
reproduce them, and it will be seen that they 
throw considerable lit^ht on the number of 
envelopes required, the sizes most used, &c, 

Post-office Department, July 11, 1870. 

Sealed proposals will be received until 
12 o'clock A.M., on the 11th day of August, 
1870, for furnishing all the "Stamped En- 
velopes," and "Newspaper Wrappers," which 
this department may require durinof a period 
of four years, commencing on the 1st day of 
October, 1870, viz. : 

STAMPED ENVELOPES. 

No. 1. — Note size, 2| by 5 J inches — two 
qualities. 

No. 2. — Ordinary letter size, S/j by o| 
inches — three qualities. 

No. 3. — Full letter size, 3| by 5| inches — 
three qualities. 

No. 4. — Full letter size (for circulars), un- 
gummed on flap, 3| by »>| inches — one 
quality. 

No. 5 — Extra letter size, 3^ by 6| inches 
— three quftlities. 

No. G. — Extra letter size, 3| by 6| inches, 
(for circulars), ungaramed on flap — one 
quality. 

No. 7. — Official size, 31S by 8| inches — two 
qualities. 

No. 8. — Extra official size, 4f by lOj inches 
— one quality, 

STAMPED NEWSPAPER WRAPPERS. 

Six and five-eighths by nine and one-half 
inches (round cut) — one quality. 

EMBOSSING, WATERMARKS, PRINTING, RULING, 
PAPER, STYLE OP MANUFACTURE. 

All of the above Envelopes and Wrappers 
must be embossed with postage stamps, of 
such denominations, styles, and colours, must 
have such watermarks or other devices to 
prevent imitation, and bear such printing 
and ruling as the Postmaster-General may 
direct. The envelopes must be made in the 



140 



THE Stamp-collector's magazine. [Seff. i, i87o. 



most thorough manner, equal in every respect 
to the samples furnished to bidders by the 
Department. The paper must be of ap- 
proved quality, especially mauDfactured for 
the purpose. 

Whenever envelopes are ordered of the 
styles known as " Black-lined " or " Self- 
ruled *' (lines printed inside, or ruled on the 
face), the same shall be furnished without 
additional cost, the contractor to pay all 
charges for royalty in the use of patented 
inventions for said lined or ruled envelopes. 

DIES. 

The dies for embossing the postage stamps 
on the envelopes and wrappers are to be exe- 
cuted to the satisfaction of the Postmaster- 
General, in the best style, and they are to 
be provided, renewed, and kept in order at 
the expense of the contractor. The Depart- 
ment reserves the right of requiring new 
dies for any stamps, or denominations of 
stamps not now used, and any changes of 
dies or colours shall be made without extra 
charge. 

Before closing a contract the successful 
bidder may be required to prepare and 
submit new dies for the approval of the De- 
partment. The use of the present dies may, 
or may not, be continued. 

The dies shall be safely and securely kept 
by the contractor, and should the use of 
any of them be temporarily or permanently 
discontinued, they shall be promptly turned 
over to the Department, or its agent, as the 
Postmaster-General may direct. 

GUM. 

The envelopes must be thoroughly and 
perfectly gummed, the gumming on the flap 
of each (except for circulars) to be put on 
by hand not less than half an inch the entire 
length ; the wrappers to be also hand-gum- 
mod not less than three-fourths of an inch 
in width across the end. 

SECUEITY FROM FIRE AND THEFT. 

Bidders are notified that the Department 
will require, as a condition of the contract, 
that the envelopes and wrappers shall be 
manufactured and stored in such a manner 
as to insure security against loss by fire or 
theft. 



The manufactory must at all times be 
subject to the inspection of an agent of the 
Department, who will require the stipula- 
tions of the contract to be faithfully observed. 

GUARANTEE. 

No proposal will be considered unless 
offered by a manufacturer of envelopes, and 
accompanied by a satisfactory guarantee 
signed by at least two responsible parties. 

AWARD — AGREEMENT — BONDS. 

The contract will be awarded to the lowest 
responsible bidder for all the envelopes and 
wrappers, the prices to be calculated on the 
basis of the number used of the several 
grades during the last fiscal year, which was 
as follows : 

Note size 1,468,250 

Letter size, first quality . . . . . . . .60.467,5iK> 

Letter size, second quality 8,956, 7^^ 

Letter size, second quality (ungumraed) . • 3.618,000 

Extra letter size, first quality 5,815,750 

Extra letter size, second quality (un- 

gummed) 454,000 

Official size 669,9(»0 

Extra Official size 3,100 

Newspaper wrappers . . 4,936,250 

Total .. .. 86^9"^ 

BIDS 

Should be securely enveloped and sealed, 
marked "Proposals for Stamped Envelopes 
and Newsp iper Wrappers." and addressed 
to the Third Assistant Postmaster General, 
Washington, D. C. 

JNO. A. J. ORES WELL, 

Postmaster General. 

It will be observed that the numbers here 
given are valuable, asr giving the actual 
quantity of each size of envelope, but the 
list, of course, does not speak of the values. 

A very short period is allowed to the 
successful competitor to get up his " plant," 
the closing day for the delivery of tenders 
being the 11th ult., and the day fixed for 
furnishing the first supplies being the 1st 
October. Thus, then, it is evident that if 
even the higher values of the series, of 
which we have already seen the 2 and 3 c, 
are allowed to appear, they can have but a 
very brief currency, if the stijmlations of the 
contract arc carried out. 



Sept. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-OOLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



141 



THE BOLIVIAN STAMPS. 

{Continued from page 125.) 

There remains the question of the impression 
of the 5 centavos lilac. 

Upon an examination of the few rare copies 
which are to be found, one can recognise the 
identity of the principal traits, in the dis- 
position of the legend and of the pinion 
feathers ; and hence it is evident that tliey 
were printed from the same plate. We have 
been able to affirm this identity at first by 
our own two copies, and to ascertain that of 
these two, one — the unused, — is the first 
stamp of the fourth row, and the other — the 
used, — is the second stamp of the third row. 
Mr. W. has been good enough to hand us 
two other unused copies which we recognised 
as being, respectively, the sixth stamp of the 
second row, and the seventh of the sixth 
row. But it was not enough to prove that 
these stamps came from the same plate its the 
5 c. green. We have admitted [see the last 
number of The Stamp Collector'^ Mafjazwb] 
that, in consequence of the wear of the plate 
and successive retouchings, the issue of the 
green stamps might be divided into four 
principal periods. Arguing from facts al- 
ready known, it seems probable that the 5 c. 
violet were printed during the fourth period 
— that of the wearing away of the primitive 
lines, and of the lines of the first retouch. 
If this were the case, the new lines ought to 
have been found, together with the traces of 
the old ones, and above all, the horizontal 
" counter lines " which characterise the re- 
touching: of the globe. As, sheets of the 5. c. 
green of the fourth period are comparatively 
common, the comparison is easy. Bnt in 
fact, these evidences are not found. On the 
first stamp of the fourth row we find, on 
the lower part of the body of. the eagle, a 
certain number of oblique lines, which are 
wanting on the corresponding stamp in three 
entire sheets of the green which we have 
before us. 

The same observation applies to our stamp 
— the second of the third row. There are a 
good many more interlaced lines than in the 
corresponding second stamp of the sheet of 
the second period, whilst that part of the 
stamp is bare on the sheets of the last period. 



The same remark holds good for Mr. 
W.'s stamps. In the seventh of the sixth 
row the lines are more numerous and closer 
than in the same stamp on the threo sheets 
of the last period, but their direction is differ- 
ent from those on the same stamp of our 
first sheet. Further, the finer lines of the 
pinion feathers, wliich are pretty well pre- 
served on the violet stamp, are hardly visible 
on the same stamp of the three sheets of green. 
All the details of the violet stamp are easily 
recognisalile on a stamp of this type belbiig- 
ing to the quarter of a sheet which we 
have classed as representing the third period. 
However, our role of exact reporter obliges us 
to say that we find a curved counter-line at 
the eagle's head which is wanting on aU the 
green stamps. 

As to the sixth stamp of the second row, 
all its lines are found among those of a re- 
touched stamp of the third period, but there 
are fewer difierences between this stamp and 
its correspondent on the three sheets of the 
last period, than there are between the three 
other stamps already noticed, and their equi- 
valents on the said sheets. One fact, common 
to the four violet stamps which we have 
before us, is the complete absence from the 
globe of the vertical lines of the tipper part, 
and of the oblique lines of the right, which 
are found on the sheet of th6 second period, 
and the fragment of the sheet of the third ; 
the absence is also to be noticed of the 
Iwrizontal counter-lines on the same side, 
which exist on the stamps of the fourth 
period. 

It seems, then, rational to conclude that 
the 5 c. violet were printed about the end 
of the third period, aud before those sheets 
which we consider to belong to the fourth, 
for it is evident that the last counter- 
lines and other details indicate a prior re- 
touching of the place. This is our reason 
for transposing what Mr. Pemberton has 
termed the two last plates, but it will be 
observed that we agree with his view respect- 
ing the plate from which the 5 c. violet were 
impressed. 

M. Albis says that the second series (5 
centavos violet, 50 c. blue, 1 00 c. green) was 
not issued because of the appearance of 
counterfeits, but simply to meet the public 



142 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Sept. 1, 1870. 



requirements pending the arrival of the new 
series engraved and printed at Now York, 
which was daily expected. " The change of 
colour took place because the yellow (50 c.) 
had become too pale, and without other 
motive than a simple fancy." 

It is difficult to admit that fancy was the 
sole cause of the change of colour of a series 
of stamps. It would be more sensible to 
acknowledge that the motives are unknown, 
than to form such futile conjectures. We 
should more willingly admit a change affect- 
ing the colours, instead of a change of type, 
conformjibly with the Spanish custom of 
changing the stamps each year. This has 
been tbllowed with respect to the commercial 
stamps of Peru, Magdalena, <fcc., but we only 
give this as a simple hypothesis. What is 
certain is, that only a small number of 
stamps of this series was printed. We 
imagine that the impression, for some reason , 
not having answered its object, and awaiting 
the arrival of the 5 centavos (also green) of 
the American Bank Note Company, it became 
necessary to have recourse to the old 5 c. 
green to supply the immediate requirements 
of the public ; and the supply of the stamps 
of this value of the fourth and last period 
was struck off. This would account for the 
relatively large number of " fourth period " 
sheets whicld exist. 

To resume, the 5 centavos of Bolivia were 
obtained from one sole plate. That plate, 
after the workings of what we have termed 
the first two periods, was the object of an 
important retouch, which had reference prin- 
cipally to the body of the eagle, and not on 
the globe. At these three periods the stamp 
was printed in green. The 5 c. violet must 
have been impressed about the end of the 
third period; after its impression the plate 
was again retouched; partly the eagle and 
partly the globe being treated, and, thus 
altered, it furnished the sheets of the fourth 
period, or rather of the fifth, if the fourth 
bo allotted to the violet stamps. 

Thus all the varieties are found to be ex- 
plained. If it were otherwise, — if it were 
necessary to admit, with Mr. Pemberton, the 
use of four successive plates, — one ought to 
find in the frames and the legend some 
differences; the incapacity of the engraver 



renders this certain, d priori^ and which this 
writer has, in fact, proved do not exist. 



II.— THE 10 CENTAVOS OF BOLIVIA. 

BT M. ALBI8. 

My dear M. Mahe. — I have just received 
an entire sheet of 10 c. brown, of the old 
eagle stamps of Bolivia. Instead of 72 
stamps, as in the sheet of 5 c, it has 78 dis- 
posed in six rows of 13 stamps each. The 
10 c. stamps are smaller than the 5 c. ( L 
millimetre more per stamp), and this has 
permitted the engraver to add one stamp 
extra^^ per line on a copper pi ite of the same 
dimensions as those he employed for the 
other values. The length of the line of 13 
stamps of 10 c. is 29 centimetres, 8 mill., 
whilst that of the line of 12 stamps of 5 c. is 
precisely 29 centimetres. The distances be- 
tween the stamps are greater by half a mill, in 
the sheet of 5 c. than in that of the 10 c. 

All the 78 stamps of the 10 centavos are 
different, and although the engraving of 
that plate may have been more carefully 
done, and the type of the eagle more uniform 
than in the 5 c, still the plate is far worse, 
in consequence of the employment of too 
great a quantity of acid. 

I had forgotten to say that if the 10 
centavos stamps are. not so wide as the 5 c, 
they are, on the other hand, a little longer. 

I have not yet seen entire sheets of the 50 
and 100 c, and therefore cannot say how 
many stamps there are per sheet, but if one 
may put forth an opinion having some pro- 
babilities in its favour, I think that the 
sheets of 50 c. and 100 c. have 78 stamps, 
because the stamps arc of the same shape as 
the 10 c, that is to say, they are not so wide 
as the 5 c, but longer. 

A general difference, moreover, between 
the 5 c. stamps and those of all the other 
values, is, that the shield which contains the 
eagle and the legend, is separated from the 
frame, to the right and left, by a tolerably 
large space, whilst in the 10 c. that space is 
very much reduced, and some among these 
stamps even show the escutcheon touching 
the sides of the frame. In the 50 c. and 
100 c. stamps the escutcheon nearly always 
touches one side or the other, and often both. 

Lastly, in the sheet of 10 c, all the shields 



Sept. 1, 1870.] iTHE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



143 



are separated from the frame, above and 
below, by a well-marked space, which strikes 
the eye at first sight, whilst in tlie sheet of 
5 c. the space is smaller, and in the frag- 
ments of sheets of 50 c. and 100 c. which I 
have in my hands, this space does not exist 
at all ; with, perhaps, one or two exceptions, 
the escutcheon touches the frame above and 
below. — Yours faithfully, Albis. 

POSTAL CHIT-CHAT. 

A PEACEFUL Cahoo OF HuMAN BEiN08.--The Pacific 
mails. 

The Halfpenny Postal Cards, which will shortly 
be issued, will be sold to the public in sheets. 

SAKCAiTic. — A letter was sent to one of the large towns 
in the United States directing the postmaster to deliver it 
'* to any respectable attorney." Aiter ten days it was re- 
lumed with the significant endorsement : ** None here." 

The Postal Money-okdek System has become so 
popular in the United States, that petitions are pouring 
in daily from every part of the country for the establish- 
ment of additional offices. In response to the most urgent 
of these petitions, three hundred and eighty-nine new 
offices in various states have been opeiK'd in a single day. 

The General Post -office of tne German Confedera- 
tion has granted the French prisOnera of war the privilege 
of freedom of postage bv means of the open correspondence 
cards lately introduced into this country ; but tney must 
pass the censorship of the commanding officer in charge 
of the dep6t, and be signed by him.— Jyai/y News " Ou:n 
Correspondent** 

The Rowland Hill Statue. — The statue of Rowland 
mil, which has been executed by Mr. Peter* Hollins, is, 
by the consent of the Biiiningham Exchange Committee, 
to be placed in the bay of the Exchange Building, until 
the new post-office is completed. The statue is of a 
marble which will not bear exposure to the open air. It 
stands 10 feet 9 Inches in height, including tne pedestal, 
upon which there is a bas-relief of a sick girl in bed, re- 
ceiving a letter from a postman. 

The Number op Postage Stamps sold by the post- 
office during the year ending 31st December, 1869 (as 
given in a return lately issued), was 721.211,380 (of 
various prices), valued at £3,490,608. 8,267,280 en- 
velopes, of the value of £37,461 were sold during the 
year. In the year 1859, the stamps sold were 336,562,000, 
value £1,584,745; envelopes, 8,730,960, value £39,562. 
The stamps sold by the Inland Revenue in 1869 amounted 
to £708,490 18s. 9d., as compared with £595,186 17s. 5d. 
in 1859. 

Dignity op a Mail-Carrier. — Passing over the 
Orange and Alexandria railroad, a short time since, as 
the mail was thrown oif at one of the stations, it was 
picked up by a negro boy fifteen or sixteen years old, 
who took it on his shouluera, and started for the post- 
office. After proceeding a short distance, he was met by 
a gentleman followed by a dog. As the dog passed, the 
darkey gave him a kick, which the gentleman resented bv 
Bcixing him by the coat collar, and giving him a thorough 
shaking. As soon as the boy recovered from this process, 
he turned upon the agitator, and said, ** Look-a-here, 
niassa, you'd better be keerful how you shnkes dis chile, 
COB when you shakes me, you shakes do whole United 
States: J carries de mail** — Harper* s Monthly, 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE ENGLISH EMBOSSED TENPENNY STAMP. 
To tJie Editor of "The Stamp-Collector's Magazine.' ' 

Dear SiR,-r-In your number for August, you say it 
would be interesting to know for what special purpose 
the English embossed lOd. stamp was first issued (in 
1848). 

I oelieve you will find it was to prepay letters to 
France, the postage to which country was certainly lOd. 
at that time. 

Tours trul}', 

London, W. H. H. 



AN OLD NATAL STAMP PERFORATED! 

To t/u Editor of ^^Tun Stamp-Collector's Magazine." 

Dear Sir, — T have just had given to me two of the 
old penny Natal— a blue, obliterated, and a yellow one. 
This latter does not quite answer to any description I 
have yet seen ; it is from the same die as the blue, and 
on coarse yellow paper, which appears to be stained on 
one aide only ; but the most singular thing about it is, 
that it is perforated 12^, and is 1^ in. loug by seven- 
eighths broad, being, therefore, a venr long rectangle. 
Both stamns were given to me by a friend, who has a 
brother at Natal. All the reprints I have seen have been 
on thin paper, coloured through ; my copies are on stout 

Eaper. Can you tell me what it is ? Is it a reprint, or 
ave some or the first issue been used for commercial 
purposes ? I never saw or heard of any of the reprints 
of ]Natal being perforated before. 

Believe me, yours faithfully, 
Norwich. S. B. B. 



THE ITALIAN AND ROMAN I'OSTAGE. 
To tJte Editor of "The Stamp-Collector's Magazine." 

Dear Sir, — Having furnished you with the informa- 
tion respecting the Segna Tassa stamps, the correctness of 
which is impugned by Mr. Steudel, in the letter published 
in your last number, I feel it necessary to justify my 
statement. 

I lived in Italy thirteen years, and my residence there 
terminated about three years ago. Whilst there, in the 
course of my occupation, I received, and had to reply 
to, several hundred Roman letters, and I am, therefore, 
able to affirm positively that in my time they could 
only be prepaid to the frontier and vice versa, I can add 
that since 1832 (unless my recollection deceives me) I 
never received a letter from Rome which did not bear two 
or moie Segna Tassa stamps according to weight, and this 
notwithstanding that they bore Roumn stamps of tho 
proper value, in very many instances these latter were 
covered by the Segna Tassa. Further: I still have a 
considerable number of Segna Tassa stnmps which I my- 
self took off letters from Rome, tbat bear on the back 
traces of tlie lioman stamps which tliey more or less 
covered, and the very fact that the Italian officials stuck 
the Segna Tassa stamps over the Roman proves in itself 
that the letters were not, in the ordinary sense of the 
phrase, insufficiently prepaid; had they been so, the Italian 
post-office would have been careful to leave uncovered 
the Roman stamps to show that the letters were short paid. 

At the time wnen I was in Italy the Italian and the 
Roman governments had not entered into anv postal 
treaty pi*oviding for a through postage, but preferred to 
hamper correspondence by permitting prepavment to the 
frontier only. Since then all may be, and indeed Mr. 



144 



THE STAHT-COLLECTOB'S MAGAZINE [Srft. 1, 1870. 



Steudol's letter warvants me in MflBumiiig all has been, 
changed, and a oonvmition having been entered into, the 
rate of 20 centesimi now covers the entire postage between 
the Italian Icingdom and Rome, llius may be reooneiled 
my own gtatooiept, founded en thirteen years' rcBidenee 
in It^ly* and. Mr, Stengel's, based on a st»y of fourteen 
months. 

I Am, dear Si^ 

Youjs tvuly, 
Boulqffni-9ur-Mer, \V. E. B. 

MJR. PJEMBERTON ON THE STAMPS OF BOLIVIA. 

To M^ J^rfl/Oro/^'THESTAMP-COLLECTOll's MaOAZINB " 

D^ah Sui, — My letter to you, so quoted from by Dr. 
Magnus, was but the first crude reeapiiulaiion of the faels 
I had aocomukitedfrom ocular ezaiuination. Dr. Magnus 
stai'ts on a false ground : the letter was not to be regarded 
as a final decision on mv part, it was simply a calling 
of attention to certain diderenees, which want of leisure 
for some months past has prevented me from properly 
elucidating. 

In my letter I erred in speaking of the plates in any 
numerical order, but I was obliged to use such a method 
of distinction, and this Dr. Magnus has naturally taken as 
my decided opinion of the existence of four distinctly 
engraved plates. When I wrote, I principally wished to 
show that more than the two plates — or the two periods 
of engraving — existed, so distinctly given by M. Albis. 
As there were differences which pointed to four states of 
the plate, I contend I was not inaccurate in dividing 
them firom one another by numerical distinctions, yet I 
am willing to admit that my subsequent silence tended 
to show that I had no more to say, and that I believed in 
four distinctly and separately engraved plates. My 
silence however was eniorced, for I have had little leisure 
this year. 

It is perfectly clear that when I stated that there were 
three plates exactly similar in certain details, I meant it 
to be inferred that those plates had one common ori^nal, 
which, thraugh transferring, &c., had been altered in the 
slight particulars I remarked to you, and which differing 
points seemed, at first sight, evidences of so many difik*ent 

Slates. Irrespective of any inferences which may be 
rawn from my letter to you, I distinctly state that Dr. 
Magnus and I are of one mind, so far as for one basis for 
the three plates, "which I had previously distinguiBhed by 
the numbers I, 2, and 3 ; and neither the doctor nor my- 
self could have decided otherwise ; but that my plate No 4 
has a like basis I cannot agi'ee. I have not had the time 
to write the article I had intended, as a sequel to the di6- 
coveries which I communicated to yooi ; but as I gave all 
my leisure at one time to these stamps, I think my ophiion 
is to be relied upon when I say that M. Albis was quite 
right in giving two plates distinctly and diffeoently en- 
graved, the one a copy of the other. There can be no 
doubt about this; M. Albis must have written this with 
ofiicial information to guide him, for had he written from 
pei-sonal inspection he umU have found those other difier- 
ences to which I called your attention. 

When I wrote I wished to prove that M. Albis had not 
made the most of the specimens and information at his 
command ; and, as there were differences which pointed, 
atjirai sight, to four different plates, I contend it was not 
inexact of me to divide them from one another by 
numeiical distinctions. Since in entire sheets I found 
differences, I was obliged to define them by the divisional 
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th plates; for as each difiered, I could 
not call them one, much less two, at that period of my 
investigations. I admit, as indeed could be gathered from 



my own notes, that my plates 1, 2, and ^ have one 
common basis, and are but one plate in three separate 
conditions or states; like our English penny, which was 
retouched in 1855, and the differences between which and 
\h» etauips of previous y«ars ore dearly marked, the first 
plate has, at sundry times, been retouched and deepened in 
parts, but the basis untouched. So far, Dr. Magniis and I 
are as bftsthren at unity, but no further, fbr I am quite 
certain that my 4th plate is a perfectly distinct matter. Of 
that I have not even a doubt, aud no supposition founded 
on any supposed inacciu-acies of mine will alter me. I 
have entire shceis of my two periods (Nos. 2 and 3) which 
differ; I have unsevered part-sheets of my plate 1 ; yet of 
No. 4 I have no specimens which agree m the smallest 
details with any one of the sevenry-two types on each of 
my entile sheets, and they are not allied m style, colour, 
or paper, with my blocks of No 1 ; aud thi-oughout the 
^reen and lilacs, which I have termed No. 4, there is an 
individualitv of bad engraving, quite opposed to the 
higher finish which No. 1 shows. As Nob. 1, 2, and 3; 
are in basis alike, it is a self-evident fact, that if I cannot 
find any of my specimens of No. 4 wliich, even in the 
slightest details, agrees with any of the individuals on the 
entire sheets,— it is self evideut, I say, that No. 4 is not 
from the same basis as those plates. I will write you 
some more on this subject next month. 

Tours faithfully, 
Birmingham. EDWAllD L. PEMBERTON. 

ANSWERS TO COKEiESPONDENTS. 

SusAJC. - The new United States stamps exist aa you 
state, both with, and without the raised quadiille at the 
back. We were under the impression that this had been 
mentioned. 

L. X., Birmingham.— The old Buenos Ayres "ship" 
stamps have never been reprinted ; the first issue of 
Sweden has been, and all the values can be had at u 
moderate price. 

An Ojld CoLLEcroii.— The one-cent Nicamgua is still 
in nubibutf .'—It appears doubtful now whethei* there will 
be a new series tor Natal ; the administration is said to 
be contented with its expedient for diBting;uishing postals 
from fiscaU. » 

N. QuiiiEU —Tour 6J cent, is not, as you suppose, a 
Cuban, but is, in fact, one of the current Philippine 
series.— The cui-rent English threepenee* with a blue 
ground in the angles, is a sham: a jlittla ejuunination 
would have shown you that the blue had been put on 
with a crayon. —The green British Columbia, with 
*•> 1 dollar/' struck across the lower miuqgin, is genuine 
enough; ijt is one of the existing permanent provisional 
set. 

li. KvLfi. — We have communicated ymir notes on Dr. 
Gray's Catologue to the editor, who charges as to return 
you his best thanks for hame. At the same time he 
wishes us to say that, on commenciua: the fifth edition, he 
was somewhat iu doubt as to the propriety of noticing 
perforauons aud wateraiaik* : from two motives^ first, that 
by so doing, he might lessen the utility of the work as a 
popular guide by ofleuding agauist the scruples of many 
English collectors; aud secondly, that the inclusion o'f 
varieties might increase the bulk of the work to such an 
extent, as to bring down a remonsti-ancc from the pub- 
lishers ; who, as it is, will gain nothing by the tifih 
edition, and were losew by the fourth. Hence it resulted 
that, in the attempt to compress the descriptions, and the 
limits of the work as a whole, some secondary varieties 
were lost sight of; but in the next edition (should anolher 
be required) the editor hopes to rectify these omissions. 



J 



Ocrr. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



145 



THE SWISS STAMPS. 



BY FENTONIA. 



The stamps of Switzerland, from their first 
emanation by the smallest, though not the 
least important, of the Swiss cantons, down 
to the present time, comprise a greater 
variety of interesting detail than can be 
found in those of any other country. I intend 
making a running and consecutive comment 
on their peculiarities, touching only on for- 
geries when it suits my purpose, being 
sensible that there are already sufficient 
detectives in the field. In fact, so recently 
as last month, we had, in The Philatelist^ a 
concise paper on the subject of Swiss for- 
geries, compiled, in the writer's own opinion, 
" with such perspicuity, that even the most 
youthful reader will experience no difficulty 
in detecting worthless imitations." Though 
I cannot hope to be equally perspicuous, 
I will, nevertheless, endeavour, as Lord 
Macaulay says, "so to express myself, that 
a clever boy of fourteen may easily under- 
stand my meaning." 

Taking the earlier stamps in the chrono- 
logical order set down by M. Moens, as 
translated in last year's magazine (page 10), 
Geneva first claims our attention. • This 
diminntivo canton of Geneva (a republic 
too, by-the-bye) is but little larger than 
Rutlandshire, the smallest of our English 
counties, and till the era of the Reforma- 
tion was almost unknown to historic fame. 
Voltaire used to say, in allusion to its limited 
size, that if he only shook his periwig the 
powder would sprinkle the whole canton. 
Its early history seems involved in obscurity ; 
but for centuries it belonged to the Emperor 
of Austria, who, if I mistake not, granted it, 
with other districts, called collectively the 
Genevois, to the counts or dukes of Savoy, 
who in their turn farmed its revenues, or 
permitted it to be .governed by a prince- 
bishop, who was expelled when the reformed 
religion was introduced. Probably Geneva 
then became a republic. At all events, it 
did not form one of the original thirteen 
Helvetic cantons. From 1802 to 1814 it 
was, with Vaud and Neufchatel, incorporated 
in the empire of France; but at the congress 
of Vienna it was again restored to indepen- 



dence, and became the 22nd canton of the 
Swiss Confederation, though still retaining 
its designation of a republic. It is, there- 
fore, not surprising that this plucky little 
state should be the first to inaugurate 
postage stamps in Switzerland. Its armorial 
bearings I have nowhere found explained, 
but I think the eagle is intended either for 
the province of Maurienne, in Savoy — for- 
merly of some importance, being on tho 
frontiers of Piedmont — the blazoning of 
which is OTy an eagle displayed aahle^ and 
which may still be seen in the centre of the 
armorial bearings of the kingdom of Sardinia 
before its union with the kingdom of Italy, 
the breast being charged with guleSy a cross 
argent for the dukedom of Savoy ; or else it 
may be the Austnan eagle, Geneva having 
formerly been an imperial dependency. If 
the latter, the eagle should be crowned, as 
on the "port-local" stamps; if, on the con- 
trary, as is most probable, the St. Maurienne 
eagle be intended, it is more correctly bla- 
zoned on the 5 c. " port-cantonal " stamps 
without a crown. One or other must be 
wrong. 

The key {gules a key in pale argent, tho 
wards in chiefs and turned to the sinister) 
is no doubt the device of the bishop-prince 
of Geneva, the wards of the key being in 
the form of a cross. For the motto I can 
find no authority whatever, and, moreover, 
it is placed, contrary to all heraldic rules, 
immediately above the shield. If it be 
meant for a motto or legend, it should have 
been beneath the shield. If for a war-cry 
or watch-word in time of battle or of siege, 
it should have been above the crest. Post 
tenebras lux is the motto of one or two English 
families ; it seems to have no allusion to the 
Genevan arms. It may, however, mean that 
by the circulation of correspondence light is 
diffused, and it may also be a play on the word 
post, allusive mottos being often adopted in 
heraldry. I believe it to be a quotation from 
the Book of Job, chap, xvii., verse 12, which 
in the Latin vulgate is rendered "Pos< tenehras 
spero lucem;** but I have no doubt the words 
have been quoted from some older version, 
though not to be found verbatim in the two 
or three different ones which I have had the 
opportunity of consulting. Some few of my 



146 



THE STA>IP-OOLLBCTOWS atA&AZmB. [Octt. 1, 1870. 



readers may not be aware of the meaning of 
the words j^orl and jposte* Fort means post- 
ago; vo^te means post-office. Thus the in- 
scription on iUe stamps at present nnder 
discussion reads thus: "Geneva post-office,'* 
" Cantonal postage,*^ "Local postage." The 
word poste^ as meaning post-office, is familiar 
to English correspondents in directing their 
foreign letters, when they often write ^^poste 
restante," i.e., to remain at the post-office 
(till calle(i for). . ^ 

Then as to the J. S. S., surrounded by 
rays, has that any thing to do with heraldry, 
or did it originate with the stamp design at 
the Post$ deQeriQce? It is generally supposed 
to represent the sacred monogram, and, 
though feeling soraevyhat doubtful, I am not 
prepared to contradict the assumption, more 
especiially as the double stamp has /. H, S.^ 
in which particular it differs from all the 
rest. 

Perhaps Lord Macaulay's "clever boy" 
may bo puzzled, on referring to foreign 
books of heraldry, to find the arms o^ Geneve 
blazoned chechy or, and azure Jive and four, 
and to find it so forming one of the quarter- 
ings in the escutcheon of the late kingdom 
of Sardinia ; but this arises from the French 
name Geneve being indiscriminately used 
for the canton of Geneva, and for the pro^ 
vince now called the Genevois, in the duchy 
of Savoy, long since annexed to the king- 
dom of Sardinia. The arms of the canton 
of Geneve, when mentioned at all, are always 
blazoned as on the postage stamps. 

There are, besides the envelope stamp, 
four stamps belonging to the republic and 
canton of Geneva, viz., the once despised, 
but now highly prized, 10 c. " port cantonal," 
on light green; the 5 c. ** port cantonal," t1iin 
figures, with eagle well feathered, on light 
green; the 5 c. " port cantonal," ^/wcA; figures, 
and moulting-looking eagle, on light green; 
and, fourthly, exactly the same impression 
on dark green. 

Does Mr. Pemberton still believe in three 
varieties of cantonal light green besides the 
double stamp, as enumerated in the Stamp- 
Collector'' 8 Revieiv, page 26 ? For my own 
part, I have hitherto only met with the two 
above mentioned. 

Taking leave of the Geneva stamps, and 



passing over the Basle local stamp, which I 
have already aiscussed in ' a former paper 
some years since {Slamp-Gollector*a Magazine, 
vol. ii., p. 181), w^e come to the period when 
Great Britain adopted perforation, and when 
France, Germany, and Spain almost simul- 
taneously decreed that henceforth letters 
should be prepaid by stamps ; when the first 
great industrial exhibition, which drew re- 
presentatives of all nations to. one focus of 
attraction was in preparation, and gave an 
impetus to trade, to inventions, and to civil 
and religious progress, which was felt even 
in the small matter of postage stamps, 
throughout the length and breadth of the 
civilized world. 

{To be coniini^.) 



ERRORS OF ENGRAVING AND 
PRINTING.— IV. 



BY W. DUDLEY ATLEE. 



Montevideo. — Among the earlier stamps of 
this country we find no errors to chronicle, 
but to the carelessness of the engraver of the 
present series, we are indebted for several 
varieties. 

From an ocular inspection of the five 
centecimos labels we are able to present a 
full list of all the vagaries from the original 
design which are exhihited in that value; 
and also to give their exact positions upon 
the sheet. This last is of little importance 
as far as collecting is concerned, but it is 
certainly worth noting for future reference- 
One of the most striking errors exists in 
the tenth stamp of the top row, which has 
the head of the numeral left blank, instead 
of being filled in, as in all the others. Ex- 
actly under this label we have the error, 
ENTECiMOS. Although uot a very prominent 
variety we yet must mention the sixth stamp 
in the fifth row, upon which the fini^I letter 
of centecimos is at some distance from the 
others. 

In the seventh row we get two impressions 
(the fifth and seventh) the value in which 
reads as centecimo. 

Our concluding, and as yet unchronicled 
variety, is to be seen in the fifth stamp 
of the last row : at the left-hand lower corner 
of the shield, under the horse, is a blank 



Oct, 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



147 



space, which in the other labels is always 
shaded. 

Mahe, in hia Supplement to the latest edition 
of his Guide Manual, names a. five centecimos, 
inscribed cetrkcimos. We greatly doubt the 
existence of such a stamp, as it certainly is 
not to be found on the sheets, and if not 
there, where can it bo ? It is a pity that 
compilers of catalogues should insert things 
upon mere hearsay. 

In the ten centecimos we also come upon 
some articles for our error list. We have 
the label with its ** i " out, or to put it more 
plainly, lettered centec mos, copies of which 
are not uncommon. Stamps also exist in- 
scribed CBNiECiMOS, and some with centrcimos. 
M. Mahe evidently heard of a stamp with 
the last-quoted lettering, and not knowing 
whether it was a 5 c. or a 10 c, placed it 
among the former, at tho same time falling 
into the mistake of adding a second E, which 
is omitted altogether in this error. 

In two instances the word diez is mis- 
printed: once it is given as Diiz, and in 
another label it is termed d:fz. The enve- 
lopes, as is pretty generally known, are in- 
scribed both as centecimos and centecimos. 
All the adhesives have the c, except the 
lowest value. 

We will note here that the correct mode 
of spelling the value is centecimos, and it is 
very probable that we shall soon see the re- 
maining trio of adhesives with the lettering 
so given. 

Naples. — In 1868 Le TlmhropJiile described 
an error of the 1 grano with the inscription, 

BOLLO DELLA POSTA BOLLO DELLA. In the USUal 

stamps, instead of the two last words, we 
find NAPOLETANA. We have never seen this 
" curious variety." 

Some eight years ago a three grano stamp 
was said to exist, but it seems to have been 
nothing better than an hallucination on the 
part or some collector possessing a heavily- 
postmarked five grano. 

New South Wales. — It is difficult to 
understand how any one could commit such 
mistakes as are to be seen on the early 
emissions of this colony. So much has al- 
ready been written about these stamps, and 
Mr. Pemberton has given such an extensive 
and complete list of them, that ifc seems 



almost a work of supererogation on our 
part to repeat what is, or should be, known 
to most collectors. However, we rmist do it, 
for, like the captain in the " Bab Ballads," 
who married the ship's laundress, " It is our 
duty, and we will." 

Where each stamp differs in some degree 
from its fellow, we can only mention what 
may be termed " prominent varieties," for it 
would certainly be not ou\y difficult but ab- 
surd to chronicle all the discrepancies that 
exist in these labels. We first have the 

Views of Sydney, of which the penny has 
two plates ; the twopenny, four ; and the 
threepenny, three: Taking the lowest value, 
we find that in the first plate there are no 
clouds represented, but that they are given 
in the second plate, and that the hill is there 
shaded and has two trees upon it, which is 
in contradiction to the design on the first 
plate. In the last- mentioned plate there are 
no quotable varieties, but in the second we 
get a stamp without clouds, another with the 
hill unshaded, and a third with a shaded hill, 
but without trees. 

The earliest plate of the twopenny is finely 
engraved (which the others are not), has the 
fan ornament shaded on each side, and has 
vertical lines crossed by wavy 
oblique lines as its spandrels. 
For varieties we get a stamp without trees, 
and one with waved oblique spandrels covered 
by lines running in the same direction. Tho 
second plate is distinguished by having the 
fan shaded inside, and by having dots in the 

stars at angles. vN.-jka.a^x' -^^ *^^^ ^^^ ^^® 
two following ^"^g^^^ plates the bale 
is sans inscription. Among the varieties in 
the second plate we have the stamp with the 
word CUEVIT left out of tho motto, and ano- 
ther without any pick or shovel in the land- 
scape. In one label the fan of the succeeding 
plate is anticipated by being represented in 
the second, but the inside is shaded ; and in 
another stamp we have the same class of fan, 
but in addition each side of the circle con- 
taining that ornament is " lined," as in the 

first plate. ^N,.fyVi.*xC' '^^® ^^^ ^" ^^® third 
plate is ^^^^^^ innocent of all shad- 
ing, and has seven segments. A variety exists 
having only six. Two other variations are 
found : one without clouds, and another with 




148 



THE STAMP-COLLEOTOR'S MAGAZINE. £Oct. 1, 1870. 




an unshaded bill. In the fourth 
plate we have a somewhat simi- 
lar fan to the last, but the seven segments are 
joined at the place from whence they radiate 
by a pearl. Here again we have a stamp 
with only six leaves to the fan, and one with 
the pick and shovel wanting, as in the second 
plate. I^he two remaining variations exist 
in the central device. The prevailing type 
of this last plate is a shaded hill and ground, 
but one is engraved with both unshaded, and 
one with only the ground in that state. 
There is said to be a twopenny without the 
legend, but to which plate it belongs we are 
unable to state. 

In the threepenny labels there is only one 
striking variation which is common to all 
three plates. The usual stamps have borders 
which suggest the idea of upright marrow 
bones divided by small ellipses, i wwwuu^^ 
whilst in the varieties the border iiiiiitodfflfflilM 
is formed of ovals }9K?fjQ[?^ intersecting 
each other. XwwOOOOOC 

The Laureated. — For the penny only one 
plate was engraved ; we therefore find the 
error wale in both the unwatermarked and 
watermarked. 

Many collectors have an idea that this 
error is due to the plate having become 
worn, but this, without doubt, is a delusion. 
We asked Mr. Pomberton his opinion on 
this matter, and he said that he entirely 
agreed with us ; and that as the top, centre, 
and bottom of the s are represented, the en- 
graver evidently forgot to finish his work, 
and so left it as it is found at present. 

There are three plates of the twopenny, 
the first having a die with the well-known 
m istake, waees. The second plate is without 
fault, or as nearly as can be expected from 
a man who had such peculiar " ways " as 
shown in the last plate. In the third plate 
we have upon both the plain and water- 
marked paper a stamp which shows spiral 
lines going through wales. 

Tlie threepenny are confined to a single 
plate, and have a variety with a flaw at the 
top of the L, causing the word to read like 
WAGES. This is, of course, upon both the un- 
watermarked and " figured " papers. 

Two plates were engraved for the six- 
penny, the first having the celebrated walls 



error, and the second without any leading 
variation. The eightpenny is also minus 
any prominent differences. Mahe names a 
rouge-carmin, au lieu de jaune^ evidently 
chemically changed. 

Oldenburg. — All the errors contained 
among the stamps of this country are pretty 
well known, therefore a bare description will 
be sufficient. In the 18G1 series, colour on 
white, there is a J groschen with the name of 
the duchy given as oldcibotjrg, and in the 
same value we find both dritto and dritted, 
in place of drittel. 

In the first scries there are two types of the 
30 thaler, one with, and one without, a stroke 
over the A of thaler. These are not errors, 
but it is well that they should be mentioned 
in this place for the guidance of young col- 
lectors, as they occur side by side on the 
sheets. 



THE NEW HALFPENNY STAMPS. 

The following notices have appeared in the 
papers during the past month in reference to 
the above stamps. Though somewhat dry 
and verbose, from their nature, they yet 
contain facts which it might be difficult to 
ascertain hereafter, and this must be our 
apology for quoting them. 

WRAPPEHS for NEWSPAPERS and other PRINTED MATTER. 

I^IIE Board of Inland Revenue desire to give notice 
that SIIKETS of PAPER for Wrappers fr»r NewsDHpors, Book 
PnckftR. atidPHttoniB or Sample Pa<^UBt(i, ean be IMPRESSED with iha 
HALFPENNV POSTAGE STAMP, under tlie following regulations :— 

let.— The paper must be white, andmust neither be fbldM nor ci^ased. 

2nd.— The tilze of the sheets must be douhle crown, double dexuj, or 
double royal. 

Srd.— Each sheet must be ptrparpd to rMeIv« eight. 12, or Id stamps ; 
no other numbers can be impressed, and the stamps ean be imprraved 
only in the positions and at the distances apart indicated upon pAttern 
shefts. whicVniay be seen at the Head Olflees at Ixmdon, Edinburgh, 
and Dublin. 

4th.— The stamp will be impressed immediately abore the place for 
the address, and near the right-hand edge of the wrapppr. I'o giro 
space for the stamp, any printing upon the sheets should be kept I^ 
inches clear of what is to be the right-liand edge of the wrapper. 

Gth.— Each lot sent in must be aecompanied hf a 8he(>t marked, to 
show in accordance with which of the patterns it is desired thiU the 
stamps should be placed. 

Cth.— The paper must be deliynred at the offlees abovementloned, in 
reauis of 480 sheets. 

7th.— Not less than two reams fur one description of wrapper ean b^ 
rrceived for stamping. 

8th.— Any sheets found to have been injured fai the proeeas of stamp- 
ing may be returned to this nffipe, with an equal number of tnm\x slieru, 
on the next occasion of similar sheets being sent in, when the stamps 
will be transferred. 

gth.— When the paper is brought for stamping, a person must attend 
at the Department of the Recoiver-Oeneral, to fill up the necessary 
warrant, and to pay the amount Of the stampe reqairftd. Mo discount 
is allowed. 

lOih.— Persons in the country tnust not send to the ofSoes through the 
post or by carriera, but must send through an agent. 

By order of the Board, T. SARGENT. 

Inland Revenue, Somerset-house, London, 9th September, 1870. 



Oct. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



149 



AdvertlTCinent. 

POST CARDS.— Pursuant to an Aot passed in the 
laBtsasBlonof Parliament (33 and 34 Vie. cap. 75). POST CARDS 
have beenprepai-ed fw currespundeoce bjr post in th« United Kingdom 
after the 80th of the present month, stamped with the postage duty of 
one halfpenny. 

These cards will he sold without any charpre bevond the duty. A 
single card, ur any number of cards may be purchased but they will be 
sent out from this office in pacltets, containing 24 cards, price Is., and 
In parcels of ao packets, prlee £1. They may be obtalued at aU post- 
ofllces and from licensed vendors of stamps. 

The cjoda will also be siippllfld. when recruired, in sheets, coniahiiAir 
42 cards, and measuring about 29g by 21|. Although the cards may thus 
be obtained in sheets, for thn purpose of affording facility for printing 
upon them, each card must afterwards be separated from the sheet, as 
no combination of cards can pass througli tlie post-office. 

Such sheets will be Issued only in half-reams. eontAinIng 240 sheets 
nO.oeO cards), duty £21, and will be supplied to the public at the Inland 
Revenue Offices at London. £d;nburgh, and Dublin, and at the offioes 
of the distributors and sub-distributors of stamps in the country. A 
discount of is. per half-ream will be allowed to pm-ehasers. 

When a supply of cards, in sheets, is required, elsewhere than in 
Tx>iidon, Edinburgh, or Dublin, application, in writing, must be made to 
th« Warehousekeeper at this office ; or at the Inland Revenue-office, in 
Edinburgh or Dublin, as the case may be. Such applioation must 
8p«H;ify the Quantity reauired. and the town or place, having a stamp 
office, to wliieh it lB.deelt«dtiuii tbeeonslgnmeni should be madip. 

The applicants will have notice when they are to call at the Stamp 
office and pay the duty. 

Poet cards cannot be used belbre the 1st October. 

Those made up in paekets will not be sold before tliat date, but cards 
in sheets will be supplied by this office on and alter 2dth instant, to 
enable the public to print on them preparatory to their use next month. 

It Is desirable that persons requiring cards In sheets should make 
early application for them. 

By order of the Board, T. SARGENT, Secretary. 

Inland Revenue, Somerset>house, 9th September, 1870. 

The following additional notice is pub- 
lished by the Daily News; it emanates from 
the General Post-0 ffice, and is addressed to 
newspaper proprietors and news-agents. 

In connection with the reduction in the rates of postage 
on inland newspapevs, printed matter, and patterns or sam- 
ples, which will take effect on and from the first of October, 
halfpenny postage labels, and newspaper wrappers bear- 
ing an impressed halfpenny stamp, will be introduced. A 
supply of each is in course of issue to head postmasters 
in the country, and to the district oflBces and receiving 
offices in Lond,on. Previously to the Ist of October, the 
sale of these labels and wrappers will be confined to news- 

Eaj)er proprietors and newsagents, who might possibly 
e inconvenienced were not time allowed for preparation ; 
but as the reduction of postage does not commence before 
the Ist of October, anything bearing a halfpenny stamp, 
posted before that date, will be treated as unpaid. News- 
paper proprietors and newsagents, by applying to a head 
postmaster, will be able to obtain at very short notice, any 
quantity of these labels or wrappers. The WTappers (the 
dimensions of which are 14in. by 5in.) will be sold at 
the following prices :— 600 for £1 2a. 6d., 100 for 4s. 6d , 
50 for 28. 3d., 25 for Is. IW., 10 for 6^d., 5 for 3d., 2 for 
l^d., 1 for Ofd. ; but a discount of 1 per cent will bo 
allowed to persons purchasing at one time not less than 
£\0 worth of either labels or wrappei-s. Newspaper pro- 
prietors and newsvenders who may desire to have tneir 
own wrappers or paper impressed with tlic halfpenny 
stamp, must make application, not to the post-office, but 
to the Commissioners of Inland llevenue. AVrappers 
must be of white paper. 

From the above it will be seen that the 
stamping operations are directed by the In- 
land Revenue office, and it is worthy of note 
that the cost of the cards is throughout the 
second notice, termed the " dufcv " — an ex- 

' a/ 



pression which appears odd at first sight, 
but is always used by the Somerset-house 
authorities with respect to impressed stamps 
of all kinds, as well postal as others. 

The wrapper it is evidently expected will 
be bought chiefiy by newspaper proprietors 
and agents, whilst, from the provision for 
the sale of the cards in sheets, it would seem 
that their wholesale employment by adver- 
tisers, has entered into the calculations of 
the authorities. A distinction, too, is made 
between the wrappers and the cards, — the 
former are sold at an eighth over the facial 
value, whilst no charge is made for the 
latter ; on the contrary, a slight reduction 
is made to wholesale purchasers. As for the 
adhesive stamp, that is left to take care of 
itself; no special notice of its use is needed, 
and it will probably be the most employed 
of any by the great conservative public, 
which prefers to "do up" its papers and 
communications in the particular way which 
to it seemeth best. With regard to this 
last, a doubt has occurred to our minds, 
which it may be desirable to mention, — ^is 
it permissible to affix the adhesive to any 
unofficial card, not exceeding in size that 
issued by the government? In France, 
visiting cards are prepaid in a similar man- 
ner; and we should think, that, as printed 
matter, such cards would pass in ^England 
also. 



NEWLY-ISSUED OR INEDITED 

STAMPS. 

The great and all-absorbing event of the 
time — ►the war — has its effect even on postage 
stamps. The coloured squares, ordinarily 
the symbols of peace and friendly communi- 
cation, become for the nonce identified (or 
some at least) with the march of armies 
and the conquest of provinces. Thus we 
find that the Prussians have issued a series 
of stamps for their postal service in 

Alsace and Lorraine. — These stamps, 
issued under exceptional circumstances, 
which at once recal to the mind the occupa- 
tion of Schleswig-Holstein, are in the highest 
degree interesting to philatelists, and whether 
their circulation be long or short, will ever 
remain instructive souvenirs of the great 



130 



TlIE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Oct. 1, 1870. 



PmBsian inTasion of 1870. The design of 
these stampe is o( the 
Bimfrfeet, and we may 
say, without rrference 
to political eympatbieB, 
its simplicity is equal- 
led by its good taste. 
There is notbiog on 
' thelHOeoftbesestampB 
; which migiit tend to 
: disincline the unfortu- 
nate inliabitants of the 
coDqneied provinces to use them for their 
letters. There is no reference to PmBsian 
authority ; no inscription which, by hinting 
at the circumstances nnder which they are 
isaned, might give pain to the people for 
whose benefit tboy are put in circnlation ; 
nothing, in fact, to indicate that projects of 
nttimabe annexation have been formed by 
the powers which be. The colours and 
valaea of this provisional series (of which 
the annexed engraving represents the type) 
are as follows ; — 

1 centime green. 

2 „ brown. 
4 .. grey. 

10 ;, bistre. 

20 „ Uue. 

The papev is white, and, as will bo seen from 
the engraving, is iu.reM^— the hiu-dage being, 
in fact, the only attempt at ornament ; each 
stamp, however, is separated from its neigh- 
Iraurs by a line of colour, up the middle of 
which rans the perforation, the liue tbns 
constituting a kind of frame. 

It will not fail to strike the collector that 
the practical spirit we so much pinme <mr- 
selvea upon possessing, seems hardly foreign 
to the Germans. They have adopted the 
corresponding colours of tbe current French 
issue for this plain, business-like series, a 
matter of apparently small concern, antil 
one has had some experience of the inner 
working of a post-office, when the use and 
habit of colours as an indication of valne 
of the stamps used, whioh familiarity with 
an issue engenders, is known to be of the 
greatest service to the officials in saving 
time, and the Germans have not lost sight 
of this advantage, but have utilized it to the 



Further proof of their praotict-bilily is 
found in the number of stamps forming a 
sheet. Ottr Bel^an oontomporary point.s 
out that there are 150 to the sheet, and 
that this number adniits of easy reckoniag, 
either in Knench or Gennan money, and 
gives also an exact redaction. Thus :— 

IdOsUmpeoftctRitiiufaro worth Tr. 1.50, or 12 gr. 



ID 



fr.B, 
fr. 13, 
tr. 3a, 



24 , 



, Ith.lf 



PiiUSSiA.— Besides the field-post envelope 
noticed last month, special post-eards have 
been also issued fur correspondence with the 
army. These cards are identical in desiga 
with the envel<)pe8, eicept in the inscriptions, 
from, which latter it appears that the cards 
are delivered free to the soldiers, and arc 
sold at the rate of five for Z p/KiinJ.ge (abont 
the thi^d of a penny) to tbe publie. Speak- 
ing of these cards, tbe Echo da I'arlitmenl, a 
Belgian paper, says :— - 

" It is known that the German soldiers 
are all provided with corrcspondenco cards. 
They write thoir letters on them with a 
pencil or pen ; and in the former case, a 
piece of cloth is applied, damped with a 
preparation which fixes tbe writing, and 
ensures its legibility at tbe end uf the 
journey. The number of letters which are 
sent after each battle is immense, and one 
might say that on these occasions, at least, 
a sixth part of the soldiers vir'.ie to their 
fiuuilies or friends. After each battle, also, 
postilions go over the field, provided with 
cards, to collect the letters of the wounded, 
and, if needful, to write for them. A great 
many of the wounded, who are stnetched on 
the ground, are seen making the greatest 
effi>rts to draw the attention of the postilions, 
even before they call to the attendants of 
the ambulances." 

Baden. — This state has issued Sr '.facial 
post-card for its army service. ' J^is may 
trnly say it is covLsin-german to tJn'QSEtasian 
card iu design, and dismiss it^Vii&i the 
statement, that the impression is (IQlA ^^^ 
Prussian)inblaak on chamoiB-coloiired paper. 

WuRTKUBUBQ likewise supplies its qnota 
to the war emissions, in the shape of two 
post-cards and a^ envelope. The cards are 
thin, and of a bluish tint; the envelope. 



Oct. 1, 1870] TlfE STAWP-COLLEOTOR'S MACtAZINE. 



}6L 



grey or greenist ; the inscription in all coees 
being in blaolc. 

Fb»hce. — Qnite recently M. Halot,' 'iho 
■well-known Parisian engraver, lias had in 
liand a die bearing a likeness in profile of 
the ez-imperiali prince, turned to the left, 
For what pnrpose the stamp was to servo is 
unknown, as there was no legend or other 
distinctive mark on the proofs which we saw. 
Early last month, before the proclamation of 
the new French republic, two proofs in black 
on plate paper, showing the same die at 
different stages, were submitted to our in- 
spection. In the Inter and more complete 
state, only the head and bust had been en- 
praved, and a rough outline border added. 
The likeness seemed to correspond with that 
on the current photographs, and the en- 
graving, like all M. Hntot's work, was fine 
and artistic. ]n shape the die w»s an np- 
right oblong. Probably the recent change 
of dynasty will prevent this from ever being 
more than.a mere unfinisfaed attempt or trial. 
The use df Che die must remain speculative, 
and we merely chronicle the fact in onv 
capa(»ty of faithful liiatoriaus. 

For the present we fear onr neigbboata in 
France have other and more pressing matters 
to occTipy them than changing their postal 
issne, but if the new state of things is at all 
permanent, we may in course of time look 
for some French timbropbilic indiontion that 
the Napoleonic empire is a thing of the past. 
Ber^iDM. — The Rul^'oined neat and ser- 
viceable type has jnst been ieaned for use as 
an anpa id- letter stamp. There are two 
values ; — ■ 

10 centimes tfreen 1 , ., 

20 „ bine f»«»l'it«P»Pe>', 

and both are intended for insufficiently-pre- 
paid letters, distributable 
within the district in which 
they are posted. M. Moens 
states that a uniform rate 
of 50 centimes is to bo 
fixed for the post^e of 
small parcels. This rate 
will be covered by what 
M. Moens terms a t'tmhre- 
nddreite, which, we presume, must be a . 
large adhesive label, with a stamp in one ^ 
comer, the remainiDg apace being given np I 



to the nddreas. At preseBti ti)9 poettoffioe 
gives a reoeipt for evtery package handed to 
it, and requires aeimilar receipt On delivery. 
In fntnre, these farmaJities will only be 
observed at tie sender's request, and in 
consideration, of coarse, of an esti-a fee ; 
thna there will be registered aod unregis- 
tered letters, and in respect of these latter, 
the state will not b«ir any rcsjionBibility. 

The Belgian post-carfs will bear the 
national arms, but no stamp. 

Finland. — HelsingfQra.—OMv Brussels con- 
temporary has come across . 
the stamp here figured in a I 
collection, and engraves it 
in the hope of obtaining 
information respecting it. 
It is obliterated, ho states, 
"in bine by a semi-cironlar 
mark bearing on its lower 
edge the date, 1/2/60, and 
above an inscription, in the centre of which 
we con only distinguish what seem to be the 
letters HEii. (Helsingfors). The rest is 
illegible, Ihe postmark having fallen half on 
the stamp and half on the letter." 

It will be observed that the upper circle 
within the rectangle contains the arms of the 
town, but they are not very oleur in our en- 
graving, as the stamp from which it is copied 
was blurred ; the lower circle bears the figure 
of value : both the arius and the figure are 
on a red gronnd, the remainder of the stamp 
is printed in green. The paper ia white, but 
with a rather strong rose tint; the stamp 
being completely deprived of margin, wo 
cannot say if it is denticulated. This stamp 
may turn oat to have been an early emission 
for Helsingfors, though, in that case, it is 
strange ten years should have elapsed since 
its appearance before it is heard of; but it is 
yet too eariy to prMiounce a decided opinion. 

NoBTH German Confedbbatiok.— An old 
oorrespondent, who keeps a close watch on 
our chronicle of new issues, calls our at- 
tention to onr omission to notice therein 
the krenzer scries of official stamps. The 
device is the same as for the groschen 
stamps, the value being the sole change; 
but the colour differs slightly, being a kind 
of pearl grey. The values are as follows : — 
1, 2, 3, and 7 kreuzer. 



IKB-. STAMP<C(»LECT0R'8 KAS-AZINB. [Oct. 1, 1870. 



perhaps say it is a work of supererogation to 

EiK^rave the three new halfptnnf Etampa for 
liis country, but when tbey 
rcmeniteir .stint i^'^s maga- 
zine ciroulattB in out-of-tlie- > 
[way pai[t8<i^f the g\o\>ii, 

E'lW* ti^eistamp*. may jjofr.. 
'■eeifc. for-jorae TOo:itli8, ...— . - 
By will not jadge tlje-fiuucsed illustrations 
|to be Anueceasary. 
1 We bftvc nothing to ad<l 

I to tbe detailed description of 
;■ these stamps which oppea»d 
_ last montbj but may refer 
our readers to a short paper 
in another portion of the 
present number for some 
particulars in reference to 
the refrnlationa which govern their issue. 
' We have, however, a piece of news which 
will somewhat snrpriae our readers. The 

notice : " On the first of October and thence- 
forth postage stamps of the 
value Q? thfM-ha^f-pe-hea will 
be issued for snl6 to the pub- 
lic." ThiSstalement forms 
a pftrt of a lengthy i-eprint 
6f further regolationa con- 
nected with the new rates, 
and is nt) questionably offi- 
bial.- The idea of insuing a 
Ijd. stamp would seem to : 

have been an after-thonght, tbe authorities 
considering tbe probability of many triple- 
weight periodicals and packages being sent 
through the post, have decided to make use 
of the die which for the last nine years baa 
lain Tinempl^^ed, for we cannot suppose for 
a moment that with this die in stock the ex- 
pense of a new type has been incurred. We 
may, then, expect in a day or two to see 
what baa hitherto been a rare essay take its 
place by tbe aide of the other adhesivea on 
active servicd, and if it bo issued in its 
original cokrar, we shall have three stamps 
in use of very similar tint. 

Hoi,LASD. — We learn from M. Moeos' 
journal that additions to the existing series 
are to be made, in the shape of half-cent and 
25-cent. stamps, of the .arms type. Tlic 



— .„. .nni- fofmQF, blooj fep tbe 

latter, peneee (deep purple.) Post-oarda aro 
OK the point of being iBaoed, and some chiffre~ 
JiP-ofltannpHiW'Vc.^alftdj; thej<; appearance ua- 

pei'fiMitea, ' ' ' 

U,tiU.'U{> Statri— We had intended waiting 
the amval ot the- wbote «rf' the new series of 
envelopes belbre inoerting our iUustrations; 
ait, bowOT^r, the menibets of tbe series come 
forw»d very slowly, we now deem it best to 



give engravings of the two values we have 
already described, and of tbe peculiar mono- 
gram watermark. 



A third value has come to hand, the six 
cents, of which we shall give an engraving 
next month; The type is the same as 
for tbe above two ; the portrait is that of 
Lincoln, and by no means a bad likeness; 
the colour is a kind of light briok-red. Onr 
own copy is on white paper, size 5J by 3^ 
in., and we are informed the same etzo has 
been issued in lemon ; and besides these, 
there are two large envelopes — 9 by 4 in., 
bnff and white. 

The seven-cent adhesive, the emission of 
which, at a date already pasl^ was expected, 
baa been postponed. This value was in- 
tended to prepay the single rate on letters 
to Germany, but in consequence of the war 
the German mail-boats have stopped running, 



Oct. 1. 1870.] THE SXAMP-COLLECTOIfe MAQAZIKB. 




^5 



nnd a? the rate only applied t* letters carried 
by them, it is at present inopemtiv-c. 

plilNCE EnWAxn Isund. — Inonrlaatnum- 
, lier we <lesQribed a new 
i emission tot tliie island. 
Now we have the plea- 
sure to present Our read- 
era with ft representa- 
tion of the stttnp itself. 
■ To the description al- 
ready given of it we 
have nothing new to add. 
Kbw CriUNADA. — The above engraving re- 
presents the laat change, in the type of the 
adhesive vignettes, termed cuBiBRTAa. It 
■will be observed that it differs considerably 
from its predecessors ; and perhaps the moat 
striking change is in the arrangement of the 
flag, which is carved behind its staff. The 
flag is, as before, in the Confederation colours: 
yellow, blae, red ; the remainder of the design 
is in black ; and the whole is impressed on 
■white p^er. 

CoHFEDEEiiTE STATES. — An American cor- 
respondent sends UB a stamp which he informs 
ns be received, together with a number of 
Confederate locals, from an uncle in Mobile, 
and which has certainly never yet been 



of A , 



noticed — what its real value may ba WB 
hardly like to aay. It is an ordinary ten- 
cent stamp of the 1851 issue for thti. United 
,-^~j^^ .-^•^~., States, with the surcharge 

\ C. S. i " ^- S- °f ■^■" '» **'*'^'^ "^ "" 

J ) I ho annexed diagram. Now, 

j ( the addition of those, letters 

; i is just snch, a d«vioe tt» a 

'^ I postmaster might, in an 

;! emergency, hit upon. It 38 
;^ a bold and simple expedient, 
U--^-^-^-^--'--^^' and so far there are aon- 
siderabJe probabilities in iia favour. More- 
over, the surcharged inscription, whilst fully 
iudicating.the change of government, is by 
no means conspicuous; indeed, so little is it 
visible, that not perceiving it at tiret, onr- 
selves, we were half inclined to believe our 
correspondent an ignommus, who looked on 
a 10 c. stamp as a rarity.; and it was only 
on fu^rther and closer examination that wo 
did justice to his observing eye. Kven, 
however, assuming the stamp to be a genaine 
variety, which is more than we should like 
to positively assert, we dread the effect of 
giving it publicity, for nothing is easier than 
to fabricate copies by the aid of a simple 
hand-press, we therefore deem it right to 



154 



TOE STAMP-COLLBOTOR'S MAGAZ15NE. tO^^r. 1, 1870- 



Jf 



»» 



caation om<r renders <ag«iiDBb acoepiiiig aifey 
soi^disavt varieties, which do not come from 
ntiqaestiotiablo sonroes. 
. Mexico ; Quadalajara,-^'WQ received early 
last -month a set of four stamps of iiits town, 
under. the description of *^1807 urstie, nect/nd 
iijpes,^^ They consisted of r< — 

Unreal ' grey-blue, 
' 2 reales 'white, 

^ pale green, 
pink, 

and were all fre»b, olean specimens, good 
margins ciii» square, and with the adhesive 
matter on their backs. The paper in all of 
theid was plain wove, without lines or water- 
marks of any kind. 

1 As this was the first intimatio]] we had of 
i^ioh a thing^ as a ieeond tifpe of 1807, we 
somewhat oarefnlly scmtinized them. The 
diief difference between it and. those now 
so well. knowD, appears in the lettering of 
value in the centre, bat the sarroimding 
wvards, FRANOO'«N GUAOAbAJiRAy are- different;. 
It has longibe^i Doiiced tbikfc the F of the 
first wiird bas^ in the oiden set^ a defoctims 
pieee ot'the bottom^ grving the >idea -<^ an 6 
altered since. th6 lett<»? was cast int the fotus- 
diy, and that- the alteration was clumsily 
done; -so much so,' 'that we have seen cata- 
logues <gt'Ve these, stamps with E,mii€Oy for 
Franco, but in t^ieee new comers the defect 
seems exaggerated and very different — ^mor^ 
fashioned^ a^nd (to borrow, a Freinch word, 
for -wbieh an equivalent is not at hand) 
irdewtlone^ than- in our older' friend; The 
printing, too, seems to have been effected so 
as to leave marks of line •dtoth or muslin in- 
iervening between the inking roller and the 
die, and in several other minute, yet t»- 
desoribable paartdoalars^ there is str6ng dis- 
similarity. 

Ko traces of the square pencil-miiik:ing8, 
which aire found on- all old stamps with large 
margins like these, are to be met with. The 
gum is new looking,: but yellowish, and 
altogether these stamps by no means till us 
with confidence. 

As at prosent advised, we are not disposed 
in their &voar. Rememberings however, tiiot 
we were equally guarded and cautious about 
the original Guadalajara, as to which there 
is no shadow of a doubt, we reserve to our- 



selves full right to place this second issue of 
1867 in its proper position, ^hen lapse of 
time and further information enable us 
to form our judgment with greater cer- 
tainty. 

Any of our friends who can tell us why a 
second type for 18C7 should now appear, 
and be heard of for the first time, and 
whether any indubitably postmarked copies 
are known, will confer a service. The only- 
postmarked copies we could accept as en- 
tirely satisfectory, would be those from 
private hands, which never could have been 
foisted on the maricet with a '^iffs do 
com^laiaance, given (/o^.. (i consideration') 
by a post-office official to an enterprising 
dealer.. 

Ohe of our correspondents sends us a 
specimen of the Mexican 100 cents brown on 
brown, instead of black on brown, as pre- 
viously. The brown is of a dark-reddish 
tint. The stamp itself is perforated. 

Spaiw. — ^Tl>e 10 mil., new type, is now in 
"Circulation. Our Brighton contemporary, 
ih its August number, states that fhis stamp' 
was issued before the three lower values ; 
but we fancy it must haVe been misiti formed, 
as Sencvr P^t'db de Figueroa, writing us 
under date the 24th August, speaks of it as 
a stamp which had appeared otily a few days 
previously. He adds, **Th« thirteen classes 
(stamps) authorised by tbe' decree of tho 
24th December, 1809, are now in use. Tho 
10 mttesimas wa^ the last to appear.^* The 
colour of this stamp is a' bright rose,; it does 
tt6t difffer iWany respect from the other Values. 

THE SO-CAtiLED PORTLAND liOCAL, 

&c. 

Thk last number of Tlie ThUatdUt cqnts^ins 

the following remarkable paragraph \*r-^ 

In Tha Stttrnp'OoUcetgi* t Moff^aaine for Juue.laat aa 
anonymous writer politely remarked that " a notorious 
American sWind)«r has rewarded the eidftor of The Fhila^ 
leliHt jbrhia polite al^tentiovfi^by-^BBlUDg' hiniwidi a 
fictitious brown one c. Canada, and also a B<wton local* 
which he assures our confrere is in actual use at present.'* 
Resoeeting th« former, better judges than oui^bres failed 
in oidtecting anv ungcnuin^ character therein -on aetaal 
inspection ; and the ciitic above mentioned has. never 
seen, but condemned it simply on suspicion of the 
sender, who declares he should have been much more 
likely to *^sell" The Stamp ^ Collector' s Moffazine, which 
abuses him, than The Philatelist^ which does not. . Be 
that as it -may, our present object is to prove the valid 



Oct. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-eOLLBGTOR'S MAGAZME. 



35« 



nature of the vilified local, We vrote*— not to tl*o pjirty 
whence the used specimen described in the April nuiuber 
came— but to the pronrietor, J. H. Prince, from whom ^ve 
received apecimens toe 'day before our departure for the 
Continent, whence we fliow, write* The adhesive stamp in 
question we believe to be the sole local in actual use in 
the States. AV e are able to ^ive particulars, as follows !— 
The mail ft-om PortlAod, M|une,'tk> Hoston, cloate at 
1 1 a.m. and at 3 p.m. ; so that letters unwritten in time for 
the latter departure must wait till the following morning. 
To remedy thift inconvenielioc, a box is plact'd in the 
!lCxchang9t whieh i» under the aitue roof as the Portikind 
I>ost- office, for the deposit of letters to be sent off by the 
night-boat for delivery in Boston at 6 the next morning. 
This box is closed at 7 p.m., and heljongs to Mr. Prince, 
the isBuer of the local und^r our notice. The Wlters must 
bear a 3 c. United States stamp, and one of Mr. Prince's, 
or be charged with an additional prepayment of 2 cents, 
for the accommodation. We conclode this explanation will 
satisfy both our own readers, and the captious caviller in 
The Stamp- Collector* 8 Magazine, whose malevolence is 
not gi*eater than his ignorance, the stamp ill question 
having been well known to collectors for years past, and 
chronicled both in .Oppen'9 cat^gius vloj^ that of Barger- 
Levrault. 

We cannot but express our sincere regi'ot 
that our contemporary bas thought fit to 
employ such unusual terms as thase which 
appear in the above extract, in order to 
justify the protection he . accords to two 
doubtful stamps introduced to his notice by 
a more than doubtful coiTcspondcnt. Even 
after admitting th^^t our use of the word 
" sell " (which in our own article was placed 
between inverted commas to indicate that it 
was employed in default of a paljter term) 
was open to question outhe score of polite- 
ness, it hardly justifies the editor of The 
Pkilafellst in replying with such epithets as 
•* captious caviller," " raajevolence," and, " ig- 
norance." Our contemporary has hitherto 
been noted for his courtesy and suavity, and 
in tauntinof a confrere with malevolence and 
ignorance, he has straivgeiy departed from 
his usual habits. When we remember his 
recent declaration that if his satanic majesty 
himself were to favour hini with a piece of 
philatelic intelligence, he should feel in duty 
bound to thank that dusky potentate, the con- 
viction is forced upon us that we must have 
been gnilty of most reprehensible incredulity 
in venturing to assert that he had been im- 
posed on, or he would never have given 
utterance to an angry feeling so foreign to 
Lis disposition. 

In order that his i^emarks might hit the 
author of the objectionable critique without 
seeming to affect the responsible editor of 



this magasine^ heascribes that critique to an 
ajionymous writer—* " captious caviller," 
— but he must well know himself who the 
writer is ; his identity is as thinly veiled aa 
that of the editor of Titc Pkihiielid himseJf, 
and th»t there may be' no doubt about- the 
matter, we beg our contemporary io under- 
stand that thd article in which our strictures 
on his want of caution appoarcrd was — in the 
fullest sense of the word — editorial. 

It now becomes our duty to examine the 
grounds which the editor of Tke PM/itdisi 
has for maintaining his belief im the stamps 
in question. 

And first, as to the three ^epnts &iv7«r)» 
Canadian. We have to draw- oar readers' 
attention to the ^t that it is one of* the 
smaller-sized siampn lately issaed (the: writer 
has seen it, it was shown to him by the editor 
of Tlie Ph'daldist himself), and mtc&bdXj that 
the smaller six cents brown has not yet been 
issued. In order then to have^ &iidi in the 
genuineness of this three eents brown^ one 
must suppose that the printers made such an 
egregious mistake as to use the> colour of the 
lap(je S4X cents brown for t\iesmaU'ihr9» wfsniH 
red. Bub this is not alL We must ^pipose 
that af^r . the emission of smaH-Sieed one 
and three eents, the antbonties ordered a 
fresh supply: of large six centis brown to be 
printed, but this wonld be contrary to reason. 
The large fitnmps. are being imperseded by the 
Small, value by value, as the stock' of eaeh 
becomes successively exhausted, and there 
would, therefore, be no rcasen for printiRg 
off a fresh supply of the large browns »t the 
last moment. Then again an entire sheet of 
these tliree-cent browns must have been 
printed, if the mistake were made,: and yet 
Mr. S. A. Taylor is the only person who finds 
a copy. Mr. S. A. Taylor, it mu.st be borne 
in mind^ i« the most adept of all present or 
past counterfeiters. His skill in changing 
the colours of stamps is «s remarkable as 
his application of it is reprehensible. To 
him also are due the Guatemala and other 
swindles which have been exposed in these 
pages, and we contend that the editor of a 
respectable journal, if he cannot bring him- 
self to pass in silence the attempts of such 
a man to force himself into notoriety, ought 
at least to use his best endeavours to verify 



156 



THE :8TAMP-eO(LDIXm»V9 MMlikZIWEi [Sutt^ 1, 1870. 



tbeii^fpruiiftti«n hp s^Il48 Itefew gi^^ing. it: to 

tftattlw q^i<jQir;,pf .s^ab,»,pubWQ»ti<?^ should 
i)/k4tUerijiMp^ilttm«€)lf tp lwii»po^Je4 Qi»» »prA«^- 
tiai;i^iQu&iy;deijdftW'ti^«igfetf>f Ws awtbority W 
ail. attempt t» iroposQ op ,bi» .reader*, i Oui* 
contemi^rarj will ir^plj tib».t b« Bhowpd th« 
atarap tq b?U^rj.udge8 tban ihirnftelf ; but that 
is not s»ffi(?ieut, foji? Mt». Allftu ;T|kylor> pr^ 
daationsvyouW deceive the best jutdgiWB iu the 
wprjd. , ^'be one; thipg. W bo, done ina case 
like tUw wpwld b^, to inquire of tbe Ottawa, 
post-office if by accident iiny sb^tfj of the 3 
cents had been pnioted in brown. Meanwhile, 
the Iln^i)pported assertions of Mj. Allan 
Taylor oaght na more . to be accepted aa 
cQDclosive than, ^s the unsupported testi- 
n^iiy of ja f^lop pn any leading poin-t in a 
conrt of.jnsticjie.. 

With regard, noytr tp the Portland . stamp, 
l^e, .editor of The PhikxtdUt says h» has 
writteifi to Mr- Prince, tlie proprietor pf the 
at,a(np, a«d has receiyed. copies thta^of, acf 
cpnipanied. by a history of its, emf]^oyme»t ; 
but the first thing to be a^c;ert9ined ia 
whether Mr. Prince has ^ny ,e«istenco-^he 
and Mr. S. A^ Taylor, axe likely to be one and 
the same person (the identity of Lyford with 
Taylor has ^Ire^y been proved ),tand even if 
Mr. Prinpe h£is an eyistenoe apart frpn) that 
of Mr. Taylpr^ the next fchiog to.be.discovered 
is whether, he is qipt a confederate of this 
last-named. gentleman. Mr. Taylor, it mast 
be rei»embe^ed| wa^ the. inventor of the 
fajoous Westecvelt st^mp, a,ne} ctdverimd 
under ihei nams qf IfTe^^eiw/^rr-whftt tjien is 
tp prevent his assuming the name of Prince? 
The." Prince". «tan^ is still iu nse, and it 
would be >worth Mr. Taylor's wlale. to be 
attentive to. the ^itor of The PhiUsieli^t^ tp, 
8e;eurp,for iti.. under bis anapic^Sji an excep- 
tionally large circiilatipn^, He has sent only 
one copy of tl^s stamp to TM> PhilateM, hut 
a^ it is still in use, is in fact the only local 
which is «till exnployed, there would be no 
difficulty in negociating the purchase of a 
few thousands (r^ady postmarked!) on ad* 
vantageous terms. 

As the " Portland," or " Prince," is the 
''sole local in actual use in the States," 
American collectors will, we hope, make 
much of it. It has been hitherto almost, if 



not altogether^ unknown.' ■ MntTrilbt does 
not mention it, sior can we trace any notice 
of it' in The American ihumaliof PhiiaiBly. 
Oar Brighton oontetnpbrary, it is truer, says 
that '' the stamp has beesi well known to col- 
lectors for years past, and chronicled both 
in Oppen's catalogue and that of Berger- 
Levrault ; " but notwithstanding this, the 
editor, when he received a copy from S. A. 
Taylor, chronicle[d it as a novelty or rarity, 
and it was only on subsequent- search that 
he discovered it was mentioned in Oppen's 
catalogue — a list previously compiled by him- 
self. .It is^ then, either an old (^ a new 
stamp; if it ia old and has been in use /or 
yearsy how is it no on© was aware of its ex- 
istence, and, further, why did the editor take 
the trouble to notice it on ilie strength of 
receiving a copy from Boston ; if it is new, 
as we have good reason for believing it 
to be, we have only the assertion of the 
notorious Allan Taylor, backed by the re- 
cital of the fictitious Prince as guarantee 
for its genuineness. As to the stamp being 
noticed by Berger*Levrault, we think the 
editor of The FhilateUst must have mistaken 
some 0ther stamp for it, for we have our- 
selves gone through Berger-Levrault's cata- 
logue without finding a trace of it. Even 
weite it mieutdon^d by Levrault,'8ndh men- 
tion would Hot prove muoh^^ as the list of 
locals given by him, though perhaps the best 
extant, does not profess! 'to be perfectly^ re- 
liable in its indicati<»ns of the genuineneiss of 
stamps included in ity and as we retuarked 
ahoYe^ in calling Oppen's list in evidence, 
the edit OF of The PhUaieli^ is bringing- tip a 
list of his own compilatitm;. 

We now leaviEi our readers to judge of the 
proofs brought forward by our oontempoiury 
for his stamps, and will hasten to> conclude a 
discussion upon which we have -been' xeluc- 
tantly- forced to enter. 

We* are not fbnd of CRptious oarilling^ the 
editor t)f The FhUtdelist^B alliterative assaiv 
tion to the contrary notwithstanding'; buft 
we like to get at the truth in the matter, aud 
if our views should turn out to' be wrong, 
will acknowledge our errors. Meanwhile 
we protest against the complacent spirit 
which accepts anything and everything 
which may be termed a novelty, without 



Oct. 1, 1870.] TSm STAMP-eOELDBCmOOR/S M(Aa:kZINEl 



MZ 



taking tbe trdubletoEndout ivhetbc^siieli 
things are worth: collBctdo^ cir not. This 
easy -way of filling the duties of a' ehronieldr 
of iiew stamps leads to the admission of ^ an 
untold amount' of rmbbish into: albums, asid 
eventually teUs heavily, by the disgust thesef 
fictitious novelties excite, against tke best 
interests of philately. 

The .charge of.,** malevolence," ithich our 
contemporary brings against us, it is really 
painful io have to refer to. -We have never 
shown the least ill will to TJee Philatelut^ but 
quite the reverse. Its editor — whom we 
respect as one of the oldest and most erudite 
of collectors, — if he will refer to on i* monthly 
reviews, will see tliat his magazine has always 
l>e6u spoken of in the highest terms* 'We 
have recognised willingly^ and, notwithstand- 
ing this little passage of arms, shall continue 
to recognise, its value as a journal honestly 
and ably conducted ; but we will »ot give 
up the right to free and o*itspok6n criticism 
when we think it deserved. We do ilnto 
others as we are quite willing that others' 
should do unto us^ and we- should not look 
upon an assertion that we had been mistaken 
as any proof of " maleyoleno© *' on the part 
of the journal by which it was' made. 



-^**- 



NOTES ON THE ENVELOPES OF 
. GREAT BRITAIN. 

BY AMATEUR. 

In the extremely valuable series of ** Papers 
for Beginners, ' ' by Mr. O very Tayl or, w hich 
has dealt with the stamps and envelopes of 
Great Britain, he acknowledges more in- 
debtedness than he really is under to the 
present writer's incomplete sketch of the' 
proofs and essays of Great Britain, a paper 
the completion of which it is hoped the readers 
of The Stamp-collector's Magazine will witness 
this autumn. 

Meanwhile, par parentkese, the writer may 
be permitted to revert to the remarks of 
Mr. Taylor, at p. 180 of the present vol., 
upc»i the sheet and cover, value one penny, 
with silk threads — not with a view of qualify*, 
ing what Mr. Taylor writes, but as an at- 
tempt at further elucidation of the moot 
point : *' Was there a newspaper band issued 
distinct and independent of the stamped 
sheet of paper ? " 



In oottjiirtct^'ori withMs t'Alti^^^fVMa; Dt».; 
Magnus,' the write* saw'tindAnldoi^dthe Wirg- 
gestibns Upon the {)^odf Shebts''6f Ml Bit-^eK 
Levrault's S'rendh ctttd.lb^uci attid the ii[diiid& 
of the ittlpresteed felifeet^f p^peV llhei^TotiM 
is Til part, if 'hcjt ' whol ly, ' dtf^ to thb Writer. 
M; Berg€jr^Levraul« hftsfiii hiji'alihb6t tiiiique 
collection of entiVe? enyelop'6^,''fth exj^ttiple of 
this sheet, whitth, if tlie writeVs tnenibry bO' 
not at fault,* ■is'on f/j/af^ *p^pie^;' or 't'ather 
appears so-, but the' papW iS 'yeHoW by age; 
and mdy Well enough have' ori^inaHy 'bfeeh 
on 'slightly bluish papet*.' ' " • 

Since the appearance of this catalogue. 
Dr. Magnus begati his series ' of tifticlfes in 
Le Tint^re-Poffte cm envMopfeaj arid sttbrtiifcted 
the MS. portion telfltting to' Great Britai'h 
to the writer, w^ho'had' in 'the iheanwhild 
tried to procure examples of thb half-sheet 
arid band'fbr his 6wn coltedtiiii. In this he 
had partially succeeded, and had ofbtained a 
cut copy, being the h»\lf of 'thfei sheet with 
th^ stamp and silk thi^ads, which w^otild 
form, if so used, a newspapter- baWd: ' This 
specimen is quite fi'esh, ctear, and'J)erfbet, as 
to paper and' colour, and shows on its upper 
edge where the residue of lh6 sheet^has been 
removed. It is on slightly bluish' pa|)er, and 
has the two threads^, as Dr. Magnus describes, 
placed' horizontally abo\ne the Queen'fe head.' 
There is' no trace of' any seal, shaping at this 
edgos, or of adhesive iriatt^r hating been 
applied ; and the Writer's convibtion is, that 
thi9 copy never was issued as a ne wspapetr 
band. He also, through the kindness erf Mr. 
Pearson Hill, acquired from a collect6r a 
perfect copy of the entire sheet, marked in 
red letters on the face — specimen". This copy 
was originally bluish, but now shows the 
paper slightly yellowed by age; in' other 
respects it ejiactly corresponds with the 
description given by the doctor. 

When the MS. came to the Writer, he 
ventured to suggest the ndticfe which now 
appears to Dr. Magnus, and further observa- 
tion confirms the accuracy of what the 
doctor allowed to appeal in print, and which 
Mr. Overy Taylor quotes. 

Every eflPort has been made to trace if a 
newspaper band eki^ted indeperidently of the 
sheet, and without success. The writer has 
had the benefit of comparing almost all the 



158 



THE STAMP.COtiLECTOR'S MAGAZINE.' [Oct. 1, 1870. 



leading collectioHs,* attd pwrtieulaHy of all 
informatrion wLich Mr. Peaft-sofn Hill garc, 
and has never liad authentic record or trace 
of such a band having existed, nor ha» any 
example of the same ever been brou<rht to 
his notice. As he has njade this an object 
of considerable' inquiry, he feels warranted 
in expressing his belief that no such band 
ever was in issue, and that the only bands 
in use were merely halves of the impressed 
sheet, pressed into service in this manner. 
With respect to dates of issue of the various 
British envelopes, the writer believes that 
after the dies were approved, and the colours 
defiiiitoly selected, proofs were struck off as 
specimens for the yarious post-offices; and 
that this being done, the authorities through 
the country biding thus instructed as to the 
legal nature and values of the envelopes, their 
currency was in fact established, though the 
issue may not have pommenced till actual 
service required them to be put in use. The 
views propounded by Mr. Overy Taylor thus 
appear to have every reason in their favour. 
On one other topic, the writer would remark, 
he has never met with a two pence envelope 
oi officM issue with any seal or device on the 
flap. 

The authorities at the stamp-ofiEioe, Somer- 
set House, will emboss envelope statnps on 
any unfolded "p^i^tVy whether cut to envelope 
shapes, or iu the form of plain note or letter 
paper, a matter which causes the writer to 
wonder that some of those enterprising 
dealers who iKianu&cioire so many varieties 
have not announced ati issue on sheets or 
bands. 

Mr. Overy Taylor is justifiably severe on 
the extreme folly of collecting suchi rubbish 
as the various compound envelopes on many- 
hued papers, as ivel'l as the ephemeral adver- 
tising rings which the government printers 
have, with questionable taste, permitted to 
be placed around the official dies. 

THE FRENCH POST AKD THE WAR. 

Two rather interesting notices have just been 
issued by the postal administration of Paris, 
which, together with the Alsace stamps, will 
remain mementos of the war. They read as 
follows : — 



1. — Gorrcspnndence wUh file Departments 
occupied hy the Enemy. 

Ordinary letters of French origin for the 
portions of French territory occupied by the 
eneni}'', may be forwarded via Belgium and 
GeWrtany. 

For such letters prepayment as far as the 
frontier is obligatory. 

The rate is the same as for letters circula- 
ting in the interior from one post-office to 
another, i.e., 20 centimes for a single- weight 
letter. 

As to letters coming from those parts of 
the French territory occupied by the enemy, 
and which reach France by way of Germany 
and Belgium, prepayment is obligatory up to 
the French frontier over which they enter. 
These letters are re-forwarded, and postage 
is charged to the receiver as upon unpaid 
letters circulating in France from office to 
office, t.e., 30 centimes, unless the charge 
from the frontier to destination has been paid 
by the sender in French postage stamps, con- 
formably to our tariff for the interior, at the 
rate of 20 centimes. 

2. — Forwarding of Money Orders to French 
Prisonera of War m (xemiany. 

An understanding has been come to be- 
tween Switzerland and France, f6r the pur- 
pose of forwarding to our soldiers, prisoners 
of war in Germany, the assistance wbicli 
their fkmiHes wish to tend theia, by mdans 
of international orders, delivered by the 
authorised post-offices in eatjh department, 
in exchange f&r orders on Switzerlirid, In 
consequence the public will be permitted 
from to-day to employ this facility, and to 
effect the deposit of its funds. 

The orders will not bo delivered to the 
depositors, but will be fbrwardod direct to 
the BAle office by the postmasters who shall 
receive the money, with a buUetin written at 
the dictation of the senders, * wbicli should 
indicate very aceut^tely the n£i.tne and' resi- 
dence of the person for whom- the money^ is 
intended. The Bale post-office, after receipt 
of the amount, vrill deliver in its turn inter- 
national Swiss-German orders^ payable at 
the payee's place of residence. Besides the 
charge already made in France, a further 
charge of 50 centimes, or of 75 centimes, 



Oct. 1, 1870,] Tfl^ , ^JTAMP-QOM'PQTQWg . MAft-^IJf R. 



Ud 



will be made uppii the sums paid in, accord- 
ing as such sums do not amount to 92 f. 
75 c. on the one hand, or exceed 195 f. 55, c. 
on the other. 



REVIEWS OF POSTAL PUBLICATIONS; 

TJie Quarterhj Pnce Catalogue of Postage 
Stamps. Brighton : Stafford Smith <fc 
Co. 
The progress of philately is nowhere better 
exemplified than m the improvements which 
Lave taken place in price catalogues. At 
first, a rough fly-sheet was all that was 
thought necessary ; then came roughly- 
printed paged lists, characteristic in their 
slovenliness and entire w^ant of elegance; 
our own publishers brought a superior style 
of work in vogue, distinguished by neatness, 
and an attempt at ornamentation by means 
of cuts, and upon this style they have since 
so greatly improved, as to render their pro- 
ductions worthy of a place on the drawing- 
room table ; and now the Messrs. Stafford 
Smith's new compilation comes to occupy an 
equal position, as a work of typographic 
art. 

The cover is ornamented with the same 
design as figures on The Philatelist^ with an 
altered inscription, 3IEn entendu, which in- 
scriptiopy being printed in red and black, ha» 
a very good appearance, and the corner 
illustratip^s being in red, add to the effect. 
There is bat one thing necessary to render . 
the dpsign thoroughly praiseworthy, aj;id that 
is the fBxcision of the heavy portcullis-like 
ground behind the circle whicb contains Sir 
Rowland HiU's portrait. 

The arrangements of the catalogue itself 
is all that could be wished. Nothing could 
exceed the nieatness of the small " old-face " 
type, which, if we mistake not, is the same 
as that employed in the Permanent Album, 
The f3quntrie3. are. separated into five divi- 
sions, and reference is further facilitated by 
a good index, an unusual feature in a price 
catalogne. 

The subscription to this quarterly list is 
one shilling per annum, and this low figure, 
coupled with the advantage derived from a 
fixed date of emission, will, wo feel sure, 
secure for it the support it deserves. 



, POSTAL, CHIT-CHAT. 

PiQ^BONB OUT .«p..W<ViK. -rRoniet.it' i* said, wag aaw^ed 
by the cackling of gee^o; the Frer-oh aye determined that 
Iraiice sliall not be lost through the ftight of pigeons. In 
ppeiriioiiiB;jteavd«laiig^ ittrefn^itinal tnatehes of earner 
pig«o^i^, %ing a^aiQ^t \i\i\Qt have taki'n- place betwieen 
Belgium and the Bouth of France. ; Thousands of birds 
were'let loose in the course of the season, and considerable 
sums lisve 'boen won and l^st orer their amvaL This 
year tbcse JUjitches ha.'v« been forbidden^ the French 
authorities fearing that the pigeons might be made the 
medimn of communicating information to the enemy. 

..HoNorii TO THB PosTALv 0FPiQiAJL3.—The funeral of 
every wounded Prussian soldier who dies iu ike hospitaU 
at Stuttgart is attended by the ambassador in person, who 
allows no business to interfere with this duty. Take one 
iliufitTRtion :-^PnvatQ Johnnee had been in the l^rnasiaii 
post-ofSce a letter cairier j hp waa brought Jicre badljr 
wounded, and died. The Prussian ambassador applied, 
to the postmaster here, and all the officials connected with 
the 'post-ofiioe that could be «pared from duty attended 
the funeral in unifonn. Thq procession wa§ headed by, 
Herr von llosenberg, Prussian ambassador, and Count 
Lentrum, of the 8anit«iU Ycrdn. A full account ap^ 
peered in the newspaperSj which were duly forwarded^ 
through the emba^ssy to the widow.-r--Da«/y JS'(ti'8^ 

CORRESPONDENCE, 

THE SIXPKNCK EMBOSSED STAMP. 

7b t/te Editor of '*THEST.VMP-Coi-LECTOR*sA[Aa^VZINE/* 

Dear Sir, — Jfotwithstanding ^Ir Taylor's wilUngnfes* 
to bow to Mr. Pearson Hill's authority "in the matter of 
th« date iof the above stamp, there i6 one obstacle to the 
aoceptanoe of the year 1854, which even he can hardly 
get over— I refer to the fact that, according to Mr. Pearson 
Hill, the sixpence lilac, an embossed stamp, was issued 
unperforaied three at (tAxr years after the perforated penny 
had been. in use. Thi9 seems ta nua to tell vevy mudv 
against Mr. Peai-son Hill's djate, and I think we need some 
further proof of it, which it niay not lie' too much to 
hope thut that gentleman will think lit to give. 

1 ann Siiv ypw» U'vlyr 
Lekester. iNQUIREIR, 

< •' ■ 

PAPERS FOR BEGmNERS-'THB EN^XTSK 

JEN VEIiOPiiS.' . 
To tfte Editor of **The Stamp-Collector's Maoaziub." 

^iR,— -In connection with Mr. Overy' Taylot'i useful 
and generally accurate article on the English envelopes, 
allow me to call attention to the variation of tj'pe existent 
in the eurrcnt penny envelopes sinee 1865. Attention 
was. called to thi>i by a -correspondent, and the discrepancy, 
after careful examination of numerous specimens of dif- 
ferent dates, pointed out in th6 August number of The 
FhilatatiaU In the eariler emissions on Dickinson paper, 
and up to the date mentioned, Her Majesty's profile nas 
the pendant curl behind much more corkscrew-shaped than 
in ine current specimens ; evidencing an alteration in the 
die employed. >yith regard to the continued peiTnissipn 
of the Somerset-house authorities for having tne several 
values impressed on paper otherwise thtui white, or very 
pale bluish, I succeeded in getting a large assortment 
struck off on pink, yellow, and lilac, in the early part of 
last year, only on the express understanding that such a 
favour was accorded for the last time. 

I am, Sir, yours obediently, 

Spa, Belgium. C. W. YINER. 



160 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [0(rr. 1, 1870. 



To the Editor of "Th« STAMF*CoLLficrrott'B Magazine.' ' 

Sir, — In Mr. Taylor's article in the September Stamp* 
Colfeetor'a Magazine^ he speaks of the sheet of letter paper 
with embossed head a* a tiling he has never seen. 1 have 
several of them, both cut and uncut, and can give you the 
following information. The earliest I have bears post- 
mark, March 3, 1845, and is on white paper, with a blue 
and red thread; the blue at the top. and running aeroes 
the stamp. The latest I havb on white paper is 31 July, 
1846. The earliest I have on blue paper is postmarked 
17 Oct., 1847 ; and the latest, 15 Nov., 1847. Then I 
have two postmarked 22 and 24 Nov.» 1847, upon a 
different paper, rather whiter than the last, but not so 
white as the firet named. The while-paper slieets are 
9 in. by 7i in. ; the blue, 9\ by 7^. If folded down the 
middle and then into three, as note-paper is folded to put 
into an envelope, the embossed stamp would be exactly 
in the right place, but the contents of the letter would be 
open to partial examination. The threads are sometimes 
aoove, sometimes one is through the stamp, and sometimes 
both are so ; but I shall be glad to send you the whole series 
for your examination, if you wish it. I have 25 uncut — 
all but two posted at Hastings, — and a large number cut. 

Did you ever notice the oonaecutive numbera on the 
Mulreadys } 1 have a lot of penny covers just now, and 
find just above *' postage " a number. I have Nos. 10, 16, 
19, 68, 78, 238, 259, and 250 ; most of 16, 78, and 239, but 
probably the same number of each would be iasned. If 
this could be ascertained, it would give us the full num- 
ber issued. 

I am, Sir, yours truly, 

HartUpooL JOHN E. ROBSON. 



PERFORATED FIRST-ISSUE NATAL. 
To ike Editor of ** The STAMP-CoLLEcrrott's Magazine." 

Deab Sir. — ^I notice that one of your correspondents — 
J. B. B., of Norwich— mentiona in the last number of 
The Stamp Colleefor^s Maffasitte, that he has received 
a blue and a yellow copy of the (old) penny Natal, per- 
forated, and inquires if they are repnnte, and used for 
commercial purposes. 

Permit me, in reply, to state that these stamos are 
printed, issued, and used entirely for commercial pur- 
poses, and are not in any sense postage stamps, luey 
are genuine impreeeions nrom the dies used for the first 
issue of Natal, but, as J. B. B. remark-s on paper coloured 
en one side only— papier couche. The first specimens 
of these stamps seen in England came about March last, 
through the medium of M. Moens, of Brussels, who had 
them direct as newly-issued from Pietermaritzburg, and 
who forwarded them to the writer It is an error to 
suppose that they are old ; they were struck off in l«®, 
and have no business in a postage-staoip album ; they are 
only admissible where fiscal stamps are collected. 

As a very considerable number of entirelr false aAd 
fraudulent stamps, purporting to be of the first issue of 
Natal, are in circulation, and freely off'ered to collectors, 
care is requisite to avoid the deceptions, and the stamps 
J. B. B. describes may, as they came from the genuine 
dies, serve as standards of comparison in cases of douVt^ 
It is almost superfluous to add tliat perforation is of much 
more recent date than the old issue of Natal. 

Despite the reprints from the genuine dies, which un- 
happily exist, fine old authentic copies of the earliest 
issue are as difficult to procure as ever— indeed some are 
almost hopeless. No one should discard his old speci- 
mens till perfectly assured he can replace them with un- 
doubtedly old genuine copies. Some dealers quote the 



set of eight stamps, five values, itnmed^ at bdtw«»en £4 
and £5. If these are to be had not reprinted, they are 
cheap at the price, but as us^rf copies are quoted at nearly 
as high a figure, one can hardly suppose the former to wi 
old copies, though they may be ftx)m the genuine dies. It 
is, therefore, well to be on the alert, and remembering 
chat the retail value of a fine postmarked copy of all 
values is (the 3d. piuk excepted) half-a 'guinea at least, 
and of the ninepence varies from three to four guineiu^, 
some idea may be fonnt'd of the. degree of fioiih to be put 
in the specimens offered. A really good stamp is always 
sure of its market price, and the writer's experience in- 
duces him to think that market prices for choice genuine 
stamjie are higher than they ever >iFer& 

Tours obediently, 
London. AMATEUR. 

AT^SWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

J. H. R., York. — The new 10 in. Spanish is noticed in 
present number. None of the Spanish stamps have ever 
borne the X\ surcbaii^e,-^you must be^tbink-in^ of the 
Cuban 1855 two reales, which in fact basU. — Our reply to 
another correspondent respecting the carnival stamps will 
meet your just observations on our description oi those 
stamps. 

M. £., Liverpool. — We have never come across a Bava- 
rian drei kr. envelope, and do not believe in its existenoe. 
When first the envelope oame out, it was noticed as 
bearing the word three written dkbi, and at the time that 
the Bavarian list in Dr. Gray's catalogue was printed it 
was not known that the «^ord was really spelt i)&et. All 
the envelopes we faav« ever seen bear t^e latter ^«lling, 
and wo believe there are none others. 

J. C, Manchester. — Ourpublishero occasionally suebeed 
in obtaining copies of the first two voluities of Th&iftmmp' 
OoUeelor^t Mt^aeine, The i»rioe of the first volumie is 
21/; of the second, 10/6; all the others are on sale at 
thd published price— 6/6 per volume. You hftd better 
communicate with Messrs. Alfred Smith &Oom if you are 
a -purohaser at theso prifes. -~Ottr deseripfion of the 
Carnival stamps was errbneoas ; we should hay« said the 
designs were traced afber those of the cunicnt Italian. 
The 20 0. tmr Italian, without dots, is rarep 'tUiM the 
others,, but, used, it con be had for. t^opene^.— Spain 
1865, 12 c. rose and black, and 4 c. blue and to^, are 
ftincy prooft. Thew is^ a 19 euartos of the 1869 aeHe&~^ 
A few coloured envelope have been allowed, by favour, to 
be struck off, notwitnstandiiig the prohibition in the 
postal guide. Our contributor doubtless wrote, with a 
knowledge of l^ia faoft 

0. W. B., Mancbestar. — We notice voui*N«. I (Mexican) 
in our article on new issues. — Nos. ST to 6— You certainly 
can show five shades of the current 10 c". New Granada, 
though we almost think Nos. 5 and ^6 must be mersly 
faded; but in any case, the collection of all five can 
hardly be considered necessary, unless you ai*e decide<! to 
show the stamp under every modification. — 'The sanio 
remaric applies to vour Russian (Nos. 7 to 9). — ^The Servian 
2 p. dull orown (No. 10) is one of the latest impressions, 
and is unquestionably of a peotiliar shade. Our own are 
much brighter, and more dlistinot. — ^Not* 11 to 14 are all 
blued' paper Barbados. Nos. 15 to 17 are^nuioe originals, 
of which, in fact, there are no reprints ; out 17 is faded. 
No. 18 (4d. blue Western Australia) is a proof, though 
some few did, to our own knowledge, pass the post. T^ 
white spaces between the letters seem to have been 
caused by the colour rubbing off. We cannot trace that tlie 
design is in relief. — ^Many tiianks for the variety of the 3 
kop. Russian, of which tre were previously without a copy. 



Nov. I, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZIKE. 



161 




THE BRATTLEBORO STAMP. 

BTf L. H. B., WEST SPRINGFIELD, MARS., U.S. 

The detailed Listory of an undoubtedly 
authentic stamp, so rare that its very exis- 
tence was for a long time 
questioned by the great ma- 
jority of philatelists, can- 
not but be of interest at 
this present time, when so 
many disputed points in the science are being 
finally settled. 

The first printed description of the Brattle- 
boro stamp appeared as long ago as Feb- 
ruary 15th, 1865, in the third number of 
the Siamp'Colhctoj'^8 Record, then issued 
from the city of Albany, N. Y., and was as 
follows : — 

Brattlbboro, Vermont, P.O., 6 cents. — This is a 
stamp, which, as bring ostensibly a government issue, is 
entitled to be placed with the stsimps of the United States. 
In 1848, F. N. Palmer, postnt^i^ter of Brattleborot Yer- 
luoiit (a place since immortalized in the celebrated play 
of *'Our American Cousin,'* as being the place from 
whieh Mr. Asa Trenehard went forth to astonish the 
jiAtirefl of tiie land of "Johnbool"), issued a stamp 
which done [ftio Q duty iu BrattlebcM'o and vicinity in the 
place of the 6 c. rranjklin, the then current issue, which 
could not at all times be readily obtained, and which was 
reoogniaed by all postoiastero as a voucher of the prepay* 
ment of the letter to which it was affixed. . Mr. Palmer 
preferred the attaching of the stamp to branding the 
tetter with paid 6 obnts in large red capitals, a practioe 
whieh, thanks to the re^nement of a civilised age, is now 
happily extinct. The stamp was a small oblong (copper** 
plate) ; at top^ brattlei^oho,. vr. ; at bottom, 5 cents ; 
at each side, respectively, p.o. ; in centre, initials f.n.p., 
in f§e-'timiU ; black impression on brown paper. 

To the best of mj belief, the stamp was 
catalogued for the first time in Mr. A. G. 
Kline's Stamip-Gollectcr'a Manttul, on page 76 
of the third edition of which (issued at 
Philadelphia, Penn., in 18C5) it is noted, 
among the " special despatch and express 
stamps,'' thus ; 
BratUeboro, Yt:, Po8t«offlce, black imp. on white, 5 cents. 

The same description (doubtless copied 
from this) is given in the fourth edition 
of Dr. Graj's Ilhtetrated Gatalogue (p. 183), 
and formed, I think, the first notice of the 
stamps given in any European list ; at all 
events, it was not mentioned in the 1864 
catalogues of Berger-Levranlt and Mount 
Brown. No mention is made of this stamp 
by Mr. James Lesley in his " Second Chapter 
on U. S. Locals," published in this maga- 
zine for December, 1863 (vol. i., p. 171), 



when he describes the similar semi-officinl 
issues of the New York, Providence, R. I.j 
and St. Louis, Mo., post-oflBces ; and the 
editor, going over the ground again in April, 
1867 (vol. V,, p. 50), to describe the "Postage 
Stamps of the United States," says : — 

Whilst on the subject of these preliminary stamps, 
wc may note that one is said to have been prepared and 
issued 03' the postmaster of Brattleboro, Vermont, in 1848. 
The occasion for its emission being the exhaustion of the 
stock of government 5 -cent stamps, and the postmaster's 
preference for an adhesire label, of some sort or other, 
over the handstampcd words, paid fivk cents, as 
evidence of prepayment. As, however, this impression 
was but recently discovered, some further proof of its 
authenticity is requisite before it can take rank as a 
duly-accredited postage stamp. 

The next public appearance of the stamp 
is in the American Journal of Philately of 
January, 1869 (vol. ii., p. 6), to which Dr. 
J. A. Petrie, of Elizabeth, N. J., sends a 
letter, written to him by Dr. Frederick N. 
Palmer, the former Brattleboro postmaster, 
in response to his previous inquiries. The 
letter is dated "!N"ewton Center, Mass., 
Deo. 10, 1868/' and opens with the state- 
ment that Dr. Petrie is " mistaken in saying 
that the stamp has never .been described," 
because he (Dr. Palmer) "received, about 
two years ago, a little stamp paper, printed 
in Vermont, which mentioned the private 
stamp issued by him While postmaster at 
Brattleboro, and which was sent to him, in 
a letter, by a person who was very desirous 
of obtaining the original plate from which 
these stamps were printed.'* Dr. Palmer 
then goes on to state, with the air of a man 
trying hard to call to mind the trifles which 
had escaped it twenty years before, — that 
he was appointed sometime during the iirst 
year of Mr. Polk's administration, while 
the Hon. Cave Johnson was postmaster- 
general ; that Mr. Polk was elected in 1845 ; 
that the stamps were issued, he thinks, 
during his first year as postmaster, and 
were, he supposes, the first post-office stamps 
issued in this country ; that it was a strictly 
private thing, neither ordered nor repudiated 
by the post-office department ; that his 
object in issuing it was to accommodate the 
people, and save himself labour in making 
and collecting quarterly bills, as almost 
everything at that time was either charged 
or forwarded without prepayment ; that he 



162 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Nov. 1, 1870. 



was disappointed in the effect, having still 
to charge the stamps, and collect the bills j 
that he retained the office during the balance 
of Mr. Polk's term, and used the stamps, 
more or less, during his connection with 
the office ; that the cancelling with red ink 
was uniform, though much a matter of 
choice ; that the number issued, he should 
say, was only 500 or 600, as an experiment ; 
that they were engraved by Mr. Thomas 
Chubbuck, then of Brattleboro, now of 
Springfield, Mass., " who wrote me about a 
year since, inquinng about the original 
plate ; " that this, plate was laid aside, and 
has never since been found ; and that he has 
none of the stamps, has not seen one for a 
great while, and thinks he could scarcely 
describe it correctly. 

As evidence that some of the other state- 
ments in the above letter may be fairly 
subject to modification, it may here be noted 
that no stamp paper has ever been published 
in Vermont, and that the one referred to 
was undoubtedly No. 3 of the Albany Eecord, 
already quoted ; also, that Mr. Polk was not 
elected in 1845, but in November, 1844, and 
was inaugurated as president of the United 
States, March 4, 1845. Comiaeuting upon 
the letter, , Dr. Petrie regards it as establish- 
ing the autiienticity of the stamps, and adds, 
" They are, so far as I have been able to 
find, cancelled with a stroke of red ink, 
drawn in part across them ; they are un- 
perforated, and contain a single tine line of 
black, surrounding a single tine line of buff.'* 
In answer to this, the Aiuencmi Juumal of 
Philately (vol. ii., p, 38) printed a note from 
a correspondent, who *' enclosed, for the 
editor's inspection, one of these stamps, on 
the original letter, with the word i'An> printed 
half across the stamp ; " and to this note 
was attached this editorial remark : ** The 
letter in question was received by L. B. 
Woodruff, of this city, in 184G. It is 
postmarked ' Brattleboro, Vt., Oct. 10,' in 
red ink, and is also stamped with the word 
PAID. The stamp is cancelled with the same 
word." In The Stamp- Collector's Magazine 
(vol. vii., p. 50), the editor, after quoting 
some of the other facts from Dr. Palmer's 
letter in the Journal, adds : " The plate of 
these stamps is said to have been lost. So, 



unless some enterprising dealer discovers a 
large portion of the issue hidden away in 
some surprisingly out-of-the-way nook, we 
may consider ourselves safe from an invasion 
of Brattleboros." 

So much for the public history of the 
stamp to the present date. Now for the 
results of my own investigations. On the 
2nd of last September, I called upon Mr. 
Thomas Chubbuck, at his office in Spring- 
field, stated to him the gist of the facts I 
have here detailed at length, and leajnei 
the full particulars of his own connectioa 
with the matter. He went to Boston in 
1845, and remained there until June 13, 
1848, and being something of a musical 
amateur, he formed the acquaintance of 
postmaster Palmer, who was then a music 
teacher; hence it came about that he was 
one day persuaded to engrave " the Brattle- 
boro stamp." The chief object of the post- 
master in issuing the stamp, as Mr. Chub- 
buck recollects it, was to turn an honest 
penny, in this wise : liy Act of March 3, 
1845, uniform rates of 5 cents and 10 cents, 
for letter postage under and over 3000 miles, 
respectively, were established, but prepay- 
ment was left at the option of the senders. 
Now, as his own official salary was pro- 
portionate to the cash receipts of his office, 
it was for each postmaster's interest to liave 
as many as possible of the letters deposited 
at his office j^i'ej^ri/J ; and Mr. Palmer's idea 
was that the novelty of these stamps would 
induce many to prepay their letters with 
them who otherwise would not «httend to 
that then rather uncommon duty. Especially 
as he sold his stamps on ci*edit to those with 
whom he had private or official business 
accounts, did he ezpect that this would be 
likely to be the case. 

As the correspondent of the Jow^nul shows, 
the use of the stamp did not (as the Ilacnrd 
claimed) abrogate the necessity of branding 
^' Paid 5 cents " upon each letter prepaid 
with it, the same as upon each one prepaid 
with coin; and it was to this old-estabUshed 
" paid " mark, and not to the presence of 
the stamp itself, that the outside postmasters 
gave attention when taking account of 
letters received from Brattleboro. Hegarding 
the length of time that the stamps were in 



Nov. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



163 



use, Mr. Chubbnck was quite confident that 
Dr. Palmer was in error in stating that he 
" employed them occasionally up to the end 
of his official term" (March 3, 1849), as he 
(Mr. C.) distinctly recollects that the post- 
master burned all the unsold stamps in his 
possession immediately on the appearance 
of the 5 and 10 cent " U. S. post-office " 
stamps issued under authority of the Act 
of March 3, 1347. Thus on the one hand is 
shown the error of the Record in supposing 
the stamp to have been prepared and used 
as a temporary substitute for the current 
" Franklin 5," when the supply of the latter 
chanced to be exhausted ; and on the other, 
the error of Dr. Petrie, in supposinp^ it to 
bave* been used o<mtinuously until March, 
1849; The latter writer, too, probably makes 
an erroneous inference in placing 1845 as 
the date of issue. Mr. Ghubbuck had no 
memoranda by which he could recall the 
exact date of delivering the stamps to the 
postmaster, as his cash account showed that 
lie collected the bill for his services (" seven 
and a half dollars, for engraving the plate ; 
one dollar and a half, for printing 600 stamps; 
total, nine dollara **) at the time of his 
leaving, town, June, 1848. He is inclined 
to believe, however, that as he did not go to 
Brattleboro until May 30, 1845, and did not 
form the aoquaintanoe of Dr. Palmer until 
sometime afterwards : he could not have 
engraved the stamps before the opening of 

1846. Another indication in this direction 
is the fact, that as Dr. Palmer was not 
appointed until "sometime during the year'* 
which began March 4, 1845 — perhaps not 
till towards the end of the calendar year, — 
he would not be likely to think of doing 
so novel a thing as to issue a postage stamp 
until he had become well settled in office. 
I think, then, that it is reasonable to con- 
clude that the life of the Brattleboro stamp 
was of less than twelve months* duration, 
divided pretty equally between the years 
1840 and 1847. • 

Dr. Palmer states that but few were used, 
as would naturally be the case in so modest 
a village, in so short an interval ; and Mr. 
Chubbnck adds, that the balance in stock of 
the original 500 impressions were burned in 

1847. Hence, as the most persistent search- 



ing has failed to bring to light the original 
plate, it is no wonder that the very exis- 
tence of the stamp has been called in ques*- 
tion ; and it is undoubted that the few 
impressions in existence are, and always 
will be, among the very rarest of authentic 
postal labels. The editor's hint may be 
counted for certain — that there will never 
be " an invasion of Brattleboros,'* — for the 
" large portion of the issue hidden in some 
surprisingly out-of-the-way nook,'* for some 
"enterprising dealer to discover,'* does not 
exist. 

A small portion of the issue, however, does 
exist, and that portion is now in my own 
possession. The copper- pi ate prepared by 
Mr. Ghubbuck contained eight stamps, each 
intended to bo identical with the other, but 
showing under the microscope minute dif- 
ferences in the lines and shadings. Besides 
the regular border of each stamp, a 6ne lino 
was drawn on the plate on each sido of the 
stamps where they met, in order to separate 
each one, much as the marks of perforation 
separate the stamps of a sheet now. Hence, 
by paying careful attention to these lines on 
a single detached stamp, one could decide 
the exact part of the plate of which it was 
the impression. The eight stamps of the 
plate were engraved quite closely together, 
and the outer margins, though not broad, 
were so much broader than the inner one as 
to* be at once noticeable. Upon this narrow 
outer margin, at the bottom of the stamp 
next the left corner one, on the lower row, 
was the imprint, in minute characters, 
exg"- by tho* chubbucbt, bratt°- The general 
appearance of each stamp was described 
with tolerable correctness in the notice 
quoted from the Record, and the cut which 
heads this article renders further notice of 
it unnecessary. Ifc may be remarked, how- 
ever, that the paper of the stamp was rather 
of a deep shade of buff than an actual brown. 

Now, on the day when the engraver de- 
livered these 500 stamps, together with the 
eight-faced plate, to the postmaster, he be- 
thought himself that he should like to pre- 
serve a specimen copy of his work, and so, 
with the postmaster's consent, he laid aside 
a sheet of eight, and afterwards stuck the 
same, with red wafers, into his general 



164 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Nov. 1, 1870. 



scrap-book. Before removing the staanpa 
from the office, however, though his friend 
protested againt the formal seciuity agadnst 
fraud, he took the latter'speoi and obliterated 
them, by drawing a red-ink stroke through 
the left upper comer of each stamp on the 
sheet. Seven of these stamps, on the after*- 
noon of my visit to Mr. Chubbuok, were 
found lying loosely among his other scraps 
and spedimens; and were quickly transferred 
to me. The ^te of the eighth is unoertain, 
the engraver having the impression that he 
had laid it. away by itself as a specimen. 

The rank held by the stamp is fortunately 
not a matter of doubt. It is of exactly the 
same nature as the better«known provisional 
" post-office " issues of New York, Provi^ 
dence, and St. Louis. Like them, it was 
issued on. the postmaster's private responsi- 
bility, to assist in the public, official duties 
of his office ; and, like them, it was super- 
seded by the 5-cent and 10-cent "U.S. post- 
office " issues of 1847. Dr. Palmer's suppo- 
sition, that his was the first post-office 
stamp issued in America, is, very possibly, 
a mistaken one, as Mr. Chubbuck well re- 
membered the " big-head " stamp of New 
York, and was under the impression that 
the idea of issuing the Brattleboro stamp 
was derived from the success of this. 

In conclusion, it is worth noticing that the 

inscription post-office, instead of postage, 

on the first regular issue of government 

stamps, was probably derived from that 

upon the provisional issues, — ^the idea being 

that the stamps of the " U. S.," or genertd 

"post-office," would serve alike for the 

" New York," " Providence," " St. Louis," 

"Brattleboro," and all other " post-offices " 

within the national domain. 

^ [The specimen oi this atamp in Mr. PhUbrick's oolleo* 
tion is on a buft-shaded paper, and is faintly oblitemted 
by the word paid in rea ink, printed across the face of 



th( 



e stamp. It fully bears out the above description. — Ed*] 



THE LATE JULES PAUWELS, ESQ. 

25th Sept., 1870. At St. Mary Church, near Torquay, 
Jules Fauwels, Esq., of London and Amsterdam, aged 58. 

Such was the annonncement which ap- 
peared in the daily papers as we were abont 
going to press last month ; and we cannot 
refrain from offering our tribute of respect 



to the memory of one of the leading and 
most accomplished phiktteHats of the ^uy. 

A Belgian by birthi by long residence and 
strong friendahiips among us < -almost an 
Englishman, Mr. Paawals iA> hia later years 
had devoted bimsdf to itibe stady ^^ his 
faYourite pursatt^ fe* iwhioh his. thorough 
acquaintance with both Freaoh a«d .English^ 
his groat natural .aoamen, sharpened land per- 
fected by his kmgconineotion with the honse 
of Frederiok Hnth<A Co.^ of London^ «Mid the 
leisure lM)urs $A> his disposal, so- eminently 
qualified . him. la him the eritioai &calty 
was fiilly devel^pedt and he had aa akxtosii 
narivailed capacity &)r.patienit inyesti^tion 
and great aagacity in applying the resulis of 
his examinations. Probably tlMSo^ was no 
sounder opinion to ba obtained on any dis- 
puted point of siaBap.lore thai^Ttbai of Mr. 
Pauwels' : and no one was/ nKH^ wiHlisg to 
undertake the trouble 'of alaborions incpnry 
than he; his good .naiinre in this re^aeot 
rendered Ms ad¥ice oonstantly sought, both 
by ]l2nglish and foi^iga correspondaits ; and 
whether right ov wrong in shis conelosions, 
Mr. Pauwels abundantly- justified all the 
GonfldenGe reposed in hii|i,«by the care and 
accuraoy whioh ha brought* to* his. self- 
imposed task* 

tinder the Initials "Ji P."i Sippeared in Le 
Timhre-Poete tho famous Bi^mi^^ du GaMogus 
Berger^L^raultj a translation of .which has 
this year enriched our pages; and wbich 
amply exhibits .the cWrness, perspicniij 
and ability of the writor whose loss we have 
now to deplore. Mr.. Panwels was :&e- 
quently urged to write more, and allow the 
public to participate in his Ysried knowledge ; 
but his love of retirement prevailed, and he 
was unwilling to be tempted out jsf -his 
privacy. 

The state of his health, which for years 
was deliciatei alsooombined toprodace this 
result; but a more oheerful qorrespcmdent, 
a more keen controversialist, a more genitd 
critic, and to the privileged few who enjoyed 
his private fHendsbip, a truer or more 
sincere friend, or more hospitable host never 
existed. 

He was a constant and valued corres- 
pondent of M. Moens, and most of the lead- 
ing contributors to our stamp literature, and 



Nov. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



165 



many on the other, as on this, side of the 
Channel will greatly miss hh letters. 

Mr. Pauweis oommenced collecting abottt 
1862, and was chiefly indebted fof his firsb 
great start tor the collection of M. Lecherf, 
of Brussels, whieh, on its break np, passed 
through the hands of M. Moens. The col« 
lectioa was con tinned mainly by means of 
corroBpondenoe, until it reached its present 
proportions Its owner was peculiarly care- 
fnl to select fine and perfect specimens * and 
on lately going most carefully through his 
albums, but few badly marked or badly per- 
forated stamps were to be met with. 

Almost every stamp was to be seen there 
in original and fine specimens. Mr. Pauweis 
was reiontless in discarding reprints and all 
rubbish : in his eyes a fine postmarked 
aitihehtie eopy was preferable to all the re- 
prints in the world. Esfeays and proofs 
were not collected ; though one or two er- 
tremely fine ones which had been presented 
by friend^^ graced the books. 

The stamps were mounted by a little piece 
of paper gummed along the upper edge of 
the specimen at the back, about an eighth of 
an inch wide, and so affixed as not to be 
visible when the stamp was presented right 
side to the beholder; the stamp thns pre- 
pared was fixed to the page \yy two minute 
particles of gam, one at each end of the 
paper band ; thus by inserting the blade of a 
penknife underneath, any stamp could be 
raised for examination or removed with 
fkciliiy and without damage. Mr. Pauweis 
preferred to use for his strips behind the 
stamps, the edges of the sheets of the British 
stamps printed by De La Rue & Co. ; these 
are on glazed paper, with a highly pressed 
6urfaoe,'and this surface bein^ placed next 
the page, adhered so slightly as to be easily 
removable. - ■ . ■ - 

We have been thus minute in describing 
the system, as it is one of infinite ease to 
adop^ and suited to every case where the 
trouble of jointing the specimen by a hinge 
or flap of tissue paper cannot be taken. Mr. 
Pauweis did not collect entire envelopes, a 
matter of never ceasing regret to him ; but 
one whichj having commenced on the old 
system, he did not alter ; had his life been 
spared, and his stamps collated in new 



volumes as he contemplated, no doubt this 
serious defect would have been corrected. 

The collection as it stood was one of the 
most complete and reliable in the kingdom ; 
and we believe it will go abroad and remain 
ia the hands of the family as a memorial of 
the patience, care, axid accuracy of a much- 
beloved relative. 

In conclading this brief and imperfect 
notice, we cannot but lament the loss which 
the true soience of phikfcely has sustained ; 
a loss which will be acutely felt by those who 
were in personal communication witb the 
deceased gentleman, and will be irreparable 
to his numerous personal friends, among 
whom the writer was proud of being num- 
bered. 



KOTES ON THE ENVELOPES OF 
GREAT BRITAIN. 



BY AMATEUR. 



When, in June, 1839, Mr. (now Sir) Row- 
land Hill published his paper On the Collection 
of Postage hy means of Stamps, he proposed 
to the Lords of the Treasury four kinds of 
stamps and envelopes. The Treasury Minuto 
o{ 23rd August, 1839, directed these four 
kinds tp bo prepared, viz, ; — 

1. — Labels, or adhesive stamps. 

2. — Stamped ooverS) or half sheets of paper. 

3. — Stamped envelopes, and 

4. — ^Stamps struck, on letter-paper itself. 

The three first kinds were to be manu- 
factured on some peculiar paper by the 
government; the last was to bear the 
government stamp, to be applied on any 
paper desired by the consumer. 

Plans and suggestions for carrying out 
this scheme were invited from the public ; 
all proposals were to be sent in by 15th 
October, 1839, which was fixed as the last 
day for receiving them. The response to the 
invitation was, that designs and proposals, 
to the number of close upon two thousand 
six hundred, were sent in, and these had to 
be submitted to the Treasury. 

Into this competition Mr. Charles Whiting, 
the well-known printer of Beaufort House, 
Strand, who had, some years before Mr. 
Hill applied the stamp system to his inven- 
tion of a uniform postage, himself printed a 



166 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Nov. 1, 1870. 



proposal to the government of the day to 
issue stamped bands, or, as he termed them, 
" Go-Frees,'^ intended to frank a certain 
weight of printed matter ; Mr. Stead ; Mr. 
Dickinson, the paper-maker; Mr. Sievier, 
the eminent sculptor ; Mr. Cheverton, and a 
host of others, entered. 

In the overwhelming majority of dases, 
the proposals were not accompanied by any 
design actually prepared; comparatively few 
were more than a pen-and-ink sketch, or a 
drawing, sent with the written proposal and 
description ; while in some, a large number 
of specimens was laid before the authorities : 
this was peculiarly so in Mr. Whiting's 
instance ; one may safely state that at least 
a hundred samples of the graphic art, as 
then in use at his establishment, or as 
embodying Mr. Whiting's own idea of car- 
rying out Mr. Hill's plan of penny postage, 
were produced to those charged with the 
selection. Hence it will be readily understood 
that, except from the official records, and 
the documents themselves as submitted and 
now existing on the files of the office, no 
complete list or catalogue ever can be made. 

From such sources as are available a 
compilation was commenced by the writer 
some time ago ; this was laid before the 
readers of The Stamp-Collector^ 8 Magazine in 
1868. It is purposed to carry out the plan 
of that paper, as far as may be, to com- 
pletion; but there are one or two matters 
preliminary which it is proper now to clear 
up. 

It cannot have been a light task for the 
officials to examine and discuss all the pro- 
posals sent in, many were obviously absurd 
and impracticable; and in the result "my 
Lords " obtained no other modes of applying 
the postage stamp than those before quoted 
as suggested by Mr. Hill in his pamphlet of 
June, 1839. 

The selection being made of the kinds of 
stamps to be produced, the methods of 
making them had to be arranged, designs 
procured or adapted, engraving to be exe- 
cuted, machinery devised and made express- 
ly for the purpose, experiments to be tried 
in paper-making, an immense number of 
details superintended, and an entirely new 
system organised and got ready to work. 



Anyone who looks at the office work at the 
present day can see at a glance that to initiate 
a system capable of the work it doos, and 
the extensions made in modern days, was a 
matter of careful consideration, involving 
numberless details, and much labour. All 
honour to thase who first grappled with the 
task, and achieved the success, which makes 
our post-office the. best managed of our 
public departments. 

The new stamps of the three first kinds 
ab:>ve noticed were put in hand, and there 
appeared in due time : 

1. — The black penny Queen's head label. 

2. — The Mulready cover, and 

3. — The Mulready envelope. 
These three answered all the requirements 
of the public, the stamped paper being a 
matter intended in lieu of the government 
cover (No. 2) for thosiB who preferred to 
obtain paper from pi*ivate sources ; and to 
obviate an objection raised by the jjaper- 
makers and stationers, that a gigantic 
government monopoly was about to be 
created by the whigs, — that it would be 
" tyrannical to compel retail stationers to 
sell stamped letter-paper, which they must 
purchase from a government office," &c., 
and other equally futile objections. On the 
12th Nov. and 26th Dec. were issued the 
Treasury Minutes finally approving the de- 
signs which were afterwards issued to the 
public. The embossed Queen's head was 
put into the hands of W. Wyon; the en- 
graved head for the adhesive label was con- 
fided to C. Heath ; while W. Mulready 
designed, and J. Thompson engrav^l, the 
front of the envelope and cover, Nos. 2 
and 3. 

The issue of stamps was promised to the 
public by the end of March, 1840 ; it was 
in May, however, before the supply could 
be prepared ; meanwhile; a not nunataral 
feeling of impatience piervaded the com- 
munity, and certainly one, if not tv^o; tem- 
porary expedients were tried. 

With the Session of Parliament of 184f0, 
an envelope, having on its face, printed in 
red ink, above the address, the inscription 
of which we give a fac-simile beneath, was 
issued in certain limited numbers, and to a 
few privileged persons. 



Nov. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



167 



(Temporary.) 
To be posted at the House of Lords only. 

Post paiA-ONE PENNY.- Weight not to exceed i oz. 



The copy before us bears the postmark of 
10th March, 1840, and is addressed to a 
solicitor ia Bedford-row ; the sender, pro- 
bably from force of habit, and being used to 
franking, has put his initials, J. w. B., in the 
left-hand lower corner. 

W. S., CardiflF, in The Philatdist for Oc- 
tober, 1870, describes an envelope post- 
marked 28th January, 1840, with the fol- 
lowing printed legend : 

TO BE POSTED* AT THf5 HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT 

ONLY. 
POST PAID. ONE PENNY. WEIGHT NOT TO 

EXCEED ^ OZ. 

It is not stated whether this is printed in 
red or black ; but no doubt this, and the 
one we describe, are two temporary ex- 
pedients or experiments, tried at the Houses 
of Parliament while the oflScial dies were in 
course of preparation. These never formed 
the subject of a general issue to the public, 
and rather rank as curiosities in the history 
of the introduction and establishment of the 
penny postage system, than as objects for 
the general collector. 

Before closing this paper, Mr. Robson has 
obligingly lent to the publishers the stamped 
sheets of letter-paper mentioned in his letter 
ia the October number of this magazine, 
see p. 160, ante. The writer has, therefore, 
had an opportunity of examining them : they 
are 24 in number — 14 on a clearly blue 
paper, and 10 on as distinct a white; all 
with the one penny Queens head embossed, 
witlwut date, and with two silk threads, a 
red and blue, in the make of the paper. 
The head is so placed that when folded in 
three, as a note, it is in the usual and proper 
position of a stamp. As Mr. Bobson justly 
observes, there are two shades of the blue, 
one much less positive than the other. The 
white all appear postmarked in January to 
July, 184C ; the blue in October and Novem- 
ber, 1847 ; but all come from one firm, who 
had them in stock, and had a printed form 
of letter on the inside, which was filled up 
by dates, &c., as required. 



In the instance of the Mulready cover, 
the writer knows it was thus adopted by 
the East of England Bank, which had its 
circular letter, covering cheques, printed 
inside; so that all to be done was — fill up 
date, figures, and number of cheques; a 
printed address, "To the East of England 
Bank," was on the outside ; only the town 
had to be added. This was, of course, long 
before there was a country clearing-house, 
and had the great convenience of bearing 
the postal dale on the letter itself, and thus 
was legal evidence in case of dishonour of 
any cheque, and a dispute as to the time of 
arrival for presentation. 

It must be taken, therefore, as now estab- 
lished that there was an issue of this half 
sheet On white paper, and 

On blue paper, 
and these, probably, were successive and not 
simultaneous, and followed the epoch of the 
Mulready cover, ceasing to be sold at the 
post-offices. How long thtse half sheets 
continued to be vended is doubtful. Such 
cases as bankers or a mercantile firm having 
a stock in, and printing a letter inside, 
proves nothing more than currency when 
the supply was procured ; and as no English 
stamp has ever been recalled, to this day 
they would frank as much as their facial 
value would cover. No trace of bauds, 
issued separateh/ as such, can be discovered. 

The last subject to be here mentioned is 
one which naturally follows the above. In 
pursuing his inquiries into this matter, the 
writer has had the good fortune to secure, 
from a most undoubted source, a copy of 
the stamped half sheet, on blue paper, with 
threads, but with the one penny dated stamp; 
the date is 1-17-60—17 January, 1860. This 
was probably a trial, and but one or two 
impressions were ever struck ; indeed, a 
duplicate of the example now under descrip- 
tion is believed not to be known. 

Mr. Pearson Hill, to whose kindness the 
writer is indebted for many most interesting 
particulars, is of opinion that this specimen 
is almost, if not quite, unique ; &nd as it has 
not been noticed or described hitherto, it 
must now be chronicled as an indisputalle 
item, to be added to the already long list of 
the essays of Great Britain. 



168 



THE OTAMP-UOLLECTOIl'S MAGA^HNK. [Jfov. 1, 1870, 



NEWLT-ISSUED OR INEDITED 

- . , „ STAMPS., 
FiiANCi!. — Let QS connvno*' with ihMi niwt 
popular tteogiai .pwaeirt— a wrtnonr- It is 
mmonred, then, that, od and afler this first 
day of November, the Imperial stomps wJU 
be deposeil, anij a uew Republican eenes will 
take their place. It Beeius we are not to 
have the old design wjtii.bead of Liberty; 
this time Freedom i» to eit for r full-length 
portrait, and audemiiath will boiTTitben ohe 
words- -whioh the Mayor of F^ria has been 
aSBidoaaaly scrawling on the ahurehea and 
public buildings' of besieged Paris — Liberia, 
^galUe, Fruteiitita. Thevalnoa willnodonht 
be the same, thong^ probably only tha 10 
and 20 oeotiBMs -wiH at first appear; Ibeee 
will be Bi^ently required in Paris for the 
post oards, and letters forwardedbybaUoon, 
and will eiao be needed in the praWucea, 
where the Goppliea of (he Imporiut stamps 
are beginning to run very short. 

WuBTflMBuaa^--The aimeied is a reprc- 

sentationofaWurlemburg 

army envelope' — oncofth^ 

.numeroos aud nniittereEt- 

\ ing serieB to wtueh the 




.chas 



give 



D the 



PFDssiaii side. One 
. two'SBchenvelopes might 

be accepted as of a cer- 
tain Tfiloe. bat when they come in Bwarms 
they are not worth collecting. 

PiBiQUAY.— We have to annoaaoe, npon 
the -authority of our Betgian oontemporary, 
a series of three Btampe. Asanactof josUce 
to our DoDtcntpcHrary, and a ppotectioo to 
onrselvee, we pilfer to leave him alt the 
honour and responsibility of the annoonce- 
ment, and shall thErefore quote bis descrip- 
tion verbaiint : " The new atamps of whiofa 
we lately spoke were, pat in eirculation on 
tha 1st of Angusb last, by thQ poet-affice de- 
partment of Buenos Ayres, aa we had stated. 
There are three valnea™-!, 2, 3 reales-^all 
of different types, which, wo eball reproduce 
nexb month. The 1 real repreaeote, on a 
ground of horizontal Hnea, a Uon erect, hold- 
ing between his paws a staff, at the end of 
which is a Pbrygian bonnet ;. BOrrounding 
the Uou, iu a circle, is the iuBcription, kjspub- 



LiOA SBL p.vRAatiAr — MM real; ^mse'SDd below 
the circle, the word Uko, and on ft «raidl 
circle in each ■aoraae tJxi finire 1, - The 2 
reslee has the nans a^ms, Lut in an oral, 
inacribad . BEPDDuoii del pakaouat; in tlis 
angles the word dot. The 3 realea likewise 
ropraseats' a hoH erect, bat iu a lozenge, the 
inscription being the same as in the preced- 
ing two, mccept the value, tre«re<iZs«. Inihe 
angles ai^ ts*^ fignrea indicataug the vnlae, 
These lions considerably resemble learned 
dogs in tbeexercisaof tbetrfnnotious. They 
seem to be also of di&rent ages; the 3 
reates hag. the yonugeat biok, the 2 reales 
tho oldest, and the 1 real is middle-Aged. 
Theimpression of theae st&mps is in coionr 
on thick white paper and unperfbeated." 

1 real oarmine-rose. 

2 „ dark Mbsi 

3 „ black blue. - 

TTmted States. — W« described last month 

the envelope stamp of whioh l^is iUostratioa 

is a copy. Since then 

there hare been no fn»b 

h arrivabof't^scnea; l>Qt, 

A pnrsaant to tiie post-c^ce 

II adTcrtiseiaent, which we 

n -pnfalisfaed in our Seplem- 

/ ber number, a new senes 

has been prepared, and 

cnlatian. 'i'he AmeriaW Jtnaiud irf J'hilaiely 
stated, nndeivdate 1st October, that " A new 
set of envek^ stamps are now ready for 
use, aod will be fomished by postmest^^ cm 
and ailer this date. The new set will be of 
the same designs and colours as tb 
but will be oblojtj ijuiead of oval?'' 

Russia. — BaloeerJe. — ^We JuMejast r«e«red 
from our St. Petersburg correspondent spe- 
cimens of a new stamp whioh does duty fbr 
the Belozerok village post, and is of the value 
of S kopeks. It is SB ajK^ght reotangla, the 
frame being formed of a double line ; tlie 
figure 2 mi a hlack disk appears in each cor- 
ner. Had the oentre of the atan^ is occupied 
with the insceiption ; tiie gronnd consists of 
lines forming a kind of 'fluted pattern, and 
these lines are in red ; Hie rest of the stamp 
is in black, and tbe whcde is on white 
paper. Onr copy is obliterated wldi a pen< 
stroke. 



Nov. 1, 1870.] THE BTAMP-COLLECTOE'S- MAGAZINE. 



CoifrBOBitATB States. — ^LivwipWore. — The 

increaaediaotivitj of oullectoro iu the United 
Staitee uiftrodiKnn^ fcait 
in the ^iwovery of aeiie- 
ral more GonfetkKnt* 
looala. Amung otlioni, 
bbe LivingBtoD abun^ bfi» 
jooti ooiBe to ligbt, wad 
baabeeo AeaarHxA in ihti 
AwamanStanifi Ifmowy. 
■We now givB a. copy of 

tha illuBtraAioB w.hicb^ppewed tberviny aed 

need oiily^ujd ttial; tlie deiigais printediiB 

blae, onwhite paper. ^faeonJy known ce^ 

is poatmiirked. 

Nbw GftiNiM.— M. Uocns wittily r«imrks 

that the pogb-office dfipartraenit aib Bogota is 

a regular stamp wttneUewe. ' 

The annexed cut repreae: 

the first stamp of a n 

series, intended in- snp 

Bede tfae sef wltioh be^ 

to appear.:in 1869, and] 

never been oompleted. 1 

colonrof this sew apriva 

pale yeUovr on wliite. 

to the design, — we absts 

C(JMDINA»AICA.— Speci 

10 centavos for this, st 

they are rectangnlar, on 

lithographed, auduotpi 

designs slightly vary i b 

consist of the ei^le sarmoanting the arms 

and a trophy, as in the stamps of New 

Granada, and in a fancy border, CObbgos 

CDNDiNAUAiCA. The values axe : 

5 cestaToapale bine. lO-oeHtavoa red. 

Great Britub, — There are already two 
varieties «f the poBt-cai^ in eiistenoe. The 
one messuJres 4f in. by 3i in. ; the other 4| 
in. by 3 in., and tbe focmep is nmformly 
found of a. darker shade' than the latter. 
We hare it, on good authority, that so mote 
of the former size will be made, beoaDse it 
is found thatj whea tied up with the ordimtry 
letters, the Wge onea get cat by the string. 

^BwronNDLANb. — We have jnst received 
two new stamps for this colony, each of 
whieh bears a portrait of her Majesty t^e 
Queen to right, in widow's weeds. They 
are very similar in design to the Canadian 
fiscal stamps emitted some time back. The 



word NEWFODfiDi.AND, in curved label, appears 
immediately above the portrait; large figure 
of value in up[ier, and stars in lower comers. 
The valnes and ooloura are : 

3 cents red. 6 cents canaine. 



PAPERS FOR pEGlN]!fEES.-No. VIII. 
EOROPE. 

These aoe few atatnps whoBe>hiBtory has been 
sojclearlyasoBrtainfid as those of the Aastrian 
empire — my youngest reader miglit pass an 
examination on them with credit-~and my 
work in reviewing them will be too simple 
to permit of its being interesting. 

The issne of .stamps in Austria commenced 
at a tolerably early date, although not nnttl 
ten years after the postal system had been 
in fall woik in this country. It was oa the 
10th of June, 1850, that the following series 
appeared : — 

I'krenzer yellow. I 6 kreuzer brown. 

a „ black. 9 „ blue. 

3 ,, red. | 

The design is pnm, and not remarkable for 
beanty— few iirat emissions indeed are — -but 
on the bright ar-ooloared trta&ips it shows up 
clearly. The paper is strong, and of a slightly 
yellowish tiati the gum also is remarkable 
for its thickness. 

In ccdour, the following are the only 
varieties: — I kr. orange, 3 kr. brick-red, 6 
kr. light brown, 9 kr. indigo. None of these 
are of the slightest rarity, and all may be 
set down ae mere accidental variations. As 
to the orange, there is a doabt whether it 
shoold not be considered the standard shade ; 
however, tJ>is is a qaesti<Hi of little impor- 
tance, and in point of fiict, the 1 kr. may be 
met with of all shades — from the lightest 
yellow to the deepest orange. In lloens' 
album place is given for. two shades of this 
Talae, and for one shade only of the others, 
and this is qnite safficient. Reprints of this 
— as of the succeeding series — exist, and are 
distisgaishable from, the originals by the 
thinness and dull white tint of the paper. 
My readers have no need, however, to con- 
tent themselves with these reproductions, aa 
they can have the originab for a penny a 



170 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Nov. 1, 1870. 



piece, and a used original is worth three 
anused reprints any day. 

The first series continncd in use until the 
1 st of November, 1868, when its place was 
taken by what one might term, if irreverently 
disposed, the " doll's-head," or "milUner*8- 
block" set. It bore, in reality, the emperor's 
head to left, bat on so smalt a scale, as to be 
worse than ineffective* The original yalues 
and colours were :^— 

•2 krenaser, yellow. 
3 „ ' black, 
5 „ red. 

10 ,, bfown. 

15 „ blue. 

In Maroh, 1851^, the 3 kr. was issued in 
green, and in 1860 the 2 kr. was pnnted 
orange-yellow. The short currency of the 
black 3 kr., and the orange 2 kr., renders 
them a irifLe rarer than the other stamps, 
bat the whole series oau' be had for Yevy 
little. 

The framewofk, which is oonoeived in bet- 
ter taste than the portrait itself, differs in 
each value, and it is worthy of note that the 
band on the 10 kr. contains seven armorial 
shields ; that of the empire figures in the 
centre; the side shields I take to contain 
those of the . subordinate possessions^ and 
perhaps those of the house of Hapsburg. 
This, however, is a point I must leave to 
students of heraldry. 

Of the reprints the following critique was 
written in 1868.* "The 1868 series is 
equally distinguished by thinner paper and 
white gum, but the latter is, in this instance, 
as heavily laid on as in the originals. All 
the stamps have a l»right new look about 
them ; a freshness such as even a well-pre- 
served old stamp seldom* shows. The colours 
are brighter, but not so rich and deep as in 
the originals, in evidence of which may be 
adduced the fact that the 2 kr. orange has 
not been reproduced, whilst its companion, 
the 2 kr. pale yellow, is representeid by a 
somewhat brighter shade. But the most 
effective check consists in the number of the 
dents, which count but twelve to the two- 
centimetre guc^e, in lieu of fifteen. On 
placing a reprint by the side of an original, 
this difference is plainly observable." 

* See Siamp'CoUeetor'a Mugazine, rol. vi., p. 187. 



It will be observe;!, that a diffei'ence in the 
number of dents is made one of the chief 
points* of comparison with regard to the 
above. Now, though J do not counsel the 
collection, as a rule, of stamps merely vary- 
ing from each other in the sise of the per- 
forations, yet such variations deserve a cer- 
tain attention, from their value as detective 
agents, and I therefore take the. opportunity 
to mention that the two^eutimetre guiige, 
which is that generally 'adopted^* equals 
roughly four-fifths of an inch. The following 
scale, however, will perhaps be more ser- 
viceable, and more exact, than mere descrip- 
tion :— 



Hence it will be understood that, instead 
of counting the number of dents down the 
whole side of a stampi< it is only necessary 
to apply the guage, and couat those which 
are comprised within its limits. 

To return from this digression : the suc- 
ceeding series saw the light on the 16 th of 
January, 1861» and comprise the following 
values :■— 



2 kreuzer, 


yellow. 


3 „ 
5 „ 


green, 
red. 


10 „ 


brown. 


16 „ 


light blue. 



The 5 kr. is also catalogued as bright grden, 
and the 15 kr. as Prussian blue. 

This series is generally known as ■ the 
" head to right." In so far as the porti*ait 
is concerned, it is ?in improvement on its 
predecessor, and we may suppose that the 
increase in size was specially ordered by the 
authorities. The oval frame is very simple, 
and the design altogether pleases the eye — 
a row of these stamps having a^ very good 
effect. The paper, furthermore, is substan- 
tial, and the perforation neat. The reprints 
are distinguishable by the same character- 
istics as those of the 1868 series, except as 
regard paper: this, though whiter, is as 
thick as the originals ; perforation, however, 
comes in again as an effective iheans of de- 
tection. The originals have fourteen, the 
reprints twelve dents within the two-centi- 
metre guage. 

^To he eontmutd.J 



Nov. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZTXE: 



171 



THE RUSSIAN LOCALS. 

Our St. Petersburg correRpondent, to whom 
we have been frequently indebted for early 
information, Bends ns the translation of 
a recently published article which throws 
new light on the uses of the little-^known 
liussian Locals. The article in question 
appeared in the 8L Peiershxirg EA'ckange 
Neivs, of the 27th Sept. last, a paper which is 
the organ of the Rnssinn post-ofiice, and 
publishes all its regulaticms. It reads as 
follows : — 

'* It is known that the repeal of the free 
carriage of the local courts' correspondence 
in its time created a good deal of trouble 
and annoyance, and was almost the cause of 
the opening of special Tillage posts. Thus, 
for instance, the Voronej Government Land 
Assembly, in December, 1869, resolved to 
establish a village post in the government of 
Voronej, and to have special carriers at the 
local courts, for carrying the correspondence 
between each other, not limited to post 
roads ; but this act, being disapproved of by 
the Voronej governor, was annulled last 
August by the senate, on the ground of it 
not being in accordance with, in the first 
place, the 1114rth clause of the Code, which 
directly prohibits the opening of any private 
establishment over and above the post-office 
department, for carrying letters or light 
packages ; and, in the second place, with the 
imperial statute of 1st May, 1870, regarding 
the manner of conveying the correspondence 
of local courts. Nevertheless, the unsuccess- 
ful and premature reform in conveying the 
local courts' correspondence, as if in justifi- 
cation of the truth of the proverb, " There 
is no evil without good," has occasioned the 
granting of conveniences in written inter- 
course between the inhabitants of the by- 
comers of our extensive country, which 
they bad not up to the present eixjoyed, 
either on account of their geographical 
position, which has deprived them of postal 
Gommunic^tion, or through their lying at 
some distance from a post-office establish- 
ment. Drawn to the idea by the Voronej 
Land Assembly, we hear that the Ministry of 
Interior Affairs has found it possible to 
allow such of the local courts as may desire 



it to e.^iablish tlieir own local posts, on the 
following conditions : — L The IochI post has 
the right to receive fjrom the post-offices, for 
delivery throughout the oircuitsvoommon let^ 
ters, as also newspapers, mafj^asin^s, and dc^ 
clarations for money, registci-ed and book- 
package oorrespondenro; to receive all sorttiof 
correspondence from place<« at «i distance, for 
tvansmission to the nearest post*office, and 
to convey all sorts of connesf ond^Dce be> 
tween villages of circuit which are deprived 
of postal communication. 2. Persons wish- 
ing to receive correspondence from tho 
post-office in the aforesaid manner (z. e., 
through the village post) are obliged to 
present, at the post- (^ces,\ separate written 
declarations, or formal decisions on same^ of 
village courts io which they may belong. 
8. The course of the village post' can only 
be along the by-roads, not on post roads. 
Therefore, all correspondence of local courts 
or private individuals alpng post roads can 
only be executed through the poftt^-offiees. 
4. The local posts are not prohibited from 
having their own postage siafnps^ but on the 
condition that the stamps, have nothing in 
common in their design with^ the postage 
stamps of the government post ; and» ^* The 
caniers of the local post may have> on the 
bii^ used by them, the represeatation of the 
goremment or cipeait coat of aritts, without 
the posthoms." 

It is indeed satisfactory - to find ^e au- 
thentic character of the Russian locals so 
well and thoroughly established. In spite 
of what had already been stated respecting 
these stamps, a doubt existed in the minds 
t)f many collectors as ta their genuineness, 
and our own correspondent had his belief 
in them staggered a ibw days before the 
above article appeaced. He had written 
to i^e postmasters c^ two or three of the 
towns where the locals were supposed to be 
in use, and they had replied to him that no 
such stamps were in existence. Determined 
to arrive at the truth,- he himself went 
down to Sdiluesselburg, but even his own 
inquiries on the* spot, produced no result. 
He communicated these facts to us, but 
could not explain ihem ; he himself had taken 
the stamps of Borowitx and others from 
letters, and after this it was indeed astonish- 



172 



THE STAMP-COLLEOTOR'S MAOAZINEl [Nov. 1, 1870. 



ing to be told that there were oot any BQoh 
stamps known. This new articloi however, 
changea. the C&pe of affairs;, the village po^t-^ 
masters .are npt the perBons tn apply to ; ther 
officials of the loieal cenrts aioi^e conttoj the 
ciroalation pf tbesa stamps, and it is to. them - 
that applicstion mast. 'be made. . - 

This JQ^t sh|Ows|ioiw aeieessary.it is to* n^e 
great pur^>ams|)eotion in rdeciditig npo^tbe 
valoe of. littlehk^iown- stamps. The fact, that 
the poatip^tiej^ itver^e ' unacqnain^ witb^ 
them, se€sned nneqaivooally to qond^mn 
them,- bat }^ter informatimi fully etxplai^, 
their igQorajo^e^ and ji^sti^es<tber stamps. ' 

Tba*^ tbe:i(?\«^l^mi«j^iws are buit-ver>? little 
used at present is evideut, and the reasptt 
is not far to seek. Any correspondent who 
desires hi^ letters, to viiorpe forwe^rd by the 
rural post mast first obtain the permiftsion 
of tbe')OGal\,pow^ers that be,^ tof^ceive tbesn 
thereby^ »nA as letter writeFS,- and basiuess 
men are probably few and far • betweeti, the 
nuipber of aath<>ris^tions granted i^aaot likely 
to have teen veify large as yet» Still the 
systepi is skivtly apre^lQg^ and if worked 
without these: restrietiqns, na^y greatly tiid 
in the cirealatiioii of knQwledge^ and in- the 
inoreaisa of tradain the OQuntry distrkto. 

04(ir porrespond^iot forwards nd ax^py.of 
another new loeal, of wbicha daseriptioa. 
will be^fo^nd. in ows artiple.on fTew Issnes^ 

THE STAMPS OF MOLDAVIA' AND 

ROUMAKIA. 

TRANSIATED FBOM "LE TIMBRE-POSTE," ,., 

The actaal ezssteoce of the stamps of ihe 
first emissidn is always placed in doubt by a 
few disciples of St. Thomas; the reason is; 
that information on that series is> completely 
wanting,' a &ct which 'even Dr.. < Magnus 
coald only testify torn bis exdoliantibrodhtw^ 
on the staiBps of these eonntries,. wsithont 
being able to throw any l^ht on the my^teqry 
which envelopes. that emmion. 

These doubts we are now able to dissipate, 
in assigning an exact date io the emissioti, 
which, we may add, we hare not obtained 
without some trouble. In fact, it is not 
so very easy to get information down in 
Roumania ; when we addressed ourselves to 
Jassy, we were referred, six months after* 



wardSf to Bucharest. At Buoharest, when 
the, decision to reply to us was taken, we 
weve politely requested to apply to Jassy. 
In. shorty we founid ourselves x>bliged to 
renqunoe the project we had iforn^ed of eon* 
yinGan<7 the inopedulpuSideauH^eu^ io hsind* 
M. N. Bon dot, whose position wo^uld have 

euald^> hiifi to sueeei^d wbei^ weoo^ld Bot 
hope to^ was not more fortiwaate^thaa us^and 
contented himself by iiifgirmi^ig as in the 
Maga^in PUtor^»e (1864 1). Jr8d)» that, the 
first stamps saw the light, according to all 
appearances, abeutA8M'*<la^><ig)^he Crimean 
war., In a moip^^t/sf: i^vifttetMi^i^ndii^ an 
ofiOk^l at' Jas^wWA*ote. itp'tua.that'it'ivas iu 
1859, These two dat^pii^ erconeQU/ss^ 9» we 
^hall show. . ! . 

The <?bligi?Lg co]:respend(ent.£rqia whom, 
at last, we obtained our information, states 
that it was the' j&!|LoldilvisM j^Mipi^^r of 
Eiuaxuses who, by an order of the ,1 Ith July, 
ISe'iS, No. 6313, announped tha;t the Prince 
Ciamapan, or (^m-^Mekams^'Togoridi had 
approved (order 2663) the pse.of pestago 
stamps and tbeir emission .io^ the 15tU July, 
18$8. l^he st^jmps, ijt.was aai^^ woiidJ be 
struck by hand, and would b0 of four values; 
27, 54,81, and 108 paijaa.. ' 

The 27 pafss would: pdsp.paye'iff'^^t letter 
and for a distance of 1 — 8 posts (7|-r— 8f 
miles}. i ,.. .. '\ , ' '• VT- , . : . . 

The 54 paras, Sk^mtdl lettei^ fbi*. ft.diotaace 
o(, upwards of 8 posts. . . 

The 81 paras, a Zar^<8 letter., 
. The 108 pasa^ a letter with i'eeeip^[doiibti 
less meanings registened letter^. . 

From these facts, we jthjnk the .•exigt^nee <if 
tbe first .emission is sui^^eBtly) estaj)lishetd^ 
nevertheless, if^as we^peiour epure^pBdeiiit 
sbouid send us a. copy pf the 4601*^3^0' shall 
not neglect to publish it m..aaUi^^0<i ipithe 
first .pl|iee^ because 4)he^.prepiox^,4ocii9Keiits 
are curious to read^.aud. furti^r<,mQ7ei^,thal4 
we may not haYo.to :ret^m figaii\ {^la thi9 
questibn. ;' 

We will just remark, as the occasion now 
presents itseli^ that the. 27 par^^^hieh we 

* Caim-M^kam means literally, l^e.who filU ftnQther*^ 
place, atid reallt'desigtitites the Uentcnant^f ahdBal^tittfte 
for the Grand Vizier. .'<*•'::. 

t We l^Qownot what distix^uishe^ i^ aouill letter £nom 
a large one, our correspondent not having' given us any 
information on thispomt.— [fin. Timbre-l^it.] 



Nov. 1, 1870.]. THH STAMP-eoXtEOPOR'S MA0AZINE; 



173 



disooVM*^ A Mile time 'bA«k, and of y^hldh 
only (me copy is knowii, Ui petfe^tly aJtithehtic, 
TUSfwU'kstwridfin^ its i»Arityr^^> iodi^e'dl, Dr. 
Mhghtt^ has Very §ettsiMy5'f)Te^tae(J,ih' bis 
&rotfA?*^ whfei^ein he gfv^is afc the sanife'timeV 
all ^t^Ve^y^ff whicb miliiM^ in "favour bf 
tlie"RtA*Ap"-'' ' ' '-'' "•" '■ *•■ • ■ 

' Thbre eiclfits lio dotabfj whatever conefetning 
ihb se^Jid' i aiid ^^eceiding' *s6i^ifes of 6taMt)iS, 
fetit poss€testttg the autheiitie^t^d "da*es of 
the^r^ dmidsion we will here reeapiltilate 

Thti report K^.'88^g oF«lie Miliist^t* df 
Finanofeft^ dated 18th Septeitibet', lOSk calfe 
fbr att^lilt^iiatlon Of the stamps. THe Prince 
CaiBnfaed;^ apptOT^athor^qftifest by an order^ 
No. 4288, and decides that the emission ^hall 
tftfce ' placid 'dn^%he ISt 'NdVeinher,' 185^, ' as 

folloWsi' ' " •' ■ •■= '■• " '^ :'■'■ 

40 xtoi^s'fbr a Mngl^ratfe letter. "■'" ' ^ ' 

SQ > ';, ' ^, -' '" W : 'i^gist^i-ed. 
^ ,, for jonrriald ■'•'•' • < ' 

Theise Rtanips word withdm{vii On^th6 Blst 
December, 1861. i , =. . 

On the 1 St Jatoary, 1862, iM ^kitiph 'with 
the atms of the = twd United ' provinces- 
Moldavia and WalkoHia— *wdrfe put in cir- 
culation. There were 3 Values: >3, 6, and 
30 parkas J suppressed thd 31st December, 
1864. : : ^ ■: ■ ■ ' ' -V ..^ ■•: ; — . .:. 

In January, 1865, there arrived the siainpi^ 
wi^' Prince fconza's efl5gy^--2, 5-26 paras; 
they gave place in June, 1866, to those with 
portrait of Prince Charles— 2^ 5, 20 parale. 
These latter were Superseded on the 1st 
January, 1868; by Stanjps with the same 
efiBgy, but with the value in bani— 2, 4, 18 
bani. On the 1st April, 1809; the- 5, 10, 15, 
25; and (50 iJani; appeared ; iand Iftfiitly, the 8 
bani, on the 22nd May, 1870, aVl with effigy 
of Prince Charles. * ° - 

Th0 18 bani no longer esrfsts, and to cover 
the postage on letters which Would recfnire 
that valu6^ the 3 and 15 bani stiiinps ar6 
used. 



■ ^.^ > 1 1 » fc > » 



.< i » i f . 



•ti- 



-*-»4 — ^- 



keViews of postal publications. 

Tlie Cuiiosity Cabinet. Ijfew Torki W. P. 

Brown. 
This is a new venture by an old and well- 
known collector. Its dimensions are modest, 



bttb ita gefi'tt^ fe' '^xeiftWent t whether, how- 
ever, it will bd able to complBt6^ with the 
formidtibl^ rivals' alr^dy in* thi^ >(l6M' remains 
to be 6^i]|.'^It& first' ptt^* ^iS" pl4nted in 
j^dnetic' characters^:" it ^cbntaiirtS -ah article, 
'^ ftr o©ft '■- R*i)0«»," ' dW ^iEtri<!tei#ies, fthd' is a 
curiosity in itself* ' T^ 'thrdfe 66hei< pages 
(i t ' • f^biHsJ alt6gethe!i> '6; - bing^ ^hefe t) are 
6Ccupfed*'^>tthI shdrthotfeefs' <* 'Stath'pis and 
a^v^rt^rtifertts. Thti • j^rosj^fc^rt^ %ta<?es that 

thcj ^ Cabinet'?^ heJs been^issn^- Ibt* %h^- pur- 

pds© bf ' briAj^ing* '^e '^k*(i)5p<'ietoi^S' stSftck into 
pttblki nofit^.'^ 'We' *t*fis* it'^WiU ha4e. this 
effectyand hayfe'nK^diciubt 5t'WiH also do good 
i^it^ d&^'af^^ ge%(§t<atiot!'tdithe'Ji»tei*ebts of 
philately i '• -''•■^' ,j'i^ ■» ^' J.r."-^., \' ■ ♦ 



I' t" 



' 1 > ) .^ i ' , ^.i ^ 



I 1 



'ito Amekmn Stamp Mdriiiwydnd N^misma^ 

' ilst < '"'' f ' ••' •■ • i -^■•rr )■ ' • 
D496r(pUv& Ckitahgn^' of Afnei^eAsn ]aHd^FdtB}\in 
• Pmia^e ■ ShJm^iY ' Si*ih' Edison; F. 
Trifet &^ Oo?, Boston; Ujiited Stated, 
Ths second V^iime^ oP'(I^i4'^^ii9ru;a9^ i/8%tf^^^ 
M^fciCry^ whi<jh^n<«7 K^s^b^fbt'd t^S*, is a plain 
but tastefiilly-boftad book, whi^b We' trust 
Will n)eet*'with a ready sale. ^Thercf is good 
r€«ading 4tt ifefe pagfe&, ^and mai^mudh as Mr. 
Trif^l^as eixei'ted himself to systeihattse the 
sibndy. of phUatfely in tftie ^States, hd d^sorves 
the fabest support. It is pleiasint; on looking 
through this volunie^ to find that there is so 
much sound information scattered through 
it. Jjet n^ hope that the era of recrimina- 
tion between respectable American journal- 
ists has passed away, and that we shall not 
again find the space which should be occu- 
pi^ With. more interesting matter, filled up 
with- the details of petty personal squabbles. 
With the -Miwdwry one has now no such cause 
of I dissatisfaction; the only regret that a 
stamp dolldotor ^canbave is i^at it is not 
wholly^ sdeiiroted to .tlobr support of philately, 
though, numismatists probably: l^Te a similar 
obj^ection to ' make in the* opposite direction.* 
Mr. Trifet's P<Fiee^C)atalogite, in some re- 



f iiiifi» i >i » i>t » i ii 



I I I i ' k <,■» I I f 1 i li , t|l ( _ I 1,.^ ,. 



^ since. this b|i» beea ia tjpe, wef bave receiyed the 
April mimbeir of The Merct^y^ in which the publishers 
01 Mason* 8 Ma^dzine are roughly dealt with. Mr. Trifet, 
it is tr^e, is replying' to an unpleasant accusation, but 
still, if mutual ree^met were the rule between the pub- 
lishers of American papers, there would be an end to the 
system of abusive writmg, and its natural results — hasty 
charges and Intter reeriminatioBs. — £d. 



174 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Nov. 1, 1870. 



spects a more sober publication than the one 
is»>aed by Messrs. Scott, and recently noticed, 
will yet compare favourably with it in point 
of general iieatiiess and accuracy. However, 
' 'comparisons are odorousf" as Mrs. Malaprop 
says, so we Will not pursue them farther, but 
we may fairly recominend this work with 
equal force to American collectors, and those 
who like to see plenty o? illustrations will 
find special pleaaiire in perusing Mr. Trifeb's 
list, as it eontains'no fewer than 140 of them. 

[Both the above revipwa have been crowdod out' of 
preceding numbers.] 



COBRESPONDENCE. 

ENGLISH ENVELOPES ON COLOURED PAPER, &c. 

To the Editor of "The Stamp-Collec roll's Magazine." 

Sib, — ^Thanks for your attention to my communication 
last month. I- have bought volumes 2 to 5 from your 
publishers, and got the promise of the iirst vol. 1 they get 

MnpliMh Enwlopes.^-l note your remarks on these, 
and also those in other parts of the number. As it ap- 
pears to bo the general- impression tdiat these can now oe 
obtained on coloured paoer by favour only^ notwithstand- 
ing the prohibition widen I pointed out, it may perhaps be 
of interest to you to see the enclosed penny on buff paper 
which hfls beeti impressed less than three weeks sinee for a 
business firm, who would hardly have any motive for 
getting it done as a favour. I may add, the envelope 
bore Waterlow's name. 

ConfederatB States.^-1 have a copy of the • small 10 
cents, which is a most decided light yreen. It was sent 
me by a friend of mine in the States. He got it from 
an acquaintance who had had a relative in the Southern 
army, so that H has not passed through many hands. It 
is unused, but has a thoroughly old look, and I have no 
doubt it was bought wh^ these stamps were actually in 
circulation. I hav« not the slightest doubt it is a bona- 
fide specimen, which has not been tampered with in any 
way ; but as I have never seen any mention of such a 
variety, I conclude that the action of time must have 
produced the change 6f colour. Have you ever met with 
a aimikr vaiiety ? 

I am, yours truly, 

Manc^ieiter. J. C. 



THE SO-CALLED PORTLAlsa) LOCAL STAMP. , 

To the EdUorof '*The Stamp^Collbctou's Magazine." 

Dbab Sie,— Will you allow me space enough for a 
few remarks in replv to your diatribe on my notification 
of the United States local adhesive you persist in ignoring ? 
The genuine character of the Canadian must remain a 
moot question, there seeming no means of testing the 
same; but the l*ortland local was catalogued in the 
earliest editions of Oppen, long before I became its 
editor. You rather misapprehend ray description in the 
April number of The PhUatdist. I meant to imply, not 
that the stamp was newly issued, but that it was a local 
still in active use ; and fully explained that use in the 
September number. The first specimen I received from 
Boston had been used; those which I afterwards pro- 



cured direct from Mr. Prince's office at Portland are 
uncancelled. They are not sold to the public, and an 
application from a party in the town for some was 
refused; on learning which I wrote expressly to the 
proprietor, explaining th!e GircumBtances, and reqaesting 
specimens to contradict the assertions against their 
cndracter. For further proof, I may insfande the posses- 
sion of an individnal by tho Secretary of the Philatelic 
Society, affixed side by side with an United States ad- 
hesive, the postmark equally marking the two. Finally, 
M. Moens, to whom I showed Bohie, acknowledges their 
genuineness; as also does an aathorftv against whrnn you 
yourself will not appeal, viz , Mr* Pemberton. I must 
conclude wth an apology foi* " unnarliamentary " lan- 
guage, Writing under some natural irritation, and beg 
you to believe I did not apply the objectionable word to 
your sentiments towards myself, but towards my Boston 
correspondent. 

I remain,' dear Sir, youre faithfully, 
THE EDITOR OF "THE PHILATELIST." 

[We acc^t vrtth pleasure the explanation of nor eontempnrary. but 
ihougli be may thiUK we err on the kide of Incredulity, we cannot reflnala 
fruiu p«»intit}R out that ncithlng i» ea«iir than to afflx » label, of no 
matter what kind, by the Ride era governnifnt stamp, la such a manner 
as to hisare the faJlIng of the postmark oo both.— Ed.] 



THE ENGLISH SIXPENCE EMBOSSED STAMP. 

To l/te Editor of '* The Stamp-Gollectob's ^Iagazine.' ' 

Deaii Sill, — ** Inquirer," in your last number, gives it 
as his opinion that the date assigned by Mr. Pearson Hill, 
and accepted by Mr. Overy Taylor, as the natal one of 
the sixpence embossed, is a mistake. 

"Inquirer" bases his conclusions upon the fact, that 
the sixpenny was issued imperforate some few years after 
the perforating system had been adopted for me penny. 
Although the argument is a tenable one, still I think it 
can be reasoned away, particularly after Mr. HilPs 
positive statement that the stamp in question was not 
emitted until 1864. 

In the first place, we must consider that the cost of a 
perforating machine, of such workmanship as would be 
required by the post-office, Nvould be great, and that the 
machine that was used for the penny could not bd adapted 
to the larger stamps. If it was thought requisite to 
perforate the higher values, the authorities would doubt- 
less have caused a machine to have been constructed, 
and would have used it, not only for the sixpenny, but 
for the shilling and ten penny also. 

As denticulatiou was introduced in 1850, and the em- 
bossed shilling was current until 1856, it seems, accord- 
ing to ** Inquirer's " theory, somewhat strange that the 
department never adopted the improvement for the 
higher value which they gave to the two lowest. 

Again, several thousands of the tcnpenny were re 
issued in 1866 ; how is it they were not perforated .^ 

t do not think (with all due deference to your corre- 
spondent) that we can approximate the date of issue of 
the embossed sixpence by taking into consideration the 
perforation of the penny. 

Yours faithfully, 

Birmingham. tV. DUDLEY ATLEE. 



THE ENGLISH NEWSPAPER BAND A2fD 

ENVELOPE. 
To the EdUorof '•^Tu^ Stamp-Collector's Maqazine." 

Sm, — I have in my collection one of the specimen 
sheets of the three embossed stamps mentioned in Mr. 



Nov. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAQAZINfi. 



175 



Overy Taylor'a article, " Papers for Beginners/' in TAe 
atavip'OoUeoior' ^ Magmimifft September. 

Mr. Tavlor gives the dates on the faurpenny, sixpenny, 
and shilUng, respectively, as 8-12"d5, 5-12-55, and 
7-] 2-55, whereas my sixpenny and shilUng are both dated 
7-12-55. 

Also, in addition to the inscription he mentions, I have, 
printed at the bottom, 26th Nov., 1855. 

I am, perhaps, fortunate in the possession of several of 
the early specimen stamps and envelopes of Great Britain. 
Amongst them is what I 'have hitherto considered the 
very rare half-sheet of letter paper, but since reading 
Mr. Taylor's article, I am very doubtful whether it bo the 
"half sheet," or the ** newspaper band" described bv 
him. It is on white paper. It is folded as a note, and, 
contrary to the assertion, the stamp does come in the 
proper place, but the paper has onlv two threads, — a blue 
and a red, — and they run horizontally, just over, but with- 
out touching, the stamp. The word specimen is below 
the stamp. 

I have another envelope, about which I shall be glad of 
information. The stamp itself is obliterated with the 
Maltese cross in black. By its side is a postmark, the/ac- 
itimile of which I send, and above is written, svnoay 

BTAMP. 

Mr. Taylor says the first penny stamp was the only one 
obliterated with the Maltese cross in red. I possess several 
of the first twopence so marked. The red shows with 
great brilliancy on the peculiar tint of the blue used at 
that time. lilany years ago I placed in my album a stamp 
in every respect identical with the more recent twopence, 
with letters in all four comers, and the small 8 at the sides, 
but it is quite black. It has not undergone au j change 
whatever. Only in one sjwt can I trace a blue tint. , The 
white parts are quite distinct, although not as perfectly 
white as in the black stamps. Pray pardon my trespass- 
ing so long on your valuable space. 

I i*cmain, yours obediently, 

Teignmouth. £. C. 

[The RtHmp, of which our eomBpnnd«>nt sends a tnwin«r. oonsicta of a 
circle with a scalloped border. The inscription is iu three lines, and 



reads, sun— di : 12-lSil. It is struck in red.— Ed.} 



THE SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC STAMPS— 
AN AMERICAN MARE'S NEST. 

To fAff^rftVor<?/'" The Stamp-Collector's Magazine." 

Dear Sir, — A correspondent of the American Journal 
of Philately^ signing himself F. K. W., denounces the 
adhesives and envelopes of the South African Republic 
as a ^^ batch of humbugs," " surpassing even the Hamburg 
locals." I give the writer of that wonderful epistle tlie 
credit of acting with the very best intentions, but would 
remind him that barefaced assertion is not argument, and 
that it is more seemly to have proof of a statement before 
giving publicity to it. 

As my name has been intimately associated with these 
stamps, I feel that I owe it as a duty, not only to myselfi 
but to your readers, to prove their genuineness, lo do 
so it will be necessary for me to give the history of the 
introduction of postage stamps into the Transvaal ; and I 
think I shall be able to convince you that the stamps 
were not made to sell, as stated by the semi-anonymous 
correspondent, who hides himself under the flimsy mask 
of a transposition of initials. 

F. K. W. is very severe upon the mental culture 
attained by the Transvaalians, and hit^ oft' some very 
sarcastic flippancies in relation thereto ; ^ut he shows a 
p^reat lack of phvsiological knowledge when he terms the 
inhabitants *' nau ci\'ili2ed." 



As one of these |' half-civilized " beings h a cousin of 
mine, and another an old friend, I may say that I am 
pretty well mixed up with these poor semi-savages ; and 
It was through having these friends in the Republic that 
I tried to improve their postal arrangements, by sug- 
gesting the emission of stamps. ' 

In the autnmn of 1857 I wrote out to my cousin, 
ftaking him to see the postn^astec-general, but some six 
months previous to that, I had had a convei*sation with 
the consul-general, in London, upon the subject ; and in 
the following Kotember I heard that a inember of the 
legislature was on his way to England, with full powers 
as to the issue of postage stamps. Upon the strength of 
this, I wrote the few lines which appeared in your 
journal for December, 1867. The gentleman aoove 
alluded to was detained in the Transvaal through 
pressure of business, so the matter sunk, for a short 
time, into abeyance. 

In February, 1868, the consul sent out the estimate of 
a London house for printing and perforating a million 
stamps upon tinted paper ; but in the meanwhile, the 
contract nad been given to a firm in Mecklenburg; 
and early last year I received a letter from Mr. Jeppe 
(the postmaster-general), dated 2nd December, informing 
me that it was decided to issue stamps upon New-Tear's 
day, 1869. I was also favoured with a sketch of the 
design (which was afterwards altered), and other par- 
ticulars, all of which I embodied in an article on the 
South African Republic, in Tk*{ Stamp^Coilector' 9 Maga- 
zine for March, 1869. 

In reply to a letter of mine, Mr. Jeppe wrote, under 
date May 19th, to the eflect that, ^* owing to some delay 
in the shipment of the press and plates, the stamps are 
not yet issued." At the same time, I was informed that 
only three values wer» to be emitted at first, and that 
another tvpe was soon to- be adopted, having the head of 
the President in lieu of the arms. I also received a 
copy of the Staale Courant of 28th ^ril, 1869, contain- 
ing the government notice and regiuations eonceming 
the stamps. A translation of the leading rules will be 
found in your number for September, 1869. 

In November, the trio of Id., 6d., and Is. arrived, 
perforated by roulette, and early this year the set was 
completed by an unpeiforated threepenny. These stamps 
were all struck ofl! in Germany, but lately some homo- 
printed copies of the earlier values have come over 
imperforatea, and these, I must confess, are far from flne 
in their execution. 

Now, I ask any rational person if it is at all likely 
that a wholesale fraud would be practised bv the post- 
master of a flourishing colony, and if such a uraud would 
be, not only winked at by the government, but even 
promulgated in the ofiicial gazette, under the hand, and 
with the authority, of dift'erent members of the council ? 

F. K. W. says, that he particularly wishes to call 
attention **to a oatch of humougs, that nave been forced 
upon collectors by parties who nave, to say the least of 
it, been very easuy duped, if, indeed, they were not the 
devisers of the swindle ; and," adds F. K. "W., *' I think 
I shall be able to prove to your satisfaction, and that of 
my fellow collectors, that the stamps of the South African 
Republic are the greatest humbugs that have ever been 
got-up in the phihitclic line, surpassing even the Ham- 
burg locals.** 

F. K. W. must have been fully aware, from the articles 
that have appeared in your magazine, that the Transvaal 
stamps were introduced to philatelists by myself; I 
therefore think it a most scandalous accusation to imply, 
as he does in his letter, that I am " the deviber of the 
swindle." If F. K. W. has any proofs wherewith to 



176 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Nov. 1, 1870. 



pubfltantiate his asBertions, let him cast off his disguise, 
and appear unveiled as W, K. Freeman^ and I will then 
answer him. When I tell you, that I have not made, or 
in fact, even tried to make, a single shilling out of these 
abused labels, yon must admit that I could have but little 
interest in ** devising such a swindle." 

As the " enterprisin g y oungman ' * referred to (Mr. Jeppe) 
is about fifty, the remarks of F. K. W. show how very little 
he knows concerning the subject he has taken in hand. 
A writer must be badly off for an aivument when he is 
obliged to sacrifice truth for the sake of *' clap-trap " 
effect. 

If it is any consolation to F. E. W., I can inform him 
that Mr. Jeppe it a stamp collector, and that it was I who 
proposed him as a member of the Philatelic Society. He 
only became a member in December last, and the stamps 
were ordered at least a year before then ; so how Mr. 
Jeppe obtained the idea of issuing stamps from his eon* 
nection with the society I am at a loss to conceive, — it is 
a ** deep and bitter mystery," and one which I present 
to the amateur detective, F. K. W., for elucidation. 

Now for the envelopes. It was entirely at my sug- 
gestion that these were issued. In one of my letters to the 
postmaster I observed, that if the adhesives were not 
ready, it would be as well to issue provisionals, either in the 
shape of type-set adhesives, or handstamped envelopes. 
The latter plan was adopted ; and I have now in my 
possession an affidavit, wherein the deponents teAify 
upon oath that envelopes have been prepared, and kavt 
keen used^^ bearing the design figured m the marnn, 
which design was a copy of the stamp described in Thg 
Stamp- Collector' 8 Magazinej page 58 of the present 
volume. I mvself have an envelope which has been 
franked with tnat handstamped impression. 

As is well known, the emission of labels was, through 
various causes, considerably delayed, and although they 
were advertised for the 1st January, 1870, they were not 
really sold at Potchefstroom until about March, as only 
a few pounds' worth arrived there in 1869, and all those 
were forwarded to this country. Therefore, the first 
handstamp being worn-out and destroyed, another was 
prepared on a smaller scale, and a few impressions placed 
upon envelopes, and issued as provisionals, after the 
manner of the first type. Both tnese types are of great 
rarity, and copies are only in the hands of a very few. 

As regards the proofs of the adhesives, I have nothing 
to say, except that they were obtained from the printers in 
Germany, and are, in my estimation, quite worthless. 

I should recommend F. K. W. not to be so liberal in 
future with his positive assertions, but to '* first make 
sure he is right, and then go a-head." 

I cannot conclude without expressing my approval of 
the few impartial remarks with which F. K. W.'s letter 
is introduced by the editor. He judiciouslv says, that he 
awaits further information before endormng the state- 
ments of hiB con-espondent. 

Tours truly, 

Birmingham, W. DUDLEY ATLEE. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

R. N. P. — ^The stamp you send is the new 48 sk. Den- 
mark. It is perfectly genuine. 

R. K., and P. C. H. 0. F., London.— We are obliged to 
you for noticing the difference in size of post-cards, and 
we notice them in our current chronicle. 

Alice, Chichester.— You are quite right in supposing 
that the design for a new Roman series, which appeared 
in our August number, will not be adopted by tne new 



government at Rome. Probably, a new series of Italian 
stamps will appear, if the finances will admit of it, in 
order to commemorate the acquisitioti of Rome. 

C. 0. W., Uttoxeter, — This correspondent, in proof <rf 
the authenticity of the Honduras stamps, sends us one 
which he took off a letter, sent b^ a friend in Honduras to 
one of his relatives. The question of their authenticity 
may now be considered settled, but a doubt is raised as to 
the date of their emission. A letter is published in an 
American journal, purporting to be from R. H. Kosseau, 
U. S., Minister resdaent, Honduras ; in whidi he says that 
the stamps were made at his suggestion ; and in a foot- 
note to tne letter, it is stated that Mr. Rosseau was ap- 
pointed on the 14th May, 1866 ; so that, allowing time for 
nim to get to his post, and to make the suggestion, and for 
the printing off of the stamps, they could hardly, accord- 
ing to this account, have nppearea before 1867 ; but the 
stamps, whose genuine character is now proved, were 
known in this country as early as the spring of 1865 ; and 
were sold here to collectors by a firm, who, through its 
relations with the Honduras consul at Liverpool, had been 
able to get a considerable supply, aeveral months before 
they were in circulation in Honduras itself. Seeing, 
then, that the stamps were known here in '6r5, we cannot 
quite understand how it is they irere made at the mig'- 
gestion of Mr. Rosseau in '66-71 

G. W. B. (M.). — Natal: To this correspondent we are 
indebted for calling our attention to tne present 6<l. 
Xatal, watermarked cc. and crown. The shade is an 
intense bright violet. This shade, it will be seen, corre- 
sponds to the current 4d. Trinidad, which is printed by 
the same firm. — North German Confederation : We had 
noticed that the eolour of the | groschen maehine-perfora- 
ted, now current, was a fine mauve, — Mexico : The current 
set of all the values has minute differences between each 
{mecimen on the plate. These are verj* conspicuous in 
tine countenances and expressions of some of the portraits, 
and the figures and lettering of others are equally clear. 
Our correspondent sends us a 6 c. with a dot after the 
figure 6. Some copies have no dot, and our corre- 
spondent asks, with reason, may not this be considered a 
variety. — East Indies : The 4 and 8 annas perforated are 
on blue paper. They were printed on paper having a 
distinct snade of blue in it, and their present appearance 
is not due to any doetoring or accident. — Victoria : Six- 

Sence blue, perforated, present issue, watermarked 
ouble-lined figure 1. This is not given in Mr. Pember- 
ton's list, and our correspondent submits a copy showing 
the watermark very distinctly. This variety must find a 
place, therefore, in the catalogue o^ errors of watermark 
of this errotieoua colony. — Tico Sieiliet : Our corre- 
spondent sends us a postmark handstamped in blue ink ; 
legend — Repia Vosta di Napdi — in a plain ring, about 
the size of a halfpenny, with a Jlenr de lye where the 
legend ends and begins. This we believe to be a hand- 
stamp of the Xi4>les city-post, and not a frank stamp or 
its ec^uivalent : a mere post-office mark ; but we have no 
certam knowledge, and shall be glad if anv of our 
numerous readers can assist us by elucidating the fact. — 
Your stamps are all genuine, except the Austrian Mer- 
curies, which are both forged. Compare t^em against a 
blue copy and you will see the difference lat once. — ^The 
Van Diemen's Land were drawn by a person named 
Coard, and they all var^ : there are not two of the one 
penny and fourpence alike on the plate. — $ardinia^ first 
issue : These were lithographed. lOur No^ xv. is from a 
comparatively new stone (see the 'shading of the hair 
over the brow), while No. xvi. is from a worn stone. — 
The Swedish 4 sk. bco. are both authentic, the difference 
is merely that arising in the printing. 



Dec. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



177 



POSTAGE STAMPS FROM THE 
SEAT OF WAR. 

Partly from Le Timhre-Foste^ and partly 
from private sources, we are enabled to 
famish early information respecting the new 
stamps of the French Republic. 

We referred last month to the rumour, 
that on the 1st of November stamps, bearing 
a full-length figure of the 'Republic (or 
Liberty), and inscribed with the words 

LIBEBTB, EGALITE, FRATERNITB, Were tO be 

issued ; and it now appears that an announce- 
ment to that effect was made in the Paris 
Journal Officiel ; but though they are probably 
in preparation, they have not yet appeared. 
In their stead we have the old Republic 
stamps back, again ! Strange mutation 
which brings them once more into currency* 
Advocates of the advantages of philately, 
when urging the historical value of a collec- 
tion, have been apt ta point their argumenh, 
by reference to the stamps of 1848 and their 
successors; but none dreamed that the old 
finely-engraved designs which have contri* 
buted so much to ornament our French 
page, would one day be in circulation again ^ 
that the laurel-crowned emperor wauld be a 
prisoner ; and a republican government 
occupy his place. Still less could they 
anticipate that supplies of the recalled stamps 
would be issued whilst Paris was in a state of 
siege, and leave the capital by balloon. How 
much stronger the case for stamp collectors 
will now become, when for years hence they 
may point, in justification of their pursuit, to 
the stamps which, thus resuscitated, are con- 
nected, and that in the most direct manner, 
with OQC) of the most important events in the 
world's history. 

From a very interesting letter written by 
Dr. Magnus, forwarded from Paris J^flw' hcdlon 
monte^ and published in the current number 
of our Belgian contemporary, we learn, 
that the following notice appeared in the 
Fetit Monittur Universel of the 14th October 
(published the previous evening). " Yester- 
day the new stamps of the Republic were 
put on sale at the central office of the Hotel, 
des Pastes, The offices of the arromlissemints 
will be suqfcessively supplied with them ; and 
in a few days M. Uampont (the postmaster- 



general) will have satisfied the sharp com- 
plaints on the subject, which have been ad- 
dressed to him by certain republicans." 

Up to the present time only two. values 
have been issued; they are the two which 
we suggested l^st month as likely to appear 
the first:-— 

10 centimes bistre. 
20 „ blue. 

The stamps whidn are usod in the capital are 
perfiirated; this in itself sufficiently distin- 
guishes them from the original emission; 
Of the 20 c. we have now. a copy before us^ 
and find that, as Dr. Magnus stat^, the 
number of dents is thq sftxne as in the impe- 
rial 20 c, resulting vfroin the employment oi 
the same per ibrating machine. The colour 
of the stamp also is, we may say, identical 
with that of the 20 c» blue of the empire, but 
the tint oFthe paper is much lighter, being in 
fact hardly discernible. . The 10 centimes ia 
described by Dr. Magnus as not reaenvbling in 
colour either the 1850 stamp, which was 
dark yellowish bistre^ nor' that of 18G2, 
which is a palersbade of yellow; it is, in i«wH^ 
a. reddi'Sh brown . . . 

Thus far the learned doctor. From a,ooa-» 
tributor residing in Frtince we have inform- 
ation that both the .10 ^.nd 20 centimes exi$t 
unperforaied. As the supply of imperial 
stamps is now nearly exhausted, the provin-' 
cial .offices are. beginuing to receive fromc 
Tours a stock of the republican stamps of the 
two values. Our coiTrfespondent, who dates 
from Boulogne, says. that the 10 centimes i^ 
already in- use there, and that the 20 C;, of 
which a stock has ^ bebn' received^ will be 
issued as soon as the imperial stamps are 
used upw At Amiens* the 20 c. is in circuk- 
tion. 

Now as to the perforation : th^ 10 centime 
stamps sold at Boulogne and the 20 c. of 
Amiens are unperforated ; whilst the Bou- 
logne officials affirm that their 20 c. stamps 
are perforated. If this statement be correct, 
then we get both varietiies afaicfng the provin- 
cial supplies, bat it becomes difficult then to 
say where the stamps were manufactured. 
To admit that the stock was sent out from 
Paris b y balloon is rather difficult, for th e 

* Just after this was written, Amiens was, and continues 
to be, occupied by the Germans. 



178 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Dec. 1, 1870. 



weight of such a quantity of paper as it 
would be composed of would be considerable, 
and further, if the stamps had been made in 
Paris, thej wonld certainly have been perfor- 
ated, and would most probably have been of 
the same colour ; whilst, in fact, the blue is 
darker, and the 10 centimes is of a very pale 
yellowifih htstte. It is far more probable that 
they were made at Tours, and there being 
no perfor.ating machine there, the supplies 
had to be despatched unperforated ; and only 
the alleged pc«session of a perfoi^ated supply 
at the Boulogne offices militates against this 
hypothesis. 

In a few days we shall know the truth 
about the Boulogne 20 c, but, meanwhile, 
we can affirm, after a most careful examina- 
tion, that whilst the stanfps used in Paris are 
from the original dies, the 'provincial supplies 
have been printed cither from new or retouched 
dies, and we strongly incline to believe that 
the design has been entirely re-engraved. 
Comparison of a Tours stamp (as we will 
term it) with cither a Parisian current re- 
print, or an original will show fifty differences 
in detail ; hardly a single line in the Tours 
stamp is identical in position with its repre- 
sentative in the original ; the head is I'ounder, 
there is less space at the top between it and 
the edge of the pearled circle, the curve of 
the eyebrow is continued to the temple ; all 
the lettering is smaller ; on the right upper 
corner the last bar of the Greek border is 
carried clean up to the corner square; the 
disposition of the hair is not the same, nnd 
— most easy point in distinguishing — the 
shading of the neck is formed of thick straight 
continuous lines instead of fine curved dotted 
ones. The general resemblance, however, 
is so great, that one can hardly imagine it 
possible for any engraver, and particularly 
a provincial one, to follow the original with 
such scrupulous accuracy. If, however, as 
is pretty evident, supplies of stamps are 
being printed independently and simulta- 
neously at Tours and Paris, there must be 
two sets of dies at work, and unless there 
were sent out from Paris casts from the 
original dies, there must have been new dies 
made at Tours. We hope we may be able 
to solve these interesting points in our 
next number. As to date of emission, we 



may accept the 12th of October as that of 
the Paris-printed pair, but we feel certain 
that the provincial supplies could- not have 
appeared earlier than the middle of Novem- 
ber. The Boulogne postmaster had made 
repeated applications for stamps to the Tours 
office, but he only received his supplies about 
the 20th ult., and the first letter from Amiens, 
bearing a 20 c. republic, is dated the 26th 
ult. Had any been used before, our con- 
tributor could hardly have failed to obtain 
information of the fact. 

THE FEDERAL STAMPS OF 
SWITZERLAND. 

BY W. DUDLEY ATLEE. 

We have often wondered how it is that al- 
though the stamps of most countries have 
been catalogued, with all their varieties of 
perforation, shade, and watermark, the labels 
of Switzerland have been so long neglected. 
Artemus Ward says a man told him that he 
once had a barrel of pork, both the head and 
bottom of which being gone, the pork fell 
out, but the brine remained. " The man said 
it was a mystery." This is all the explana- 
tion we get of this wonderful phenomenon, 
and the remark that "it is a mystery," is 
the only one we think applicable to the non- 
existence of more published information 
concerning the Federal Swiss. 

What we have to contend is this : if varia- 
tions in the watermark are to be collected, 
surely we cannot conscientiously do other- 
wise than notice stamps which may have 
two colours of thread in the same value. 

With the view of making a complete 
catalogue of all stamps issued in Switzer- 
land since the new constitution of the states 
in 1848, we have gone carefully througli 
hundreds of specimens, and, our labours 
being ended, we feel confidence in offering 
the following as an authentic list. 

It is now acknowledged, both here and 
abroad, that the pair of labels at one time 
supposed to be used solely in Vaud and 
Neufchatel, were, in fact, common to all the 
French cantons, so we must insert them in 
our present paper. 

Our greatest trouble has been how to 
describe the colours, as with so many con- 
trary ideas on the sul^ect it is a matter of 



Dec. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



179 



great difficulty to explain tbe shades so as to 
be generally understood; for what one person 
would call lilac, another would terra mauve. 
In this state of uncertainty we have done our 
best to be explicit ; and may mention here 
that what we give as a " deep " shade is 
always more intense than one simply termed 
" dark." V. means varying. 

The colour of the shield in the first six 
types varies considerably, but as it is un- 
necessary to chronicle each distinct shade, 
we will merely mention that they begin at 
a pale rosy orange, and go through numerous 
gradations, until they reach a deep orange, 
and even lake. 

TYPE I. 

1849. — On a lined gi'ound, a fancy orna- 
mented device, containing a post-horn 
surmounted by a red circular shield, 
charged with a white cross. Inscrip- 
tion, FOSTB LOCALE, above; value beneath. 
I31ack imp. on white wove paper; ob- 
long. 

4 centime black. 

5 „ black. 

TYPE II. 

1850. — On a plain ground, a fancy red shield, 
with white cross in centre, post-horn 
above, the whole contained in a border 
of filagree work. Inscription in label 
above, orts-post; value in lower angles. 

15 c. rose, v. 
Black imp. on thin wove paper ; rect. 
2^ rap. greyish black, 
black. 

type in. 
1850. — Same device, but inscribed poste- 

LOCALE. 

2^ rap. greyish black, 
black. 

type IV. 

1850. — Same design as last, only inscribed 
RAYON I. Black imp. on colour. 
5 rap. light blue, v. to 
dark blue, 
violet-blue. 
1852. — Col imp. on white. 

6 rap. pale blue, v. to 
darker blue, 
lilac-blue. 



TYPE V. 

1850. — Same device as last, rayon ii. Black 
imp. on colour. 

10 rap. pale brownish yellow, v. to 
deeper brownish yellow, 
pale yellow, v. to 
deeper yellow, 
chrome yellow, 
golden yellow. 

TYPB VI, 

In a fancy frame, a red shield bearing a 
white cross; label above, inscribed postb 
locale, and another label with value 
below. Black imp. on white wove 
paper. 

5 c. black. 

type VII. 

1852. — Similar to type iv., but uni-coloured, 
with cross in shield lined to represent 
gules. RAYON iiL Col imp. on wove 
paper ; rect. 

a. — Numeral of value small. 
15 rap. pale rose. 

darker rose, 
vermilion-rose, 

ft. — Numeral of value larger. 
15 rap. pale rose. 

darker rose, 
vermilion-rose. 

c. — ^Value expressed in centimes. 
15 c. rose, v. 

type viii. 
1854-62. — Figure of goddess seated, with 
shield charged with the Swiss arms. 
FRANCO above, value at sides in French, 
German, and Italian. Col. imp., em- 
bossed upon wove paper, varying in 
thickness. Rect. Coloured thread of 
silk running across each stamp. 

2 rap. pale grey ; green thread, 
slate-grey. „ 



kJOl Y " <^*- «^ TT ii 

light cocoa 


7> 
99 


dark cocoa 


>J 


bistre 


99 


light brown 


J> 


dark brown 


99 


deep brown 


» 


violet-brown 


» 



180 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Dec 1, 1870, 



»> 



» 



5 rap. pale chocolate ; green thread. 

dark chocolate „ 

burnt umber „ 

10 rap. sky-blue ; rose thread. 

pale blue, v. to 

dark blue. „ 

washy blue „ 

dark blue ; green thread. 

deep blue 
15 rap. pale rose, v. to 

dark rose 

pale rose ; blue thread. 

dark rose „ 

deep pink „ 

20 rap. lemon ; green thread. 

yellow ochre 

light orange 

dark oi-ange 

brick-orange 
40 rap. pale yellow-green; green thread, 
sap-green 
pale green, v. to 
dark green 
deep green 
pale washy green; maroon thread, 
yellow-green „ 

green. „ 

1 franc grey ; black thread, 

pale lilac „ 

deep lilac „ 

pale grey ; yellow thread, 
lavender 
lilac 






>j 



>> 



» 



9) 



T¥PE IX. 

1862. — Similar device, but smaller; with 
inscription Helvetia franco, and figures 
in angles. CoL imp., on wove paper; 
Rect. Perforated by machine. 

1862. — 2 rap. light grey. 

darker grey. 
3 rap. black. 
6 rap. brown, v. 
chocolate. 
10 rap. pale blue. 

dark blue. 

sky-blue. 
20 rap. pale orange. 

dark orange. 
30 rap. vermilion, v. 
40 rap. green. 

dark green. 



60 rap. dull bronze. 

bright bronze. 
1 franc gold. 
1868. — 5 rap. light bistre, v. to 

darker bistre. 
10 rap rose, v. 
25 rap. green, v. 
30 rap. dark blue. 

pale blue. 
60 rap. mauve. 

ENVELOPES. 

Embossed arms in circle, value at foot, 
eleven stars on each side of shield ; 
envelope 5f by Sf^ in., on thin wove 
paper, with dove watermarked in cen- 
tre. Device struck at right hand cor- 
ner. 

5 rap. light bistre. 

dark bistre. 

10 rap. light rose. . 

dark rose. 
25 rap. light green, 
dark green. 
30 rap. deep blue, 
pale blue. 
II. 
Same envelope, but design stamped to left. 
5 rap. bistre. 
10 rap. ro.«;e. 
25 rap. green. 
30 rap. pale blue, 
dark blue. 

THE BROWN CAN-ADIAK THREE 

CENTS. 

Whether or not there exists a brown variety 
of the current three-cents Canadian, is not 
a great point in itself, but as its decision 
must largely affect the value of other such 
varieties, derived or derivable from the same 
source, we think it advisable to present to 
our readers some important evidence "which 
has just reached us, against the genuineness 
of the stamp. 

The following letters will speak for jtbem- 
selves : — 

"Deae Sir, — On reading over your nntAber 
for October, and seeing your remarks on 
the Canadian three- cent hrown, I followed 
your advice and wrote to our deputy post- 
master-general, who, with his custoniary 
courtesy, kindly made the following reply to 



Dec. 1,1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



181 



my question, whether there were ever any 
three-cent stamps printed in brown, by 
accident or otherwise, and my inquiry for 
any information he could give about the ex- 
pected 8 cents. 

Post Office Department, Canada. 

Ottawa, 19th October, 1870. 
Dear Sir, — In reply to your inquiry of yesterday, I beg 
to say that I am not aware that any sheets of the three- 
cent Canada postas^e 8tami>8 have ever been printed in 
brown ; and I should like, if not putting you to incon- 
venience, to hear why you ask the question. 

No eight-cent stamp has as yet been put in preparation, 
but it is probable that such a stamp Will be provided be- 
fore lon^. I regret that 1 cannot inform you what the 
tint of colour may be. ' 

I am, dear Sir, 

Yours faithfully, 
W. H. GRIFFIN. 

" After I had received his letter, I remem- 
bered that in 1867 S. Allan Taylor sent, 
among other stamps, to a friend of mine, a 
3 c. U. S., coloured hlacJc, like the enclosed, 
and I afterwards ascertained that its colour 
was changed by means of Jiydro-sulphaie of 
ammonia. Procuring some, and dipping a 
3 c. Canada in it, it produced, as I had ex- 
pected, the valuable brown variety, a speci- 
men of which I now forward ; as to the 
postmark, that makes no diiference. 

" The same chemical will also change any 
of the one-cent Canadas, and a host of others, 
to a good browA ; while the English two- 
pence, and Confederate 10 c. dark blue, 
it will change to black ; some greens it will 
change to brown, and others to a lighter 
coloured green. 

" I answered Mr. Griffin by forwarding the 
numbers of The Philatelist and The Stamjp- 
Collector's Magazine that made mention of 
the stamp in question. T enclose some of the 
stamps which I experimented on, and hope 
tbis will satisfy yourself, your readers, and 
the editor of The Philatelist, 

**^I remain, dear Sir, 
" Yours truly, 

"W. B. BALCH. 

" MontreaV 

"We have now before us the copy of the 
3 cent brown sent us ly our correspondent 
(to whom, by the way, the best thanks of the 
philatelic community are, in our opinion, due), 
and we can confidently affirm that it is of 
precisely the same shade as the specimen 
noticed by the editor of The Philatelist; at 



whose disposal we hold our copy, should he 
still be unconvinced. 

Our correspondent sends us the following 
"varieties :" 2d. English hlacJc, 1 cent Canada 
large, and 1 c. small, — both brown; 3 cents 
United States, adhesive and envelope — both 
black; Confederate States 10 c. black; Wur- 
temburg, 3 kr. light brown — all most suc- 
cessful imitations, which few collectors, if 
the stamps were put before them without 
comment, would be disposed to reject. The 
chemical acts on the colour of the impression, 
without changing in the least the appearance 
of the paper ; and as to the probabilities of 
the existence of such varieties as are thus 
produced, they are all in their favour. 

The moral of this little episode is clearly, 
that no new colour varieties must be accepted 
(and none ought to be chronicled), unless 
they come from an unquestionable source. 
We should reject even such as might be sent 
us by honest, well meaning collectors, unless 
we had means of verifying their genuineness ; 
for the most scrupulous collector might be 
deceived by such imitations, and so, too^ might 
postal officials; therefore postmarked copies 
alone would be but poor proof. An admission 
on the part of the chief postal authorities of a 
country, that an erreur d'iinjpression has oc- 
curred, or the exhibition by a postmaster of 
the entire sheet of stamps, showing the error, 
will alone give us sufficient confidence in 
colour varieties to permit of our introducing 
them to our readers. 



A NEW POSTAL SCHEME FOR 

PARIS. 

One of the correspondents in Paris of the 
Pall Mall Gazette, writing on the 12th of 
October, sent the following story by balloon 
post : — 

In the midst of the uncertainty of all com- 
munication with the world without, brought 
upon us by winds unfavourable to the balloon 
post, the Figaro came out one morning with 
a notice from its editor, M. Villemessant, 
headed, "A thousand francs to be gained 
per week.'' This article set forth that there 
were a considerable number of persons of the 
editor's acquaintance in a state of utter deso- 
lation, owing to the absence of news from 



182 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAOAZINK [Dbc. 1, 1870. 



their families, and that he believed he had 
found a simple and practicable means of com- 
mnnicatTOn, for which an intelligent man 
who could furnish good references was re^ 
quired: any such person would find him at 
the oflBces of the paper between nine and ten 
in the morning. The prospect of a thousand 
francs a week, when fifteenpence a day is all 
that can be earned by shouldering a gun 
morning and night, brought a crowd round 
the offices of the Figaro far greater than is to 
be found at any butcher's; and it is only 
round butchers' shops, and at the Hotel de 
Ville when Major Flonrens' threatens a de- 
monstration, that Parisian crowds are to be 
seen at all in these times. 

But, unfortunately, there was not a single 
eligible individual among the mass who pre- 
sented themselves. The Figaro thereupon 
announced that a retired poacher, accustomed 
to double when tracked by gardes champ^tres 
and gardes-forestiers, who was up to all man- 
ner of roundabout ways of arriving atan object 
straight before him, who could recognize the 
track of a Prussian as readily as the track of 
a deer, and, above all, who could write, was 
precisely the individual sought after. The 
right man seems to have been found at last ; 
and it was declared in the Figaro that any 
one who sent a very light unsealed letter to 
the office, accompanied by a remittance of 
five francs, might calculate upon its delivery 
and a reply in about a week or ten days' 
time after the approaching departure of the 
courier. The plan was to send him with a 
couple of hundred tiny letters which would 
go into a very small compass — which could, 
in fact, be stowed in one of his pockets in his 
hat, or, if necessary, in. his boots. In the 
event of his getting through the Prussian 
lines he was to post these letters, after in- 
serting in each of them a slip of paper 
naming the town at which he would await 
a reply by return of post; these replies he was 
to convey to Paris. To provide for his ar- 
rest by Prussian sentinels, he was furnished 
with a large card to display in front of him ; 
and on this card was displayed a statement 
in German that the courier desired to bo 
taken before an officer. On the back of the 
card the following pathetic appeal was print- 
ed also in the German language : — 



The bearer has upon him a few open letters, which, 
though small, contain all the heartgf of those who from the 
other side of the walls af Paris sond a sigh, a word of 
consolation or of hope, to their wives and children, sepa- 
rated from them by the war, and who await tbeee letter* 
far away from them, as in Germany your mothers, your 
sistei-s, your wives, and your children long for yours. All 
these loved ones — who in Gennany, aa in France; di»am 
of peace — weep for the absent and pray ev<?ry night in 
each others arms that they may still see the sun of the 
morrow shine. If these suffering women knew that in 
your hands you held the consolation of ao many families, 
all would stretch their suppliant anus towards you, and 
say, " You do not war with women and children ; let the 
messenger pass." 

The Slede and the Cloche^ which the Figaro 
had recently been attacking, denounced the 
scheme at once, apd its originator particular- 
ly. It would be, said they, a grand means of 
instructing the Prussians respecting every- 
thing that went on in Paris, and they even 
insinuated that Villemessant must l>e a paid 
agent of Bismarck's. In consequence of thiese 
attacks the scheme was abandoned ; bat a 
M. Itasse, an architect who had proposed to 
profit by it to obtain news from his own 
family, was unwilling to let the matter drop, 
and announced in the columns of the Figaro 
that he was prepared to carry out the plan 
on his own responsibility. But in Paris man 
proposes and the National Guard disposes. 
On Sunday M. Itasse had his hou.se invaded 
by a detachment of that body, who in his 
absence arrested and searched his servstnt, 
placed armed sentinels in various parts of 
his house, sought for him unsuccessfully in a 
neighbouring cafe, and finally arrested him 
on his return home, together with a friend 
who was in his company. These gentlemen 
were detained prisoners for several hours ; 
but presently a commissary of police arrived 
and set them at liberty. The post-office 
authorities have intimated that they are not 
opposed to M. Villemessant 's plan, as the 
letters* on their arrival at sonae town beyond 
the limits of the Prussian lines, have to be 
despatched by post to their destinations, and 
consequently require to be stamped. This 
declaration has caused the scheme to be 
taken up in other quarters, but up to the 
present moment it has not been put in actual 
operation. 



Interesting to Lady Collectors.— There is now in 
circulation a brOwn-holland stamp ; needless to mention 
the name of the issuing country. 



Dec. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP- COLLECTOITS MAGAZINE. 



183 



POSTAL . REFORM IN THE UNITED 

STATES. 

While tbe bill to abolish the franking privi- 
lege was pending, Mr. Sumner took an 
advantage of the opportanity to give reasons 
for a reduction of letter postage to one cent 
for all distances, in connection with which 
all franking should be dispensed with, and 
all business through the post-office be done 
by stamps. The argument is unanswerable, 
and when the public mind does come to the 
serious consideration of cheap postage — as 
England came to it twenty-five years ago — 
Mr. Sumner*s speech, though made to an 
indifferent senate and to a country not yet 
specially interested in the subject, will he 
referred to as one of the most striking and 
effective in the course of this debate. 

Fortunately the efficacy of cheap postage 
has been vindicated by the most striking of 
examples. The experiment hjis been tried, 
and in the face of predictions of failure, the 
mt).st sweeping and the most despondent, it 
has proved successful, both as a measure of 
economy, and of general public beneficence. 
Nobody would now return to the old rates, 
and no rising man with prospects of advance- 
ment would dare to suggest it. If any de- 
scendant of the sceptics who, at the outset, 
submitted unwillingly to the change, were 
now to propose a return to the old rates 
with any hope of carrying it, it would create 
a revolution in Great Britain strong enough 
to sweep every advocate of the change from 
power for ever. 

But cheap postage was a plant of slow 
growth in Great Britain, and it will be of 
slower growth amongst us. It took three 
years after Rowland Hill got his Commission 
of Inquiry to make the change there. It 
would take a longer time here. The field is 
larger, and the interests to be consulted 
much more diverse and complicated. The 
present rates are not felt to be peculiarly 
oppressive, and the need of a sweeping re- 
duction has not yet taken a very strong hold 
upon public opinion. Are we to wait for 
public opinion to be aroused, and public 
men to be convinced of the wisdom of this 
whole scheme of reform, before correcting 
the confessed abuses which have fastened 



themselves upon our postal system ? The 
franking privilege as it is now used is a bur- 
den for which the country gets no adequate 
return. It is a costly luxury which through 
one ofaannel or another helps. to swell the 
tax levy where all currents of expenditure 
and waste meet at last. The old theory that 
it was compensated for by the advantage of 
having free intercourse between constituents 
and their representatives^ is a fanciful one 
in these later times when the means of com- 
munication have been multiplied a thousand 
fold, and when it is impossible for a repre- 
sentative to take an important step affecting 
the special interests* of his constituents, or 
the general welfare of the country, and con- 
ceal it from them for a single hour. 

The new avenues for the diffusion of in- 
telligence and sound information have con- 
veyed tbe substance of all important intelli- 
gence to and from tJie capital, while the 
public printing-office is pouring its waste of 
printed paper to be scattered abroad at the 
public charge. The people are no longer 
infants to be nursed and coddled in this way. 
Leave them to their own devices, and thpy 
will get what they want, and, in the long run, 
all that will be of use to them. Mr. Sumner 
argues that the post-office should not be 
made a source of revenue. It should not 
be, and there is very little danger of its 
becoming so while oar mail routes have such 
vast distances to traverse, and while tracts 
of newly-settled country, large enough for 
empires, are waiting to be developed. But 
the service should be made self-supporting. 
The first step is to take off the leeches. 
Reform the abuses first, and correct the 
system as rapidly as possible. — Boston Adver^ 
tUer. 

NEWLY-ISSUED OR INBDITED 

STAMPS. 

"Late, late, so late,** the wood-blocks have 
been forwarded by our engraver, that we had 
almost given up hope of receiving them in 
time for the present number ; however, here 
they are, and we are happy to be able to 
supersede a manuscript which we had pre- 
pared for the emergency, by the following 
descriptions. 



18i 



THE \STAHP-OOIiIiECrDOB'S MAOAZHrE. [Dec. 1, 18*0. 



Of iioneUies the -past montb has been ain- 
^ularly barrsn, and the one brrighbpartioalu 
etitir ivbioh bna raoently arifien in the phi- 
jatetia hovison,' the Te^Dsoitated Frendi re* 
public 20 centimes, is deBcribed at length, 
in aif«ftttd«^fttiti'ed " Posl6g« Btaoiiv from 
the Seat of War,''! which -appears in another 
partdof the present number. We are, how- 
everj in duty boand in theae " official " 
coluhins to draw attention to the issne of the 
stamp in qnestion. 

ROUHAHU. — It waa reported a little time 
back, that a new series of adhesives for this 
state waa being prepared in Paris, but unleaa 
(Vhich is TWy improlMibJe) the etock hm 
been "balflotmed" out of ther capital, we may 
^aistuae. tba* «»isting,/or«< miijcmva prevent 
thceniistiion'Of!; the aeries, and to these cir- 
:Ddm^anGes iinay 'probably be aacribed the 
iippearaQee: *£ flMithcr ttamp of a type 
— ] aitkiilar to that of the 
.laStV-ed series, and like 
it — home made. This 
.'Staitip introduces a fresh 
' Falne, 1^ parale, and we 
-fnin frdm the portrait of 
Pcitio^ ChnHe a ,w ith w h 1 cb 
it is adorned, an 'iateretJI?- 
j irig fact connected with 
that ruler's jirivale habits — ha ftau- let Jot 
heard grow ! The annual (diaogiesineK-Qoeeo 
Isabella's coiffure were aace, referred to in a 
foreign jonrnal, and^wby abonld we hesitate 
to note an alteration in what writers of the 
circumlocution school' would term — Priace 
Charles' " hirsute appendage." Ijefc it be 
known, then, that the Roumanian sorereigs 
-now allows his beard to ctKnplotely encirde 
his ohin. The -change, to judge frcnu the 
-portfait, ia'Bot ta b« regretted, 'the i prince 
Jjienebf. lo<As Q-. little slSet^ bnt hia really 
■..flseijf-qnt? features Me-iAs -pl^aaiiig '»si«vm. 
Prioee Chwrlea m, to. o.«jr- idea, in appearauis 
■the bmu-id6al oi a fraak, clever, and oourt- 
- eons English geatleman.' 

' The new Btatap which has given occasion 
for this digresBiou is printed in black on a 
■green band. ' It is in shape a large rect- 
anj^e, the prince's profile to left, is placed 
, in the centcc on a solid disk with circular 
border. In this border, on either side hf 
the portrait, are plac^ the worda POSU 



I : 



I' 



R(»dAEiA; the upper nnd Wmer portions too 
filled in with a pearl ornament; the figures 
(1{) are in each upper ooraer, the spaea 
between them being ooeu^ed~ by a- Q-te^ 
pattern, whiefa aW runs 'do^Kikhei sidaK 
The: spandrels are filled '^;withMgron»d'«f 
ptfrpesdionlar lines, and ithe lojwer: margia 
e^DtUastheinBtH^ptioDDHRB^pSBioi^rcE. It 
needs'no great skill' 4)0 tratiEdate'thia "Dm^ 
PeriodioiJs;'' Sneh-iis ffiur- inteilprc^tidnl 
Onr ooti/rer»of BraaselsigivieB it, boweTcr; 
aa jieriodioai joarnaie, and as his statement 
is prubaibly founded on-sOmething more 'than 
mere supposition, w^ willhigily aceept it. 

New GuAHADA.-^The industrious adminis' 

tratien of New Crranada has just issued the 

£ peso stflAip, of whioh 

I the annexed eut. is a 

. copy. It foianB « onn- 

I panton ta the. laloly- 

issned'ilO pesos." Like 

its' predecessor, it -is 

struck in htack otr^reen 

glaeed paper. 

The large black on 
white 5 c. registered 
stamp, which has- dooe duty for the extra- 
ordinary periodi of' five years, having at last 
■(ttyraoted' the '. attentit^ of r. 
the enterprising authorities, U\ 
has been auperseded by tbe l 
typo hererepresented, which .» 
has nothing particular to re- ■ 
cOmiaelid it. The impression ' Ej 
is again in blaok on white: i 
With such CO OB taut and n 
seemingly ud accountable additions: to ' the 
Granadine stamps, one is really .disposed to 
almost peeviah ei^ections a^tunat their' ret- 
Caption. The conoocticii ef 'dt'signs would 
seem to he an amusement, io the afficwta, 
and the eniiMteai 'Of a series 'evety tnonth 
is Iboked on in^tbe light efa good jbke, 
which is only ' surpassed' bj; . the:- rsalfy 
ludicivus idea of ' isautng miBtBtuFef'OBe- 
pound and'two-pffiuod baok-iiBtea in tfae'guise 
of postagestMnps. i ' '<:. ,■<:■; ■ 

SwiTEBRtAHDL"— This - repoMic . I hss just 
shown ite adhesion to tbe poetieaiidiimovw- 
tion, by issuing a 5 centime card..:- Were- 
oei^'ed a copy so iar back as themiddte of 
October lost, bat by orersight^iomibtod.to 



DKal,;187a] :THE STAMP-OOLLBtTTOB'S MAOAaiNE. 



185 



notii^it in our last impression- Tlie stamp 
andinscriptionanre endowed in an ornn men- 
tal border. . In the upper right corner is a 
(^Tcle'inteBdnd bo rontain the 'poetaawk ' of 
the .reoelfiag office; opposite, in tlie Ml 
oQtmeriia Uie Btamp^tho desi^ ofwfaieh iia 
oe^-of the.«ilT6)ap« stAiop; baty Tinlifc» tb« 
tflttei^ is not in relief.^ At the top of tfae 
c&pd'iatiieinscriptioa CABTe cOABESivxeorlKCE, 
fallowed bj a notice lin three Itttigaagee— ^ 
6«rni«iiy Frent^, and Ii«dian : — the rack OF 

'rH}S:CABD IB RESEkTED VOR WRITTEN COUUD- 

mexncm, ■ Below t^a a^ain are the words 
ADDRGBSB.'— iNDiaizzo. I'he colonrs are pale 
Bud bright Termilion, and pale and bright 
carmina. Tlie .vermilion cciour, cays ttxit 
Belgian contemporary waa accidentally pro- 
duced; it has now been used up, and, we 
presuno, will not be renewed. 

GRExrBBiTArN.— Pirflowiiig onr nsunl prac- 
tioet we gi¥p, for tbB-benefit of oar "readers 
abroad, a repreaentatiim 
of the cnrrent three balf- 
penny stamp, wbich, as 
bearing a -design resolved 
owandperfectedten years 
ago, ' will alwaye have a 
special interest for col- 
tectora. ' In our former 
notice of tbis atamp, ne 
oinitted to mention that 16 has the same 
crown watermark as the pennyaad twopence. 
An interesting- Tariety of the current 
shilling adhesive was recently noticed by tlie 
American Jimrtial of PliHalely. It is « spnici- 
men " w-itli large letters in the Tipper and 
small ones in the lower earners. The stamp 
is coBcelled. Theletfers are I. — B. B. — I." 
Onr contemporary suggests tbfit, ^'perbaps," 
there sever was another specimen issued, 
bat we think the probaUlitiee are in faTonr 
o£ there being others in existence. ' - 

-A cbrreapoi^nt solves a donbt 'which we 
expressed last month, ae to tfae passage of 
snoffieial cards, franked with the adhesiTe 
halipenny, by seiuling ns, throngh the post-, 
a trade announcement, printed on the back 
of a card, which card, prepaid l:^ a half- 
penny adhesire stamp, had passed through 
the post. 

A variety of tiie halfpenny wrai^r stamp 
exists, with the three disks below the por- 




trait filled in with a ilorid oroaroent, instead 
of tbenxual dnte-indicatioif figures. 

pAnAauAT.—AonBMd we give illnstrationB 
of the three stamps, which it appears to be 



now generally admitted have been iasned for 

this conatry. M. Moeua annonnoea that he 

has reoeived his specimens direct A^m M. de 

FoFadaOj the postmaster- 

Igontml of the Argmtine 
repabtic, and from this it 
' wwdW seem that the eeciea 
has been issued by, or, at 
least, "nnder the auspices" 
of this latter state. Com- 
ment OB the grotesque pole- 
hugging lion is needless; 
the tVames seeid to have been copied from 
the onrrent ATgontines. 

Dekmark— i/uJte. — The stump here figured 
is a veritable local ; so says 
oar friend of Bmsaels ; and 
as he ebtnined his infor- 
mation direct from tlie Holte 
anthoritjes, we may accept 
the statement aa conclusive. 
It appears that it has been 
in circnlatjon for the last 
two years, and is used for the prepayment 
of letters delivered in the rural distinct sur- 
ronnding the town of Holte ; in fact, it repre- 
sents an extr& charge to cover- the expenses 
of mral delivery, or of trnndport from the 
conntry to the town, as the case may be. 
-There ia need of some further information 
before we can decide whether it is a stamp 
pnt on by the postal officials or the public. 
The mral postmen, we are told, carry a 
supply with them, and instead of cancelling 
the stamp iu the usual way, they strike oat a 
little disk from the paper vrith a punch. At 
Holte, however, tbey obliterated all tlie 
stamps, wbetheC local or government, which 




186 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZDfB. [Dec. 1, 1870. 



pass through the office, with a mark consist- 
ing of three concentric rings. From this 
we may sappose that the rural postmen affix 
the stamp to the letters they have to deliver, 
and collect the amount they represent ; and 
that these fire the stamps which they punch. 
For letters from the country to the town they 
also affix the necessary stamp, and collect 
their value, but leave the duty of obliterating 
them, to the town post-office; perhaps M. 
Moens can settle these little points. 

The design needs no comment ; it remains 
to say only that the impression is red- 
brown on white. The town of Holte is only 
five or six miles from the capital, but its 
stamp is only discovered after it had been 
two years in use. 

Of the new government series of adhesivea 
inau«jfu rated by the 48 skilling, a second 
value has now appeared — the 4 sk. — which 
is of the same type as the 48 sk., but has the 
centre printed in carmine, and the framo in 
grey-green, giving a very pleasing result. 

Post cards and a series of official stamps 
are reported to be in preparation. 

Spanish Colonies. — The existing type 
(" decapitated head ") is to be superseded 
on New Year's Day by a design which re- 
minds us forcibly of our own colonials with 
the figure of Britannia. The framework is 
narrow and petty, and, as a necessity, the 
inscriptions are wanting in boldness. The 
colours have not yet been chosen, but if they 
are bright and contrast well, the result may 
not be bad. We hope to give an illustration 
and full particulars next month. 

Spain. — The mother country, as we learn 
from Le Timbre-Poaie, is also to be blessed 
with a mew series of stamps, and a fresh 
change in the monetary denominations. 
There are, in the first place, to be 1, 2, and 
10 centesimos de peseta, ^'printed like those of 
1870," which we understand to indicate of 
the same design as the current series. They 
are to be used for printed matter, and also 
to make up the rates for foreign letters. 
Then there are to be 6, 12, 25, 40, and 50 
c&ntesimos de peseia-y engraved on steel, and 
ornamented with a full-face bust of Spain. 
Lastly, there will be stamps of 1, 4, and 10 
pesetas for the high rates, and for telegraphic 
despatches, these to bear a profile bust of 



Spain. It is easy to learn from these pro- 
jected changes, that the present series, with 
its one single design ibr all values, and its 
similarities of colour between different values, 
is causing inconvenience and confusion in the 
post-office ; and the new set is planned with 
a view to remove these disadvantages by at > 
least giving a different design to each group 
of values. The forthcoming emission will 
be remiirkable as breaking the rule which 
has been in vogue for ten years past— that 
there must always be a stamp of 12 and 
19 cuartos ; neither of these values are now 
represented. This new series is almost cer- 
tain not to last more than a year ; it was no 
doubt prepared in August or September, 
before the Duke of Aosta's OAudidature had 
been put forward. 

Egypt. — We also learn from Le Tlmbre-Poati 
that the National Bank Note Company has 
prepared three essays for Egyptian stamps, 
but M. Moena is unable to say whether thoy 
are the result of a recent project or not, but 
he adds, ^' Let us hope so, for the stamps are 
really mai^nificttnt;" and weknaw M. Moens 
never errs on the side of admiring too mnch 
or too readily. The design^ it appears, re- 
presents, like the existing series, a pyi^amid, 
with sphinx at foot ; but this central piece 
is differently framed ; the same inscriptions 
as on the present stamps are repeated on the 
essays, and in the lower comers, d la inode 
Americaine, are larg^ figures indicating the 
value. The colours are not mentioned. 

Peru. — In the current number of lie Timhre 
Poste it is stated that the rather grotesque 
five centavos stamp, inscribed lima chorillos 
CALL AG, of which we gave an engraving in 
our September number, is really a govern- 
ment emission, and in use. It supersedes 
the 5 c. llama, which daring its period of 
currency was specially " affected " to the 
use of the three above named towns. Our 
contemporary also states that the 1 peseta 
brown, arms in relief, has been recalled into 
circulation, and promises soon to give further 
particulars of the recent Peruvian emissions 
in a separate article. 

The North German CoNFEDERATiON.-*-The 
American Journal of Philately, in Jane last, 
published a letter, in which it was stated that 
'Hhe well-known 3 kreuzer stamp of the 



Dec. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



187 



*NordDeutscherBand* is now beincr printed 
on a sort of paper (which is, by the way, 
much fcliinner than that of the other stamps 
of tbe same issue) covered with a Q:rey 
network, somewhat like the old Hanover 
stamps." Wehavenotmet with any stamps 
answering to this description, unless, indeed, 
the series with " mottled grround " is meant ; 
but the " ground " is a peculiarity in the 
paper, noticeable only on the back, and at first 
taken to be a watermark. 

United States.— Still quoting from our 
New York confrere, we find the following 
information published in its weekly edition 
of 29th October. It is reported that frauds 
to the amount of 200,000 dollars have been 
discovered in the manufacture of the patent 
envelopes ; if this is the case, we shall most 
likely have a new lot, after all, of United 
States envelope essays. We have lately seen 
a beautiful design for an envelope stamp, 
prepared by the National Bank Note Com- 
pany. It is printed from a steel plate, and 
is not embossed. The design consists of 
head of Waishington in oval, with united 
STATES above, and thber cents below, nu- 
meral in oval at each side ; the colour is 
carmine, and the stamp has a very beautiful 
appearance. To what manufacture of enve- 
lopes does our contemporary allude ? A new 
contract was entered into on 1st October, 
or rather it was to run from that date ; surely 
£40,000 worth of cheating could hardly be 
got through within twenty-eight days after. 

Austria, following the example of Prussia, 
has begun to use up her old envelopes. The 
15 kr. (eagle) envelope of 1863 has made 
its appearance, with the embossed stamp 
covered by the current adhesive 5 kr. rose. 



THE LATE EDWARD A. CRAIG. 



On August the 26th, at San Francisco, Cal., Edwamj 
Allison Cbaio, aged 25 years. 

Another name must be inscribed upon the 
tablet of departed philatelists; that of Edward 
Allison Craig, who, after Qve years of suffer- 
ing, died suddenly, as chronicled in the above 
extract. 

Mr. Craig, the eldest son of a large ship- 
builder, was born at St. John, New Bruns- 
wick, on October 5th, 1845. After applying 



himself for four years to the study of law, he 

was in 186() admitted as an attorney, in 

which profession he was making rapid 

pro<»ress, when in the following May he wa?i 

afflicted by a severe attack of rheumatism in 

the knee, and for some time his life was 

despaired of In the succeeding year he 

camo over to this country, buoyed np with 

the hope that change of scene and climate 

would bring him back to health and strength ; 

but although he was in the hand of a pliysi^ 

cian of great eminence, and had every advice 

that could be obtained, his recovery was said 

to be impossible, as the disease had taken tbe 

form of pyoemia, or surgical fever. Aft^r 

staying in Liverpool for more than a year he 

returned to his native city, and in April last 

went to San Francisco, in the foi'lorn hope 

that in that genial clime he might recover 

his lost health, were such a thing possible. 

His life was like a frail bark tossed upon the 

waves, and at last ou one autumn day, the 

soul of Edward Allison Craig ** wont out 

with the tide." 

** Withdrawing slow from those he loved so well, 
Autumn's pale morning saw him pass away." 

Mr. Craig turned his attention to philately 
in 1864, and with Mr. Stewart was one of the 
earliest collectors in the North American 
colonics. As a dealer, Mr. Craig always 
stood high, and it has never been laid to his 
charge that he did anything in the way of 
trade that was not strictly upright and hon- 
ourable. He entered into partnership in 
1865 with a Mr. Melvin, but that gentleman 
soon retiring from the firm, it was carried 
on by Mr. Craig alone. Shortly afterwards he 
traded as "The Excelsior Stamp Association," 
which title was continued until his removal 
to California. 

Mr. Craig early made his name known as 
a writer upon philatelic subjects ; his essay 
being made when he started the Stamp Argus, 
in July, 1865. This magazine compares 
favourably with very many later productions, 
both in the style of its articles, and in its 
general "get up;*' it was discontinued with 
the close of the year, and in the following May 
the well known Postman's Knock was first pub- 
lished, and was given away monthly, until 
its editor and author came to England. He 
issued three numbers on his return home, 



18S 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOB'S MAGAZINE. . [Dkc. 1, 1870. 



greatly enlarged, in size, and containing 
various iritere;»ting papers. 

Mr. Craig was always a warm but eonsis'^ 
tent opponent of the so^alled French School 
of Collecting, and "was, in fact? a second 
'^ Pendragon,'* without that unfortunate pro* 
penality for antiloqnism so rampant in the 
English writer.. Although Mr. Craig's views 
were Ifttteiily coBAidferaWy .modified, still our 
lamented. friend ne^flir could be fully brought 
to see Ibhe. adv^ia^tage of taking . perforated 
stotnps, a8 distinguished from imperforate; 
or of collecting shades, of colour, unless y^vj. 
strongly jnarked, such as the Hght Hiid ^fk 
green 5 c* New Branswiok, for instance^ 
- Mi?, Craig w.a$ fin agreeably and • lucid 
writer, and notwithstanding his bejing-son^^ 
tJimes seyere^nd cutting'in his rdt^iark^, he 
never overstepped .the ri^ht bounds of t^'oe, 
jotirnatism, ' to return abuse t>y abuse,^» asi 
some of his brptlier authors were foolish ot: 
ignorant enough to do. Although he had 
not contributed so much to philatelic litera- 
ture during the last two years as he had 
done before, istilt his loss will make itself felt, 
more particularly to those who, like the writer, 
have had the pleasure of corresponding and 
exchanging ideas with him for some time. 



SOW TO WORK THE HALFPENNY 

POST. 

(SoKNE, General Post-office, St. Martin's- 
le^Grand. Time, ten, a.m. The, great Pan- 
jandrum and his clerks seated at an official 
table. Enter procession of sorters^ bearing 
some tons of remonstrances about the half- 
penny post. 

; Foremost porter: "Pleaee your ludship, 
these is complaints about the ha'penny po$t.'- 

Great P.: "m? eh? what? Ohj ah I yes, 
I see ! These are complaints, are they? " ^ 

Clerk : " Yes mnud," 

Great P. : " Oh, but I wqn't have it ! The 
public musn't conciplain ; it's really — um — 
um " 

Clerk : " But the public say, your lordship, 
the halfpenny post is dearer than the penny 
one, because, when they send anything out 
with a halfpenny stamp on it, somebody else 
has to pay a penny for it." 

Great P. (up his sleeve) : " Just as if 1 



didn*t know that. Why, that's our dodge 
to make it pay !'' (Chciekled). 

Cferk : " One gentleuDtfrn wants to. koow, 
your lordship, when he sends -out circalars, 
whether leaving '«m open atth^ ends, and 
fastening 'em in the corner with a wfbfer 
won't do ? " 

Great P. : " Certwbly not." 

Clerk: "Or patting the stamp on 8o as 
to keep the enclosure from ^tiling ont of the 
cover?" • . 

Great P. : " Of course it^ won*t," 

Clerk t " Or cutting off" the sides pf an 
envelope, and leaving a Httla. bit at each 
eortier to hold it in ?" 

Great P.: "Oh, dear, no I " . . 

Clerk : '^ Orrolling it^up tight, and pasting 
8 bit of paper round it ? " * 

Great P, : **Tisn't likely!" - 

Clerk :''*;lkLt if it is'nt fostenecl in 4om^ 
how, it 'H fall out and get lost*" ■ 

Groat P. : " Ah ! that's awkward. (Con^ 
sidering). Well, there's one way in which 
the advantages of the halfpenny post can 
always be seeared. (Clerks all attention.) 
Any one wanting to send a halfpenny des- 
patch can " 

Clerks (together) : *^Cau ^? " 

Great P. : ** Can fold it np, put it in an 

envelope, fasten it; cut off the ends, and 

»» 

Clerks (eagerly) : " And— ^? " 

Great P. (in a muddle) : " And — th^n — 

then — then ." 

Clerks (anxiously) : " Then- — ," 
Great P. (jumping up and running away) * 
" Oh, confound 'em ! Why, stick a penny 
stamp on it ! " (Scene closes in.) — Jt/dy, 

BBViBWS ov POSTAL PUBLICATIONS. 

Gassetfe Household Guide, Part Xtll. 
November, 1870. London : Casseir, 
Potter, & Galpin. 

The current number of this e:(oellent work 
contains a well- written little article on the 
ad van tages of postage-stamp collect ing. The 
article ( which, by the way, is well illustrated), 
has evidently been written by some one who 
is well up in philatelic matters; and we trust 
it will give a fillip to our favourite pursuit. 
Its opening paragraph is well worth quoting. 



Dec. 1,1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. 



189 



" Anyone who has ever fairly entered on 
the collection of poatage stampH, will not re* 
quire to be informed as to the charms it 
possesses as an amusement. Bnt we have 
known it occasionally to be disoonraged in a 
household, as an idle occupation^ and hate 
heard the question a»ked. What can possibly 
bo the use of it ? We should wish to inrduee 
all parents to countenance the yoiing in this 
ptlrsuit^ b^lievingj that in addition to its 
plac6 as an innocent pastimo, it serves some 
very useful ends, which we will here explain 
for the bene6t of the sceptical." 

The writer then points out that no in- 
considerable amount of valuable information 
in geography and history, coupled with a 
knowledge of the currencies of different 
nations, is insensibly acquired by stamp- 
collectors ; and he winds up with the hope 
that '* he may induce some of his readers 
who have never tried it, to take it up*" • 

Our readers, we are certain^ ^iU fully 
appreciate the commendation which philately 
thus receives, and we trust its open and 
repeated advcteacy by the editor of one of th-^ 
most useful works lately published, will have 
some effect on its detractors. 



The American Journal of Fhvtaiely^ Weekly 
Edition. New York : J. W. Scott k Go. 

The publishers of the Ameriean Journal of 
Philately have become favourably known for 
their efforts on behalf of the science : this 
weekly edition of the journal is a further 
evidence of a determination to push and 
popularise stamp-collecting, and the mere 
fact that it has been undertaken may be 
taken as some proof of the existence of a 
considerable number of philatelists. We 
most cordially wish the new journal success, 
and feel certsiiti it'^ill do its best ta iJsaisrt^M^, 
. The first number is, set up .in^ veir 
creditable manner. It consists of S pages 
and a wrapper, and is well and carefully 
printed. The contents do not call for close 
criticism— first numbers are generally either 
far superior or far inferior to their shccessors. 
This one is no exception to our remark ; its 
articles are not quite up to the level, and w6 
have no doubt the second number will show 
considerable improvement. Its contents may 
be summarised as, first, an introductory 



article, written in a somewhat exaggerated 
style of self-commendation; a reprint from the 
monthly ** Journal," Sjud a letter throwing 
doubt on the Transvaal stamps* This letter 
is given by the editors for what it is worth, 
and that is not nmch. The expression of an 
unreasoning sufippidicm, combined withdiargd 
amount of that heavy sarcasm in .whtcht 
Americans strangely 'delight^ doe?* not tell 
' much against stamps whose^euuineness iiy 
unquestioned. As to the essays or proofs, 
that is another matter. The period of in<* 
discriminate acceptance of such things has 
passed ; those already in existence have been 
tried, and for the most part found wa'nting ; 
and we shoald be the last to encourage tho 
collection of these fanciful exercises of the 
printer's art. - 

Concluding our notice of this new and 
protoisinjg* paper, we have only to mention: 
that its pag0s are ornamented with illusira-' 
tions, and to wish' it o«ce -more' a successful: 
existence. 



Gakbhi^ie^ of <kti exce/ddirkgly Choice ajni Select 

GoUecUon of Poda^e Stamips Sold^ hff 

• ' AiuitiQn a» Mmday Emn,i}\gi O^iohfir Sr4i 

1870. New York i James Soott & Co. * 

MoBon ^ Co,* 8 first Postage Stamp 8aie, 
Philadelphia : Mason <& Co. 

Oqr Ao^oneaQ cousins aire noted for t^etr 
go-ahead faculty, and they show it even in 
matters philatelic. A short time since we 
noted the first auction sale in New- York; 
the above brochures contain notices of twC 
more which lately came off in that city* 
These sales are bond-fide and novel proce- 
dures, and they indicate the extent to 
which philately is being carried. 

Of these two sales, that 6f Messrs. Scott 
is th^ m6re interesting. MesErs. Ma^on'ij 
list \ comprises a nuriiber of what 'might ' be 
termed, i'h technicral l^iifguage, **Jcfb lotS.'^ 
The great bulk of the' stamps are very 
common, and not a few of the lots are com- 
poised of 25 or 50 ihiited used stamps. Wd 
even find 10 English, 1841 , penny red on blue, 
tised, offered separately, and a Gruaiemala 5 c. 
brown ** essay** is mentioned, without any 
comment on its spurious character. Among 
the few varieties offered may be mentioned 
a Mobile 5 c. blue, 'Haken fi:om fi lett€fr 



190 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Dko. 1, 1870. 



found at Gettysburg," and three Buenos 
Ayrea " gaucho," warranted genuine, for 
which, it is stated, the owner had paid the 
very high price of 40 dol. (£8). A 3 soldi 
green Austrian Italy, of 18G1, is mentioned 
as *' very rare, and found in but few cata- 
logues," — it is, however, a very well-known 
stamp : one of those which were prepared 
for issue but never circulated. 

Messrs. Scott's sale is of a higher charac- 
ter, and among the stamps offered are a 
considerable number of veritable rarities: 
thus, we find the Austrian Mercuries, the 
complete set first-issue Spain, the United 
States " carrier " stamp, several first-issue 
Mauritius, and a host of uncancelled stamps 
of value. These stamps all come from one 
collection, and th^re are no duplicates. 
Among its specialities may be mentioned : 

Lot 1. — Specimen sheet, prepared by the American Bank- 
iNote Company, containing 20 specimens of 
stamps of their engraving, introducing very 
rare United States essays, Mexican, New Bruns- 
wick, Nicara^a proofs, &c. 
9.— Set 1853 U. S. envelopes, buff and white paper, 
uncancelled, fine condition ; 8 stamps. [It 
would be interesting if all these are original and 
uncut.] 
41.— Set Canada envelopes, struck in relief, without 
colour, on very thick card, having a very fine 
and cameo-like appearance ; unique. 

We notice also an exceptional and highly- 
praiseworthy candour in reference to the 
American locals. They are thus catalogued : 



Lot 13. — 41 U.S. locals, fOM«/«/et7* and reprints. 
14. — 37 ditto, -ditto, 7 genuine. 

16. — 32 ditto^ reprints, genuine, and counter- 
feits. 

We feel sure that everyone will respect the 
scrupulous honesty shown in these announce- 
ments, and we have no doubt the vendors 
will find it their best policy. 

POSTAL CHIT-CHAT. 

An Oben Question. — On a post-card. — Put^^. 

The Halfpenny Postage in Livebpool. — At. the 
Liverpool postroffice the coming into operation of the 
halfpenny postage made the oifieials exiceedingly busy. 
They were quite sold out of postal cards at an early hour 
in the afternoon^ having sold no lesa than £dOO*s worth, 
or 240,000, There are eight collections during the day, 
lend when the fourth ooUection was completed, about 
25,000 of the cards had passed through the central office. 
One firm of stationers and printers sent in about 15,000 
trade circulars with the halfpenny stamps attached. A 
well-known coal-dealer had bought several thousands of 
the postal cards, and printed his list of prices at the back, 
which he distributed by thousands tnrough the post* 
office on Saturday. 



The ANOto-FicENOH Gakhier- Pigeon Post. — The 
following remark?, which wo extract from 27i€ Dailt/ 
Telegraph of the 18th November, will, in a few years, be 
interesting as a memento of the postal inconveniencies 
wliieh had to be endured in wartime: — '*The postmtoter- 
general has received intimation from the Direator-general 
of the French post-office, that a special dispatch, by means 
of carrier-pigeons, of corresponaence addressed to Paris, 
has been established at Tour^*, and that such despatch 
may be made use of for short letters or notes written in 
the United Kingdom, and forwarded by post to Tours, 
The conditions of this mode of transmission are, that 
every letter must be posted without cover or seal, and 
must be registered ; that no letter shall consist of more 
than twenty words, including the address and signature 
of the sendfer; buc that his signature, and the name of 
the person whom he addresses, and that person's abode 
fully described, shall each be treated as one word — that 
is to say, three words in all ; albeit the actual number 
of words in addition to the despatch may be many ; that 
no numerical figures shall be used, the number of the 
house being written at length, thus, " one hundred and 
one," instead of " 101 ; " that words joined by a hyphen 
or apostrophe shall be counted acconiing to the number 
of words making iip the whole ; that the letters must be 
written entirely m French, clearly and intelligibly ; must 
relate solely to private aifairs, and must consequently 
extrude all political allusion to the war; and that the 
charge for tnese letters shall be fivepencc for every 
word, prepaid, in addition to the regular postage of six- 
pence for a single registered letter sent to France. It 
must be fully understood that the safe conduct of corres- 
pondence is not assured, the French post-office repudia- 
ting all responsibility. 

CORRESPONDENCE- 
NATAL AND CAPE VARIETIES. 
To tfie Editor of "The Stamp-Collector's Maoazinb." 

Dear Siu,— The Id. Natal with im{)nnt has the word 
"Postage" in thick type, and also in thin type, but 
nearly twice the length of the thick. I have also received 
from the Cape specimens of the 4d. triangular {double 
specimens), distirictly perforated on one side, and a Id. 
triangular, with the words " C. P. B.** and "Cancelled " 
printed on it. I take this for ** Cape Post Paid," &c. 

Tours faithfully, 

Clifton, TorU W, E. COOPER. 

[More probably the letters O. P. D. mem Cape Postal Depaiiment. J 



AN EAKLY ENGLISH VAEIETY. 
To the Editor of **Thb Stamp-Collector's Magazine." 

Sir, — I have in my possession an envelope somewhat 
similar to those described by "Amateur" in the Novem- 
ber number. 

The envelope is 5J in. by 3} in., and has printed on 
the top, in black ink, 

To be posted at the House of CcHnmone only. 

Post paid,— ONE PENNY.— Wdght not to exceed J-oz. 

It is addressed to a relative of mine, and in the left- 
hand bottom comer is franked " R. Ingham." It bears 
the postmark of the 3rd of April, 1840, and is sealed 
with the seal of the House of Commons. 

I am, Sir, 

Yours obedientty, 
London. W. C. H. 



Dec. 1, 1870.] THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZUSE. 



191 



THE POUTLAND AND WESTERVELT LOCALS. 

To the Editovof "The STAMr-CoLLECTOu'iS Magazine/' 

Dear Sir, — Tour foot-note to mv communication last 
month still implying some incredulity with reg^nrd to 
Prince's stamp^ I \)og to assure you, that the specimen to 
>vhioh I alluded, in the possession of the secretary to the 
Philatelic Society, is affijsed so carelessly, and at such a 
distance from the government impression, that the cancel-* 
ling hand die must have heen expressly guid»*d in order 
to postmark both. Since writing 1 nave received additional 
confirmation from New York on the validity, both of the 
issue in question and those of Westervolt, equally called 
in question in your pages. The writer, well known to 
yourself, adds tnat I was mistaken in pronouncing the 
Portland the sole local in present use in me States ; those 
of Hussey's and Boyd's still being employed ; and that 
Taylor and Lyford are two distinct individuals, one being 
nearly double the age of the other. In Trifet's iS tamp 
Mercury, for October, 1868, a column is devoted to the 
Portland stamp : in Mount Brown's Catalogue for 1864, 
in Berger Levrault's of same date, in vour own for 1867» 
and in Ilussey and Kline's of 1863, the Westtrvelt local 
is chronicled as genuine. 

I remain, dear Sir. 
Tours faithfullv, 
THE EDITOR OF '*THE PHILATELIST." 



THE PHlLATELISrS PRIZE ESSAY ON THE 

DETECTION OF SWISS FOUGEKIES. 
I'o the Editor of ** The Stamp-Collector' s 3Iagazine." 

Dear Sir,— It may not seem good taste on my part to 
criticise the writings of another on this sultject, but since 
this prixe essay meets none of the requirements of such 
a compoi>ition, and as there is such an egotistical air of 
conscious infallibility about the writer's opening remarks, 
I cannot refrain from a few words on gome of his more 
unfortunate statements. 

The first requirements of a prize essay are perfect 
completeness, combined with that precise '* perspicuity " 
which the essayist (Mr. Stourton) threatens, but does 
not practise. As to its completenes:». it is implied ; but 
when so lengthy a subject is thought to be exhausted in 
the space of three pages, and when the attempt at infor- 
mation respecting the stamps of Vaud is dismissed in 
four lines of type, because it ** would take up too great a 
space to descnbe at any length," it can easily be inferred 
that the omissions are numerous. The PhilatdUt stated, 
in December last, bfthis writer's essay, that *' his remarks 
are pertinent, judicious, and correct;" so it would be 
naturally supposed that the shortness of the paper 
would be counterbalanced b}' its clearness and perfect 
accuracy ; but all our expectations are so b(^ied by the 
facts, that it is due to the interests of philately that 
such a mass of incompetency should be exposed. It is 
not my province, intention, or desire, to criticise this 
essayist's work in extensOy so I will confine myself to his 
descriptions of Geneva. They prove to such perfection 
his ability for masterly muddling, and his utter inca- 
pacity to grasp his subject, that one feels absolutely 
provoked to have to criticise such an absurd burlesque 
upon critical essaying. Mainly copied from his own 
pamphlet, — which, like my own, is long out of date, and 
simply useless for modem requirements, — it copies all his 
half-elucidated facts, and adds a few bare assertions in a 
dogmatic manner. This conglomeration is The Fhila- 
telist's prize essay ! 

Before criticising the page devoted to Geneva, I wish 
to slate that I write witnout the slightest animus, and 



that had it not been for the unfortunate expressions 
used by the essayist at commonceuient, this criticism 
night never have been written, and even if written, 
would, but for those expressions, have been far lo«« 
severe. Tliese are the eitsayist's pretensions: he pro- 
poses to give '*the salient points" only of the forgeries, 
and these salient poiuts are to bo pointed out ''with 
suoh perspicuity, that even the most youthful reader 
will experience no difiiculty in detecting from the 
descriptions." This is ju«t what it ought to be, but, 
unhappily^ just what it is not; therefore, these preten- 
sions are' simply egotistical in the extreme, and their 
woeful failure calls for more than criticism- it calls for 
rebuke. When au "essay" opens in this manner, and 
gains a prize, all the essayist's dogmatic assertions will 
become law to those who have no knowledge of their 
own by which to guage them. As no one has criticised 
yet, I think it my duty to enter a protest against such 
loose writing being aamitted into our magazines. I 
simply do this as a matter of duty. On the same prin- 
ciple I criticised Pendragon ; and was not deterred 
then by a torrent of false motives being imputed to me, 
neither shall I now. 

In order that a complete essay should be given to the 
world, on the curious subiect of Swiss Forgeries, I have 
handed all my notes and speuimens to Mr. Atlee, from 
whose pen we shall soon see something better than the 
subject of this criticism. 

To come at last to Geneva: Mr. Stourton does not 
attempt to point out the differences between the riglit 
and left-hand side stamps in the double cantonal, but 
devotes a paragraph to a port-local, which is but a com- 
ponent part of the double stamp — t. c, he gives 1st, port- 
local, 2nd, double stamp, composed of two 5 o. local, 
quite oblivious of the fact, that all port-locals xre cut out 
of the double stamp, and have no separate existence. 
Blunder number one, and supplemented by a curious bit 
of infornuition. Speaking of the double stamp, he says, 
** Every characteristic of the genuine, as given by w//- 
selfand M. Berger- Lefirault %n his Catahgtte." This 
makes Levrault's catalogue appear a joint production ; 
but as my nu-ans of communicating with him are stopped 
through the war, I have no means of getting to the 
facts of the ease. 

In that fearfully and wonderfully constructed para- 
graph, headed ** Pori-Cuntonal," it is a regular puzzlo 
to know which mistake to take first, or which inexactitude 
to explain first, they are so many. I really thought 
everyone knew that genuine cantonal were of thi ee types : 
1. — On yellow-green paper, small eagle. 
2. — On ditto and dark green, large eagle. 
3. — Green on white, difil'reiit to others. 
Perhaps my readers will like to compare the above facts 
with tne description in Mr. Stourton's prize essay : hero 
it is : — 

Black impression on light and dark green paper. 6 c. 
square^ 5 c. on white paj.er ; design slightly different in 
each. 

Of the forgeries, of which there are at least Jive or six 
distinct and separate ones, he says • — 

The top wing of the eaale. in the forgery, touches tlie 
interior frame of the shield; in the genuine, it docs 
not. 

This is his manner of '* seizing on the saliont points 
only ; " and this sentence, of less than four lines of The 
Fhilatelisfs type, in which he summnrily dismisses the 
difficult and important varieties of the genuine and 
forged, is his idea of ** such perspicuity, that even the 
most youthful reader, will experience f?o difficulty," &c. 
May we long be protected from such perspicuity. 

Now for criticism: Firstly, three dies of Cantonal 



192 



THE STAMP-COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. [Dec. 1, 1870. 



exist, as I really thought even Mr. Stourton knew; 
secondly, they arc black ou ^reen, tind green on white ; 
thirdly, they are rectangular. Now for the piize 
essayist's deiign diyhtly different in each. What can 
he mean ? Each what ?— each istanip, or each die? A 
beginner would construe this sentence variously. Either 
all on green are square (which they never are), and 
from one die ; those on white are black impressions, and 
of no particular shape (this, of course, may explain 
design elightly different in each) ; or eUe it means no 
two Geneva cantonals are alike. Goodness knows what 
the essayist thought he knew, but it is very evident 
tliat as a seizcr ** of salient points" he is not successful. 
The green on white is omitted, but a black on white, 
which only exists as a proof, is prodigally foisted in, — 
a practical proof of his incompetency to instruct those 
needing instruction-^a case of the blind leading the blind ! 
One cannot expect three clear types to be distinctly de^ 
scribed for all future purposes ofidentification in less than 
two lines ; neither can one expect to find much compressed 
knowledge — a kind of literary " extract of meat '* — in the 
same space, when devoted to five or six forgeries. Still, 
when one finds that ^*the top wing touches" somewhere, 
the beginner will naturally infer that the eagle which has a 
top wing will have one other below it, if not more ; but 
on examining a forgery or genuine, he will discover no 
redundancy of wings, neither anything particularly 
marvellous in that section of an eagle which is to be 
seen. 

Need I criticise further ? TJie Philatelist for De- 
cember hist said of Mr. Stouiton's Guide to the De^ 
tectton of Huiss Forgerien^ that " his remarks are per- 
tinent, judicious, and correct." After that, one tremoles 
to contemplate whnt the rejected Guides could have been. 
Simply from Geneva, I have shown that this prize essay 
is written in a manner which makes the egotistical and 
self-satisfied opening look most ridiculous. I do not 
wish to say too much, or to make myself too obnoxious 
to Mr. Stourton, but 1 would advise him to take to heart 
the concluding sentence of the first column of p. 178, 
Yol. vi., of The Stamp- Collect or* s Magazine. Should he 
reply to this letter, I will next promise him a criticism 
on his rules for the detection of Zurich forgeries, and 
also give him the precise points of each of tlie five types 
of genuine, of which he appears never to have heard ; 
or, if he prefers it, I will put him right respecting Yaud 
or Winterthur, for neither of which has he true tests. 
Yours faithfully, 

Birmingham. EDWARD L. FEMBERTGN. 

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

W. M., Rotterdam. — ^We do not see our way to insert 
the communication you have been good enough to send 
us, relative to the manner in which an English stamp firm 
of standing has acted towards you. We are always 
willing to expose any dealings in forged stamps, but we 
cannot assume to judge of the good or bad faith shown in 
ordinary commercial transactions. 

J. Carrick. — There cannot be much doubt that the 
one-cent Confederate has been reprinted ; but although the 
reprints are rougher than the originals, we can hardly 
think they are lithographs. — All the provisional Tuscanys 
exist in several varieties of shade, ana we should not con- 
sider your light slate 20 c. a rarity." — The engraving of 
the British Columbian threepence which appears in Dr. 
Gray's catalogue was copied irom a proof of the accepted 
design, but that design was afterwards modified; hence 
tile oinereDce you observe. 



Mr. RoBSON kindly send^ us for inspection several cut 
undated stamped sheets of paper, of the lighter blue tint, 
which are marked by the senders as having been used in 
1819-1850. Also a sheet of ordinary cream laid letter 

Eaper, with a dated one penny stamp on it so placed as to 
e in the usual place of a stamp when the entire half sheet 
is used as a band ; for which purpose it has evidently served, 
for covering a sample of an advertising firm of felt makers. 
This confirms the supposition of *^ Amateur," appearing 
in our columns lately, that the stamp-office authorities at 
Somerset House will emboss stamps on any plain paper 
submitted to them, according to the office regulations. 

J. B. B. — Natal: The penny revenue stamp, perforated, 
we have only seen in yellow, and not in any of the colours 
in which it was issued as a postage stamp. We are 
unable to explain how or why it was the penny Natal 
was printed on three difterently-coloured papers, or when 
these colours were issued ; indeed, it is not clear that they 
were not simultaneous. No list, catalogue, or paper we 
have ever seen mentions these colours as those of separate 
issues. Can our readers assist in the .explanation ?— 
Argentine JReptMic : The 5 c. pale red on thin paper, 
imperforate, and wateiTnarked a.r., is the onlj one of the 
series we have seen, and we do not believe either the 10 
or 16 c. were ever issued. 

G. W. B., M. — This gentleman sends us a 6d. Bahamas, 
current issue, .deep purple, of the same hue as the 6d. 
Natal and 4d. Trinidad now in use. All purple stamps 
for all the crown colonies now printed by Messrs. De La 
Rue, are of this shade of purple,— very full and warm. — 
Jamaica : 3d. cuiTent issue, watermarked c.c. beneath 
crown ; the pine apple seems to be disappearing, and the 
cilony taking its mark as the rest of the crown colonies. — 
Victoria : Id. green, present issue, head with laurel 
wreath; 2d. mauve of the same. Our correspondent 
submits varieties ; some with the letters in the words of 
value surrounded with a light line ; some devoid of any 
line below the words of value ; and others with double 
and treble lines beneath. These all seem to show that 
the frame and border vary in the stamps more or less ; 
while the head seems stereotyped and constant — Austria : 
The current series is perforated 9|, except the 60 
kreuzer and soldi, which are 12|. — We are much indebted 
to our cori'espondent for his communication. 

J. C, Manchester, sends us for inspection a Mexican 
2 reales, black on pink paper, Hidalgo, postmarked, 
without name of town imprinted on the stamp. This is 
not at all a rare case, as these stamps have been used both 
with and without the issuing post town marking its name 
on the stamp before delivery to the public. — He also sends 
a 10 cents Confederate States, head of President Davis to 
the right, which he calls green ; it certainly is a greenish 
blue, and all collectors are aware of a printing from this 
die, ill a light blue shade on a creamy paper, which has 
a tendency to make the blue assume a greenish hue : we 
cannot recognise this specimen as printed in green ; or 
as any thing except what is very commonly known and 
seen in almost every collection. — Also a copy of the present 
halfpenny English band, impressed on a coarse yellowish 
paper, which gives the green a rather apple tint. The 
peculiarity of the specimen that our con-espondent sub- 
mits is, tHat the little circles where the date is inserted, 
in the copies we have hitherto seen, are filled up with a 
floriated ornament. This is quite new to us; the copy^ 
sent is used ; it passed through the post in November ; it 
bears the Newcastle-on-Tyne postmark, and the imprint 
of The Iron and Coal Trades Review. We shall watch 
to see if this is peculiar, or indicates a discontinuance at 
Somerset House of the date ou these bands. 



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