Evening star., 1946-01-27


# the composition were distributed
~ the Post Once Department In
Bureau on Tuesday. The
lesign significantly carries the in
cription: Peace and War"
A stamp to mark the l50th ami
'ersary of the admission of Ten
1essee to the Union will be issued
IN or about June /.
When the So-called Farley Fol-
lies went on sale on March Is, 1885,
The Star reported that they "dif.
fer from the unique originals in
color and workmanship" The
Scent Parks stamp, for example,
was found to be a red violet in
the de luxe sheets which the Post
master General had given or sold
to limited number of personal
friends, including President Roose-
velt, and deep violet in the reprints.
Similarly, the 1-cent Parks was
yellowish green in the originals and
a banknote green in the reproduce
tions. Amateurs, people who knew
and cared nothing about philately,
recognized the differences at
glance. The Star, therefore, sug-
gested that: "The original de luxe
sheets will retain their special
character and value as rarities."
Many practical reasons supported
the opinion thus expressed. The
Farley reprints were produced with
mixed inks, and the mixtures only
roughly approximated those used in
the manufacture of the original gift
sheets and the ordinary issues
which followed them on the presses
at the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing. Also, the plates were
new and unmarried when the gift
sheets were run, but old and worn
and blemished when the reprints
were printed. Under a glass the
lines Of the de luxe sheets were
sharp and clearly defined, while
the reprints showed many delicate
lines missing entirely and other,
heavier lines blurred ana indis-
tinct.
The differences between the two
editions were demonstrated at the
first American Philatelic Congress
at Philadelphia in December, 1885,
where portions of the gift sheets
were exhibited side by side with
normal printings and the Farley
reprints. Gerard Ten Eyck Beck
man, in a paper read before the
congress, disclosed exactly what
had happened and prophesied that
the editors of the Scott
Catalogue of United States Stamps
Specialized would be obliged to list
the gift sheets separately.
But spokesmen for the Post Of
flee Department took the position
that the Farley reprints were in
fact true and perfect copies" of
the gift sheets, and several phila-
tehc writers agreed with them that
in effect the harm done by the
Postmaster Generals indiscreet dis
tribution of unfinished stamps to
Mr.. Roosevelt and other friends had
been corrected by the issuance Of
the reprints-for which, by the way,
collectors paid in excess Of $780,
600.
Now, however, the official attitude
concerning the reprints and the
gift sheets is challenged with an
authority which is not apt to be
overruled. The catalogue of "the
famous and valuable general coll
lection OF postage stamps formed
by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Pres.
ident of the United States OF Amer
lea, 1933-l945." published by H. r,
Harmer, Inc, New York, last week.
refers to the gift stamps in these
words; The following 25 lots COM
prise imperforate stamps made at
the time of the issued perforated
stamps and in many instances are
identiflable from the special print
ing of 1885 by the shades"
A more accurate description
would substitute for the phrase
many instances" the phrase every
instance"
Mr.. eeckman, incidentally.
mounted 20 volumes of Mr.. Roose-
velt's cover collection, scheduled to
be sold at auction on February 4
and 5, Among the books he assem-
bled is the celebrated group of
"brickbats and bouquets"-52 en-.
Velopes address to the late President
in terms ranging all the way from
The Greatest Mind in the World"
to Benedict Arnold H."
The Capital Precancel Club will
meet at Weeks Stamp Shop, 1929
New York avenue NV, tomorrow
evening at and on each foffth
Monday evening in the month
thereafter until further notice, Wis.
itors welcome.
Floyd M. Williams, general super.
intendent of mail traffic for the
American Airlines System, will be
guest speaker at a meeting of the
Collectors Club of Washington at
1912 Ninth street NV. Tuesday eve
ming at 8. He will explain ar
rangements for handling covers on
FAM-24 first flights next month.
Public invited.
The stamp editor of The Star
would be obliged if any reader
kindly would communicate to him
the present address Of Waldon FaW-
cett. a distinguished newspaper and
magazine writer who once resided
at Cherrydale, Va, and who still
earlier was a small boy collecting
stamps at Salem, Ohio.