The cancellation may also be a factor in the relative scarcity of a used specimen. Coloured postmarks often have some special significance or may be merely accidental applications of the "chops" to the wrong inking pad. In the price list already mentioned I find the Penny Black quoted with the various coloured Maltese cross postmarks (ordinary used copies, not on "entire") as follows:—red 8d., black 9d., blue 60s., violet 40s., marone 4s., brown 5s., orange 7s. 6d., yellow 15s., vermilion 4s., carmine 2s. 6d.
THE ONE PENNY "POST OFFICE" MAURITIUS ON THE ORIGINAL LETTER-COVER.
(From the "Duveen" Collection.)
Beyond the items the character of which I have indicated as desirable in the historical collection, there are others, which will readily suggest themselves to the collector who develops a keen enthusiasm for his specialité. Portraits of persons concerned in the production of the stamps and in their use often lend an enhanced interest to the collection as a whole, and sometimes maps are conveniently inserted in the album to show the geographical disposition of the places where stamps were issued or used. No one can expect those who have not studied the particular specialité to understand, without such a guide, the use of the "zemstvo" stamps of Russia, the courier stamps of Morocco, the Treaty-Port stamps of China, the provisionals of Mexico, or the Chilian stamps used in the Peruvian campaign of 1881-3.
In concluding this chapter I would allude to the interest and value of the collector's acquisition and preservation of modern documents. In the present day there are few events of importance that are not duly chronicled in the newspapers, and events of philatelic interest are largely recorded in the newspapers specially devoted to Philately, such as The Postage Stamp (weekly) in Britain and Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News in the United States. But with the enormous increase in bulk of newspaper records, they are becoming constantly more difficult of ready access for information on many points of even considerable importance. Further, the original Act, Decree, Postal Notice included within the album containing the stamps referred to leaves no room for any question of printer's errors, which may often crop up in newspaper reproductions, telegraphed perhaps in cipher from a distant colony. Among modern items added to my own collection I regard the card sent out by the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, as Premier and Postmaster of New Zealand, on the establishment of Universal Penny Postage from that colony as of historic interest.
Another is a typewritten circular calling for designs from artists in competition for the new stamps of the Australian Commonwealth, and I was recently indebted to a correspondent in Pretoria for sending me the following notice, the historic interest in which needs no enlarging upon from me.