The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-11-13
THE death MASK" MYSTERY
Curious Case of the Servian Stamp Is
sued After the Murder of King Alex
ander and Queen Draga--The One
Cent British Guiana Stamp of 1856.


ander and Queen Draga-The One
Cent British Guiana Stamp of 1856.
Not little of the fascination which
the study and collecting of postage
stamps holds for enthusiasts lies in
the fact that the story of their origin
and subsequent history is in many
cases of an exceedingly romantic char
acter.
The single known copy of the rarest
stamp in the world. valued at $4,000
the one cent British Guiana issued
In 1S56-was discovered by young
collector in the colony among some old
family papers stored away in an attic.
Knowing nothing of its scarcity and
not being favorably impressed by its
appearance, he sold it to another col
lector for trifing sum, the purchaser
being also ignorant of his great bar
gain. Ultimately it found its way to
Europe and now reposes in the coiiec-
ton OF NJ Philippe de la Renotiere OF
Paris, who purchased 1t many years
ago.
The value of $3.50 is placed upon
the famous ''Postoffice Mauritius"
stamp, which was crudely engraved
on small copper plate by local
matchmaker Of Port Louis and issued
on Sept. 81, .1S47 A total of only 600
copies Of each Of these stamps were
tediously printed off one at time
from the plate, and the majority of
these were used on invitations to
ball sent out by Lady Comm, wife of
the governor of the colony.
1t was not until nearly twenty years
after their issue that the first two cop
les of these rarities were brought to
light by young stamp collector OF
Bordeaux. The most perfect used
copy of the I'd. Postoffice Mauritius
was sold by auction in 1904 and Is
now included in King Georges collec-
ton.
To the story of the matchmaker who
designed this stamp may be added that
of the bakers boy who engraved a
stamp of the republic of Corrientes,
now forming part of the Argentine
federation.
In 1855 1t was decided by the au-
thorities to issue stamps, but they
could find no engrayer TO cut the die
or prepare the plates. While one of
the officials was discussing the situa
ton with the head Of the state print.
ing office on his veranda one morning
bakers boy arrived with the daily
supply of bread and, overhearing the
conversation volunteered to undertake
the work, stating that before emigrat-
ing to South America he had been ap.
prenticed to an engraver in Italy,
Ultimately the boy was given the
work to do. and he turned out stamp
which, although crude, served for all
the postage stamps issued in Corrien-
tes from 1895 to 1880.
Probably few people are aware of
the fact, by the way, that King George
OF Britain (then Prince of Wales) was
responsible for the design of the 1903
postage stamps of Canada, universally
acknowledge to be the most artistic
stamps of the last reign. About the
time of the late kings coronation the
postmaster general of Canada, then OH
visit to England, took the oppOrtuni.
ty Of consulting his royal highness on
the subject of the proposed new issue
of postage stamps for the Dominion.
The prince at once took the keeneSt
interest in the work, designed the
stamp in conjunction with a member
Of the Royal Philatelic society and su-
perintended the preparation of the
master die" In England. The Edward
ian stamps Of Canada can therefore
lay claim to the distinction of being
designed by king.
stamp around which centers one
of the foulest political crimes of mod
ern history is the so called death
mask stamp" of Servia, issued in 1904
to commemorate the accession of King
Peter I. The dastardly assassination OF
King Alexander and his queen, Draga
by military officers on June II, 1908
wiped out the Obrenovitch dynasty
from the throne of Servia and paved
the way for the present king.
After the tragedy one of the most
famous of French stamp engravers
was commissioned to prepare a stamp
from a design by Servian artist
showing on a single plaque the twin
profiles Of Kara George, the founder OF
the dynasty which bears his name
and King Peter, his descendant.
The stamps were issued at the time
of King Peters coronation. in 1904
and hardly bad they got into circuia
ton when it was discovered that the
death mask" of the late King Alex
ander had been skillfully and subtly
introduced into the design and, on the
stamp being inverted, could be plainly
traced in the reversed features of the
two heads.
This discovery at once caused an out
cry. the stratagem being ascribed t.
ex,Queen Nathalie. mother of the mur
dered king. and her supporters. but al
connlvance in the plot was Indignantly
repudiated by the engraver and thu
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