Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-13
FORTUNE IN STAMPS
EARL OF CRAWFORD'S FAMOUS
COLLECTION.
American Issues Never Seen by ColIaa
tors Here-Has Forty Volumes
Full Now.

Inc Earl OF CRAWFORD famous COLLECTION
of postage stamps. valued at more than
$4,000, was on exhibition at the Collectors
Club for several hours at a reception held
in his honor two weeks ago. Upon frs.
learning of the earrs coming to this coun-
try with his yacht Valhalla. to take part in
| the ocean race, the Collectors Club appoint
| ed a reception committee to entertain him.
When this committee made known It's plans
to entertain him he offered to bring over his
collection.
Lord Crawford. who is vice president of
the London Philatelic Society, has been all
his life an ardent stamp collector. He Is
known as specialist. and one of his spe-
cialties is the gathering of everything per-
tanning to United States stamps, of which
he is said to have the most complete colec-
ton In the world. The collection
tanned in four large, heavily bound chests.
The stamps were arranged in forty VOL
umes. Gathered at the club rooms were
many of the prominent philatelists of this
city and many from out of town.
The first volume contained postmaster
provisional stamps, these being arranged
with the utmost care and completeness
When possible the page commenced with
the original sketch of the stamp, proofs of
part of the design. completed design. trial
colors. accepted colors, stamp in unused
condition, In shades, used detached and
then on the original envelope. Then came
the Albany stamp in fancy and proof colors
worth $1,000. This was followed by mag
| nifcent copy of the entire Annapolis
velope. worth $1,000. Then a 1O-cent black
Baltimore stamp, with Postmaster Buchan-
| ans signature, the premier American stamp,
With this of the issue were both the
5-cent and 1O-cent Baltimore on original
envelope.
st. Louis Bear Stamps.
There were all the St. Louis bear stamps,
8. 10 and 20 cents, each worth from $500 to
$1,000; the square New Haven stamp, bear
ing the signature of E. H. Mitchell valued
| at $780, and then the Brattleboro post
| master, worth $500 or the New York g.
cent stamps there were at least ffuty, under
each of which were the different signatures,
ranging in value from SO to 500, according
to rarity. Among the carrier stamps. Balti-
more was represented with reconstructed
sheets. OF Charleston Honours there were
several pages. Among the rareSt of these
was sheet of Grieg's carrier stamps.
The second volume showed the different
designs that were made before the one
finally adopted for the first Issue of United
States, the postmaster stamps first meE
toned not having been issued by the gov
eminent Half of this book taken up
with designs, essays and proofs consider
Il, rejected and accepted. When it became
necessary to provide copies of the 1917 issue
for the Centennial exhibition a new die
made by the bureau of engraving and print
ing. An accepted proof from this die of
the 5-cent issue, with the signature of the
department official, was turned over to the
Continental Bank Note Company
guide, and even this ultimately has found
its way to the earls collection. Not only
is this signed specimen in the book, but
there are also other specimens of the 5
and 1o-cent reprints in various shades.
The drilled Issue.
All the type varieties of 1876 are
shown. together with all the designs and
proofs which invariably precede the final
production OF stamp. There were also
several specimens Of the shifted die The
book contains two fine copies of the 1-cent
stamp Of August, 1861, of which there are
two varieties, each worth $500. OF especial
interest was the grilled issue, with en-
bcssing on the back. This was made be-
cause there were so many instances Of the
cancellations being washed from used
stamps. This was rendered impossible by
means of the enclosing, which on the back
retained an impression Of the cancellation
The original designs filed with the appica-
ton for the patent for grilling stamps are
also shown.
There only two originals of these.
There were sheets of paper showing the
grill covering the entire sheet and the
grills in blocks without printing but
gummed. One half sheet showed the
whole surface of the paper pinpricked all
over-another attempt to provide a stamp
from which the cancellation could not be
erased. Stamps showing these various pa
pers with points up and down were dis
played in profusion The earl is the only
one who possesses such copies as far as
known.
The famous 1869 issue was represented
with a completeness that astonished the
collectors. There were varieties of this
year that our experts saw for the first
time. The known issues of the year range
in value up to $500, the latter sum being
paid for the ones with the inverted CEN
ters. or inverted flags. OF these there We're
quite a number. This Is one of the features
of the collection, for the earl Will buy In
blocks and sheets if obtafnable, though
the stamp is of the most expensive variety.
OF the confederate provisional stamps
there was a large number. The collection
embraced every rarity of these issues of
little southern towns. Included in this series
were the issues of Aberdeen, Miss. At
lanta and Columbus, Ga. Greenville and
Bridgevile, Ala; Beaumont. Tex, and Dan
vile and Emory, Va, each one of which
is valued at from 5000 to $1,000.
One other speciality of the earl is the
gathering of all the varieties of the Sidney
view stamps. These number more than
200, every one of which is represented in
celed. This series alone is valued at more
than $4,000.
The collection also includes a host of
all the well-known rarities of the stamp
world, and of course is especially rich in
English issues. The earl Is the owner of
a pair of the famous Mauritius stamps.
These in denominations of one and
The Flight of Birds.
From the London Outlook.
One of the few men to recover sight after
haIp1 hind from the birth Of recolIectioD