The morning call., 1893-10-01
PHILATELISTS EXCITED.

/ - u
or all the queer developments that have
arisen in connection with the dethrone-
ment of Queen Liliuokalani none is
stranger than the excitement which At
tended the speculation in the provisional
stamps issued by the present Government.
This speculation is not confined to stamp
collectors and dealers, but is INDUCED in
by residents of Honolulu and citizens of
this and other countries alike, even one
Of the Spreckels family being credited with
having purchased and laid aside $4,000
worth of these labels for future profit.
1t was anticipated that the Provisional
Government would be OF short duration
and that the iIDpTOviSed stamps were TO
have life as short as the temporary Gov
eminent, and this led to the scramble for
the stamps, as it was presumed that they
would become extremely rare and valu-
able.
There were twenty-one varieties issued,
including all the perforated stamps issued
by the Hawaiian Government since 1864,
ranging in value from l cent to 81. Each
of these was overprnted. or surcharged
to use philatelic term, with the words.
provisional Govt, 1885," in three lines,
each word and date taking separate line.
Some of the stamps were surcharged
with black letters and others with red. all
Oh one ACCUMULATION DflDR OVcTUTiU leu IN
the same color. But the portion of one
value, the 12-cent mauve, was surcharged
in black and the remainder in red, there
being twice as many of the latter sur
charged as of the former. As but few
thousand of this particular stamp were on
hand they were soon bought up, and as
much as SIS each was paid for specimen
of the black surcharge. Spectators soon
bought up the supply OF several of the
other values, and 1t was not long after the
date OF their issue that complete set of
these stamps, which had face value Of
So OF. were selling for SIS.
Recently, however. some of the specu-
lators nave deemed it wise to unload, and
the entire set can now be purchased for
$40. still leaving handsome profit on the
original cost
Recent advces from Honolulu show that
the mania for stamp collecting has had
somewhat of a sensational effect there. f.
+. Porter. brother of the ex-Minlster OF
Finance of the Provisional Government,
wrote as follows TO a friend in this city:
They have gone crazy on Hawaiian
stamps; even the Chinese are ia it. saw
by the paper last night that one Chinese
firm bought S1700 worth at the postoftice.
If such is the case the Government has a
mighty good thing, for it can grind them
out for about ten cents per thousand. l
see in the windows about town SAMPLES OF
several kinds of stamps, priced S10.
About two months ago the news was
brought to this city from the Hawaiian
capital that two complete sets of the first
four stamps issued by HAWAII, VIZ: the 3
| cent scent and l3.cent Of 1851 and the Is
cent of 1852, all blue, were found In safe
| in one OF the Government buildings by the
officials of the Provisional Government.
The excitement that this Jews created may
| be Judged from the fact that the next out
going steamer for Honolulu carried an
| offer Of $500 for each set. The same mall
also carried an order for all the stamps
obtainable of the issues from 1883 10 1860
inclusive. known as the numerals, that
could be purchased at reasonable ngures.
and also for certain OF the PROVISIONAL
| issues. This letter was addressed to the
Hon. Theodore c. Porter, ex-Minlster OF
| Finance of the PROVISIONAL government.
| His reply was:
"Deag Sir: You will not be able to get
| any of the stamps you want in this mar
| ket. There has been perfect rush OF all
| kinds of Hawaiian stamps and everything
| has been gobbled up at fabulous prices.
| went personally to the Postmaster-Gen-
erai and as / appointed him he would
| naturally have given me an inside deal.
| out he told me frankly that all OF the fol-
I lowing issues were entirely exhausted:
| 1-cent violet, 1-cent blue, scent green.
2-cent brown, 12-ceDt mauve surcbarged III
! red, 12-cent mauys surcharged I'D DlacR,
/ 2-eent yermilion and many old kinds:
1.-The 12-cent mauve is worth from ~ 10
SO so. and the above l cent from 80 to 20
| cents each.
"a man from New York purchased over
| $4,000 worth in one lot and severai oIuefs
| have passed through our bank lor SoVe
$500 and $500 each. ,...d
"The present issue will never be printeo
| again and there is likely to be new ISSUE
| of Provisional Government stamps Alto
| gether. s,,.d
"One thousand dollars is freely offeieo
| for the four stamps first on your: ISL 49,
| cent. cent and the two Is cent-ano 0Aoo
| each Tor the old numeral stamps
| II can get Scent dark blue. fioVisionai
! Government, only of anythng tnaG Is oiu
| and not many of them ars leIt.
Not long after the date Oh the issue OF
/ these Provisional stamps resident OF Los
| Angeles left for Honolulu with letter OF
| credit for $4,000 in his pocket for the pur-
| nose of buyjng up all the obsolete stamps
! ohtainable at fair prices. and such OF the
! Provisionalissues as he might deem Suita-
| hia for investment. He failed to obtain
! anv great number Of the rare early issues.
Int laid in a good supply of the Pro-
| yisionalS.
: While the desire to obtain the Hawaiian
!. Provisional stamps is general among phila-
1 tells all :Ovel the world, the collectors OF
/ the United States are particularly anxious
Ito secure complete sets of them, as IL IS
generally SUI posed among them that IL IS
l:cDly IA question of time when the lanu OF
/ the kanakas will become a part Oh tno
| United States and collectors usually mako
a specially of the stamps Of their own
country.