Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-15
RARE POSTAGE STAMPS:
SPECIMENS THAT ARE WORTH
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
Valuable Collections in England.
Growth of the Science of Philate-
ly-Royal Collectors.
From the London Chronicle.

From the london Chronicle.
1t is but sixty-nine years since the adopt
ton of the adhesive postage stamp. and
yet the hobby of stamp collecting has
already assumed such proportions that,
In the words of Fred J. Melviil. president
Of the Junior Philatelic Society. its vota-
ries are more numerous than the heroes
of Agamemnon's army, and more scat
tered on the face of the earth than the
twelve tribes Of JUDAH During this
period over II 500 different and distinctive
postage stamps have been issued by the
various governments of the world. and the
discovery by philatelists of many different
varieties of each issue, peculiarities or
printing, depth of color. changes of per-
foration and of the distinguishing fea-
lures, has resulted in the growth of
science. Almost as soon as stamps were
first issued in Great Britain they began
to be collected. Within two years It is
said that a certain community Of nuns
were offered a large donation to their
charity by pl1ilanthropist if they would
collect a million postage stamps within q
certain time. Be the story true or not,
1t Is probably in this that the idea has its
origin that by collecting a million stamps
one can insure for an orphan or cripple
admission into home. Among collectors
apart from the intrinsic sums they repre-
sent, and it is on record that II. r. H.
the Prince Of Wales paid G1.45O for a
single stamp. Within the last twelve
gradually dispersed. yielding the enor-
nous aggregate of G45,OOO.
The Avery Collection.
But recently there has taken place one
of the most notable sales in the history
of stamp collecting. Mr.. ". II. Peckitt a
Strand stamp dealer. having purchased
outright from the executors of the late
Sir William Avery of the Birmingham
| neutrality-suspicious. making company. his
famous collection for the record single
payment of G2,5OO. This collection is
| considered to be the largest ever formed
by a private individual, and in the eyes
of piliiatelists it ranks next to that in
the British Museum. The number of
stamps is computed to be close upon 1OO.-
600, which represent as near as possible
every variety of stamp issued by the pos
tai authorities throughout the world. The
! late Sir William Avery began collecting
| at the age OF eight, and by the time be
had reached seventeen years he had aH-
quired collection of 1,j0O to !, 900 speci-
| mems. The Prince of Wales, than whom
no one takes a greater interest in the
| hobby Of philately, began to collect when
ne was quiIe d yOuC1, ana II Is SAID tndt
his royal highness' collection. which is
restricted to stamps of Great Britain and
her colonies, Is now worth about ELI. 200.
or the two rarest existing stamps Sir
William Avery had magnificent speci-
mems. which he sent an agent specially to
Bordeaux to purchase at the remarkable
price of G35Go. They are the Id and I'd
post office" Mauritius, unused Only
two copies of the i'd are known to exist
in a perfect state. In the early seventies
examples Of either could be had for about
81 apiece. but now even a. millionaire
would have the greatest difficulty in Sc
curing one. Six years ago a Bordeaux
schoolboy discovered an old envelope on
| which were two copies of the Id, and it
was afterward sold for e2. 400 The Primo ,
| of Wales paid G1.4jO at auction for his
specimen of the ID. There should be
| nothing so much mans business as his
| amusements,'' say Stevenson, and Sir
William Avery certainly obeyed this pre-
| cept in the pursuit of his hobby. II he
heard of the existence of some hitherto
unsupported rarity he would not be happy
until he had secured a specimen. Thus
his collection constitutes a record in its
| n0SSa of arifice