The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-01
NEUROLOGICAL.
stamp-CoilectOrs, and Some OF the
Most Valuable Collections.
New Orleans Times-Democrat.l

1 =
books have been written upon stamp-col-
Letting, and there are not only infinite va.
rieties OF stamp-collectors' manuals"
photographers. catalogues, ETC., but there
are even special periodicals devoted to
the subject, which have very extern
siye circulation, and pay their prOpretois
Handsomely. Among the works printed
| for the benefit Of stamp-coliectOrs must be
mentioned a new book by Paul Endel OF
Paris--perhaps the best authority in the
world-of which the preliminary chapters
are being published in the Paris Figaro.
| At Paris there il even a veritable q Stamp
| Exchange" in which stocks are bought
and sold with furious excitement but with
less regard TO strict business honesty than
is observed in other commercial bodies
similarly organized.
The amount Of business done by Partisan
stamp-merchants is far more important,
however, than the above fact would indi-
cate. In 1850 Laplante, the first French
dealer in foreign postage-stamps, opened
house in Paris and rapidly built up a for
! tune at the business. Now there are not
less than one hundred and fifty stamp
merchants, wholesale and retail estab-
lished in that city, not to mention those
called specialists. who deal only in GER
tain varieties. London must contain rs
many houses Of this character--if not more;
for the fashion OF collecting stamps was
first set by England. II Is not at all I'M
common for a Partisan dealer to sell 2,000.-
600 stamps a year, besides thirty or forty
albums containing more or less valuable
collections. One of these houses has daily
paper OF its own, containing stamp-ncws
1. oil ,,ft ba
Some Of these establishments resemble
vast warehouses, employ an immense num-
Der Of clerks, and carry stocks OF incredi-
BILE value. There are also special manu-
facturers OF stamp-albums. just as there are
manufacturers OF blank-boOks, and their
business is steadily increasing. II will not
be conso!ing TO nOvices in stamp-cOllect-
ing TO learn that anything like . complete
collection Of stamps cannot be procured
for less than hcenty thousand dollars at the
lO,Cest figure
New periodicals and reviews devoted to
this subject are being founded almost
every month. The Stamp Collectors Mon
uOr. published at Manchester, and lie Tim
brOphuC. Of Paris, are among the best
known; but there are likewise numbers OF
Journals which devote certain number OF
pages or columns in each issue TO stamp
market reports and stamp news OF all kinds.
There are also GujdeS published which in
form those who may tire Of their collec-
tons how to dispose OF them, or to cX-
change them for Others-as a European
collection might be accepted in exchange
for one exclusively composed OF Amer
lean postage stamps; an Oriental col
lection might be snapped for complete
set of African colonial stamps. There Is
even IA species OF Stamp Collectors Die
tionary. but this having been published in
1865 needs considerable enlargement and
revision. The best album catalogue in eX-
i,tence is that OF VI. Arthur Maury. OF Pa
ris, in which postage stamps OF all coun-
tries, stamped envelopes. postal cards, ETC.,
are regularly classed and indeXed, together
with their values, dates, and order OF ennis
sion. Opposite blank space LETT for the
stamp or envelope is printed description
OF the design, color, and quality thereof.
A special volume has been published by
NJ. Legrand on the stamps OF Japan.
While some foreign pOstage-stamps are
worth little more than their original Gov
eminent value sometimes not so much,
others obtain fabulous prices in the worlds
STAMP markets. The most valuable stamp
the rdrd dUiS OF the French collectOr-is
that of Nautilus. 1850. Whether blue or
red. il is worth LOO francs cash to its
possessOr $500; but il Is not easy to find.
a. all the French cOnsuls have been look
ing for it for years. The most valuable
French stamp is that One-franc stamp
issued in 1919 -orGnge-cOlor. Unused
il is worth $40: cancelled il Is worth
80. The first Hawaiian stamp issued.
bearing figures instead OF a design, Is
worth 5000. Stamps OF La Rednion OF 1852
| rs and 80 centimes. respectively printed
with hand-preSs on blue paper, are worth
5000. The Mexican stamps OF 1867, known
as the White Guadalaiara" q reaD, is
worth. cancelled, $50. British Guyana
stamps OF 1850 nound, and either black or
yellow,) are worth S55, cancelled. Red
spanish stamps OF 1851 e reals) are worth
$50 unused, and go cancelled. These are
a few examples OF singular values attach
ing TO such bits OF colorcd paper. New
Orleans readers may be interested IN these
quotations. and some OF our merchants
NAV be tempted 10 overlook such OF their
foreign correspondence rs dates from lS40
TO 1860.
The value OF certain collections is enOr-
nous. The most important in the world
and it is not yet complete !-belongs TO the
son OF the Duchess OF Galliera. The sum
paid for stamps alone, not including other
large expenses, was upward OF 100000.
But this collection consists Of many hun
dred U0lumeS albums containing stamps.
II will take nine years more TO complete
the collection.
VI. Arthur Rothschild's collection ranks
next. Ii /. worth only $4,000, or 200, 900
francs, and comprises over 100 volumes.
VI. RothSchild has founded Stamp-Col
lector's Society-LQ SOciete 1imbrOLO-
qique-which studies and records the his
tory and peculiarities OF all known stamps
IN their relation TO chronology, geography,
finance, linguistics, and fine arts. This
Society holds its meetings on the first
Thursday OF every month; II issues
yearly bulletin; and it Is preparing sort
OF Encyclopedia Dictionary OF Stamps.
Huge as the commerce in real stamps
has become. with its thousands OF whole
sale and retail houses in the capitals OF the
world. it is doubtful whether the trade in
counterfeit stamps does not almost equal it.
Turkish CinghaleSe, Indian. American,
African. Chinese, and japanese stamps are
manufactured to order by great firms in
Germany and in Belgium, the cOunterfelters
being careful to cancel the stamps as soon as
printed. so as 10 escape prosecution. A new
mania has thus been developed. Collectors Of
counterfeit stamps arenumerous; and some
OF their collections are quite costly. But
as the majority Of stamp-coIlectors, who
care nothing for coUnterfeits, are perpetu-
ally liable to imposition, new profession
has also been created-that OF Timbrologi-
cal Expert. The expert can detect the
best counterfeit as readily n frst-class
bank-telier can detect bad bill and his
services are largely in demand. One OF
these experts, well known TO all stamp-col-