Smyrna times., 1905-05-03
SOME FREAK STAMPS
ERRORS THAT CAUSE PHlLATELISTS
TO JUMP FOR JOY.


About the only freaks of great value
manufactured by the government are
misprinted postage stamps, the value
of one of these sometimes running up
into the thousands. There is nothing
more dear to the collector than these
errors in printing, and, too, there is
nothing which causes tornado of
trouble quicker in the bureau Of en-
craving and printing. An error is gen
orally a costly thing in this depart
ment. 1t means that whoever is re-
spOnsible for the mistake must get out
and hunt another job. The work is too
important to permit of carelessness.
An error produces freak stamp, but
it also produces a vacancy, often more,
in the ranks Of the employees Of the de-
partment. But the collector, the phi
latelist, is happy, for he gets prize of
the first water
Any and every thing in the way Of
stamp which varies a hairs breadth
from the correct design is freak, and
there Is always a heated race by the
stamp fieAds to secure one of these.
Usually these errors, and they are not
made often, are detected before many
of the stamps are put in circulation, and
when only few get out the collectors
are ready to pay fancy prices for one
of the prizes. Some few collectors la
Dor under the impression that every
man has his price," and the sum of
$4,000 was offered the head of the bu-
reau a few years ago if he would have
issued a half dozen sheets of two cent
errors. OF course no consideration
whatever was given to the proposition,
and the get rich quick philatelist saw
his plans miscarry.
Some very valuable freak stamps
were issued in 1869, when a series of
stamps was issued in colOrs. The
series comprised denominations from
cent to 80 cents. The 10, "a, 80 and
so cents were printed in two colors.
On these the central picture was print
ed inverted, and the error was detect
ed. Today any of these freaks will
bring from $500 70 $500 each.
The freak two cent pan-American
series of stamps which turned up in
Buffalo, n. Y, in the year of the Rain
bow City exposition, 1901, are now rat
ed at 500 each. Only few of these got
in circulation before 1t was discovered
that the railroad train in the center of
the stamp was upside down. 1t is like
ly that thousands would have been sold
had not a gentleman who had purchas-
ed ten stamps discovered the error
and forthwith wrote the bureau of en-
craving and printing notifying the Of
ficers. He doubtless thought he was
doing a good service for the govern
ment, and doubtless he was, but the
] stamp collectors denOunce him as a
chump of the rankest type. The gen
tleman gave away several of the
stamps he had bought. While a large
number of the stamps with the invert-
ed train of cars were sold before the
error was detected, there are only six
of these freaks which can be account
| ed for, the other stamps having per-
haps served their purpose without be-
!
liable freak family. 1t is altogether
reasonable to suppose that the stamps
were affixed to letters and the en-
velOpes destroyed. If any sheet of err
rOr stamps other than that sent to the
Buffalo office was ever sent out, the
fact has never been known at the bu-
reau, and 1t Is not likely that the mar
ket will ever be glutted with this freak
stamp.
During the winter of 1890 a sheet of
the ordinary one cent stamps, with the
word Guam" printed across the face
slipped through with Guam" upside
down. These stamps were printed fol
the use Of the island, and collectors
have searched far and near for them
Only few have been secured by tht
collectors, and they bring stiff prices
The people of Guam know but little
about the value set on such freaks by
the stamp collectors
Back In the seventies, when the gov
ernment used its own distinctive sc
OF stamps for the several departments
an error was made by the bank not
company which then held the contrac
for making the stamps. The regula
color adopted by the navy department
was blue. A sheet of the two cent dc
nomination was printed in green, an
: the freak has now market value O
about $45 each. The genuine, in blu,
is worth twenty times its face value.
: One collector was fortunate enoug
: to corner the market by getting pol
session Of a sheet of four cent STAMP
e of the Columbian series which wa
I. printed by mistake in steel blue whe
its right color should have been ultr,
S marine blue. He got it at it's fac
e value, and when he wants to dispos
Of one he can readily get $35.
There are a number of other vail
o able freak stamps, but the errors
t the bureau of engraving and printin
e have been remarkably few. conside
e ing the immense number of sheets {
s stamps turned out every year. Fac
e sheet after being printed pass,
f | through q dozen or more hands hafol