Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-01-13

United States Issues Are Scarce In
Europe, Says Prominent American
PhiIateiist.
Some interesting facts regarding the
innocent pursuit of postage stalnp cob
lecting In Paris during the war period
have just been related by Warren L.
Babcock. president of the Detroit Phil
atelic society. who was on military
duty in Paris during several months
of the war. and in the summer of 1913
was IN the command of Base hospital
No. 6 at Bordeaux.
Mr. Babcock says that to an .Ameri-
can the French stamp dealer is an
enigma. When asked for United
States stamps he Is likely to answer,
"None at all or very few" Seldom
on first contact do these French deal
ers show any haste In producing what
they have In stock. Subsequent WIS.,
its, partly as social calls. are advised
during which he will often show just
what may be wanted or some other
odd rarity. The French dealer sell
dom has stock of United States
stamps. He primarily caters to the
French collector who Is specialist
In France and French colonies. He
seems disappointed II you are not a
collector of those countries. His Uni
ted States stamps he picks up here.
and there, a few at time. II OF good
quality quick sales are made. AS
result good United States stamps
are moving from dealer to collector
as rapidly rs In this country and ul-
timately find their way here.
Tells Experience.
In the September number Of SCOTS
Monthly Journal Mr.. Babcock tells
something of the difficulties and sue
cesses In running down rare copies
during the strenuous days Of the war.
"Few United States stamps Of the
1S47 Issue are to be found In Europe"
he says Until 1851 letters addressed
to France were usually forv arded
without stamps The 8 cent brown
and the 10 cent black of this issue on
foreign covers are rare and bring
well deserved premium. A long search
brought me one In bordeaux. 3-cent
on cover mailed from New Orleans.
1.-The stallps of the 1851 Issue. I'm
perforate. are found more frequently.
especially tie 3 cent and ~ cont IN
France ana the II cent in England,
From 1851 - 1860 the single rate to
France was Is cents and to England
II cents. France Is therefore the main
source OF supply Of the cents and
10 cents In singles and strips OF three.
and England supplies most of The II
cents pairs. Business houses Of New
Orleans. Baltimore. Philadelphia and
New York were the source Of most pf
these stamps:
"Ihr thriving expert trade iUSt he
fore the Civil war Is responsible fol
the many FIR" examples OF the 1881
Issue. especially the : and 10 cents
Here may he found the finest copies
Of the ) cents. brick red (No. 45) that
ever graced collection. To he 70
warded with pair of these beautiful
stamDs after long and tedious search
~ wen worth lHt tlloIt.
"rhe five-cent. type |. IL considered
the scnrcer. though found twice as
many rs OF type II. The 80 cent Is
seldom, and the 90 cent rarely seen
in good used condition. The u cent
and "a cents were, of course. seldom
used on French mail, though did
find some covers with the II cent and
3 cent combinations. OF the 1851 Is
sue the tive-ccnt bur or mustard, the
10 cent green and 30 cent orange may
be found. though the former Is scarce,
Ii was my good fortune to sag two
covers from New Orleans with the
!M cent. 1861. thereon In all its glory.
Each envelope carried los cents post
age, showing, In addition to the ~
cent. Il 10 cent, and II ) cent.
Many In the Business.
"The glorious issue of 1860 comes
next. The lower values were seldom
seen In the shops hut the 10 cent pre-.
sented often, as did the Is cent IN both
types. The 10 cent was usually afro
cl0us in centring and cancellation. The
9 cent and II cent were scarce and the
"a cent stamps and 30 cent uncommon,
though both were occasionally offered.
From one stock | selected 30 Of the
best copies | had ever seen Of the
last two stamps. The 90 cent was con-
spicuous by its absence, the few cop
les offered or shown being notably
damaged. with one or two exceptions.
about 1870 the postal rate to
France was reduced to 10 cents per
half ounce and the 10 cent brown Of
1870 without grill. came into use. or
the issues of 1S7O-79 few stamps of
value were founo, though from one
shop several blocks Of the 10 cent with
c0lored cancellations. found their way
into my book.
"The French shops are favorable
fields for odd cancellations sub-vari
cites such as the 10 cent. 1S51-1S57.
recuts. and to lesser degree, the re.
issues of 1875. few of the scarcer
types of the cent, 1851, may be seen.
'rrhere are several hundred stamp
dealers listed I'm Paris. and the search
for their shops was of unfailing inter