Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-27
CANAL ZONE STAMPS
SCHEMES OF WHICH PHILATE
LISTS HAVE BEEN VICTIMS.
Post Office Inspector Leatherman1
Tells Of His Recent Experience
on the Isthmus.

Mr. Lawrence W. Leathermann, chief
post Office inspector for New England, who
recently organized the United States Post
Office Department on the Isthmus Of Pana-
ma, encountered while there several resi-
dents of that country who were seeking to
make the philatelists of the world victims
of their wiies. 1t is well known that the
small American republics do not hesitate
10 profit by the issue and sale of postage
stamps manufactured entirely for philatel-
lists These stamps possess no real value,
are not used in the daily routine of business
and do not legitimately belong to the list of
genuine stamps. Not only is this practice
common to the republics themselves, but Of
fcers of the various governments consider
1t not criminal to issue counterfeits and ;r-
regular copies. The Panama government
was organized somewhat hastily and there
was no supply of postage stamps when the
post office department of the young Ierub-
lie was established.
Stamps for the Canal Zone.
''The republic of Panama issued stamps
of the Colombian government for immedi-
ate use," said Mr.. Leathermann. "They
were surcharged Panama. that is, they
had that word stamped across the face. A
rubber stamp was used temporarily for
that purpose. When the treaty with the
United States came into effect Gov Davis
purchased 5000 worth of these stamps for
the of his department in the territory
acquired by the United States. and with
rubber stamp added the words, canal zone.
When l went down later l took with me
one million stamps such as are used in the
United States, of the denominations of ten,
eight, five, two and one, across the face
of which were printed canal zone. These
stamps were used after July 10. The for
mer stamps were not honored after that
date. The United States authorities mad
become suspicious at the large number in
existence. Rubber stamps were inexpensive
and easily counterfeited and, after the 18th
OF July, 1t was not a crime against the
United States to Surcharge the stamps.
They had no value in the United States and
purchaser of Colombian stamps could 10
what he pleased with them far as the
United States was concerned. He might
stamp on them Europe, Asia, Panama.
or canal zone without offending the
United States or the Colombian government.
Oddities in Stamps Sold.
''As a matter of fact large quantities of
the Colombian stamps were thus surcharged
and placed on the market to meet the de-
mands of the philatelists. Oddities in these
stamps were soon offered for sale. Some
of them had the surcharge stamp upside
down, some of them were stamped twice,
and some of them were stamped diagonal
ly. These found ready sale for shipment to
Europe and the United States. and no
doubt great many of them are in exist
ence. There have been cases since July
10 where considerable sums have been
paid for large blocks of these stamps, and
in some instances there has been an at
tempt to prosecute for counterfeiting. AS
the stamps are not limitations of any regu-
lar authorized United States stamp Of value
no conviction could be made. In all such
cases the purchaser alone was at fault.
II would suggest to phila telists that the
only way to be absolutely sure Of the
genuineness of a stamp is to see that it
was Cancelled prior to July 10. and that
the postmarked envelope is attached"
Panama seems to have learned a lesson
from some of the older republics. In the
turbulent republic of Santo Domingo the
sale of stamps of peculiar design is a
source of profit to the individuals who pur-
chase of the government the right to is
sue postage stamps. That government, in
order to raise revenues for its immediate
needs, has been in the habit of selling the
right to issue it's postage stamps. This
concession Is granted for cash considera-
ton and the issue is entirely in the hands
of private individuals who establish agen-
cies for the sale of the stamps. Stamps
are not found on sale a the post Offices but
at these agencies. The persons having
the concession may print whatever odd
stamps they please and sell them for what
ever figure they can get.