Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-08
STAMPS OF GREAT VALUE
NOTHING MORE DEAR TO COLLEGE,
oRs THAN ERRORS IN PRINTING.
Two-Centers With the Railroad Train
Upside DOwn-Such Freaks
Are Rare.


TT J-ncle Sam we're DISPOSED to indulge In
a hit of specufation occasionally he might
not he oompelled to insert his hand quite
so deeply in the receptacle where ne Keeps
his loose change in making up the annual
deficit in the Post Office Department. one
of the attractions of the peculiar specula-
ton referred to lies in it's absolute safeness.
Unlike the brand one meets on wall street.
the element of bulls and bears would be en-
tirely eliminated; there would be but one
side" to the market, and there would
never be any purple-hued thursdays OF
The opportunity for this jug-handled
species of eommereialism Is found IN the
susceptibility of large ana fapiaiy III
creasing class of individuals grouped I'M
der the title of stamp fiends,' or, to en-
ploy the technical term "philatelfsts."
Anything in the domain of Stampdom,
varying hairs breadtn from the Ordinary
possesses a peculiar charm, amounting al
most to a passion, to the stamp eolfector
who has fallen victim to the real OF ma
lignant form of the malady. 1t matters not
how slight the variation may De; II consul,
tutes type" and forthwith there Is
scramble for stamps possessing these pecu-
liarities. and no stamp collector Is happy
until he has obtained one.
Should it happen that but few OF the
freak stamps escape. the struggle for pos
session becomes so fierce that money loses
it's charm in the wild delights incident to
the requirement of one or the eaaItles'
Men of means and apparently sound men
tally will draw their checks bearing three
and four figures to land prize.
This line of thought is suggested by the
recent discovery of sheet OF the new
"Pan-American" series of stamps of the 2
cent denomination with the picture OF the
railroad train printed upside down.
How the Freaks Get Out.
1t appears that this sheet of inverted
trains was contained in the package
shipped to the postmaster at Brooklyn, N.
Y, and the stamps were retaied out with
out the error having been discovered one
of the purchasers, however, who had Sc
cured ten of the stamps, as he was ABOUT
to affix one to letter, noticed the capsiZed
fast express, and Immediately addressed
letter to the bureau of engraving and print
ing, in Washington, making complaint.
Through the bureau the news of the lnVert-
ed train came to the ears of a stamp col
lector who instantly saw visions of rari-
ty of the very first water. 1t is said this
collector, or his representative, went TO
Brooklyn, and, after some negotiations. Sc
cured four of the ten Inverted trains. 1t
appears that the purchaser had used four
of the stamps. given away two and for the
remaining four received $50 each. Could
he have secured the whole sheet his pronts
would have amounted to $1,93S on an in
vestment of 50. One of these stamps sold
in New York this week at auction for $50
But the end appears not yet to nave been
reached. 1t lS UNDERSTOOD lndl the w dSIl-
ington party who paid $50 each for the
stamps has refused an offer of double that
amount. Just what price will ultimately
be received for the six copies known to be
in existence cannot be forecasted at this
time. That is dependent upon several con-
tingences. If there should never be any
more than these six copies the holders
would be able to get their own price, as
there are men of great wealth following the
pursuit of stamp collecting as a paStime
who would not hesitate to pay a very large
sum to secure a copy.
If it should transpire that other parties
who bought stamps taken from the sheet
of inverted trains noticed the error and
preserved the stamps naturally the placing
of additional copies on the market would
tend to lessen the value of all. Or if per-
chance another sheet of the stamps should
be printed with the picture upside down
ana this sheet should escape the eagle eyes
of the inspectors and counters at the bu-
reau of engraving and printing and fall
into the hands of stamp connoisseur that
would still further bear tie market
should the fact become known.
Probably Few Escape.
In the opinion of stamp experts. however,
neither of these eXigencies is likely to oc-
cur. 1t seems reasonable to presume that
the sheet of inverted trains was retailed out
a few stamps at time and that these
stamps were Immediately used. going to the
various parts of the country, where the
cHNclOptSr dltei DtiHS opeHtu, were liilo"h
away. Even had the non-collector noticed
the error, it is doubtful if he would have
attached any special value to the stamps,
or thought to preserve them.
Then, again, this error having come to
the knowledge of the bureau of engraving
and printing, it is extremely doubtful If
another sheet with picture inverted Is ever
discovered. Each sheet after being printed
passes through from a dozen to twenty
hands, subject each time to examination
and the inspectors and counters have doubt
less been cautioned to redouble their vigil
lance lest another freak escape. However
it Is conceded that further mistakes are not
impossible and whether the sheet of Ger
rorS' sent to Brooklyn shall be the only
one cannot be definitely known until the
bureau shall have completed the requisi-
ton for the Buffalo stamps called for by
the Post Office Department.
Only once, hitherto, has the United States
undertaken to issue a series of stamps in
two colors-in 1869. This series comprised
denominations from 1 cent to 80 cents, only
the denominations of 10, "a, 30 and 80 cents
being printed in two cOlors. At the time of
this issue a sheet of each of the two colored
denominations, save the 9O-cent, was print
ed with the central picture inverted. These
stamps are exceedingly rare and fine copies
sell at $500 and upward
Bring Fancy Prices.
During the past winter sheet of the
common 1-cent stamps with the word
Guam printed across the face, for use of
the island, slipped through the bureau with
the word Guam" upside down. Just how
many of these stamps are In the hands of
collectors cannot be ascertained. but they
are held at fancy prices and few offers at
any price.
In 1873, when each department of the
government service used it's own distinctive
set of stamps, instead of the penalty en-
velope, error was made by the bank
note company then having the government
contract for postage stamps. The regular
color of the Navy Department stamps was
blue. and In some way sheet of the 2-cent
denomination was printed in green. These
errors of color are held at $40 each, while
the same stamp in correct color sells for
about 40 cents.
A bank note company, in printing the Co
lumbar series of stamps, made a similar
error. sheet of the Accent value, which
was in ultra-marine shade of blue, having
been printed in the steel blue shade of the
1-cent value. The entire sheet was cap
tured by a stamp collector. Single copies
now sell at about $40 at auction.
Thus 1t will appear that. should no fur
Their errors be made in the Pan-American
series. and the lapse Of time discloses that
the six inverted train stamps referred to
are the only ones in existence, they will be
the rarest of all United States errors, and
tremendous prices may ultimately be paid