The Washington herald., 1906-12-02
STAMPS ADVANCING IN PRICE
American Issues in Good Condition
Show Very Substantial Increases.
Collectors Becoming More Discrim-
fnatinE-COIoniaI stamps Are
Having "a Boom.

The advance sheets Of the standard
stamp catalogue for 1901 show increases
I'm the premiums on certain foreign
stamps and substantial advances in the
price Of nearly all the United States is
sues, says the New York sun
According to stamp authorities, there
never was a time when the stamps OF this
country were in greater demand or held
at a higher figure. But collectors are
yearly becoming more discriminating and
want specimens in perfect condition, for
which they are often willing 10 pay prices
that exceed by far those given In the cat
alogue.
II is for this reason that the price of
stamp varies 50 much An imperfect or
slightly damaged specimen sometimes
does not bring one-half Of the premium
paid for the perfect stamp.
American stamp collectors are now be
issued for use in American colonial pos
sessions-Hawau. Porto Rico. and the
Philippines. with the result that a boom
is taking place in these stamps
Among United States stamped envel-
opes the greatest advance for the COM
ing year will bee made in one of com
paratively recent date, that Of 1854. the
2-cent brown, known as the Die 3 or blue
variety. The catalogue for 1866 gives the
value Of this variety. unused. at $50, while
for 1907 its price will be so
In 1896. owing 10 the rapidly increasing
number of collectors. especially in GER
tain branches. many new varieties Of
stamps have come TO light. The local and
revenue stamps of the more common
types have all increased In value as
consequence. and many Of the proprietary
issues are now quoted for the first time
The advances in many of the foreign
stamps have been marked, and the C0llec-
tor who gathers the issues of all the
countries of the world. which the major
ity of them do, viii be able 10 review
his albums with a good deal Of grautica-
tion, not only because of the possession
of specimens classed among the rariues
but for pecuniary reasons as well
The greatest advance of the year will be
for one Of the stamps Of the Cape Of
Coed Hope which jumps from - cents at
the present tine TO $40 This is the bistre-
ColOTed twO-penny stamp of 1898. which
has been surcharged @9ne Penny In
making this surcharge a period was left
off some of the stamps, and this triliing
omission gives il the increased value
With the period this stamp is worth just
20 cents The scarcity Of stamps with the
error was not discovered until recently.
and is owing to the attention that is now
being paid 10 Cape of Good Hope stamps.
Collectors find these stamps difficult to
obtain; hence the quick advance
The Decent green stamp Of Argentina
Of the 1854 issue has advanced 20 S35 from
SO. Another notable advance is IN one Of
the Fiji Islands stamps. This is the two
pence dark green. without the surcharge.
The 1906 catalogue placed its value at $50.
But for 1907 the price has been pushed up
TO Sl0.
The rise in value of the stamps Of Fin
land has been remarkable. as all but one
Of the issues of 1SG6-67 have advanced.
The New Zealand six-penny black brown
stamp, rouletted. Of the issue Of 1862. has
advanced to $50 from $3.50.
Russian stamps show quite a number
of advances. The ten-koDeCk brown and
green stamp Of the 1S59-1S64 issue, which
is known as an error. has jumped TO So
from So in 1896. The Russian Levant
stamp has advanced to $40 from $3.50
Nearly all of the 1901 inverted surcharged
stamps Of St. Pierre. of which there are q
great many varieties, have doubled in
value The Japanese-Korean stamps have
increased from % to 2o0 per cent, and all
the high values of Abyssinia of the 1888
o. issue have advanced 20 per cent.
All the denominations Of SPANS COM
memorative issue of Crevantes, showing
Don Quixote in varying scenes, have ad-
vanCed, the most notable being the stamp
Of ten pesetas, brown and orange. While
the original value of this stamp in 1865.
the year Of its issue. was s.. for the COM
ing year it viii be held at $. This is
somewhat unusual in this class Of stamp.
.srenialLA- Of racnnt iselle