Stamp

“ If we define the philatelist as a lover of postage-stamps, we may very properly express the view that his affections should be chiefly centred upon their historic and philatelic associations. Stamp-collecting for most of us is a recreation and a respite from the anxieties of the money-market, and many collectors are quite content with the joys of collation and research. ”

“ The unused stamps show the pristine condition of the varying shades of successive printings; the used ones enable the collector to place those successive shades in their correct sequence, even to show for what purpose special printings were required. The most evidential items in a stamp collection are often the used copies which have been preserved on the entire original envelope, a fact which gives to the stamp used on the envelope a special value not always to be gauged by the catalogue quotation for an ordinary used copy. ”

“ Our business is to carry his message. We are to speak where God's Book speaks, We are to be silent where the Book is silent. We should all try to do as well as a postage-stamp.
7. The stamp is a non-combatant. When it is licked it does not hit back. It is a peace-lover. It opens not its mouth. So we should learn that when criticism and hardship come to us, when the road is difficult, and we are discouraged, when the enemy does his worst, and Satan tries to dislodge us, we must just stick like a stamp. When we put the stamp on the envelope, we often give it a blow with our fist. ”

“ The proceeds of the impressed stamp on newspapers is an item regarding which the claim of the Post Office to include it in the receipts is sufficiently established by reference to the fact that, though this part of the revenue is collected by another department, the sole purpose for which the stamp is now resorted to is to obtain for the newspaper the advantage of postal transmission. ”

“ Complaints of defective mucilage would be far less frequent if the public would kindly bear in mind that it is the envelope of a letter, or the cover of a packet, and not the postage stamp, which should be moistened when stamps are affixed in prepayment of postage. ”

“ The impressed stamp must be carefully cancelled by Postmasters when the envelopes are posted.
7. An impressed stamp cut from an envelope cannot be used for pre-payment of postage in any shape, and when detached from the envelope on which it was impressed, it loses all value as a postage stamp. ”

“ 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? ”

“ Good paper is used; size of pages 81⁄2 by 11 inches; a neat border surrounds each page and an ornamental band at top for the reception of the name of the country. Neatly printed names are provided on adhesive paper.
Guards or stubs are bound between the pages, so that when filled it will not bulge, it is equally well adapted for postal cards, stamps or envelopes.
One thousand lithographed stamp mounts are furnished with each album. The stamp mounts are on a new plan, a neat black border surrounds the stamp, and the mounts are provided in different sizes for the various stamps. ”

“ The cost of packet collections—The beginner's album—Accessories—Preparation of stamps for mounting—The requirements of "condition"—The use of the stamp-hinge—A suggestion for the ideal mount—A handy gauge for use in arranging stamps—"Writing-up."
It may be reasonable to judge a philatelist by the stamps he has, rather than by the way in which he puts them together in his collection. ”

“ Mr Bright stopped in front of a long table, at which was standing a row of stampers, who passed letters under the stamps with amazing rapidity. Each man or youth grasped a stamp, which was connected with a machine on a sort of universal joint. ”

“ There is a woman, too, who comes to the window and lavishly buys a three-cent stamp, and runs out her tongue, and hangs it over the stamp clerk's shoulder, and lays the stamp back against the glottis and moistens it, and has to run her skinny finger down her turkey gobbler neck to rescue it, and then she pastes it on the upper left-hand corner of the envelope, and asks the clerk to be sure and see that it goes. ”

“ POSTAGE STAMP DEALER,
Solicits business relations with all philatelists. Rarities are always on hand for the advanced collector. Rare stamps bought for cash or taken in exchange.
New issues and novelties always on hand. A fine stock of desirable stamps at very reasonable prices. Selections of stamps on approval sent to responsible parties. Agents wanted for the sale of stamps on liberal commission. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Beyond this I can only advise the reader that, as a complete novice, he would be unwise to purchase costly rarities and valuable stamps from unknown and irresponsible persons. The novice will remain a novice in these matters, unless he acquires some knowledge of the differences (generally readily distinguishable) between a stamp that is from an engraved plate and a forgery that is, say, lithographed or from a wood-cut. ”

“ In the first issue of United States envelopes, in giving the various dies of the three-cent value the catalogue gives the width of the labels in millimetres as showing the dies. The label is the space at top of stamp enclosing the word "Three," and in measuring you take from each side of the label, in some dies the label being curved, and in some it is straight on the ends.
Louis A. Dyar.—There is no half-penny English postage stamp of a dark blue color. A complete catalogue of all stamps can be had of any dealer for about fifty cents. ”

“ One of the characteristics of the stamps manufactured by this Company is that the ink used prevents persons washing, and using the stamps a second time. The fiber in the centre of the stamp is broken completely, and they adhere better, while the ink of cancellation sinks into the paper. The engraving on these stamps are remarkable copies of historical pictures, and bear the test of microscopical examination. ”

“ The same principle will probably be applied to all the other stamps now current.
And still another variety, or curiosity, has just been noticed. The left-hand sheet of the present 15-cent stamp (Plate No. 52) is marked on the margin W. F. G., W. L. C. These initials appear on the upper margin of the sheet, immediately above the first stamp. To the left, on the margin, appear the initials C. S. This is another variety easily obtainable by almost every collector. Of course the stamp must have the entire margin of the sheet, or, still better, keep the entire strip of the top row of ten stamps. ”

“ For every skin or piece of vellum or parchment, or sheet or piece of paper, on which shall be engrossed, written, or printed, any such grant, appointment, or admission, of or to any such public beneficial office or employment, or any exemplification of the same, within all other parts of the British dominions in America, a stamp duty of six pounds. ”

“ Registration stamps have been issued, to be used by the public in prepaying the registration charges on letters passing within the Dominion, or to the United Kingdom or United States, each destination being distinguished by a different colour in the stamp, as well as by a variation in the amount of registration charge and corresponding value of the stamp. ”

“ This Case is not intended to carry about in your pocket. Far from it. People seldom want any other Stamps, on an emergency, than Penny-Stamps for Letters, Sixpenny-Stamps for Telegrams, and a bit of Stamp-edging for cut fingers (it makes capital sticking-plaster, and will stand three or four washings, cautiously conducted) : and all these are easily carried in a purse or pocket-book. ”

“ We may mention that the mania has been increased in such a degree as to lead to the formation of a postage-stamp exchange, the locality being Change Alley, leading out of Birchin Lane.{264} There every evening about fifty boys, and some men, too, may be seen industriously exchanging old disfigured stamps, most of which are carefully fastened in books. ”

“ Mint.—A term used to denote that a stamp or envelope, &c., is in exactly the same condition as when issued by the post-office—unused, clean, unmutilated in the slightest degree and with all the original gum undisturbed.
Mixed (Perforations) .—In some of the 1901-7 stamps of New Zealand, the original perforation was to{36} some extent defective: such portions of the sheet were patched with strips of paper on the back and re-perforated, usually in a different gauge. ”

“ Hill, in his letter to the late Lord Monteagle (then Mr. Spring Rice, and Chancellor of the Exchequer) , seems to have had no thought of the adhesive stamp. He recommends to the Treasury 'that stamped covers and sheets of paper be supplied to the public from the Stamp Office or Post Office ... and sold at such a price as to include the postage.... Covers at various prices would be required for packets of various weights. Each should have the weight it is entitled to carry legibly printed with the stamp.... ”

“ I will exchange my entire collection of stamps, and a stamp album brought from Dresden, Germany, for curiosities of any kind. My collection is a valuable one. It consists of stamps from nearly every country, including South Africa and South America. The United States stamps alone are worth three dollars. There are complete sets of War and Interior, and incomplete sets of Post-office and Agriculture. The whole collection contains 250 stamps and two foreign postal cards. Correspondents will please write on a postal card what they wish to exchange before sending. ”

“ As a matter of record and without any attempt at lists of varieties, which would prove futile, we deem it interesting and important to give such information as is at hand concerning the precancellation of stamps for use on large quantities of identical mail matter, and of the more recent substitute for the precancelled stamp which is known as the "permit". ”

“ 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. ”

“ An extract from my Journal, a few days later, shows how matters were getting on:—
“May 21st.—Several more cases of stamps wholly unobliterated, or very nearly so, have come within my knowledge; and all sorts of tricks are being played by the public, who are exercising their [400] ingenuity in devising contrivances for removing the obliterative stamp, by chemical agents and other means. ”

“ The greater part of the stamps sold at the Post Office in this city are worthless, and have not sufficient gum to make them stick to letters. One can be amused, or become indignant, in watching people who buy stamps, demanding a little mucilage from the clerk, in order to fasten the stamp on their envelopes. ”

“ The officers of Inland Revenue, Somerset House, will place an embossed stamp on any paper or envelope taken to them, equal to the value of any of those above mentioned, or to a combination of any of them, under the following regulations:—
1st. When the stamps required do not amount to 10l. worth one shilling is charged, in addition to the postage stamps, for each distinct size of paper. 2d. When the stamps amount to 10l. worth no fee is charged if one size of paper only be sent. 3d. When the stamps amount to 20l. worth, no fee is charged, and two sizes of paper are allowed ”

“ A ten-cent stamp is to be provided, which, attached to a letter, entitles it to immediate delivery in all cities having 4,000 inhabitants or over, within the carrier limit of any free delivery office, or within one mile of the postoffice. ”

“ In a paper revenue stamp for indicating the contents of a cask, and having thereon a number designing the number of gallons or other measure, providing the stamp, and also its stub or check-piece, with corresponding digital numbers, to be punched out to indicate the units, substantially as described. ”

“ There is one point left in connection with the registration stamps that deserves mention, as it has so frequently been a bone of contention. The 2 cent stamp was formerly listed in brown, and quantities of printer's ink and valuable space have been wasted in discussing its merits. Mr. Donald A. King seems to have been the discoverer of the variety, according to the Halifax Philatelist, [198] where it was exploited in an article which is worth quoting here for its historical value. ”