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.
During the past year watchmakers, jewellers, carriage-builders, livery-stable-keepers, piano manufacturers, and other industries have been complaining that the bicycle has seriously interfered with their business; but until of late stamp-dealers have had no reason to complain. At present there is some grumbling in the trade, and a disposition to blame the bicycle for it. The real reasons seem to be twofold: first, the large number of new dealers, and secondly, the innumerable auctions. The first cause will probably soon cease, as the difficulty in getting good stamps to sell will probably soon weed out the superfluous dealers; the second will probably have to run its course. Collectors find that in many cases they bid against each other, in the excitement of the auction-room, until the stamps cost them more than they could buy them from dealers for by a little patience, and awaiting their opportunity.
New Zealand offered a prize of $1000 for the best designs for the contemplated issue of a new set of twenty-two stamps. No one artist was successful, therefore a selection was made of the best designs, and the prize divided.
For many years the scarcest European stamp was the 81 paras, Moldavia, first issue. So scarce was the stamp that a clever swindler made a few which he sold at a high price. Later on genuine copies were discovered, and the leading philatelists discarded the counterfeits, and competed with each other for the few copies which were undoubtedly genuine. Recent research in the archives of the principality showed that the entire issue was as follows: 27 paras, 3691; 54 paras, 4772; 81 paras, 709; 103 paras, 2584.
Plate numbers are still booming. Collectors are now trying to make up sets of the earlier issues, and prices naturally advance. The demand for Plate No. Albums still continues.
The U.S. government still refuses to sell the Periodical stamps of the current issues, and yet at least two collectors have complete unused sets, from 1c. to $100, of the stamps in blocks of three, bearing imprint and plate No. Sets are still coming to the United States from all quarters of the globe. The government would secure a large revenue by allowing philatelists to buy these stamps.
The freemasonry existing between stamp-collectors is evidenced by the reports of a number of leading philatelists who have been going around the globe during the past few years. They met a warm welcome in every land, civilized, semi-civilized, barbarous, and even savage. Having parts of their collections with them operated as an "open sesame" in every country.
Despite the wide-spread knowledge of stamps curious cases of ignorance still occur. A few days ago the veteran J. W. Scott received in his mail a copy of the very scarce "Danville" envelope, with a request to exchange it for a few common stamps. The holder was much surprised to receive with the stamps a check for a large sum.