Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-17
EXHIBIT OF STAMPS
THOSE WHO THINK THE CRAZE Is
DEAD DON'T KNOW.
Collections on View in New York Con-
tain Valuable Specimens-A
Million Collectors.

The special exhibit Of stamps at the Col
leotors Club this week included those Of
Australia, Russia, Finland and Poland.
Two silver cups and clock of very beau
tiful workmanship were awarded as prizes
for the finest Collections. and 1t was made
evident once again that there is no wane
in the worldwide enthusiasm of this par
ttoular sort.
The especial brand Of the collecting mania
known az philately Is Of comparatively re-
cent development, 1t seems, or at least of
recent recognition by name. If small boys
and their grandmothers and men and wo-
men Of all sorts and conditions made COL
lections Of these paper revenue patches be-
fore the middle Of the last century they
were quiet about It and left nones to tell
the tale Of their achievements. Some thir-
ty-hve or forty years ago an enterprisins
semi-vagrant displayed number for sale
in portable stall near the city hall. this
city. The varieties were few. the speci-
mems many and secured to the battered
display board by means Of tacks and pins.
A possible purchaser or even a curious
passerby was at liberty to pull out these
anchors. examine the wares and replace
pin or tack as he pleased. Few took the
the state of mutilation in which the stamps
were eventually disposed Of may be imag-
tned. The name Of this pioneer stamp ven
der Is not recalled by even his most fire.
the crowd of such vendors, doing business
Of few cents daily who followed his lead.
For the last twenty years philatelists
have sprung up like mushrooms all over
the world There is a '.Philatelic journal
of India" and royalty everywhere is rep
resented in the cult The Prince Of Wales
has one Of the leading collections in Eng
land and there are something like mil
lion afflicted with the mania in this coun-
try alone. These include clergyrnen COL
1ege professors. farmers. shopgirls, young
and old. Their collections range in value
from $40 to 100000.
In the British Museum.
Perhaps the finest collection known ie In
the possession of the British Museum, and
valued at 10000. Philately may reason
ably be considered an industry now. New
societies for the study of its different
branches are constantly forming and in
Vulnerable periodicals are issued in its In
terests. Once a collector. always a col
lector," Is a saying which seems particular
ly true of philatelists Some one addicted
to the vice of statistics has discovered
that the stamp collector in school shows
higher brain average than the dead level
youngster unbitten by the mania. He has
his eyes opened by his new interest, and he
generally knows what is going all over
the world. says this enthusiast. To keep
abreast with the tide of new issues he must
be conversant with political and economic
changes. and to detect the value Of Pc
culiar line-often amounting to hundreds
of dollars in single stamp-he must keep
his wits on the alert According to this au
thority the education phase Of such collect
ing can scarcely be overestimated.
Through their children many women mid
die aged and more. have become interested
In the work; and physician. himself a col
lector recently said that his mother. almost
ninety. had had her interest In current
events kept alive for years through her
stamp album" She would arrange and
rearrange the bits Of perforated paper.
sometimes to age and size, and she
knew the history of each to the smallest
detail.
Bits of Paper.
Just as works OF art many collectors find
keen pleasure in the contemplation Of these
bits of paper. An instance of the finan-
cial value Of such appreciation occurred re-
Gently In the philatelic world. An English
merchant had been in the habit of saving
the s. revenue stamps in use in 1870 on the
barrels of bay rum sent him from this
country. These were a new clear green in
color. and happened to please the eye of
their consignee. AS they were large, how
ever. about Sla by 2A inches. and placed on
the outside of the barrel. only a few were
in a state of preservation when they
reached the other side. Some one to whom
their collector showed them lately suggest
ed that as this particular design had not
been in use for a long time the stamps
merchant collector discovered to his Joy
that they were very rare and listed at $3.50
each The Mauritius, Africa, stamp Is val
ued at from 5000 to 5000 and the old
Baltimore stamp of 1S46, bearing the name
OF James NJ. Buchanan in script is in the
10-cent denomination considered the rarest
bit of revenue paper in the world. There
are few of the 5-cent variety, and these
sell for 1915 and 500 each. but Of the 10
cent sort there are only three. one in a
French collection. one much damaged, for
which 500 was paid. In a New York album,
and the third. also In New York, but In
perfect condition. being still on the original
envelope. and valued at exactly $4,000.
Lettering on Stamps.
leading stamp dealer Of Germany lie
now travelling through the United States
with an unusually fine stock Of raritfes. In
May there will be an exhibit of the Egyp-
tan and Soudan revenues. which are now
coming into favor. One of the leading New
York dealers recently entertained a large
meeting of the Collectors Club by an exhi.
oiton OF stamp designs devoted wholly to
art and architecture The number and va.
rlety OF thooe were q revslatton svoa h