The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-10-18
HAWAIIAN STAMPS HIGH.
LOCAL PHILATELISTS SHOULD
DO WELL.
List Of Some of the Fancy Prices Paid
and Offered for Certain Issues
of our Stamps.


thronement of Queen Liiuokalani none
is stranger than the excitement which
attended the speculation in the pro-
vsional stamps issued by the present
Government. This speculation is not
confined to stamp collectors and deal
ers, 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 Pro
visional Government would be of short
duration and that the improvised stamps
were to have life as short as the tenn
porary Government, and this led to the
scramble for the stamps, as it was pre-
sumed that they would become exceed
ingly rare and valuable.
There were twer ty-one varieties is
sued, including all the perforated
stamps issued by the Hawaiian Gov
eminent since 1864, ranging in value
from I cent to ST.. Each of these was
overprinted, or surcharged to use
phllatelic term, with the words, "Pro-
visional Govt, 1893" in three lines,
each word and date taking separate
line.
Some Of the stamps were surcharged
with black letters and others with red,
all of one denomination being over
printed in the same color But the
portion of one value, the IL cent
mauve, was surcharged in black and
the remainder in red, there being twice
as many of the latter surcharged 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 a speci-
men of the black surcharge. Specula-
b tors soon bought up the supply Of
several of the other values, and it 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
spectators have deemed it wise to I'M
load, and the entire set can now be
purchased for $40, still leaving hand
some profit on the original cost.
Recent advices from Honolulu show
that the mania for stamp collecting has
had somewhat of sensational effect
there. F. F. Porter, brother Of the
ex-Minister of Finance of the Pro-
visional Government, wrote as follows
to friend in this city,
"They have gene crazy on Hawaiian
stamps even the Chinese are in it. /
saw by the paper last night that one
Chinese firm bought $500 worth at
the postoffice. If such is the case the
Government has mighty good thing,
for it can grind them out for about ten
cents per thousand | see in the win
dows about town samples of several
kinds of stamps, priced $Io."
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 2-cent, S cent and IS cent of 1856
and the IS cent of 1889, all blue, were
found in safe in one of the Govern
ment buildings by the officials of the
Provisional Government The excite
ment that this news created may bt
judged from the fact that the next out
going steamer for Honolulu carried al
offer Of $500 for each set. The samt
mail also carried an order for all thu
stamps obtanable of the issues from
1889 to 1865 inclusive, known as TIT
numerals, that could be purchased a
reasonable figures, and also for certain
of the Provisional issues. This ette
was addressed to the Hon. Theodor,
c. Porter, ex Minister of Finance O
the Provisional Government. His rep
was
"Deay Sir: You will not be abb
to get any of the stamps you want il
this market. There has been perfeC
rush of all kinds of Hawaiian stamp
and everything has been gobbled up a
fabulous prices. | went personally t
the Postmaster General and as | al
pointed him he would naturally hav
given me an inside deal, but he toll
me frankly that all of the following Il
sues were entirely exhausted : Icer
violet, I-cent blue, 6 cent green, 2-cen
Brown, I2-cent mauve srrcharged i
red, I2.cent mauve surcharged i
black, cent vermillion and man
old kinds.
"The I2.cent mauve is worth fror
Sc to So so, and the above Ger
from SO TO IS cents each.
"a man from New York purchase
over $4,000 worth in one lot and seveI
al orders have passed through OF
bank for $500, 5000 and $500 each.
"fhe present issue will never
printed again and there is likely to
a new issue Of Provisional Governmel
stamps altogether.
"One thousand dollars is free
offered for the four stamps first c
your list-2 cent, S cent and the tw
10 cent--and $Ioo each for the Of
numeral stamps.
81 can get scent dark blue, Pr