The morning call., 1894-01-14

thing over 500: to-day there are quite a
number OF rarities gracing the albums of
collectors In this aud other countries that
have cost in excess of this amount.
Another striking instance was the sale
at auction IN New York City last month
of two stamps-the United States J0-cent
green envelope stamp of 1857 on white
paper and the same stamp on buff paper
for S131, which had cost the previous
owner but S35 year ago.
But the best evidence of the value of
stamps as an investment is found in the
catalogues now issued each year. What is
known as the STANDARD" was placed in
circulation about the first Of the year. and
comparison of some OF the prices now
quoted therein with those quoted in the
edition OF two years ago shows most in ter
esting results.
Most important to the collectors of this
country are, OF course, the stamps of the
United States. and there are consequently
vastly more OF these boarded as invest
ments than OF any other kind.
Beginning with the earlier issue il is
found that the scent brown of 1851 has
advanced from $40 to $40; the Scent pink K.
1861, from % cents to So; scent yellow.
1861, from $40 to SIS: Scent rose. entirely
grilled from SIS to S25; 90-cent blue. 1865.
frem $40 to SIS; 24-cent. 1869, from So to
50 30; Scent newspaper, 1875, from 81 so
to So.
In the department stamps the rise has
been phenomenal all along the line, except
in those of the War Department.. The
complete set of agriculture iumped from
81 20 to SIC 65; executive, from SIS to S25;
Justice. from S15 IS to S34 45; navy, from
S17 30 TO S29 10; Stale. excepting the So,
$40 and $50, from S15 35 to S28; treasury,
from So 2S TO SO 80; war, from 81 65 to
So 21.
1n this catalogue the celebrated Colum-
a q nc a..
what may be called their authoritative
market value. and according to the prices
hxed those who have invested in them
nave no cause to regret their venture.
The prices here mentioned are for can
celed specimens. The 1c and &c are priced
at cent; the &c, DC and &c at cents; the
DC at cents; the Sc at s cents; the 10c at
5.cents; the 15c. SOC and SOC at face; the
81 at 81 20; 50 at 81 so; SO al S3 80; S4 at
S4 80; S5 at IS 90. The dollar values are
quoted alike for used or unused specimens.
Only second in interest to the Columb bian
stamp were those issued by the Hawaiian n
Provisional Government, and they were
equally the objects of speculation and in
veStment. As a speculation they proved
highly profitable, and there is every indi-
cation that they will also prove money
makers for those content TO bide their
time. Though the face value of the TWEEN
ty-one varieties issued is but SO OF, the set
10 uOW CdsdlOeuCu ab C1O 10. AS tile DOle
administration has already arranged for a
complete new issue, the Professionals will
shortly become obsolete. and a further
marked advance in their value may be
looked for when the next standard cata-
logue is issued.
Among the most striking changes in the
price of foreign stamps Is in the SIS of st.
Vincent, which went from Sc 30 to
SIT 90. Reference has only been made to
the more radical enhancement of values
that has taken place in the past two years,
ana there are innumerable Instances
where stamps have Increased from 20 per
cent to 80 per cent in this period-GOt a
bad return on an investment of any kind.
There are, however, few cases where
there has been decline. but they are very
few. One of these exceptions concerned
the Knoxville (Tenn.) scent blue on
white envelope. A year ago this sold at
auction in New York for Sill, and when
offered in the same city at auction a
month ago it brought but $50. This it is
only fair to attribute to unfavorable cir
cumstaaces rather than to the real phila-
telic value of the label. Then, again, in
the catalogue is found a serious drop in
the prices of the three highest values of
the United States 1875 newspaper stamps
the $50 declined from $50 to S25, the S4s
from $40 TO $780, and the $50 from $50
to $40.