The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
RARE STAMPS on OLD LETTERS.
Finds OF Value Sometimes Madc-Stamps
to Look Out For.


"Never burn up or throw away old letters
or papers without first giving them a care
full examination advised Twenty-th
street stamp dealer for there's many
an apparently worthless pieoe of paper
that bears a stamp which would bring in
open market hundreds and maybe thous-
ands Of dollars.
There arc plenty of the old postmaster
stamps still in existence, for instance,
10 there were great many of them origi-
nally issued, and it has not been so long
ago, say fifty-five years, when they were
il active use. Now, any one OF these early
issues is worth from $500 up. Any one who
has access to old files Of correspondence
from 1910 to 1865 ought to hunt for such
stamps.
old stamps have not come to light is prob
ably that they have so ordinary and I'M
attractive an appearances that person
unacquainted with their vGlie would not
waste a second glance upon them. They
were very similar in most cases to the
postmaster cancellation marks now in
use in the post Offices, with the exception
that the postmaster was required TO sign
his name to them.
THE rarest OF the whole lot OF post
master issues is the lc-cent Baltimore
stamp, with the reme of James NJ: Blu
chanan. One specimen Of this stamp sold for
81, lCO which is the record pIice for stamp
OF United States issue. There's no reason
in the world why there shouldn't be more
OF these stamps packed away somewhere.
In the case Of this stamp none OF them
was used on envelopes, but all on letters.
@1he design of the Baltimore stamp
is a box made of hair lire n lp, one and
half inches long and half an inch wide.
In thu centra is the signature, James NJ.
Buchanan while under the name is the
denomination, either 5 or ~ cents.
There are two kinds Of these stamps
in black and blue. The ten cent black
is the scarcer.
Next to this series probably comes the
New Haven stamp. at the bottom of which
is the signature OF E. A. Mitchell, P. NJ
In the centre is the figure with the word
Paid directly underneath. At the top
are the words Post Ohioe, New Haven,
Ct The words are all inclosed in black
border with small curve at the corners.
Among the rarities OF this grade may
also be mentioned the Lockport, n. y,
postmaster issue. This brings very high
figure, and there ought to be still some OF
them In the upper part of the State,
-In looking through stacks OF old corre-
spondence don't expect to see the older
stamps on envelopes-that is, those stamps
used previous to 1880. Envelopes did not
come into Use until that year, the old GUS
tom being to fold the letter, seal it, and
then place the stamp above the address.
Another class OF correspondence which
will yield a good return II found Is that
used In the South during the war. The
Confederate postmasters ran out of stamps
and issued special ones made in their own
localities, most OF these set up in type
and then printed on the envelopes. A
good many OF these envelopes were made
from wall paper.
letter, with the postage to be collected
from the receiver, and n good many Of these
COME ierate stamps are nothing more than
cancellation marks showing that the postage
has been paid. But, no matter what was
their original purpose, every one OF the
stamps is well worth the finding, the value
of some of them running into the hundreds
OF dollars.
4Janit,rs Of public buildings and post
masters are In the best positions to come
old sta sstsmps a gsod annr t6n
court house at Louisville, KY, who made
the famous find OF the then rare st. Louis
postmaster stamps OF lS45 In a lot OF old
rubbish In the cellar
These were dicovered just In time TO
keep them from going into the furnace
| As a matter OF fact, great many OF them
were burned by the janitor before he found
out that he was consuming the equivalent Of
money.
spending a, few weeks at small town
up the Hudson River, called at the local
post Office and asked the. postmaster IL
he had any old stamps The postmaster
said he had some in the safe that had been
there for years. He brought them out and
they proved to be a sheet Of fifty 80 cent
| stamps OF 1862, unused.
These stamps are valued at SIS apiece
| in this condition, but the dealer only paid
! the postmaster rs cents apiece for them.
| The postmaster could just as well have
made this little difference himself II he
| had only taken the trouble to be up TO date.
| Always be careful not to tear the stamp
! from its original envelope.
United States revenue stamps also bring
high figures, some OF them fetching as much
as $500 apiece. There are three 5000
revenue stamps which are worth any figure
that would be offered, and probably are
valued at more than even the Baltimore. :
Zone OF these Is 900 stamps is in the head
quarters Of the Union Pacific Railroad at
| Omaha, Neb. II was used on the bill of
sale Of the Union Pacific Railroad, which
} sold for something like SEQ 900 600. End in
all probability the stamp was made for this
special purpose, only three impressions be-
| irr tphen.