The Washington times., 1905-12-31
MARIN0'S UT0PIAN
POSTAL SYSTEM
For Many Years Free Mail Service
Within Country
Itself.

ANPA01AC OL san 1laEllO. the
smallest on the globe, which is about
TO send for the first time a minister
plenipoteatiary to the United States,
possesses postal system in many re-
/ spects Utopian.
This republic has a population Of
about 10.o00. and an area about half the
size Of the District OF Columbia Sit
uated in the heart OF Italy, q continen-
budget Is about $4,000. an amount such
as Congress would appropriate for
the expenses OF Commission Of
some sort.
From 1858 until 1877 the people Of San
Marino enjoyed postal privileges not
possessed by any other people In the
world, paying no postage on man mat
ter for delivery inside the republic
Postage stamps We're required only on
mail TO Italy and oJher foreign coun-
tries.
First Distinctive Stamps.
The first series of distinctive postags
stamps for San Marino were issued IN
| 1871 Before that stamps OF Italy and
Sardinia were used, and these stamps
with a genuine San Marino postmark
are extremely rare and valuable today.
San Marines arrangement with Italy,
until 1877. was somewhat informal
After that date a regular schedule was
prepared by the terms of which mail
70 LEOLl san He-S
treated exactly as Italian mail
The design adopted by San Marino
for its first series OF stamps has been
adhered TO until the present date. with
the exception of special series in
1894. The stamp is about the same
size as those issued for the Pan-Amerf-
can Exposition at Buffalo Within a
heart-shaped design in the center is a
shield upon which appears what Is sup
To ba fNn Of -
country 1t consists of three pyramids
with tower on each, and above this a
chimney projects. This is surnounted
by feather. the quill dipping into the
chimney. Many denominations and col
ors have been printed, but the same de-
sign is always used
No One-Cent Stamps.
The first stamps issued were OF ths
values Of 2. 10. 20. and 40 centisirni The
rate for newspapers was 1 cent each. but
as at that time there was 10 newspaper
published in San Marine, the use OF such
a stamp was not great. When a newSpa-
per was finally started its postage was
paid by cutting the 2-cent stamp twice
diagonally and using one of the parts
The first periodical issued monthly
was a magazine devoted to stamp coll
lecting This doubtless arose from the
great interest manifest among philate.-
lists in the stamps Of San Marlno- This
magazine attained circulation of 2.e00
copies, ana its existence made necessary
the issue OF new 1-cent stamp This
gave the postal authorities some fncOn-
venience. but was not a marker to what
was established. the San Marino PhiIa-
telist, and it's first edition threatened to
exhaust the entire stock of scent
stamps of which only a small order had
been given 10 the firm having the con-
tract.
Government Orders More.
The government ordered 1000 of the
3o-cent stamps overprinted with the fig
ure - and these were used in mailing
subsequent issues of the stamp papers.
Later O,oO9 Of the 19-centisimi stamps
were overprinted for the same purpose
The letters "cni, abbreviation for cen
tisinli. followed the figure 5" on the
overprinting and the limitations OF the
local printing office were such that in
order to set up the Semi a sufficient
number of times to print sheet at one
Impression il was necessary 10 use many
different faces of type. Letters and fig
ures came upside down and numerous
errors were made. SO that twenty differ
ent types were made, furnishing stamp
collectors with a great field for re-
search and investigation
The 80, coo stamps of the Decent denon1-
1nation issued in 1871 lasted Until 1852
and the two stamp papers used 5000 OF
these This indicates that the entire
country used only six stamps a day for
2-cent stamp during a period of fifteen
years The people of the United State.
use more than 12,OO0 2-cent stamps
daily
Magazine Editor Corners Issue.
Realizing that these overprinted
stamps would be valuable and much
sought after by collectors, the editor
of one of the philateIic magazines
bought all the poStoffice had and salted
a N he
meantime the government has ordered
a big supply of the five-cent, which ar
rived in time to prevent serious delay
in the mailing OF the magazines. The
editor-speculator, however, made q
good profit on the stamps he cornered-
enough to pay his postage for many
years.
In 1886, in accordance with a decree
made by the Universal Postal Union
held in Washington, which required that
one-cent stamps should be green ard
changed the colors Of its stamps TO con-
form to the new ruling.
In 1894 San Marino issued a commemo-
rative series in honor of the inaugurs-
palace and the visit OF King Humbsrt,
of Italy. This issue was purely Specu-
lative, primarily for the purpose OF
raising money from their sale 10 col
lectors. The three jubilee stamps were
large. of unique conception and design
and printed in two colors.
Picture New Palace.
They depicted the new palace. inside
and out. the portraits of the two new
regents appearing in appropriate places.
The stamps were of the denominations
OF 25 ana so centiSimi and I lira and it
is said $4,000 were prited-suflcient TO
meet the postal needs OF the republic for
Loco years. The postal authorities ex-
pected to clear about SO O03 from the
tranSaction-an amount sufficient to
pay all the expenses 81 the government
for two years In this they were sadly
disappointed. Collectors bought less than
SO, 900 worth. Issues brought out to be
sold TO them rather than for legitimate
needs of the people now go begging on
the philatelic market
In 1893 San Marino issued an entire
new series of stamps, the 2-cent having
a very large 2 with branches of oak
and laurel on either side, tnteriaced. and
the other denominations, eleven in num-
ber having for their design the rock Of
San Marino, above which rise the three
pyramids. with their towers. chimneys,
and feathers. as already mentioned.
In 1900 the regents decreed that. begin
ming with February 8 mall within the
L., IL. 3