Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-07-28
RARE POSTAL STAMPS.
A San Francisco Mans Great Collec-
ton.

to have revived. III Is not so Senefdl III
Frisco as it was formerly, but is of IA
more serious character and likely to he
more permanent. Before the collections
were made haphaZard, and many of them
were of but little value Now stamps
are being collected in a different way
and on a much more extensive scale.
The archaeological instinct which
prompts the collection is more developed
among the rich, as they have the means
to collect the rareSt specimens. In
stamp collecting considerable money Is
required. as some of them command
prices ranging from fifty cents to 81. %
apiece. in proportion 10 their rarity.
In this city there are at present collec-
lions being made in some of the wealth.
lest families.
No collections in this city will COM
pare in point of numbers, rarity, age and
value with the collection of William
FaStenrath, who recently arrived in this
city from Mexico. This collection con-
tainS over ten thousand stamps, which
Mr.. Fastenrath has been gathering for
the last seventeen years. 1t was in lSGl,
while at college in Berlin, that he first
was struck with the passion for collect
ing stamps, and ever since that time he
has been assiduously increasing his
stock, exercising the greatest caution III
selecting his specimens. SO valuable IS
his collection that he has been Offered 1T
different times large sums of money Tor
its tranSference. and although but a
short time in this city has received IN
offer of 5000 for all of his specimens.
These offers he has repeatedly refused.
4 Chronicle reporter called upon MI.
FaStenrath at his residence on Suite:
street, and that gentleman courteously
agreed 10 exhibit his collection. In an
swer to several questions regarding
stamp gathering, he replied:
The value of 4 stamp does not de-
pend upon the size or Importance OF the
country by which it was issued, but on
the small number issued and the issue
becoming extinct. Some of the rareSt
stamps are those of countries which are
hardly known to the average reader.
Since the adoption of adhesive stamps,
some forty-SiX years ago, there have
been exactly As, 900 different kinds, dis
tinct and peculiar, issued by the differ
ent countries of the world. Many OF
these are lost and can never he obtained.
No collection in the world Is complete,
although some III Germany and France
have brought rs much rs $50, 900, yet
only comprised about 1900 or 10000
different issues
Mr.. Fastenrath then opened several
arge trunks and took out numbers OF
well-bound books, which had been spe-
cially manufactured for the purpose.
The different countries were all provl-
ded with appropriate places in the dif-
ferent volumes, and all stamps were
carefully and Systematically arranged,
commencing with 1910, when stamps
were first issued. Before that time let
ters were sent folded and sealed with
wax, the postage being either prepaid or
collected on delivery. The collector
first opened the volume printed United
States" and showed stamps commen-
cing from 1Si7-the date of the first
jSSue-to the present time. In several
places there were particular stamps
missing. but the collection is almost COM
plete. Besides the general issues OF the
United States Government, the collec-
tiOn comprises selected specimens that
were issued by the States before the
adoption of stamps by the General Gov
eminent, and also stamps issued by
cities, such as st. Louis, Boston and
Philadelphia. In the collection there
are also all the curious stamps issued by
the Confederate Government from 1851
to 1864, which are dark in color and are
ornamented with the picture of Jeffer-
son Davis. The issue of New York
State of 1912 is very rare. The coliec-
ton also contains one of the famous
Brattleboro (Yermont) stamps.
Following the United States eollec-
ton is that of Mexico, dating from
1857, and being complete up to the
present time. Besides the general issue
of the Government there are numbers OF
local stamps issued by the towns and
provinces. The stamps change fire.
quently in size, color and Ornamental
tion, on account of the many revolu-
tions changing the Government. Ike
TareSt stamps are those of Guadalajara,
The third volume contains the Eng
lish stamps, commencing 1S4S. The
first stamp in the collection is the famous
V. r. stamp, being the Oldest IN exist
ence. Next comes the one penny issue,
and following this is every issue up tc
the present time complete.
The fourth volume is devoted TO Ger-
man stamps, and Is the most complies
IN the set. All the small, petty German
States. before the Confederation, are rep
resented with selections in this book
Oldenburg, Hanover, Hamburg, Schles-
wig-Holstein. After these come the
first issues of the Imperial stamps-the
new Germany after the Confederation
The next volume is devoted to Rus
sian stamps, especially the rare Finnish
stamps, whose scarcity has caused many
a heart-ache to the collector. There is
also great variety of local stamps is
sued by the different provinces.
The Italian collection is complete,
commencing during the reign of Victor
Emmanuel and reaching to the present
time. In this collection are some Of TIE
rare Tuscan stamps issued in 1850, sore
of which are valued ali the WAY from
$50 to ST5a piece.
The Switzerland collection is also
almost complete, including the issues of
Geneva, Zurich, and Basle, many OF
which are rare and valuable.
Following these are the stamps OF
France, which are without flaw or in
terruption. and these are succeeded by
volumes devoted to the smaller Euro
pean countries. In one of these vol
mnes is the rarest stamp in the collec-
ton, issued III Moldau, place in Rou-
mania, in 1858, and valued at 800. 1t
is a large and curious stamp, being de-
voted to 4 representation of the head OF
a stag.
After the European collection come
scme rare specimens Of Asiatic stamps.
The Persian collection comprises many
rare issues. Following these is a rare
set of stamps Of the Island of Ceylon,
issued in 1867; and valued at $50 apiece.
Some Of these are the most beautiful in
the collection. Japan. Egypt, Moroc-
co, Liberia, Algiers, Cape of Good Hope
and others-m fact there IS not conn
Try in the world which ever issued
stamps but is represented in part in Mr..
Fastenrath's volumes.
The last volumes of the collection are
filed with issues Of South America.
The issues of the United States of Co.