Peeps at Postage Stamps Part 9

1. A crown placed between two stars, with straight bars above and below, the whole forming an oval.

2. A star placed between two noughts; then as No. 1.

As few people know of this rare and interesting form of obliteration, it is quite possible to come across specimens when buying the penny reds in quant.i.ties for reconstructing plates.

Other war stamps are--(1) The Alsace and Lorraine issue, which was printed primarily for military use during the Franco-German campaign; (2) the overprinted issues of Peru, used during the occupation of this republic by Chilian forces; (3) the Egyptian issue overprinted with the word "Soudan," at the time when Lord Kitchener was carrying on the Soudan campaign; (4) the V.R.I. issues of the Transvaal; (5) the Italian issues bearing the overprint "Lybia," current during the Italian-Turkish War; and (6) the many issues which resulted from the Balkan War of 1912.

Before concluding this chapter, it may be well to speak of the Spanish stamps of 1874-1879, and 1898-99, which bear the inscription, "Impuesto de Guerra." These labels were not war stamps in the ordinary sense, but stamps issued to collect a war-tax. After the Carlist War, the insurrection of Cartagena, the Civil War in Cuba, and the Spanish-American War, the Government decided to impose a war-tax upon a number of articles, such as letters, telegrams, theatre tickets and railway tickets. The stamps bearing the above inscription were therefore issued to facilitate the collection of these taxes. When the used copies have done postal duty they may be looked upon as postage stamps, but collectors should avoid purchasing specimens which served for theatre, railway, and the various other uses.

CHAPTER XIV

SOME FAMOUS COLLECTIONS

The ardent philatelist is not only interested in his own collection, but is ever keen on inspecting those of other people. A great treat, therefore, for the reader who lives in London, or who is staying in the great metropolis, is a visit to the British Museum, where the famous Tapling Collection is stored. To find one's way about the vast treasure-house in Bloomsbury is no easy matter, but the stamp exhibits will be quickly located if the visitor, on entering, takes the first public turning to the right and then the first on the left. The cases are placed about half-way down the King's Library, on the right-hand side.

[Ill.u.s.tration: STAMPS COMING FROM COUNTRIES WHICH NO LONGER HAVE SEPARATE ISSUES

1 Victoria 4 Cape of Good Hope 7 Heligoland 2 States of the Church 5 Natal 8 New South Wales 3 South Australia 6 South African Republic 9 Queensland]

The collection is housed in three separate cupboards, and the stamps are arranged under gla.s.s in frames. It may be well to add that the position is not a very good one from the point of view of lighting, and, unless the visitor goes during the brightest part of the day, he will lose much of the enjoyment on this account.

It is difficult to say which are the most interesting specimens in the collection, for nearly all the great rarities are present. The issues of Great Britain, however, are very complete, and should, therefore, be examined with care. Not only are there copies of the "penny blacks" and "twopenny blues," sufficient to delight the heart of any very advanced collector, but there are also copies of the most valuable early surface-printed specimens. Some of the essays--_i.e._, stamps made for purposes of trial--are extremely interesting. These issues, naturally, do not fall into the ordinary collector's possession, but here they are to be inspected in hundreds. There are, for instance, about twenty-five essays, in different colours, of the penny with Queen Victoria's head, which was issued in lilac. There are also countless specimens of the complete 1884 issue in various shades from crimson to blue, whilst the tenpenny value of 1890 is shown in half a dozen different combinations of colour. A very curious essay to be seen here is a penny line-engraved stamp bearing a profile of Prince Consort. Apparently, this tentative label never received official sanction, as the people of Great Britain might have considered the innovation a slight to the Queen they loved.

Among the entires of Great Britain there are many long-forgotten treasures, such as the penny-farthing postcard, the twopenny card, and the South Kensington Jubilee cards.

Of colonial stamps there are some particularly complete sets of early issues. The "Sydney Views" of New South Wales are shown in whole panes of twenty-five, the triangular Capes are given in numbers, whilst the array of early Mauritius adhesives is not to be surpa.s.sed. The postcards of Ceylon are also worthy of mention.

It should be pointed out that some of the greatest rarities have been removed from the ordinary cases and placed in the Cracherode Room, where, however, they can still be viewed at leisure. The whole collection is said to be worth 100,000, was bequeathed to the Trustees of the Museum by the late Mr. T. K. Tapling, M.P., and has been in their hands since 1891. No stamps have been added to the collection since it came into the Trustees' possession, so that specimens of a later date are conspicuous by their absence.

Another fine collection of stamps is possessed by the postal authorities in Newgate Street, but, unfortunately, no facilities are given for public inspection. The labels in this collection are in an unused condition, and consist largely of the specimens which are sent out by every country belonging to the Universal Postal Union. This collection also contains a number of trial and "imprimatur" sheets of British stamps.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS

1 U.S.A.: Columbus issue

2 U.S.A.: Columbus issue

3 Canada: Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee

4 Canada: Penny Postage to Colonies

5 Roumania: Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Establishment of the Kingdom

6 Portuguese India: Vasco da Gama Celebration

7 Switzerland: Jubilee of Postal Union

8 U.S.A.: Jamestown Exhibition issue

9 Italy: Fiftieth year of Kingdom]

King George's collection is probably one of the most interesting in the world. It is a private collection, and therefore not on view; but sections of it, however, have been exhibited from time to time. Mr. F.

J. Melville, who is well acquainted with its contents, tells us in "Chats on Postage Stamps" (p. 312) that--

"The collection contains the original sketch of W. Mulready, R.A., for the famous envelopes and letter-sheets of 1840, to which reference has been made. Then there is the historic pair of sketches in water-colours, roughly executed by Sir Rowland Hill to show the approximate appearance of the penny stamp in black and the twopenny stamp in blue.

"All the Victorian surface-printed series are shown imperforate, including the 3d., with reticulated background; 3d., plate 3 ("dot"); 4d., in lake, watermarked "small garter"; 6d., plate 1 on safety paper, and plate 3 with hair-lines; 9d., plate 3, with hair-lines, and plate 5; 10d., plate 2; 1s., plate 1 on safety paper; plate 3 with hair-lines, 4 in an unissued colour--lilac; 2s., plate 3; 10s., 1, and 5, on blue paper.

"Of the ordinary stamps of King Edward's reign, the Royal collection contains several essays and proofs of great interest. A photograph of a stamp made up from Herr Fuchs's original sketch of King Edward's head, enclosed in the newly designed frame and border, deservedly comes first, and bears the late King's written approval: from this, temporary copper-plates were engraved so that the effect might be noted, and three proofs therefrom are included. Unfortunately, the final result did not come up to the antic.i.p.ated standard, and there was some talk about having a fresh design prepared after the style of the then new Transvaal stamps, but this fell through on the ground of expense; proofs of this also are in the collection, together with various colour-trials of the penny value, as adopted."

The King's collection also contains specimens of--(_a_) The unissued Tyrian-plum twopenny, Great Britain; (_b_) Mauritius penny red, post office; (_c_) British Guiana, many of the 1860-1862 issues; (_d_) some very fine stamps of Nevis, Hongkong, Grenada, Trinidad, and Bermuda.