Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-08-10
INTERESTING STAMPS.
Recent Issues for the New Colonies of
the United States.

The newest and most interesting re-
cent things in philately are the post
age stamps for the new colonies-Porto
Rico Cuba, the Island of Guam and
the Philippines, some of which have
already come into the possession of
Madison collectors. These stamps are
United States postage stamps of l, 2,
3, 5 and 10 cents value, surcharged
with the name of the colony and the
value of the stamp in Spanish money.
The United States has no new stamp
for Hawaii, but Hawaii has got up new
stamps. The war with Spain neces-
STATED the issue of revenue stamps.
but these could not be prepared to
meet the demand at once, so some of
the United States postage stamps were
surcharged 81. R." and used as revenue
stamps. The government at first
issued war revenue stamps running in
value to $50, but finding that amount
too small stamps Of the denomination
of $100, $500 and $1,000 were issued.
The new Cuban stamps make a hand
some collection, the designs showing
tropical scenery and other appropriate
markings. The l centavo stamp is
green, the 2 red, the purple, the 5
blue and the 10 slate. With the ex-
ception of the 10 centavo, these stamps
use the colors recommended by the
Postal Union, they suggesting yellow
for stamps of the value of 10 cents.
The special delivery stamp for Cuba
represents boy riding a chainless
bicycle.
Stamps from the Niger region, Fan
zibar and all parts of the Western
Coast of Africa are becoming rare.
local stamp collector said yester-
day: "Philately has passed out of the
fad stage and is of interest to every
one. A few years ago stamp collecting
was confined to children, but now men
and women are taking it up. The
United States has issued larger var
iety of stamps than any other country.
From 1S47, the date of the first regular
issue, to the last issue of Omaha
stamps we have changed sets, designs,
colors or sizes over % times. That is
outside of department stamps, special
delivery and stamped envelopes. The
| trend of events is that we will have a
universal stamp, which will tend to
make the old stamps both obsolete and
valuable. Stamps are not valuable on
account of age, but because of their
rarity. Sets of periodical stamps are
interesting to collectors. They were
| first issued in 1865, and there have
been three or four different issues.
Primarily they were not intended for
postage, but for vouchers, and were
not allowed to be sold. The values
ran from 1 cent to $50. The govern
ment objected to collectors holding
them and about two years ago seized
the stamps in the hands of dealers.
The Associated Stamp Dealers took
| the case to the courts and won, after
which the sets were abolished and
| $4,000 were put upon the market at
| S. a set, the aggregate face value Of
set being $1SS. One of the rarest
stamps in the world is said to be a
Baltimore stamp issued by Postmaster
James M. Buchanan in 1915. One of
these, Of the denomination Of 10 cents,
was discovered in Louisville few
years ago and sold to a private col
lector in New York for several thous-
and dollars. There are persons in
country with collections of postage
stamps valued at from $4,000 to $751;
600. Madison Democrat.