The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-02-11
POSTAGE STAMPS.
Romances of Some of the Worlds
Rarest Issues.
THE death MASK" MYSTERY

sued After the Murder OF Nin9 Alex
ander and Queen Drasa-The Ono
Cent British Guiana Stamp of 1856.
Not a 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 a young
collector in the colony among some old
family papers stored away in an attic.
Knowing nothing of it's scarcity and
not being favorably impressed by it's
appearance, he SOLD it to another col
lector for a trifing sum, the purchaser
being also ignorant of his great bar.
gain. Ultimately it found It's way to
Europe and now reposes in the collec-
ton of M. Philippe de la Renotiere of
Paris, who purchased it many years
ago.
The value of $3.50 is placed upon
the famous "Postof1ce Mauritius''
stamp, which was crudely engraved
on a small copper plate by a local
matchmaker Of Port Louis and issued
on Sept 81, 1S47. A total Of only 500
copies of each Of these stamps were
tedlously printed off one at a time
from the plate, and the majority OF
these were used on invitations to a
ball sent u 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 r~arities were brought to
light by a young stamp collector Of
Bordeaux. The most perfect used
copy Of the I'd. Postof1ce Maur1tius
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
VI LIZ SoNS . IVY WIN ShSAo SSS q
stamp of the republic of Corrientes
now forming part of the Argentine
Federation.
In 1856 it was decided by the M
thorities to issue stamps. but they
could find no engraver to cut The die
or prepare the plates. While nj OF
the officials was discussing the situa
ti1~ rrsfI tho h1n1 ~ tho state print
ing Office on his veranda one morning
a bakers boy arrived with the daily
supply of bread and, o~verhearing 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 a stamp
which, although crude. served for all
the postage stamps issued in Corrien
ties from 1855 tt 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 1909
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
q 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 q 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 q king.
A stamp around which centers one
Of the foulest political crimes Of mod.
erp history is the SO called death
mask stamp 9f servia, issued in 1904
to commemorate the accession of King
Peter l. The dastardly assassination OF
King Alexander and his queen, praga
by military officers on June II. 1903.
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 a Servian artist.
showing on a single plaque the twin
profles Of Kara George. the founder Of
the dynasty which bears his name.
and King Peter. his descendant.
Tha atamps we're issued 8. The time
Of King Peters co~ronatton. in 1904.
and hardly had they got into circula.
tion 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 ant
cry. the stratagem being ascribed to