Evening star., 1944-02-06
Otan1ps
By JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

N. j., has done for United States
stamped envelopes and wrappers
what Linnaeus did for botany. His
recently published Fifth Edition of
Bartels Catalogue of the Stamped
Envelopes and Wrappers OF the
United States and Possessions" re-
duces an important American
branch of universal philately to a
science. The two volumes COM
prising the complete work bring
together in original and systematic
form all the data on the subject
known to be available.
AS explained by Mr.. Thorp him
self, the new catalogue is the first
general enterprise of its kind in
80 years. 1t illustrates AL of the
various types of envelope stamps
(that ever have been issued" For
the first time in a quarter CEN
tury, 1t makes convenient to COL
lectors IAN accurate picture of the
value OF our stamped envelopes"
The specialized study of such ma
terial, Mr.. Thorp relates, began with
an initial price list compiled by j.
Murray Bartels in 1897 and supple
mented by him from time to time up
to 1888. Others who have collab-
GRATED include Thomas Doane Perry,
L. H. Barkhausen, D. ID. Berolz-
heimer, H. A. Burgess, David H.
Burr, Louis A. Missbach, w. Parsons
Todd, Marcus w. White and Frank
lin Patterson II.
Mr.. Thorp also acknowledges the
aid Of a long list of patrons, among
whom are H. A. Robinette, DR..
Lowell Ragatz George van den
Berg, Philip H. Ward, jr.; George
B. Sloane, Harry L. Lindquist.
Eugene Klein, Stephen C. Lyon, F.
H. Farnsworth, Vincent Domanski,
jr.; Hugh M. Clark, DR.. John Buch-
ness, Warner Bates, Richard Mop.
Cabeen and others.
The new catalogue GAO pages)
opens with discussion of the
stamped envelopes manufactured by
George F. Nesbitt & Co. in New
York between 1858 and 1869. All the
eight dies of the premier series of
Scent, Scent and 10-cent envelopes
prior to 1860 are illustrated and de-
scIibed in meticulous detail. Then
follows the second series, denom-
mated "the Star Die" set, Nos. 8 to
IA, l, 3, 6 and 10 cents; the third
series, 1861, Nos. is to 81, 3, 6, 12, 20,
"a and 40 cents, and the fourth
series, l863-l870, Nos. % to 33, 2, 8.
6, 8, II, Is, "a, 30 and 40 cents.
After Mr.. Nesbitts death, George
H. Reay of Brooklyn, N. Y, held the
Government contract for stamped
envelopes and wrappers from 1870 to
1874. The Reay sequence-most of
them beautiful impressions i run
through dies Nos. "a to As with val
ues l, 2, 3, S, 6, 7, 10, u, Is, "a, 80
and 80 cents on many different
colored papers. Mr.. Thorp lists, de-
Scribes and prices each distinct
variety. The same treatment is ac-
corded the envelopes made by the
Plimpton Manufacturing Co., PEmp-
ton & Morgan, Hartford, and
James Purcell, Holyoke, Mass, be-
tween 1874 and 1903.
Dies of the Plimpton- Morgan
Purcell classification were inferior
in artistry. Mr.. Thorp tells the
story of how Reay was deprived of
the contract and died. His only
consolation in the whole matter"
was the knowledge that no one ever
could use his precious dies or dupli-
cate his superb engravings. No one
ever has"
The, "Plimpton dynasty" dies are
pictured from No. 46 to No. los. Next
in order is the Hartford Manufac-
turing Co. 1908 series, dies Nos. 1O6-
ITO, l, 2, and cents. The contract
then passed, as Mr.. Thorp records,
to the Mercantile Corp, Dayton
Ohlo, 19O7-19l5; the Middle West
Supply Co., 1915-1928, and the In
ternational Envelope Co., 1929 to
present date. Every die, variety of
paper, watermark and other dis
tinctive feature of the products of
these firms is represented in the new
catalogue.
Mr.. Thorp also considers the re-
valued stamped envelopes of 1920
and later; the Washington Bicen-
tennial issues of 1882, showing Mount
Vernon; the Grant letter sheets.
1867; airmail envelopes: official
stamped envelopes of every sort:
specimen envelopes; the Nesbitt
heads as surveyed by the late DR..
Victor M. Berthold; the Plimpton
l874s as studied by Marcus w.
White; the centennials of 1876; the
1904 recuts; the Dayton dies; city
types OF revaluations, and stamped
envelopes of the Canal Zone. Cuba
Hawaii, the Philippines and Puerto
Rico.
The second volume of the new
catalogue (96 pages, 91ax12) is more
particularly the fruit of the labors
OF Thomas Doane Perry and Frank
I'm Patterson II. 1t is devoted to
the making of envelopes, beginning
with careful description of the
process involved, the cutting devices
Or knives" used and other tech
nlcal details. Sample envelopes
from each knife" are reproduced in
sketch outline for the guidance of
collectors. A wealth of research has
gone into this portion of the work
as well as into the companion
volume.
Only 1000 copies of the new cat
alogue have been produced. 1t is
understood that more than half of
the total edition already has been
disposed Of.
Stamp meetings for the week are
listed as:
Tuesday evening at 8-Collectors'
Club of Washington, Thomson
School, Twelfth and L streets NV.
Auction of foreign and domestic
stamps and covers.
Wednesday evening at 8-Wash-
ington Philatelic Society, Lee Shera-
ton Hotel, Fifteenth and L streets
NV. Morton o. Cooper will ex-
hibit and discuss United States mill
tary stamps prepared for use in
Tto1u