Stanley C. Johnson

“ Encircling all this is the union wreath, consisting of roses, thistles, shamrocks, and appropriate leaves, all growing from the same stalk—a very pleasing allusion to the fusion of England, Ireland and Scotland. Then comes the array of battle honours; when these are numerous they are placed upon a wreath which in turn encircles the union wreath. This wreath is usually composed of green foliage, but when the groundwork of the flag is of this hue, the wreath is golden. When the battle honours are not numerous, a few are placed on either side, also above and below the union wreath. ”

“ The inscriptions on the specimens teach us these matters.
Fifthly, stamp-collecting assists us to gain a real knowledge of history. Ask any collector when Columbus discovered America? Who was Prince Henry the Navigator? Over what country did King Amadeus reign? What form of government is possessed by Paraguay? His answers will be far more intelligent than those given by a non-collector.
But the foregoing are not the only matters which our stamps teach us. What is the difference between an engraving and a lithograph, between cream-laid paper and wove paper, between magenta and cerise? ”

“ The American War of Independence, as the reader may justly suppose, marks another period in the history of military flags. In those days it was customary, though not the immutable rule, to carry these emblems into the line of battle, and as this period of fighting brought us many reverses the effect on the colours was often disastrous. Many were taken by the enemy, many more were worn to shreds, and a few were hidden and lost. It is forgotten by some of us that American raiders infested our shores and sank numbers of British vessels. The toll of ships led, at times, to the loss of colours. ”

“ Hannibal, we know, raised the famous white and crimson Spanish regiments, and then, of course, there were the Crusaders, who wore the ordinary clothes of the times, ornamented with crosses of distinctive colours.
With the decline of armour, retainers went into battle robed in the cloth liveries of their masters, whilst the mercenaries wore the usual dress of civilians. The drawback to such an arrangement was obvious. Men could never tell who were their friends and who their foes, and unnecessary slaughter was consequently committed. ”

“ When a hundred or more varieties have accumulated, an album should be procured. These may be obtained at all prices and in a bewildering variety of patterns. Too often the young philatelist provides himself with a voluminous album in which his tiny but growing collection appears as a drop of water in the ocean. It is far better to buy a small, cheap album which may serve as a temporary home until the treasures have grown sufficiently numerous to warrant a more expensive one.
Many collectors prefer to house their stamps in a scrap-book containing a number of fairly stout, smooth, blank leaves. ”

“ THE COLOURS OF THE INFANTRY Each regiment of the Infantry possesses two colours, the King’s colour—which is known as the Queen’s, when the reigning sovereign is a woman—and the regimental colour. There are two exceptions to this rule: (a) rifle regiments do not carry these emblems, and (b) a few units possess a third colour, usually awarded for some service of exceptional merit.
The King’s colour in every Infantry regiment consists of the Union flag with the regimental badge or number placed in the centre of the St. George’s Cross, the imperial crown figuring above whichever device is used. ”

“ Vanity seems to play an important part in the lives of people—at least, this is the testimony which many of our stamps bear out. Some men like Connell crave for such notoriety as a postage stamp can afford them, but there are others—crowned heads—who will not allow their features to be portrayed upon the labels of their country, lest the obliteration marks may render them grotesque. ”

“ The reverse side of British medals before the Indian specimens were issued usually depicted the features of a royal personage, a coat of arms, or, perhaps, a sailing vessel. But the greatest influencing factor of the Indian medals was the method of granting them. Every soldier from the highest general down to the lowest fighter received an award. In England quite a different custom prevailed. With the single exception of the Dunbar medal, no English soldier was ever awarded a royal medal until Waterloo, unless his conduct had been unusually brave and he had merited some special recognition. ”

“ STANDARDS, GUIDONS AND DRUM BANNERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY, DRAGOON GUARDS, AND CAVALRY OF THE LINE Among the grandest and most attractive flags which are flown in any part of the world, those of the British Cavalry must be assigned a high position, for, without being gaudy, they are beautiful, elaborate, gaily coloured and full of historic detail. ”

“ Viewed in this light, every obliterated specimen which figures in our collection is a curiosity.
There are, however, other kinds of curious stamps which are worth discussing. Who, for instance, would ever dream that a stamp could cause serious disturbance among a whole race of some millions of people? Yet this is what happened quite recently in India. The offending stamp was the two annas, bearing a profile portrait of King George. ”

“ Nelson says: "Such a debasement of a country's coinage as we have seen above must ever be regarded as a sign of national weakness: also, from the sense of insecurity so engendered, it must inevitably bring disaster in its train, and such a fate overtook the cause of James alike in Ireland and in England. It was doubtless the intention of King James to redeem his gun-money coins, month by month, as opportunity permitted. Circumstances, however, decreed otherwise, as after the Battle of the Boyne he departed for France and was compelled to leave his adherents to their fate." ”

“ In their place, boldly and resolutely stands the regimental number, simple in form, easily recognised, easily remembered, forming a rallying point in the minds of soldiers, which, as decade after decade passed away, became indissolubly connected with some glorious deed, in its turn becoming a matter of history, adding lustre to the regimental number, and so, gradually, but surely, building up that wonderful esprit de corps which has stood the nation in good stead on so many occasions. ”

“ Armour collecting takes up a good deal of room and, in these days of small suburban houses and town flats, it is not every one who can house such treasures without causing them untold damage.
The third point is the most serious of all; it may be stated briefly. There are so many dangerous forgeries to be met with that the untutored collector may become bewildered and so lose his love for the hobby.
Upon the Continent there are thriving factories where armour, of the rarest kinds, is imitated, not for sale as reproductions but in order to cheat the uninitiated. ”

“ Every boy and girl—and, we might add, man and woman—should collect stamps. Our reasons for making this statement are many.
First, stamp-collecting is a highly fascinating pursuit, which helps to while away countless pleasant hours. On this score alone it is worth following.
Secondly, it encourages methodical habits. We examine our stamps carefully, we discriminate between the good and the bad specimens, we keep a watch for minor varieties, we marshal our treasures in correct order, and so on. ”

“ At the battle of Albuhera, in 1811, a colour of the 3rd Buffs was carried by Ensign Thomas. The French attacked in great force, and, surrounding Thomas, called upon him to give up the silken banner. Thomas’s answer was discourteous, but to the point; a moment later he lay dead, and the French bore away the flag with triumph. To the credit of the Buffs, we must add that the emblem was back in their possession before nightfall. These are just a few cases in which men have been ready, and even eager, to make the great sacrifice rather than lose their colours. ”

“ For the benefit of the uninitiated, it may be well to mention that not only does the value of a medal depend upon its state of preservation—that is to say, whether it is in mint condition, slightly rubbed, much worn, scratched, battered, re-engraved, etc.—but also upon the number of clasps that go with it. It must not be thought that collectors tolerate the indiscriminate adding of clasps to claspless medals. A medal that was awarded with, say, one additional honour cannot be turned into a three-clasp decoration by purchasing two clasps from a dealer and placing them upon the slide ribbon. ”

“ Reprints are difficult to distinguish from the original stamps, but as a rule slight differences in colour prove sufficient clues to their identity. Often the correct kind of paper and watermark are unobtainable by those who print them, and then the merest novice may detect their origin with the aid of a catalogue.
There are so many undesirable stamps to be found on the market in an unused condition that the beginner may feel that the safest plan will be to confine his attentions to obliterated varieties alone. ”

“ The standard of cavalry, or the King’s colour of battalions of infantry, is not to be carried by any guard or trooped, except in the case of a guard mounted over the King, the Queen, and Queen Mother, or any member of the Royal Family, or over a Viceroy, and is only to be used at guard mounting, or other ceremonials, when a member of the Royal Family or a Viceroy is present, and on occasions when the National Anthem is appointed 4to be played; at all other times it is to remain with the regiment. ”

“ Royal Souvenirs.—In the time of Waterloo the soldier in the ranks received few of the little considerations which we now feel are the hero's just reward. Tommy was paid for his work and there the matter ended. To-day, however, the position has changed. We, who stay at home, can hardly think enough of those who are fighting our battles: such is the spirit shown by every one from the King down to the humblest citizen living within the realm. ”

“ That the picture stamps reposing in our collections are highly instructive as well as interesting needs little argument. We can sit in an armchair and learn the geography of half the world by means of the stamps bearing maps; we may wander, mentally, as far as the Antipodes, thanks to the stamps bearing views; we may learn about the birds of the air and the beasts of the forests from the stamps bearing animals. Matters of architecture, heraldry, local customs, mythology, and history, are other subjects which we may become acquainted with from our postage adhesives. ”

“ Reasons for compiling a history of one's collection—The part played by photographs—Armour suggested as an example—Material for grangerizing
In this concluding chapter we have a suggestion to make to the collector of ample leisure moments; briefly, it is that he should draw up a history of his treasures. Such a work has many valuable advantages; first, it helps to co-ordinate the pieces which our collection contains; second, it provides work of a fascinating nature; third, it leads us to hunt through books and collections and so increases our knowledge ”

“ Some forgers possess elaborate and costly plant, and have the means of turning out labels printed quite as well as the originals. But most people in this dishonest trade are handicapped for capital, and have to rely on the cheaper processes—usually lithography—in the production of their forgeries. It is here that a knowledge of the various means of printing stamps proves so valuable to the collector. ”

“ The Yorkshire Dragoons and the Yorkshire Hussars must not be confused. The first has a blue cloth bearing the white rose and the title, “Queen’s Own,” whilst the second displays a deep scarlet, almost black, drum banner, with the white rose, the plume of the Prince of Wales, and the title “Princess of Wales’s Own.”
In our limited space it has only been possible to give the chief features of these drum banners—sufficient, however, to assist the reader in recognising the appointments. They are, we must add, of the utmost beauty, and equal in point of interest to those of the regular Cavalry. ”

“ The dignity which enshrines a collection of war medals is something greater and fuller than that which can be ascribed to almost any other branch of curio collecting. Coins, china, furniture, and prints are all fascinating in their way, but none seem to have the same depth of interest as is possessed by the average collection of war medals. ”

“ So far these talks have dealt almost entirely with ways and means of stamp-collecting, but now our attention must be centred on the stamps themselves. We naturally turn to the issues of Great Britain, the first specimen to be considered being the "penny black," bearing a portrait in profile of Victoria the [Pg 28] Good. Not only was this stamp the first to be issued within our kingdom, but it was also the pioneer stamp, of the whole world. It is thus one of the most interesting labels which can figure among the treasures of any collection. ”

“ Fortunately, we have now reached an age when valuable lives can be no longer spent in defending military flags against the onslaughts of enemy rivals, for, to-day, there is a rule in our army regulations which forbids the taking of colours into the field of action. ”

“ But though these works, illustrated with military prints, are costly, the collector of moderate means may gather together quite an extensive collection of the pictures, torn from the complete works, at no great outlay. It may seem surprising to all of us who are curio-lovers but it is a fact that there are still people who are so ignorant of the value of books and pictures that they will snatch out the illustrations from priceless volumes and sell the former for a few coppers, throwing away the letterpress. ”

“ The colour, pattern, watermark, approximate market value and date of issue of every postage stamp may then be learnt with certainty.
We must guard against cramping the specimens too closely together. In order that our collection may grow naturally, space must be left for additions which may reasonably be expected to fall into our possession. Every distinct issue should be started on a fresh line, and room must be allowed at the end of a country for future issues. [Pg 11]
As to the stamps which ought and which ought not to be admitted into the album, a great deal could be written. ”

“ Cavalry flags are known as standards when they are square and guidons when swallow-tailed. The Household Cavalry and the Dragoon Guards possess standards and the Dragoons fly guidons. To the student of military emblems, it is somewhat disappointing to find that Hussars and Lancers have no flags with which to display their splendid traditions. In their case, we must be content to examine the cloths or banners hung around their drums. Before taking each regiment separately, it may be useful to state that a standard, without the red and gold fringe, measures 2 ft. ”

“ The Nepaul medal was the next to be struck by the Honourable East India Company. It bears the date of 1816. In granting this award, a departure was made from the usual custom of giving a decoration to every soldier, or his heirs, who actually set out from home with an expeditionary force. In this case, the medal was granted, first, to officers who reached the fighting area and, second, to the men who conducted themselves with conspicuous bravery. Mayo says that the feeling was probably gaining ground that too many medals were being struck and their value was becoming lessened in consequence. ”

“ The V.R. penny black is another stamp of the Home Country which every philatelist should know about. It is a famous label, not because it has ever made history or fulfilled any important mission, but because people have grown to look upon it as a rare form of the ordinary penny black. In reality the V.R. stamps never attained to the dignity of a postal label, for, although intended for official use, the authorities decided at the last moment not to make the issue, and destroyed the stock. ”

“ The imperial crown also appears, and the whole is framed by a laurel and oak wreath. The red rose ensigned by a crown figures in the two lower corners. The City of London Rough Riders have an attractive purple banner bearing the City arms within a circle and a wreath. The 1st County of London, better known as the Duke of Cambridge’s Hussars, favours a green cloth, having, as central badge, a seven-pointed crowned star, within a wreath. The Duke’s cypher appears in the four corners, and the regimental motto, “Pro aris et focis,” is given on the star. ”

“ There are one or two kinds of military curios which we should not attempt to collect. First, we should avoid all such large objects as take up more house-room than we can afford to spare them, and secondly, we should refrain from accepting objects the genuineness of which it is impossible to verify. Concerning this latter class, it may be appropriate to mention that we have never visited the battlefield of 23
25Waterloo without meeting a particularly eloquent man who always tells us that he has just had the good fortune to dig up some trophy or other of the famous fight. ”

“ One matter which often puzzles the novice is how to decide whether two particular stamps are similar or different. If there is the slightest variation in— (a) Design; (b) method employed of printing; (c) colour; (d) method employed for separating the individual stamps; (e) texture of paper; (f) watermark—then the two stamps may be looked upon as being different, and both should be placed in the album. Certain stamps bear designs on their reverse side—i.e., the horn on early issues of Sweden. Copies both with and without the design should be added to the collection. ”

“ It is ordained that in the event of a gallant and daring act having been performed by a squadron not under 50 in number, or by a brigade, regiment, troop, or company in which the admiral, general, or other officer commanding such force may deem that all are equally brave and distinguished, and that no special selection can be made by them; then in such case, the admiral, general, or other officer commanding, may direct, that for any such body of sailors or soldiers, one officer shall be selected by the officers engaged for the decoration ”