Peeps at Postage Stamps

by Stanley C. Johnson

Some method must be adopted for the arrangement of the stamps in the album. Beginners are apt to fix the specimens in no particular order, merely one after the other as they come into their possession; but this is clearly a wrong plan to follow. Either of the following methods is worth adopting:

1. Sort out the stamps of each country according to the prices printed on them, and then stick all the specimens of one value together, but in order of age.

2. Sort out the stamps of each country according to their issues; then arrange each set in the album, in ascending order of the values.

To follow either of these plans, we must know the date of issue of all our specimens. This, of course, requires a certain amount of knowledge, but information of such a kind comes with marvellous rapidity when once the collector's interest has become fully aroused. As a guide, however, a catalogue such as the one published by Messrs. Stanley Gibbons, Ltd., should be procured. 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.

As to the stamps which ought and which ought not to be admitted into the album, a great deal could be written. In the first case, it is well to rule out every specimen which is not perfect in every detail. Torn stamps are almost worthless—even though they may be copies of rarities—and on no account should a place be found for them in the collection. There is no need to throw them away or get rid of them; they might well be allotted a home in a minor album. Not only torn stamps, but copies which have lost two or three teeth of the perforated edge, copies which have been heavily postmarked, copies which are dirty or discoloured, and copies which have served for revenue and not for postal purposes—all these should be kept out of the collection.

Concerning the stamps which have been cut out of entires—that is to say, from postcards, letter-cards, wrappers, and impressed envelopes—a difference of opinion exists among experts. Some say that they ought not to be included, whilst others urge their inclusion. Without a doubt, these stamps are interesting; and as they serve for purely postal uses, there seems no reason why they should not be allowed a home in the collection. Perhaps the collector should be advised not to seek after specimens of this nature, but that is quite another thing to excluding them rigorously.

There are many kinds of stamps which do not serve for franking letters in the usual way, but as their functions are purely postal, a position in the album should be awarded them. Among such stamps as these may be mentioned the "Postage Due" issue which Great Britain put into use early in 1914. These labels serve the purpose of indicating and at the same time checking the fees which are levied on letters and parcels that have been insufficiently prepaid. It is interesting to note, that though our authorities have only issued stamps of this nature recently, foreign countries have used them for close on half a century. Such stamps from abroad may be recognized by the inscriptions which they bear—"A Percevoir," "A Payer," "Te Betalen," "Deficit," "Segnatasse," "Too Late," etc.

Another kind of stamp which should be accepted is the "Parcels Post" label. Though we at home have no special labels for this particular service, many Continental countries use them, notably Belgium and the United States. Then there are the "Express Delivery" stamps of the United States, Canada, Italy, etc. The purpose of these labels is sufficiently explained by the wording on the United States stamp: "Secures Immediate Delivery at any Post Office." A fourth stamp of special usage is the newspaper stamp. Though many of our home railways employ these labels, there are no Governmental varieties. Abroad, however, we find a number of countries use them—the newspaper stamps of Hungary and Spain being fairly common.

There is one kind of postage stamp, however, that should not be extended a welcome in the usual way—we have in mind the specimens known as "local" stamps. These special labels—they are mostly obsolete—came chiefly from Germany, Russia, Switzerland, and China, and were used by private companies which possessed certain postal privileges. As a rule the operations of these bodies were carried out in small areas (hence "local" stamps), usually in out-of-the-way districts where the ordinary postal arrangements did not penetrate. Genuine obliterated stamps of this class possess a certain amount of interest, and in some cases command high prices; but as there were so many varieties, and as it is difficult to discriminate between the genuine and the fictitious, collectors are well advised to leave them all alone. Undoubtedly a number of the carrying companies went on printing and selling their stamps to collectors long after the postal rights were taken from them. This fact alone should make the cautious philatelist hesitate before purchasing specimens known as "locals."