Peeps at Postage Stamps Part 6

GERMANY.--Nearly all the rarer stamps have been copied; specimens should be accepted with caution.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.--Triangular issues, 1853-1864. G. has knee of "Hope"

rounded; F., angular. If top line of knee produced to border, it cuts through the centre of the letter "S." in "Postage," in G. but through letter "O" in F.

CYPRUS.--The line-engraved Great Britain issue with overprint. In this case forged overprints have been added to genuine stamps. Forgeries have the "C" in "Cyprus" thicker than the other letters, also the "Y" set higher than other letters. The extreme length from "C" to "S" is seldom accurate, as given in catalogues, in F.

FRANCE.--The five francs, 1869. F. perforated 13; G. perforated 13-1/2.

Also F. has dots in corner of frame, not rounded as in G.

MAURITIUS.--Many of the earlier issues F.

NEVIS.--The shilling green, 1861. In G. ink seems to stand up from paper, but flat in F. The lines on woman's arm are straight in G., but in dots in F.

NEW SOUTH WALES.--The stamps known as "Sydney Views" have been largely copied. The large fivepenny, sixpenny, eightpenny, and shilling often had unusually wide margins when perforated. The faker has trimmed off the tooth edges, and called the stamps the rare imperforated specimens.

NOVA SCOTIA.--Some of the fine early issues have been lithographed in F., while the G. were engraved.

STATES OF THE CHURCH.--These stamps have been largely reprinted from original dies. Only stamps on original envelopes should be accepted by the novice.

PORTUGAL.--Many of the surcharged issues have been forged; the overprinted words being imitations.

SEDAN.--No genuine stamps ever existed; all were spurious.

SIERRA LEONE, 1872-1881.--A type of stamp that is representative of many others. F. lithographed, with the delicate lines on the face as heavy as those const.i.tuting the background.

UNITED STATES.--Early issues often had a grille--_i.e._, an embossed series of lines to prevent removal of obliteration without being noticed. F. seldom have grille.

CHAPTER IX

PIONEERS OF POSTAGE

In a previous chapter we spoke of the penny black of 1840 as the first postage label to be given to the world. The reader must not suppose from this remark that the appearance of the stamp coincided with the commencement of an organized postal system in Great Britain. Such a thing as a post was known to exist in this country as far back as the year 1609, but not until some thirty years later were its operations extended to the public in general.

Across the sea, in France, the idea of letter-carrying was also developing in this period of stress and struggle. In the year when Cromwell was installed as "Protector," a Comte de Villayer was permitted to place pillar-boxes in the thoroughfares of Paris and provide the inhabitants with a local postal service. Villayer seems to have been greatly concerned as to the best method of collecting the postage on the letters placed in his charge until the idea of issuing a wrapper bearing some distinctive design occurred to him. These paper bands were placed on sale in a number of shops, and cost two sous apiece. Each letter had to be wrapped in one of them, which Villayer's men tore off prior to effecting delivery. The system is of unusual interest to philatelists, because the ornamental wrapper devised by this Frenchman supplies us with the origin from which postage stamps sprang.

At home the business of letter-carrying was growing with considerable rapidity, considering how troublous were these times. Villayer's counterpart in London was a man named Dockwra. He organized a system of depots throughout the city for receiving correspondence. People took their letters to these depots, paid the postage in actual coin, and an attendant franked the communications by means of a hand stamp. This was a device exactly similar to the obliterating stamps seen to-day on the counters of our post offices. Dockwra's hand stamp bore a triangular design bearing the curious legend, "Post Payd, Peny."

We now know the history of the first stamped wrapper, the first franking stamp, and the first adhesive stamp. At this point we will speak of the first stamped envelope. The "Mulready," as this pioneer envelope was called, owed its origin to Sir Rowland Hill and his co-workers. The penny black adhesive label was considered to be too great an innovation by Sir Rowland's followers, and, as a sort of compromise, it was decided to issue a stamped envelope as an alternative to the penny adhesive. The two were placed on sale at the same moment, and, curiously enough, the adhesive immediately proved a tremendous success, whilst the Mulready only received slight favours. This happened in spite of the fact that the authorities were confident that the stamped envelope would prove the more popular of the two.

The Mulready was a curious, if not weird, production. The design covered half of the face of the envelope, and consisted of Britannia surrounded by people and animals treated symbolically. The paper used for the envelope bore the silk threads spoken of in an earlier chapter.

The Mulready deserved a better fate. All the comic papers at the time reproduced grotesque imitations of it; every wit used it disparagingly, and in all ways it became a b.u.t.t for humour. Perhaps the best-known caricatures of this unfortunate envelope were those produced by Doyle, a boy of fifteen. Though his drawings never received postal sanction, they are often sold by stamp dealers and treasured by collectors as curiosities.

Before leaving the Mulready, we must admit that two other envelopes claim to be older than this production of Sir Rowland Hill. The first is the special-letter cover, which was issued to members of Parliament in January, 1840, and the second, the New South Wales embossed envelope of 1838. Of the former we need only say that its use was merely of a private nature, whilst of the latter our knowledge is very imperfect and hardly trustworthy.

The first postcard was issued by Germany in comparatively recent times; its use was suggested by Dr. von Stephan, a high authority in postal matters. The pioneer letter-card emanated from the Kingdom of Belgium, and bore a red ten centimes stamp with the head of Leopold II.

Having discussed the earliest forms of postal stationery, it will be interesting to examine certain of the adhesive stamps which claim notoriety on account of their positions as pioneers. The first stamp of all, as we have said before, was the penny black of Great Britain, but the earliest issue of foreign stamps (_i.e._, omitting those of Great Britain) dates from the year 1843, and came from Brazil. The labels are not attractive in appearance; they are large, and bear large numerals surrounded by a circular background of filigree work. They have been nicknamed, not inappropriately, the bull's eye stamps of Brazil. The stamps remained in currency but one year, and are, therefore, rare.

It is rather curious to think that Brazil--a republic not usually a.s.sociated with progressive measures--should have been, with Great Britain, the only country to issue stamps for nine whole years after their introduction. In short, no other Government issued adhesives until the January of 1849. On the first of that month, however, both Belgium and France provided stamps for the convenience of their people. The Belgian stamp consisted of two varieties--the ten centimes, dark brown, and the twenty centimes, blue, both bearing a head and shoulder engraving of Leopold I. In France one label was issued; it bore the value of ten centimes, in dark brown, and was ornamented with the head of Ceres. These three specimens were, therefore, the first adhesives to receive recognition on the Continent.

It is pleasing to note how Brazil, Belgium, and France, all imitated Great Britain in the colour and values of their first issues; it is also an interesting coincidence that the earliest labels of all these countries, Great Britain included, were extremely short-lived.

The first colonial stamps were the two Mauritius "line-engravings,"

which were described at length in the chapter dealing with rare specimens.

The first picture stamp is often taken to be the large Congo adhesive bearing a view of the port of Matadi, whilst sometimes pride of place is awarded to the Columbus ship stamp of the Argentine Republic. In reality neither of these can claim the honour of being the forerunner of our picture issues, an honour which rightly belongs to the early "Sydney Views" of New South Wales. These latter stamps are extremely scarce, and change ownership for from 5 to 10 a copy.

Turning now to the stamps of our Mother Country, the penny black may be again mentioned as being the first adhesive to bear the head of Queen Victoria. King Edward was first revealed to us philatelically by the halfpenny, penny, twopence-halfpenny, and sixpenny values of Great Britain--these four stamps being issued on the same day, January 1, 1902. King George's earliest stamp was the twopence-halfpenny label issued by the Union of South Africa.

CHAPTER X

COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS

In recent times it has become fashionable, in certain countries, to celebrate national events by means of special issues of stamps. The idea is a very acceptable one so long as it is not abused. Unfortunately, however, we must say that many countries do abuse this interesting way of commemorating their historic achievements. The consolidation of an empire, the discovery of a continent, the centenary of a great victory, are all matters of history which we are glad to see recorded in the pages of the stamp alb.u.m; but when a series of labels is issued to acquaint the world of the death of an unheard-of poet, or the erection of an obscure post office, then we can only surmise that the stamps were printed more for philatelic than postal purposes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NOTED STATESMEN OF U.S.A.

1 Washington 5 Franklin 9 Zachary Taylor 2 Franklin 6 Grant 10 Jackson 3 Lincoln 7 Washington 11 Jefferson 4 Webster 8 Washington]

Commemorative stamps coming from most European countries, also the British Colonies, may usually be accepted for collecting purposes, but those which hail from one or other of the South American republics should be purchased with caution. Some of these Governments simply cast around for events to celebrate, hoping that each new issue will help to swell the national exchequer in no little measure.

Probably the first celebration issue of any country was the penny envelope of Great Britain, bearing a blue stamp, which appeared on July 2, 1890. The occasion was the jubilee of the "Uniform Penny Postage," an event which was celebrated by a festival held in the South Kensington Museum.

The envelope is undoubtedly attractive. Beyond the familiar profile portrait of Queen Victoria, and an artistic rendering of her coat of arms, it bears a picture of the North Mail coach making for Highgate in 1790 at eight miles an hour. In contrast to this antiquated method of locomotion we are also shown the North Mail railway express approaching Carlisle at forty-eight miles an hour. Two other figures, one a letter-carrier of 1840, and the other a postman of 1890, complete the ornamentation.

This envelope, and a correspondence-card enclosed within it, which appropriately bears a portrait of Sir Rowland Hill, was sold by post offices on the one day only for sixpence. Though it is a curiosity worth obtaining, there is little demand for it, and dealers are glad to supply copies even now at the original price.

Among the stamps of our Colonies, those of Newfoundland have always been attractive; but probably the set which was issued to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of the island by Jean Cabot is the most interesting of all. Cabot, it will be remembered, though born in Genoa, settled in Bristol as a merchant. In 1497 he was commissioned by Henry VII. to search for undiscovered lands. He set out with two small ships, and sighted first Newfoundland, then Cape Breton Isle, and afterwards Nova Scotia. In 1498 he died.

From Newfoundland to Canada is not a great distance. To this British Dominion we are indebted for two fine commemorative sets. The first, that of 1897, was issued in honour of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, and the second to celebrate the tercentenary of the founding of Quebec.

This town, on the St. Lawrence River, owes its origin to Jacques Cartier, a Frenchman born at St. Malo. Cartier sailed from his native port in 1534 accompanied by two small vessels of twenty tons apiece. He landed on the Gaspe sh.o.r.es and claimed the territory for French sovereignty. His stay was of short duration, for we read that in 1535 he again set out from St. Malo, and this time sailed up the mouth of the St. Lawrence and landed at a little native settlement, which afterwards received the name of Quebec. (_Kebek_ is the Indian for "The Rock.") We are bound to state that little came of Cartier's exploits, for not until Champlain visited the district many years later, with the dual purpose of spreading Christianity and opening up commerce, did the French settlement prosper.

The pictures on the stamps are of interest. The 1 cent portrays both Cartier and Champlain; the 5 cents gives a picture of the latter's house; the 7 cents introduces Montcalm and Wolfe; the 10 cents reveals Quebec in 1700; the 15 cents depicts Champlain's departure for the interior, then an almost unknown world; whilst the 20 cents is inscribed "Cartier's arrival before Quebec."

Another set of commemorative stamps comes from Barbados, its object being to celebrate the heroic exploits of Nelson--the Battle of Trafalgar in particular. The tragedy which was enacted on board the _Victory_, almost, if we may so express it, at the moment of victory, the mournful journey to England, the lying-in-state at Greenwich, and the funeral in St. Paul's Cathedral, are all too well known to need description; but it is less well known that Horatio Nelson spent many of his early years of seamanship in the West Indies, and particularly in and around the Barbados. It is on this account that a fine monument has been erected to his memory in this Colony, and a set of stamps was issued to mark the unveiling.

Australasia has not given us many celebration stamps, but those which have come from the Antipodes are extremely interesting. What could be more stirring than the design on the three-halfpenny 1901 khaki stamp of New Zealand? It was issued to mark the departure of troops on their way to the fighting-line in South Africa.

Another interesting set of stamps was provided some twenty years ago by New South Wales to remind the world that it had been a colony for just over a century. One of the values bears a portrait of Captain Cook, who discovered the Colony in 1770; whilst another reveals, appropriately enough, the features of Captain Arthur Phillips, the founder of the first convict settlement on these Australian sh.o.r.es. Up till the time of Phillips our prisoners had been banished to America, but after the war, which gained for the New England States their independence, this outlet was closed to our exiles, and fresh fields were found in New South Wales.