The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-01-27
A STAMP THAT BROUGHT $4,000.

IL is NOT generally kuOWu that tuC
rarest and most Highly priced postage
stamp of all that have been issued in
this country is the famous cent one
issued by James M. Buchanan when
he was postmaster of this city, in
I845, says the Baltimore Ame,icaW.
This Baltimore city stamp has the
distinction, too, of having brought
the highest price ever paid for an
American stamp. One of these rari-
ties is now in the possession>of Bos-
ton collector, who paid So, 400 for it.
The stamp bears the autograph OF the
postmaster and the value below it.
This Io-cent stamp was issued be-
fore the Government controlled the
output of the stamps for the country,
and when they were issued by the local
postmasters, and this accounts for the
high value put upon it. There was
scent stamp issued by Postmaster
Buchanan also, and number OF these
are still in existence and can be ac-
counted for by the collectors, but so
far as is known this So, 400 treasure
of the Boston stamp enthusiast, and
another one of the same sort that was
found by a Washington woman who
was looking over some old letters of a
relative, and that also brought a large
sum, are the only ones of this variety
that can be accounted for by the con-
noisseurs.
Up to the time that the Baltimore
1o-cent stamp brought its So, 400 the
highest price paid for an American
stamp was $1,000, the sum for which
20 cent stamp of the sort that were
issued by the postmaster of St. Louis
in 1845 was sold to Mr.. A. Castle, of
Springfield, Mass. This stamp is
distinguished by its picture of two
bears standing beside the coat of
arms of the place, with the name of
the city and the value at the top of the
stamp and the words ''Post Office" at
the bottom.
There are number of the early is
sues of United States stamps, accord
ing to Everitt Van Voorhis, an au-
thority on stamps, that are valued
at from $500 to S., 900, in proportion
to their rarity. One of these is the
New Haven envelope, that was Issued
by the postmaster Of that city in 1916
and that was printed in red ink and
bears the numeral IS" in the center
with the signature of the postmaster,
E. A. Mitchell, at the bottom. This
stamp was unknown until 1871, when
a specimen was discovered in collec-
ton picked up at sale for few dol
lars. It was sold to Philip Won
Ferrary, the noted French philatelist
whose collection is valued at 81, 900.
900. He bought it for $40, but if it
were put on the market now it would
bring at least ST, 200.
Another rarity is the stamp that
was issued by the postmaster at Mil
bury in 1916, and that is now worth
$1,000. This stamp was printed in
black ink and bears picture of
George Washington. A stamp that
is listed at 5000 is the one that was
issued by the postmaster of Brattle-
boro, VT, in 1916. This is also
printed in black ink, and it shows
central design with the initials of the
postmaster and the name of the place
at the opand the value below. Some
of the other particularly valuable
stamps are among the PROFESSIONALS
that were issued by the Confederate
postmasters during the Civil War.
Some that are particularly coveted
by the collectors are the Beaumont,
the Uniontown, Rheatown and Spar
tanburg issues.
Apropos of this increase in value
the declaration of experts that they
are making only moderate estimate
when they say that the earning value
of stamps is 10 per cent, is especial
ly interesting. As instances of the
earning value they mention the
Hughes collection, which was made
at total cost of $345 and was sold
at the end of 81 years for SIS, 900,
and the Pauweis collection, which
cost the owner 81 300 and sold at
the end of Fl years for $40, 900.
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