Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-02-02
News About Stamps

/ News Abe
By james w
The first postage stamps Of the
United States and 10 cent
issues of 1847-might have been BIZ
colored. if the printers had been
permitted to do what they wished
to do with them. Two documents
proving this fact have been dis
covered by Mrs. Catherine L. Man.
ming, philatelic curator Of the
Smithsonian Institution, and with
her cooperation they are made
available to the philatelic public in
The Star today.
Both bear the corporate signature
of RaWdon, Wright, Hatch. Edison,
| the firm of printers responsible
| for the engraving and printing of
the earliest national postal adhe-
siyes. The first is dated: New York,
March 20, 1847, and reads: "The
undersigned propose to engraye steel
dies and to provide steel plates for
five and ten cent stamps for the
u. S. Post Office Department, with
out charge for the same, or for
keeping them in repair, and to fur
Inish stamps for the same on suit
able paper, of the best quality, pre-
pared for use with gum, at the rate
lof twenty-five cents per one thou
sand stamps. The stamps are to be
executed in the best style of line
engraving, and the dies and plates
to belong to, and to be held for
the exclusive use of the Post Office
Department"
Eleven days later, however, the
second communication found by
Mrs. Manning was prepared, ampli-
flying the original offer. It was adj
dressed to w. j. Brown, Second As
Isistant Postmaster General, and
says: 1--WE beg leave to vary the
proposal made by us to furnish the
Post Office stamps, as follows; viz,
In addition to our former proposal,
we will print the figures s. and 10
on the face of the respective stamps,
| in red ink, in such manner as to
render them distinct, and not OBJ
scure the heads. This combination
of colors would add greatly to the
difficulties of counterfeiting the
stamps. We will furnish the stamps,
printed in two colors, as above at
the rate of twenty-five cents per
one thousand stamps; or, we will
furnish them printed in one color,
(the five and ten stamps each in
a different color, if desired, by way
of readily distinguishing them) at
the rate of twenty cents per one
thousand stamps"
In the margin and against the
last half of the last sentence of
this document, an unknown hand
wrote: This bid accepted"
ring to the stamps as they actually
We're issued: SC, red brown; 10c,
black
Both stamps were released on
July /, 1847. They will be reproduced
in souvenir miniature sheet to be
issued in connection with the Cen
tenary International Philatelic Ex-
hibition, Grand Central Palace,
New York, May 1925.
The Secret Service is investigating
counterfeiting racket allegedly be-
ing operated in Ohio. Information
received in Washington last week
indicates that it is possible that
fake copies of the Scent Pony Elk
press commemorative of 1910 and
the Scent Iowa commemorative now
current are being circulated surrep-
titieusly. What makes the story
| hard It'd believe is reinstatement that
the frauds are being offered in the
form OF spanes of so.
Scott Publications, inc, announce
the publication of the 25th 1947)
edition of the Catalogue of United
States Stamps Specialized. Gordon
r. Harmer, Hugh M. and Theresa
M. Clark are the editors. The con-
tents include SGT pages of text and
illustrations. A warning, printed in
the front of the book, says: "Condi-
ton Is the all-important factor of
price, and prices quoted are for fine
specimens"
Thousands OF stamps of phila-
telic value are being destroyed daily
by what postal employees call strip
ping"-the tearing of the lower
right-hand corners of the stamps
as they pass through cancelling
machines. This is caused by the
machines being set too tight. A
simple adjustment corrects the diff
hculty. Collectors receiving covers
with stamps torn should forward
them to the postmasters of the
towns or cities of original mailing
or directly to the Postmaster Gen.
eral with their complaints.
| A bill has been introduced In the
House of Representatives providing
for the minting of souvenir 50-cent
pieces for the centennial Of Wis
! consin in 1913.
The National Geographic Society
publishes a book entitled Cattle of
the World" which contains data
of value to specialists on the stamps
of Uruguay, Argentina, Australia
and other countries in which the
STAMPS AND COINS.
COINS, American and foreign gold silver
Hepner. 402 18th st. NV. DI. 1865.
Uyeno's Stomp Shop