The New York herald., 1922-04-23
Stamp Collectors Busy Days.

/ 0tdiAip SOICCtOIS RuSy Lays.
The recent auction sale in Paris of
the famous stamp collection Of Baron
FBKRARI, at which one stamp brought
S32,ee0, has awakened general in
terest in philately such as had not
been shown since the world war.
This new interest is that OF the nom
collector. The philatelists themselves
required no arousing, since with new
issues appearing almost every week
and old ones passing out of use there
has never been time when they have
been so busy or have had so many
problems to consider.
In the first year following the war
there were more than 1000 new is
sues of stamps, and since then the
| stamp presses have been hard at
work. Poland, which in pre-war
times had only one stamp, has now
| 425 separate and distinct stamps;
Ukraine has It's varieties, represent
ing either provisional or permanent
governments, and Czecho-Slovakia
and Jugo-Slavia have each about $50
specimens. In the same period the
beautiful picture stamps of Bosnia
and Herzegovina have passed, as have
the attractYe stamps of imperial
Austria and royal Hungary. Instead
Of the wide variety of artistic Rus
sian stamps there is now in addition
to the anniversary stamp but one
pattern issued by the Soviet, large
stamp printed in dark red, the de-
nominations differing from one an
other only in the figures representing
their value. The denomination most
in use is the 1,e00 ruble stamp; it
takes twenty-seven Of these plastered
over both sides of the envelope to
carry an ordinary letter from Mos
COW to New York
Besides these Government issues
some special stamps have attained
great popularity with philatelists
| In 1918 Colonel Z. III. r. GREEN
caused sensation by paying about
| $4,000 for the only known sheet OF
twenty-four cent airplane stamps, the
| first issue, with the center inverted
The sheet was sold at the Washington
post Office. The first purchaser, see
ing the error in printing, refused to
accept it and it was bought by n
man who appreciated it's value. Each
stamp is now quoted at $500. A few
cent Newfoundland stamp, which
were brought to England by Mr.
HAwKER on his famous flight across
the Atlantic, were sold in LONDON for
GAG. At the same time letter with
two German stamps which was car
ried BY the submarine Deutschland
from New York to Bremen brought
thirty-eight shillings.
The question for the philatelist is
which among this flood of stamps are
best worth saving. What about the
seventy-fve different varieties of
Fiuman stamps issued before and
during D'ANNUNzIo's regime. and
what about the surcharged stamps
used by an occupying army or nation
in conquered territory, and what
about the old issues which passed
and the new issues which came into
use with changes in colonial posses
sions? Most of these will be Of COM
paratively little value, few will in
crease many hundred times in value.
But which ones? asks the puzzled
philatelist.
The stamp which is reported 10
have brought $4,000 at the Paris
sale is a one cent stamp Of British
Guiana, black on magenta colored pa
per, issued in 1856. II has no mate
so far as is known and is generally
recognized as the rarest stamp in
the world. Another rare specimen
which sold for $4,000 at the sale Is
the Boscawen postmaster stamp
which was issued by WORCESTER
WEBSTER, relative OF DANIEL
WEBSTER. in 1916, when he was post
master at Boscawen, N. III. When
the news OF the sale reached this
little Granite State town there was
a great turning over of discarded
and cast away wares in attics and
old houses. The only old postmaster
stamp discovered, however. was ono
issued IN 1856. ten years too late TO
be Of more than nominal value. But
there was uncovered considerable