Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-01-12

Spain has followed the policy for years
and thereby obtains i large rey enue.
/ But until the postage was reduced in
the United States to , cents Il few
/ years ago, the green scent stamp with
the head of Washington had been in
use for seventeen years. The Column
bian issue has thrust into obscurity the
old ninty-cent stamp which never prov
ed satisfactory. The stamps of the
higher denomination are used in paving
postage on registered foreign parcels
at five cents per half ounce. England
goes farther in this matter than the
United States and has issued one, two
and five pound stamps. Last August
the American Philatelic association
petiioned Mr.. Wanamaker to issue
fifty-cent and dollar stamps and retire
the ninety-cent stamp.
The first regular issue Of United States
stamps was in 1917. This included only
two varieties, scent, with the head of
Franklin; and 10-cent, with the head
Of Washington. These We're the rates
Of postage at that time established by
act Of congress in 1915, but it was not
until two years later that the issue of
stamps was authorized. During this
interval a few stamps We're issued by
the postmasters of different towns as
sort of preliminary trail of the postal
stamp system. These pOStmasterS'
stamps We're issued in New York, New
Haven, st. Louis, Providence, Balti-
more, Brattleboro, and Millbury, Mass.
Very few were ever used, and they are
now exceedingly scarce. They are the
rarest of United States stamps, with the
possible exception of the early confed-
crate stamps issued by pOstmasters pre-
yious to the general issue.
Three hundred and five hundred dol
lars are not unusual prices to charge for
these rare specimens of the New Haven
variety, which is a fivecent stamp sign
ed by the postmaster. Only one per-
feet specimen is known, and this came
to light in the most singular manner a
short time ago. 1t was during a sale of
autographs in Philadelphia, when a
small bundle of nine letters was knock
ed down to Mr.. E. B. Sterling, of Trent
on, n. j., for 9 cents. One of the let
ters was written Oct. 20, 1915, by Pro
feSsor Benjamin Silliman, of Yale Col
lege and was inclosed in an original
envelope, on which was perfect speci-
men of the long looked for New Haven
stamp, signed by E. A. Mitchell, Post
master, and pOstmarked New Haven,
Oct 21.-This is the very rarest of
American stamps and is now valued at
$1,000.
The only issues Of United States
stamps that have ever been declared
obsolete are those of 1917, 1851 and
1857. The two latter are practically the
same, the only difference being that the
1851 series were perforated, while those
from 1851 to 1857 were unperfOrated.
The first issue was declared obsolete
on account of the reduction of the postal
rate in 1851 from 5 to 3 cents, and the
1857 series at the outbreak of the Late
war. There were large quantities Of
these stamps in the Southern pOstOtficas,
and the old series were declared value
less to prevent their use by the confed-
crates. With these two exceptions,
every postage stamp issued by our
government is as good for use today as
when it first came from the plates.
AS the Columbian stamps will be in
use only one year they will soon bring
more than their face value.