Getting Behind the Scenes.
Could you inform me if there ever was such a boy as Diego Pinzon, and if so, was he in the crew of the Pinta? Was Martin Alonzo Pinzon the proprietor of the Pinta, as stated by Mr. Coryell, or Gomez Rascona and Christopher Quintero, as stated by Justin Winsor in his Christopher Columbus?
Geneva, Fla.
Leo Rehbinder, R.T.F.
I did not say or mean to convey the impression, in Diego Pinzon, that Martin Alonzo Pinzon was the proprietor of the Pinta. I use the words, "* * * the Pinta, as the vessel of Martin Alonzo was named." I meant the vessel of which he was captain. The phrase is not definite, but is usual. The Pinta belonged to Gomez Rascon and Christoval Quintero, and had been pressed into the service of the expedition.
I have no knowledge that a boy by the name of Diego Pinzon was one of the crew of the Pinta; but I took the liberty of shipping him for the voyage, because there were several boys of his age who went on the expedition, and because there were several Pinzons in the crews of the three vessels. I have no doubt that there was more than one Diego on the expedition. I am certain there were several Pinzons; and so I make my combination of Diego Pinzon.
Cornwall, N. Y.
John R. Coryell.
This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondent should address Editor Stamp Department.
There seems to be no end of changes in the printing of the current United States postage stamps. It has just been discovered that all the plates of the 2-cents, from No. 171 upward, have had the guidelines for cutting the complete sheet of 400 stamps into four sheets of 100 each changed, so that now on each sheet of 100 stamps the inside corner stamps have an extra red line parallel with two of the sides (see diagram in Round Table No. 830). This makes four distinct varieties of the red stamp, which every collector can easily find. 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.
This interesting variety was first seen by a gentleman who is not a collector, but, having unusually sharp eyes, called the attention of a veteran collector to the same.
Speaking of plate-numbers, which are the fashion at present, reminds me that the finest collection of these ever made up was exhibited to the members of the New York Philatelic Society at its last meeting. At the same meeting another member exhibited his West-Indian, and still another his Australasian. Each collection was simply superb. Thousands of dollars were spent in making up the West-Indian and the Australasian collections to where a hundred had been spent on the plate-number collection, and yet each collector had something the others had not, and every one present was greatly pleased by an inspection of all three.
Fred. L. Hawthorne, Kingston, Jamaica, wants to exchange stamps, seeds, etc., with collectors in the U.S.
A. M. J.—Similar questions to yours as to values of coins have been answered several times. When a coin is so worn that the date cannot be read it is usually worthless.
J. Hall.—A pair of 20-cent St. Louis stamps was sold for $5000 to a collector in the East about a month ago.
F. H. Church, Boonville, N. Y., wishes to exchange stamps, birds' eggs, etc.
F. Keller.—The 30-cent Ceylon is worth 12c., the 25-cent Straits Settlements 15c., the 1-cent Shanghai 5c.
S. Thompson.—The Department has discontinued all U. S. envelopes except the 1, 2, 4, and 5c.
J. W. Stevens.—The 1859 cent does not command any premium.
W. F. Scott.—I have sent you a copy of the statutes of the Philatelic Society, New York, the leading society in this country. Monaco issues a regular series of stamps.
W. Comfort.—We do not buy coins. The 1798 cent is catalogued at 20c. The other cent is worth 5c.
J. F. Rodgers.—The 15-cent Columbian, unused, is sold by dealers at 20c. Used is worth 5c.
Philatus.
Have you noticed when discussing household affairs with other ladies that each one has found some special use for Ivory Soap, usually the cleansing of some article that it was supposed could not be safely cleaned at home.
The Procter & Gamble Co., Cin'ti.
