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. Correspondents should address Editor Stamp Department.
E. L. Smith, 64 Sparks St., Cambridge, Mass., wishes to exchange stamps.
W. A. Wheeler.—I never heard of a "Walkers Penny Post." If it is on the original letter or envelope, I should like to see it.
R. Bowers.—The stamp Cerrado y Sellado is a Mexican "officially sealed" stamp. These are, properly speaking, labels, not stamps, and consequently are no longer catalogued.
W. M. Foord.—As the Olympian stamps are still in use they are worth face value only, if unused. Used they are very common.
J. Kranz.—All the leading dealers in New York sell stamps by auction at irregular intervals throughout the season. Catalogues are sent free on application.
H. Bunker.—Entire envelopes are collected by comparatively few compared with those who collect stamps. Envelopes can be bought for one-quarter, or in some instances one-tenth, the price which adhesive stamps of equal rarity would command.
F. X. Stahn.—Nova Scotia stamps are not being bought up by speculators. The fact is, no one knows how many were sold by the government to the syndicate now controlling the same. One set should satisfy you under these circumstances.
A. Lobenthal.—Join your local stamp society, if there is one. If not, then join the American Philatelic Association.
A. Howard.—Inverted centres on U.S. stamps are extremely rare. The price quoted by you is very reasonable if the stamp is in good condition.
A. Seng.—The Canadian new issue has not been definitely announced.
A. Thalman.—Philatelic literature is a feature in a few public libraries. Pittsburg set the example in this respect. It will pay you as an active collector to take the three periodicals mentioned.
J. J. Briggs.—Age does not determine the value of coins. It is altogether a question of supply and demand. If dealers have ten copies of a scarce coin and twenty collectors want them, the price will go up. If, on the other hand, there is little or no demand the prices will go down. As to U.S. coins in general I would say that the supply in the hands of the dealers is equal to any prospective demand. The immense quantity of old U.S. coins in the hands of the public will not command a premium. Coin-collecting to-day is very much what stamp-collecting was twenty years ago—that is to say, the speculative element is lacking.
W. Smithson.—Collect Seebecks all you want. No society or association can prevent you. The stamps are pretty in themselves, and they have undoubtedly been used for postal purposes.
G. H. Davis.—I never heard of the stamps issued by the "Stamp-Saving Society." They are interesting as curiosities.
Philatus.
Celebrated for its great leavening strength and healthfulness. Assures the food against alum and all forms of adulteration common to the cheap brands.