The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-30

elve stamps could not be surgIied a. rapid-
~ ~ they We're required. The results OF
kpf introduction Of cheap rates prepaid by
stamps more than exceeded Expectations.
me revenues OF the British post0ffice were
~ once greatly augmented. and the post
age stamp sprang into popularity which
mas since never failed.
soon many foreign governments initiated
tne English postal reforms, and adoDfed the
Indispensable stamps Brazil issued the
frst stamps IN the new world in fS43 hut
the United States did not follow the gem
tral example until 1S47. In the meantime.
however the postmasters of New York,
baltimore St Louis and several smaller
sued rude stamps for use at their respec-
i've oInces. These were in use but a short
xifae, and We're never popular. so that but
lew or them have been preserved. They
are In consequence the Tarest of American
stamps and some of them bring enormous
prices as objects. of collection. The Brat
tleboro stamp Of this issue is quoted at
500, the Millbury at 81 1000 and the rarest
OF the three varieties of Baltimore locals
brought in recent times the highest price
ever paid for a single postage stamp, 81 400
Ihefe are quite q number of varieties of
the locals issued by the ST Louis postmaster
II 1870. All have as a design the coat-of-
arms Of Missouri with a large numeral OF
value They are printed on blush paper
and range in price from about $500 each for
the cheapest varieties, up TO the much
greater. but indeterminate sums that are
asked for the rarer dies and imprints.
Used BY ALL COUNTRIES
There is not to-day a government on
edrth tnat does not issue postage stamps.
Nearly all colonies likewise have special
Issues provided for their use by the mother
country Such lands as Corea, China.
Persia, Samoa and the like, have long since
provided themselves with these adjuncts of
civilization, as have these little bits Of
territory like Monaco and San Marino in
Europe, which whilst independent are too
Insignificant to be reckoned amongst the
nations. Heligoland, island less than a
square mile in area, had until its recent
cession by England to Germany, a COM
plete issue Of postage stamps running
through many denominations Very soon
AFTER the first issue of stamps themselves
arose the collector, and happy indeed is he
VINO began early, or who has had handed
down to him a collection made before 1870;
II Is almost certain to contain specimens
OF great value. The 1900 or so stamps issued
before that date are all now obsolete and
many or them are exceedingly rare with
a value that is steadily increasing. OF the
issues since 1890 not many comparatively.
are rare, nor do they promise to increase
so raPIldly IN value as the stamps Of the
TO the fact that fewer stamps of a kind
were issued before 1870, as to the great
growth of philately in the years since In
the last quarter century there have been
hundreds of dealers all over the world who
made 1t their business to lay in stock many
thousands of uncanceled specimens of each
stamp issued, as well as to buy up all the
used specimens they could get. This pre-
cludes the possibility of many of the STAMPS
now In use becoming rare for some years
/. at least Speculation in stamps has become
9 profitable business and many are the eff
that particular holding, just in the manner
OF the stock exchange. Attempts are fire.
quently made to corner" all the supply of
some particular specimen, and if successful
they are quite profitable, as collectors will
pay the price to get the one stamp neces-
eary to complete set. Such corner was
made of the 81 value of our Columbian
stamps and that specimen is still held at
a price out of all proportion to those asked
nj &c cot
Not only dealers, but even governments,
have had an eye to the profits to be gained
and more impecunious states such as the
Central American republic, Ecuador, San
Marino and the like, have issued large sets
or attractive stamps, embracing high values,
FOR which no postage use was apparent,
mainly Tor the purpose of selling them to
collectors. They have unblushIngly sent cir
culars to the stamp dealers of the world
Informing them Of the approaching issues,
offering discounts upon larger purchases,
prepared to take. Advantage has been taken
of national anniversaries to issue commem-
orative sets which 1t is known that collec-
tors VIII buy, and on the whole 1T is very
plain that these receipts from collectors
form not unimportant item in the postal
revenues of some countries So great has
speculative stamps with these consequent
drafts upon phiatelic pockets that an in
ternational society has been organized by
the collectors, having for its object the
blacklistIng of what they regard as unneces-
society," however has met with little sue
cess. 1t is interesting to know that even
rich Uncle Sam has been charged with the
design of increasing postal revenues at the
expense of collectors, for his present Omaha
stamps have been placed under the ban.
Little attention, however. has been paid in
this country to the slur upon a set of
stamps which is very popular with collec-
UNITED STATES STAMPS.
The United States has been the most pro-
life country in the world in issuing postage
stamps. No other nation has such wealth
of varieties in envelope stamps, many of
them of great rarity, nor has any other a
set corresponding to our newspaper stamps.
which run through a series of many vari-
cites up to 800 in face value. These latter
cannot be obtained cancelled, nor is the
postmaster allowed to sell them to the
public. The collector must either get them
from a postmaster who is ignorant of or
disObeys this rule of the department, or OBJ
tain them In some other surreptitious man
ner. Their possession by collector has al
ways been looked upon with disfavor by
the government and for a time was declared
to be illegal; this rule. however, has lately
been relaxed, and II is said that the de-
partment will soon cease the use of these
stamps and probably allow the unused re-
mainders of them to be sold TO collectors.
They are labels of great beauty and bring
at present high prices. They are used only
by postmasters, who are instructed to in
sert in forms provided for that purpose and
cancel, stamps OF TINS set corresponding to
the amount of postage paid in bulk by pub
fishers and newsdealers. Practically, there
fore, they are only receipts for money paid.
These forms, with the Cancelled stamps af-
fixed must all be finally forwarded to
Washington, where they are destroyed.
Then, too, we have a set of ninety-three
varieties of beautiful stamps, issued for the
use of the several departments of the gov
eminent in 1913. Now many of them are
quite rare. as they were soon superseded by
the penalty envelopes at present in Use by
the departments. The executive department
stamps, issued for the special use of the
President. are particularly scarce and
high priced. The nve-dollar State Depart
ment stamp was the rarest of all this issue,
and now brings about 800. Less than three
hundred specimens of this variety were ever
Issued. The late Columbian stamps have
never yet brought high premiums, as too
many of them were boarded By spectators
who expected a great increase in price.
which has never come. The rareSt regular
United States stamp of the general issue is
the 90-cent value, issued in 1869, which is
also one of the most beautiful specimens
ever sent out, being printed in two colors.
IT is priced at $l7.50 used or twice that much
unused. Many irregular varieties and
freaks, however, such as stamps in unusual
shades. on strange varieties of paper, and
with peculiarities of water marking. perfora-
tion or alteration Of dies. bring prices much
greater, running up into the hundreds Of
dollars for number of varieties.
The stamps of the Southern Confederacy
include many rarities and are eagerly col
4 -.