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.
In compound perforated stamps the rule is to quote the perforations in the following order: top, bottom, left side, right side.
The Straits Budget, published in Singapore, states that the new Malay Federation scheme contemplates a further change in the colors of the postage-stamps, and it is not improbable that the new tiger's head will disappear for good.
The "Boris" stamps of Bulgaria are purely speculative. The Bulgarian Parliament wished to present the young Prince Boris, on the occasion of his baptism into the orthodox Greek Church, with a sum of money equal to $100,000, and, not having the money in the Treasury, devised the scheme of making a set of stamps for sale to collectors. It is very gratifying to hear that the scheme has not proved a success.
A report comes from Japan that the government will issue two new stamps, one bearing the portrait of Marshal Arisugawa, the other that of Prince Kitashirawika. Both Generals distinguished themselves in the late war with China.
The French philatelic papers have lately given much attention to the "Balloon" letters sent out of Paris during the winter of 1870-71, when the German army was besieging the city. No special stamps were used, but a special post-mark was stamped on each envelope. Hence they are not stamps nor stamped envelopes; but they have a special interest of their own, and many philatelists admit them in their albums. Statistics show that 64 balloons were sent out, conveying 64 aeronauts, 91 passengers, 363 pigeons, 5 dogs, and about three million letters. Five of the balloons were captured, by the Germans, and two were driven to the ocean and lost.
In view of the disagreeable taste of the gum on the U.S. stamps, some wags have proposed to flavor the gum with liquorice, sassafras, etc. The only objections made so far is that the stamps, if made too agreeable, would be chewed up by the users.
The difficulty in seeing the water-marks on the current U.S. stamps has led to the suggestion that possibly the water-marks might be shown by Röntgen X rays. It is high time our government should either revert to the plain paper, or make paper showing the water-mark on each stamp.
The work of the S.S.S.S. has done something to reduce the number of such issues, but it seems to have resulted in some degree also in reducing the number of new collectors. A reaction is now taking place, and some philatelists advocate the abandonment of the committee, leaving each person free to collect or reject such stamps as he may prefer.