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.
The second type of the 5c. Baton Rouge has been seen by Mr. Deats with the error McCcrmick.
The widespread collecting of imprints of the current issue of U.S. stamps has led an enterprising publisher in New York to place on the market an album for the use of collectors. Each Plate No. has a page with spaces for all four positions of the imprint, and separate pages are prepared for the watermarked and unwatermarked varieties.
The newspapers report the arrest, in Chicago, of a gang of counterfeiters who have been printing counterfeit U.S. 2c. stamps by lithographic process, in sheets containing twenty-five stamps. It is said that large quantities of the stamps have been used. No copies have been seen in New York as yet. Should any of the Round Table readers have any copies of these stamps, I should be glad to see one. They are described as bearing a smudged look.
The influence of fashion in fixing the price of stamps has been curiously illustrated at the last large auction held in New York city. The gems of the sale were the 1878 reprints of the U.S. stamps from 1847 to 1870, and of the periodical stamps from 2c. to 60c. These reprint periodicals are the only copies known, and yet the price obtained for them was an average of only $6 each. The original 9c. stamp, of which hundreds of copies are in existence, sells for $15. The unique reprint of the same stamp brought $10 only. The purchaser secured a great bargain.
An old story has been going the rounds of the press lately of how a small boy wrote to Field-Marshal Yamagata for some Japanese stamps, and received in reply a complete set of all the Japanese stamps unused. The story is probably true, but the sequel is not given. The success of this boy's request was published, and as a result the Marshal was overwhelmed by thousands of similar requests from collectors all over the world. Of course they got nothing.
Belgium has caught the speculation fever. Designs have been invited for stamps to be used in commemoration of the International Exhibition to be held in 1897. Germany has filed an official protest against such stamps by proposing the following resolution, which will be considered at the International Postal Union Congress at Washington in May, 1897: "Resolved, That the International Postal Union will exclude all stamps which are not necessary for actual postal requirements, especially the so-called Jubilee and Celebration stamps."
Sir Robert Hart, Commissioner of the Chinese Customs, has been asked by the Emperor of China to organize a national postal system. If the project is carried out, the many Chinese Locals will be made valueless in the eyes of every one.
R. Craig.—The current 50c. U.S. cancelled is worth 10c. The old bank bill has no value.
E. C. Wood, Germantown, Pa., K. C. Gibson, Morrisburg, Ont., wish to exchange U. S. and Canada stamps.
W. C. A.—The rarest U.S. cents are 1793, Liberty Cap, $7.50; 1799 over 98, $7.50; 1799, perfect date, $10.
C. F. Philip.—Values of sets of U.S. Departments in unused "mint" condition, are, State, $287; Executive, $49; Navy, $40; Agriculture, $27.65; Treasury, $12; War, $4.50; Post-office, $4.50; Justice, $110; Interior, $4.50. Used sets are not worth as much, and damaged sets are materially less in value. The loss of a single perforation, or uneven centering, will affect some of the stamps from ten per cent. to thirty per cent. in value.
J. H. Brown.—There are two varieties of the 1860 silver 5c. piece. The one bearing the figure of Liberty with "United States of America" around it is common. The one with Liberty surrounded by stars in place of "United States of America" is rare. Dealers charge $5 for a good copy of the rare stamp, 10c. for the common one.
J. S. Popper.—I do not know what album you have, nor can I say whether your stamp is genuine or counterfeit, as I have not seen it. The New York 5c. black, Washington's portrait, has a space in all the standard albums, at the beginning of the U.S. issues. The Saxony 10 gr. blue is worth $4. The Roman stamps are catalogued at 5c. each.
J. Hall.—The 24c. U.S. 1851, unperforated, is a very rare stamp. An unsevered pair would be worth from $250 to $500. A single stamp is worth $100. Unprincipled parties have taken copies of the 1856 perforated stamp with wide margins, and trimmed off the perforations, then offering the same as unperforated.
N. C. Wilbur.—Your coin is a Columbian quarter made by the U.S. government, and is a legal tender for face value. It is getting a little scarce, and dealers now ask $1.25 for it.