Evening star., 1935-03-31
By JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.

By JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.
The new 2-cent electric eye" stamp
went on first-day sale at the Philatelic
Agency Thursday afternoon, but,
since no notice was given to the col
lecting public, only few individuals
could take advantage of its availability.
Chester L. Lankford learned of the
agency's intention in time to notify
his friends, and David H. Davenport |
put through some first-day covers.
Descriptive details of the expert |
mental novelty are: Design, same as
standard 2-cent issue of 1922; color, q |
somewhat pinker carrnine; plate num-
bers. respectively higher and lower.
2l149 and 21150.
George B. Sloane reports that the
reprints Of the Scent Mount Rainier
Atlantic City souvenir sheets differ in
size from the regular issue and that
the reproductions Of the l-cent Yo-
semitic also betray q difference.
1.-The stamps in the reissue Scent
panes," he says, ARE wider than in
the original Atlantic City panes, and
this will be very marked in measuring
pane of six stamps from one inscrip-
tion to the other. Further. the l-cent
parks imperforates In the large sheets
are wider than those in the Omaha
panes in the original and in the re-
issue panes."
Max G. Johl writes in Stamps for
March 80: After checking the pres
entation sheet reprints against the
regularly issued stamps, find that
the shades are as close as could pos
sibly be expected, and much credit is
due the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing and the Post Office Depart
rnent for the exceptional care that
must have been taken to so accurately
reproduce an earlier printing. There
Is little doubt in my mind that these
reprints entirely nullify the value of
the original presentation sheets and
that there are only two varieties of
the stamps in question, the regular
issue and the presentation sheet re-
prints, and those collectors who have
paid high prices for the original pres
entation sheets are now no better OF
than the rank and file who have been
able to get them at face"
But when Mr.. Johl has had oppor-
tunity to compare the reprints with
the original de luxe printings-not
merely with the so-called regular is
sues"-he may wish to change his
opinion.
The cruel truth in the whole un-
happy business is that there are threee
distinct varieties: The first-run sheets
which Mr.. Farley gave to his friends,
the ordinary sheets placed on open
sale and now the reprints imperforate,
issued as special collectors edition"
at enormous profit to the Post Office
Department. Such is the verdict of
experts who have seen all three print
ings.
Perhaps the cleverest of the many
nicknameS applied to the Postmaster
Generals reprints is that Of Earrings"
invented by Washington critic who
has had experience with Sturnus
vulgaris.
The Connecticut tercentenary stamp
will go on flrst-day sale exclusively
at Hartford April 26. 1t will be a s.
cent value, rich violet in color, and
will show the famous Charter Oak.
Stamp collectors joined with sports
men in contributing S573,8 1866 during
1884 for Government bird sanctuaries.
That, in any case, is the official sales
stamp, first year.
The National Federation of Stamp
Clubs has voted 621a per cent in favor
of the proposed neglected Presidents
series, but the matter will be submit
ted to the membership second time
with additional information on the
subject.
Albert F. Kunze, leader, Washing
ton Stamp Club of the Air, has sug-
gested q stamp In tribute to the
memory Of oliver Wendell Holmes,
physician and poet, and his son Oliver
Wendell Holmes, soldier and jurist.
Such an issue, he believes, would
constitute fitting recognition of the
part two great Americans have played
in the Nations history, and should
be immensely popular with the whole
public"
Representative Louis Ludlow of In
diana, addressing the House January
%, paid tribute to "the present
administration of the Post once De-
partment." IT would not have it
understood" he said, that I believe
all the credit should 60 to Mr.. Farley.
! know that good deal of it belongs
to effective men in key positions. His
four assistants-First Assistant w. w.
Howes, Second Assistant Harllee
Branch, Third Assistant Clinton B.
Eilenberger and Fourth Assistant
Smith w. Purdum-are all capable
men and comprise as fine a group of
oh1cial advisers as any Postmaster
General ever had, and I would not
overlook my friend Ambrose O'Connell,
who is not only most capable admin
istrative assistant but who knows all
the politics Mr.. Farley ever forgot"
The Associated Press reports: "For
the first time that any collectors rec
ords hereabouts show, special fee
stamp for the sending of currency
through the mail has made its ap-
pearance in postal annals.
And 1t might be called currency
stamp for it not only indicates that
a fee has been paid for the dispatch
Of paper money, butts its denomination
gives pretty good indication of how
much currency is in the envelope
These special fee stamps come from
the Dominican Republic and consist
Of five values: to 10 centavos. They
were created by surcharges on the 7,
8, 10, 20 and so centavo stamps of the
1888 Merino issue. The overprint
reads: Declared value fee-interior
service in addition to the amount.
'The stamps are for use only with
Q special currency registration envelope
bearing an envelope stamp of 13 CEN
tavos to pay the regular registration
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