A collection of 20,000 buttons, including specimens of those worn on all the uniforms in the world, has been left by a rich Englishman named Hamilton, who died recently in Vienna. He had also brought together 352 fans, which had each belonged to beautiful women. Another fad of English collectors is the buttons of servants bearing their employer's coats of arms.
The button craze is rapidly growing, and probably will reach its climax early in November, after which time it will gradually die out. Several collectors have over 300 different buttons in every variety of shape, size, color, design, and motto. The buttons were sold early in the season for $30 a thousand, but the price has come down to $7 a thousand. Specially handsome buttons are $10 a thousand. The sidewalk peddlers sell them at 2c. each, or three for 5c.
In consequence of the civil war the Postmaster-General of the U.S. directed that on and after June 1 all mail matter coming from the seceded States prepaid by U.S. stamps be held for postage, and sent to the dead-letter office at Washington. In August the Postmaster-General directed that Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania could prepay letters by stamps of the 1847, 1851, and 1857 issues until October 1, from other loyal States east of the Rocky Mountains until October 15, and from California, Oregon, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington until October 21, after which dates all stamps issued prior to 1861 were valueless, but would be redeemed up to October 21. After the war was over millions of these U.S. stamps were offered to dealers by parties who got control of the stock on hand in Southern post-offices in 1861. They were very cheap then, but are growing dearer every day.
R. A. Fitzgerald.—I cannot say what would be the value of the original Ordinance of Secession of the State of Alabama. I should think that some of the Southern historical societies would be glad to buy it.
H. D. T.—Unperforated U.S. Revenues, 25c. Certificate worth 25c.; 40c. Inland Ex., $5; $2 Mortgage and $3 Charter, $1.50 each. Your $2 bill is worth face only. Your other questions are too vague.
A. Cohn.—The 1868 U.S. 1c. blue grilled is quite scarce, either used or unused. If you iron soaked stamps you will probably obliterate the grill.
A. A. Scott.—The most advanced collectors of U.S. Revenues prefer to buy the unperforated stamps in pairs or blocks. This of course costs a good deal of money, and ordinary collectors must be content with single specimens. Such copies should have a good margin, on all four sides. There are many faked unperforated stamps, which are made from the ordinary perforated stamps with wide margins.
R. Creighton.—Split stamps have been used in the U.S., but, with one possible exception, without authority of the U.S. government.
Edward Hubbard, 515 Myrtle Street, El Paso, Tex., wants stamps in exchange for Porto Rico and Mexico stamps.
A. Merriam.—Coins made in the Philadelphia mint have no special mark of origin. Coins made in the Carson City mint are marked "C.C."; the San Francisco, "S."; the Dahlonega, "D."; the New Orleans, "O."
W. R. Wheeler.—U.S. Revenues were first used in October, 1862, and almost every legal or commercial document (policies, leases, conveyances, etc.) used during the next ten years bore Revenue stamps. Also every receipt, and check, every box of matches or bottle of medicine, every photograph, every barrel of beer, package of tobacco, etc. In fact, very few things escaped taxation in those days. After the war ended, one tax after another was removed until only the tobacco and liquor taxes remained. These pay taxes by stamps to this day.
George Werner.—Most of the Central American States have been using "Seebeck" stamps during the past six years. It makes very little difference whether these stamps are used or unused. Of the earlier issues the unused are generally the rarer.
Sidney Mulhall.—Always use hinges, and of the best quality. Care must be taken in turning over leaves, or the book should be examined beginning at the last page and going backwards. The 1885 Corea stamps were probably never used. The 1895 issue is in use at present.
F. Pulis.—There are four varieties of the 1802 cents, and they can be bought of dealers at 10c. to 35c. each.
M. S. Taylor.—I cannot assist you in the sale of your album. As a rule albums two or three years old are valueless.
Carrie E. Ball.—The only small cent which is scarce is the 1956 flying eagle. All the others are in common use.
Philatus.
It was in the dusty smoking-car on the Long Island Railroad that the following was overheard. A number of anglers were grouped together discussing their big catches, and at times the wind that rushed by the car windows fairly groaned with the weight of the wonderful stories that it carried away. An old man in the corner with a short clay stump of a pipe stuck between his lips turned slowly around in his seat and surveyed the group. Giving a hitch to his trousers, which nearly dislocated the pins that held them together, he approached the boys.
"Tellin' fish stories, eh, boys? Well! well! Did ye ever hear what the whale that swallered Jonah did?"
"No, never heard about that," said one of the anglers.
"Never heard that, eh? Well, he went around and hunted up a lot of other whales, and then he bored them to death tellin' them how the largest man he ever caught wriggled loose and got away."