The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-28
Southern Stamps
Fortunes Now Made
From Their Sale.


discussion The Brooklyn Institute Of
Arts and Sciences is the only educational
body in the world that recognizes philate-
" the study, collection and the preserva-
tion of stamps as a science. Its section
on philately was organized September 15.
. 1888. by the members of the Long Island
PhiIateIic Society of Brooklyn. During
the latter part of March of the next year
the section held its first exhibition of
postage and revenue stamps This was
rot the first display of this kind in the
country. but the third. the others having
taken place at the Eden Musee, in Mem
York City in 1855. and at the Chicago
Worlds Fair in 1889. respectively But the
Brooklyn exhibition was more extensive,
elaborate and successful than either Of its
predecessors, over 1000 persons attend
ing Thus encouraged the section will
have another and greater exhibition in
March Of this year, and annually here
after
The Brooklyn Institutes stamp collec-
ton bids fair soon to become the third in
Importance in existence. The most valu-
able at present is the private collection
of NJ Philippe Ferrari Of Paris, worth
much more than million dollars. and the
second IS that Of the British Museum,
which owes lis place largely to the ac-
QUESTION Of the splendid collection of the
late T. X. TAPPING. NJ P. NJ Ferra-i en-
ploys two agents. whose sole business is
TO search for stamps. One he pays 10.0Q0
francs a year and the other 1900 francs.
One attends exclusively to adhesive
stamps. his colleague to stamped envel-
oDes and cards
In the period Of little more than a year
since the Philatelic section was founded
the Brooklyn Institute has received sets
OF stamps from about fifty governments.
This prompt and generous response IS
attributed to the high reputation which
the Institute enjoys abroad. Among the
contributors 70 this collection are the
United States Austria. Hungary. RUS
sia, umania. Egypt. British India, New
Zealand Queensland, New South Wales
Victoria, Canada. Newfoundland. the
South African Republic. Siam, Hong
Kong. the Bahamas and st. Lucia. The
American set is complete down to the
latest issues Of Puerto Rico. the Philip
pines. and Guam. The French Minister
OF Marine and Colonies sent the issues
OF forty colonies All Of the British col
onies are also represented. tn five Aus
tralian sets being particularly fine. These
stamps are all genuine and unmarked
in the case Of current issues. but reprints
If the originals are out Of use. Great
Britain is the only conspicuous govern
ment that has not yet contributed, per-
haps because there is no British precedent
for such a contribution. But the English
stamps will probably Le forthcoming.
through the influence Of the Duke Of
York. whose good Offices the Institute has
secured.
The highest price ever pair for single
United States stamp was $4.400 This was
the famous Baltimore ten-cent stamp Of
1s45. showing the autograph of POST
master Buchanan Of that city Next to
the Baltimore provisional stamp in value,
the 2o-cent St. Louis stamp OF the same
class brought $3,000 Many rare American
stamps are worth from $500 to 5000. In
this class are the Brattleboro. Vt. Mill
bury. Mass and New Haven, Conn. post
masters stamps and the Confederate
PROFESSIONALS. eBaumont. Uniontown and
Madison. Any well-aUthenticated Con
federate stamp Of which no duplicate is
known to exist is worth 500. Those VINO
have access to correspondence dates be
tween 1913 and 1870, inclusive. have good
chances to find valuable rarities. II Is
better to leave them on the envelopes.
What is known to the collectors as the
COBB correspo ndence-the Cobbs being
allied with the family Of N. B. Lamar,
once president Of the republic Of Texas
whent hat existed-has proved almost a
literal gold mine TO the heirs. One heir
in Georgia has made $15.o00 by sales of
stamps on these letters, and the supply is
not yet exhausted.
Some foreign stamps are even more
marketable. Among the rarest are the
early issues Of such British possessions |
as Mauritus Nova Scotia, New Bruins |
wick. Newfoundland. and Canada. The !
earlier stamps Of British Guiana and the /
Hawaiian ISLANDS are practically unob- |
tainabIe at any price.
AT the Brooklyn Institute recently. be !
fore the Section on Philately. H. F. beats I
OF bennington. y. J.. exhibited a collec- /
ton Of Confederate Conservatory valued |
at $50. zoe For single small collection :
of stamps entering into rs greater col /
lection Mr.. beats paid $3.50 couple II
years ago. Philately has evolved 10 such |
an extent that the philateIst who ex-
meets to do anything noteworthy must
specialize and NJ Deans speciality is /
Confederate stamps. His collection is |
probablv the finest Of the kind in the /
world although several European coilec- /
tors crowd him closely for the first place. /
The collection consists OF genuine Con- I
federate stamps. reprints and counter /
feits
To avoid imposition the collector must /
be equally familiar with each OF the three .
classes. This is largely microscopic work 7
So minute is the scrutiny Of the stamp /
expert that as soon as he has secured a /
rsr7 stamp he begins % look for varieties /
Of shades Of that same stamp as eagerly 4
as before he sought the particular denom- /
Ination. The tiniest displacement or dis (
coloration makes it practically A new 1
stamp to him. The counterfeitors regard f,
The philatelists as their fair prey. And /
this IS easily seen in view Of the fact I
that an alleged stamp actually worth /
nothing. wit, face value of only 5 cents. 1
may bring $50 or more As a rule, how I
ever. the stamp-men are sharp enough t. I
take care ~ themselves As Illustrating (
the detective work incident 10 phiateiy, /
a collector traced q letter addressed 70 4
Alexander Stevens. Vice-Fresident Of the 1
Confederacy. around the world off and on 4
during fifteen wears before he finally 4
found it in Londo-
The Confsder2 government made 4
stamps in sheets Of forty OF a prevailing I
Of cents. Just as the /
I -uited States now makes them in sheets (
of 800. and sells thsm lo9 to the sheet. the /
comnonest denomination being cents. !
The Confederacs old not recognize the /
provisional stamps Of the poztmasters. !