Evening star., 1939-09-17
AMONG. THE STAMP COLLECTORS
News of the Phatec World Its Interests and PeopeReview
the Stamp Press-Iist of Local Meetings
By James Waldo Fa,ccen
and d. II. Daven1Orf.

Plates especially designed for the
4. perforating of stamps by the electric
eve process were used for printing
the special Scent stamp to COM
memorate the 300th anniversary OF
printing in Colonial America. This
adhesive will be initially sold in New
York City week from tomorrow.
Instead of being on the side mar
gins the plate numbers will appear
directly over the outside corner
stamp on the two upper positions
and directly under the outside cor
ner stamps of the two lower posi-
tions.
The horizontal dashes will appear
along the bottom margins of the
upper positions and the top margins
of the lower positions In addition,
there will be another row of vertical
dashes on the bottom margins of
the two lower positions. There will
also be vertical dash which will
appear on either the upper right or
top left position.
1t is expected that all commemo-
sative stamps in the future will be
printed in this manner.
The central design for the 3-cent
commemorative stamp which is to be
issued early in November in connec-
ton with the 50th anniversary of
the admission to statehood of North
Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and
Washington, will be geological-col-
of nf
nished by the Geological Survey of
the Interior Department.
The date and places of first-day
sale will be announced later by the
Post Office Department.
The designer of the States COM
memorative is Alvin R. Meissner and
the engravers are: Vignette, Mat
thew D. Fenton; frame and lettering,
William B. Wells.
1t was enormously stated in The
Star last Sunday that the Vatican
City had refused to sign the re-
vised convention of the World Pos
tai Union recently adopted in
Buenos Aires According to off,
cials of the International Postal
Service of the Post Office Depart
ment the Vatican City signed, but
that Italy and Spain with their
colonial possessions and Hungary
joined Germany in refusing to sign.
The Post Office Department plans
to give advance notice when new
denominations of the presidential
series of stamps are available with
the electric eye perforating.
Postal officials state that so far
no plans have been made to estab-
hsh a post office or postal service
at Little America.
Thus, covers carried on the Snow
Cruiser which is to accompany the
Byrd expedition to the South Pole
next month, while bearing a COM
mercial cachet, probably will not be
postmarked until the expedition re-
turns to the United States.
Covers bearing the Canal Zone
provisional stamps in the values of
Il cent and IL cents have been re-
ceived in Washington.
To meet the demand for these de-
nominations, like values of the or
dinary issue of the United States
were overprinted Canal Zone"
The issue was limited to 10000
stamps of each denomination. A
total of 5000 covers were Cancelled
on September l, the date of initial
sale.
In the World War of 1914-191o
many of the British dominions and
colonies imposed a surtax on mail
matter and issued special stamps
for the payment of this levy. In
asmuch as the use of these stamps
was required, they attained listing
as postal issues, although their pur-
pose was revenue rather than frank
ing. The previous great war also
brought number of semi-postal
issues, of which the French orphans |
of the war set is an example. An
other possibility along this line for |
countries not actually engaged in
the war is suggested by the stamp
issued by France a few months
ago to raise money for the refugees
from the Spanish civil war.
utilization of the postage stamp
propaganda purposes was not a prac-
tice in 1914-1918, but the develop
ment of this field, especially in the
totalitarian countries in the last |
decade, suggests the possibility that |
the war activities will increase rath-
er than halt the flood of new issues
from some of the countries.
Almost certain to follow the ad-
justment to state of war are in
creases in postal rates. Like SINH
lar changes in peacetimes, these
revisions will mean new values.
''If the war continues for any
length of time it will cause post
ponement or cancellation of many
proposed new issues and philatelic
events. Holding the Olympic games
in Finland next year is now dubi-
Gus.
"A flood of new material in the
form of soldier mail and censored
letters will revive interest in war
covers, subordinate branch of
philately which now has its own
society of collectors. The war also
can be expected to produce many
new poster stamps and probably
will increase interest in that field"
Present indications are that a
delay in the establishment of the
projected airmail route to New
Zealand is likely, due to the war.
The Civil Aeronautics Authority
will consider the application of
Anyways for permis-
sion to inaugurate the service on
25, and if this company
should decide to start during Oc-
tober as originally planned, an an
will be made In time
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