Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-31
PHILATELY.
Something OF Interest to Collectors of Post
age stamps.

OyS StOHlpS.
[Bridesburg, (Pa.,) Standard
The following essay was composed by
Master Guy Michaelis, a son of Capt. o.
E. Michaelis, U. S. A., stationed at the
arsenal, and read as his part of the pro-
gramme of the Select school of Brides
burg, on June "a, 1881. We take pleas
ure in printing it, for it's own inherent
interest, and as creditable effort for
lad of II years. The Misses Tropp have
reason to be proud of their pupil
Philately, the science of stamp collect
ing, may be described as yet in its infancy,
as it is not yet twenty years since it was
first brought into public notice.
There are two great classes of stamps,
postage and revenue, but there are many
subdivisions of these classes.
Postage stamps are of the following
kinds, government adhesive, local, prI-
vate express, government service, proofs
and essays. Also belonging to this class
are the adjuncts, stamped and franked
envelopes, postal cards and newspaper
wrappers
! Revenue stamps are divided into inter-
nal and external revenue. The former
are divided into government, municipal,
die proprietary, essays and proofs. Rev
enue stamps, on account of their great
number and their commences, are Of
less value to the collector than postage
stamps.
A fine and complete collection would
be very expensive and interesting. but an
ordinary one is of no value at all.
Although it is not yet known that
stamps are older than the seventeenth
century, no one would, in the face of
modern discovery, be much surprised to
learn that they were in daily use among
the ancient Assyrians or Egyptians.
Until this is found out, however, we
must regard the stamp as of French
origin, being first used in Paris in 1858.
These stamps were of the usual size,
bore upon them the head of Louis XIV,
cost one Sous, and were placed only upon
letters sent and received within the city
limits
In spite of this, Sir Rowland Hill may
be virtually called the inventor of the
postage stamp, as from the time Of which
have spoken until 1910, almost 200
years, the world was without the now in
| dispensable article, and to him, Sir Row
land. all civilized nations are indebted for
their postal systems.
Stamps in England, and in 1915 in this
country, were first printed in a large
sheet without separation, and had to be
cut apart with knife or scissors, as well
as mucilaged by hand.
This, being a laborious task, soon pro-
duced the invention of machine to sep
ate the stamps, while they were being
made, by perforated lines, through which
they could be easily torn apart.
This labor saving machine was the
work of an Engllshman, Mr.. Archer, in
the year 1852.
In 1866 machine was invented in the
United States for postmarking and can
ceiling the stamp at single blow. 1t has
since that time saved the government
over three million dollars.
Postage stamps, after being printed
under the hydraulic press IN sheets con-
tanning two hundred each, are gummed
by placing each sheet separately, back
upward, on fat board, its edge being
protected by a metallic frame. The sheet
is afterwards perforated by being run be-
tween rollers.
So much has stamp collecting increased
during it's brief period of existence that
the manufacture of counterfeit and bogus
stamps has become profitable.
| Ordinarily these false stamps are worth
less to the collector but when they have
been sufficiently we'll executed to impose
upon government and have actually
passed through the mails, they obtain q
special value of their own.
| Some collectors have become so expert
| 1 10n Of nd
cancellation simply by feeiingit.
In Philately, as in other sciences, the
specialist succeeds best, it is therefore
customary for advanced philatelists to
devote themselves to some particular
branch of the subject.
Stamps are sometimes very expensive.
I have recently heard of a Spanish stamp,
one of limited number issued during the
brief reign of Don Carlos, which is worth
sixty guineas, and English collectors often
pay hundred pounds for what must
seem to uninterested people, dirty little
piece Of paper.
Collecting fourishes best in England,
France, Belgium and the United States,
in each of which countries periodicals are
issued on the subject.
The United States have published the
greatest number of stamps of any one
country The revenue stamps are legion,
and from 1s45 to 1875 one hundred and
sixty two different kinds of stamps were
issued.
Stamp collecting is chiefly used in en-
couraging investigation in geography, to
find out where our stamps were made,
history, TO know who made them, foreign
language to be able to read their inscrip-
tions, and foreign coinage to learn their
value in our own currency.