The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-09-08
A PHILATELIC RARITY.
1t Was Issued by a Baltimore Post
master.

otdtip, loouSu W tlS POotu'aStSi vi
Baltimore in 1916, recently came into
the possession of w. A. II. Conner OF
this city. The price paid for it seems
fabulous, for it was few dollars in ex.
cess Of $500. The rarity of the
stamp and the price paid attracted
great attention among the stamp col
lectors of this city, of whom there are q
number who have large and valuable
collections.
This specimen is the only one it
San Francisco and not more than halt
a dozen are known to exist While ii
is the stamp itself that is valued, this
specimen is on the original addressed
envelope, with all the marks of the
postoffice, which renders it Of still
greater value in the eyes Of philatelists.
Prior to July 7, IS47, the United
States Government had never issued
any stamps for the payment of postage
it being necessary to tender cash pay
ment for each prepaid letter mailed,
The postmasters in several large cities
had, however, in I845 and 1916
issued different devices in the nature
of postage stamps that could be used
for prepayment of postage. Each
postmaster acted for himself, paying
for the printing of the stamps out of his
own pocket and charging sufficient
advance over the rates of postage to
meet the expense. These stamps were
not authorized by the Government, but
were only coed at the office issuing
them, and were practically in the nature
of private agreement between the
postmaster and the public that letter
mailed with such stamp attached
would be treated as prepaid Such
letters were marked paid by the
receiving office just the same as un
stamped prepaid letters were, but the
stamp had no significance of itself at
any other office. All letters marked
"paid" were so treated by all offices,
but letters not so marked were treated
as if marked "due" by the forwarding
office.
James NJ. Buchanan was Postmaster
at Baltimore, and is said to have issued
postage stamps and franked envelope:
in the fall of 1916. The first public
mention of them seems to have beer
in 1874, and at that time only one
copy was known to exist. Nothing il
known of how many were issued. The
stamp is simple looking piece o.
paper, about 5sxa4 inches in size
with the fac-simile signature of ''Jame:
M. Buchanan" and the words IS cents
within border of plain lines, evidently
printed from copper plate. The
stamp was printed in black ink or
paper of pale.b blue tint, gummed on the
back like our present stamps, but no
perforated.
The ranked envelope issued by Mr.
Buchanan also bore his signature, thu
word "paid" and figure IS" inside ;
small circle in the right hand uppe
corner, being the ordinary buff wovt
envelope of that period.
Such stamps were issued prior to July
I847, at New York, ST. Louis, Brattle
boro, New Haven, Providence, Alex
andria, Baltimore, Millbury and prob
ably other places. But so very few
specimens are now in existence tina
they command very high price. These
issues have been termed "provisiona
stamps" and were issued in response t.
the public demand, which had beer
UNDECIDED by Congress, Their growth
and continued use, however, impelle
Congress, by act improved March 8
I847, to authorize the issuance by TIT
Postmaster General of postage stamps
similar to those now in use. Furthe
provisions of this act made it unlawful
for any one to prepare, use or dispos
of any postage stamps not received
from the Postmaster General, SO thes
provisional issues of local postmaster
must have gone out of existence Oh
July I, I847. Their brief period c
use thus demonstrated the needs of tn
postal service and was directly respor
sible for the adoption of the preser
system of payment of postage.
The first issue Of postage stamps b
the United States Postal Department
under the act above mentioned con
sisted of two values only, S and II
cents respectively, the five cent STAN
bearing the portrait of Benjamin Frank
lin, and the ten-Cent value that {
George Washington. These were onl
in use until 1851, when they were supe'
seeded by new issue, the plates and a
unused stamps being destroyed.
Mr.. Connor has an exceedingly fin
collection at his home in Oakland
where he has fitted up room for il
proper care. The bewildering var!et
Of postage and revenue stamps OF tn
world, which he has arranged b
countries in large albums, forms an ii
teresting fund of information about tn
postal usages of all the civillze
countries of the globe. He is exceed
ingly proud of his recent acquisition
and is still looking for other gems
nhilatelic yalIe