The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-23

That serious defects in a product can
make it more valuable than it would be
II absolutely perfect sounds paradox.ca'.
Nevertheless, I am going to tell you of
numerous blunders, which nave harmed
no one. yet have greatly benefited many.
relate them aproFos of the recent ms
printing of a few sheets of the Pan
American souV erir stamps, whose flaws
have commanded for them a great prem
ium in the market of the philatelists,
saws the Washington CORE spondent OF
the St. Louis Globe Democrat
Last week it was reported that a sheet
Of the new 2-cent eXpoSit on stamps, av
ing the central locomotive vignette print
ed upside down, had been located in
Brooklyn, N Y, and that they were
selling for $50 apiece. A well known
philatelist who corresponds with experts
all over the world told me touay that
he had located near Boston other OF
these inverted locomotives and stnl
others at Utica, n. Y. He further
learned that 1-clnt exposition stamps
with steamship vignettes upside down
have come to light at Syracuse, n. Y.
There a coal dealer purchased a sheet
ard used nearly the entire hundred be-
fore scovering that he had been pos
sessed of a collection of freaks wnich
might lave N tied him a snug fortune.
From Easthampton, Conn, this phi la
teliSt learns that messenger in the mail
service there purchased forty copies OF
this l-cent freak at face value and sold
them to a Boston dea er for ST. each,
making a clean profit of $67960 Within
the past few days a New York a-er
has sprung upon the profession the news
that ne has located stu another denoml-
nation of the deformed Pan-American
stami s-the 4-cent-With an automobile
tOpsy-turvy.
These inverted stamps will command
SlC0 apiece, the Washington phiiatelist
predicts, UNI ess many more are found OF
the same denominations. If you have
any hold fast to them ant you may come
out Of the game at profit of $3.50 per
cent on the my invested.
Whenever the government adopts
stamp with two colCrs, thereby requi'
ing two separate printings, the phi latel
lists sift the country for freaks. In 1898
the bureau Of engraving and printing
surcharged the ordinary 1 and 2-cenr
postage stamps with the a5breviation
81. R." thus ccny erting them for in
teTnal revenue purposes to meet the ext
gencies of the war tax. Sixty millions
were thus changed BY aiding the above
letters N bla- k. Nineteen sheets of 100
each of the 1-cent variety were located
in a railroad office at Portsmouth, Va,
with the black letters inverted The fl ST
dealer who got hold of them paid $12 a
hundred for the lot. They are now
worth 81 a stamp, bringing a profit OF
1880 per cent on the face value. OF the
2-cent denomination thus converted into
revenue stamps several hundred sheets
with the 4. r." inverted were found in
circulation. At first they sold at 81
apiece, but upon the discovery that so
many were abroad in the land the price
fell whereas that of the 1-Cent category
had risen as stated. The 2-cent variety
now retail at only Is cents apiece.
A similar blunder on a 1-cent Guam
stamp raised its value to SOS. This came
about through the same process of sur
charging. 1t will be remembered that af-
ter the war with Spain our postage
stamps were introduced into the new
possession. Printed across the face in
black letters the word Guam" got
aboard nobody knows how many of the
ordinary 1-cent stamps, bottom side up.
The fact that any Of these freak stamps
are Cancelled detracts little if anything
from their value. Stamp collectors want
them, and want them badly.
THE MOST VALUABLE FREAK.
The most valuable of these freak in
Verted stamps resulted from a blunder
made by the National Bank Note COM
pany in 1869. The government was then
issuing some very pretty stamps in two
cOlors each. There was a 15-cent denom-
ination showing the landing of Columbus,
A-cent depicting the signing of the
Declaration Of Independence, a 30-ccnt
showing various flags and shields, a 80
cent bearing the head of Lincoln. Upon
few speciments of each of these men
toned the central vignette became in
verified. Just as in the cases above cited,
the paper had been put through the press
upside down upon the printing in the sec
ond color. The 30-cent variety sold for
$3.50, and is worth today between $400 and
$500 Less than a half dozen are known
TO exist. The others, of which there were
more, sell at from $40 to $500 apiece This
was the best-paying blunder ever made in
stamp printing
Other countries are looked to for these
inverted stamps as soon as they adopt a
design embracing two colors. Guatemala
In 1889, issued several denominations bear
ing green parrot in the central vignette.
with various colored borders. Of the q
cent, scent and 20-cent denominations a
number were found showing polly in the
Feat OF standing on her head, not so phe-
nomenal, to be sure, as a locomotive, an
automobile or a steamship plying the sky
bottom upward. These freak Guatemala
stamps sell at from $40 to $40, the scent
variety being the most valuable.
Other acts of carelessness on the part
Of stamp printers send the value of the
freak products up to surprising figures
DSt"een 1910 anu looV, q preSSman in the
employ of the American Bank Note com
pany, which for many years made orr
postage stamps, ran a plate containing
2-cent navy department stamps, which
should have been blue, under roller Of
green ink. The sheet came off the press
unnoticed, and managed to pass the in
spectors both of the establishment and Of
the postofiice department. Today these
freaks sell from $50 to $40 apiece During
the Spanish regime in Cuba the die Of
me stamp was impressed upon the plate
bearing another denomination. This er-
ror shot the price of the misplaced stamp