The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-23
PLUMBERS ENHANCE VALUES
Msprnted Postage Stamps and Bills Command Prices Far
Above Their Face Value.

up to a good figure. Many of the stamps
used in SPANS colonies had printed over
the face several lines of black lettering.
a mere typographical error in this sur
charging raised the value of the stamp,
according to it's scarcity.
A blunder on the part of the designer
of an envelope stamp recently made meat
for the philateliSts, who, however, have
to thank the carelessness of some en-
ploye of the firm contracting for the sup
ply of the envelopes. In 1899 Uncle Sam
got it into his head that he wanted d
new Accent stamped envelope, printed in
brown and bearing the bust of Lincoln.
The first issue got out, but PRO Bono
Publico," "Old Citizen" Taxpayer and
those fussy people who like to kick under
cover at everything Uncle Sam does, fell
to criticising the new design. 1t was
true that the martyred president was
somewhat SvengaHeGque as shown up by
the designer. His whiskers curled UP
from his chin, as if to meet his nose,
which member itself was very aquiline.
Uncle Sam soon suppressed the issue.
Then the designer got in his work the
second time on "Old Abe's' physiog
nomy, with worse result still. More sin
lister was the countenance, and to cover
the elongated neck of the first design the
bust of the second was closed, showing
a collar and necktie. This second design
did not suit Uncle Sam, either. a third
was accepted, and we see it today.
Through the carelessness of some en-
ploye of the firm supplying these envel-
opes, a box printed from the second 0:
rejected die got into the presses and re-
ceived the card of a firm in the New
York Produce Exchange. A whole box
was sent to the firm, which used nearly
all before some shrewd philatelist awak-
ened to what was going on. Only three
entire specimens, unused, remain. They
command a big premium. Merely the
stamps cut out of used specimens cell for
SIS each. Even the envelopes first circu-
lated and objected to sell at twice their
face value.
VALUABLE BECAUSE PERFORATED
WRONG.
Carelessness even in the perforation Of
a stamp sends it's value flying. A few
sheets of different denominations Of our
current revenue stamps nav3 been run
through the perforating machines only
once and, hence, they are in banda
Joined either by the sides Or tops and
bottoms. These stamps the phna1e.ists
sell in pairs. They must do this to show
the lack of perforations between. A par
of 212-cent proprietary stamps in this con-
dition is worth $1C0, while other denomi
nations, of which there are more, bring
considerably more than face v3lua.
Carelessness in money printing entails
similar profit to the numismatist. There
are, practically, no deformed coias Of
great value. Each coin receives its en-
tire stamping, face and back, at pIi+e
whack. Hence there is little or no chance
of reversing designs. Furthermore, the
system of inspecting coins is more strict
than that of either stamp or paper money
inspection.
Through a series of errors beginning
with the printers, and continu ng tn o gh
the inspectors, a freak greenbdck, with
the face of one denomination and the
back of another, sometimes gets out. This
is most apt to occur during the printing
of national bank notes. From a single
plate are printed three $40 and one $40
notes of this category. Another smaller
plate prints a $50 and a 500 note, side by
side. Where the denominations are thus
mixed, on the plates printing both backs
and fronts, it is an easy matter to get
one or the other plate reversed. Thus
would result combination notes, with
faces of $50 and backs Of 500, etc. Uncle
Sam ruled on the value of one of these
some time ago and decided that it should
be based upon the face value always.
Hence, If the note is as above specified,
1t is worth but $50, although hts back has
4 denomination twice as great. Such
freaks command good premium, ac-
cording to the scarcity and demand.
Errors on the part of employees who
number greenbacks frequently give OPP
portunity for the holders of the circu-
lated freak to make a handsome profit
Each paper note should have two cor
responding numbers printed in blue, one
on either side Of the face. Examine the
notes in your poke book and see whether
the two numbers on each correspond. If
not, you probably own a prize.
Experiments made by Uncle Sam have
caused a boom in a certain con-. In 1873
an inventor named Hubbell came to
Washington with wonderful solution
of the silver and gold standard contro-
Tersy. He invented what was known
as the "goloid dollar" and Uncle Sam
actually went so far as to have 450 of
these and an equal number of similar
coins of 81 and 81 denominations struck
off. They were made of an alloy of gold
silver and copper. One Of each was z ven
to every member of congress. One of
these today commands a handsome pre-
MUM The coin is so scarce that the
numismatists do not catalogue it,
The most precious of United States
coins received it's value as a result of an
accident This is the silver dollar of
1904. Practically the entire mintage of
that coin was carried aboard the frigate
Philadelphia when she sailed into the
Bay of Algiers, early in the century
Being attacked by pirates she was blown
up to prevent her falling into their
hands: Nearly the entire supply of the
16O4 dollars was, with her splinters
scattered to the four winds. ThNs is the
great value of this particular silver dol
lar accounted for, One has brought s., 600.
There. are supposed to be Only three or
four in existence