The Royal Philatelic Society London

The London Philatelist

Archival Edition
1892 - 2005

Archive Editor Geoffrey Eibl-Kaye FRPSL

 THE

London Philatelist THE JOURNAL OF

THE PHILATELIC SOCIETY, LONDON.

All communications on Philatelic matters should be accompanied by the name and address of the
writer, as a guarantee of good faith, and addressed to the Editor of THE LOXDOX PHILATELIST, Kingston
Lodge, Richmond Place, Brighton. Letters enclosing valuables should be registered.
Letters, Enquiries, and Remittances connected with the Advertisement pages should be addressed
Mr B. J. NANKIVELL, Carisbrook, Birdhurst Eise, South Croydou.
THE LONDON PHILATELIST will be sent, post free in Great Britain or the countries of the Postal Union,
to any
ny subscriber, on receipt of 6s. Subscribers' remittances should be sent to our publishers.

VOL. I.] JANUARY, 1892. [No. 1.

H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

THE loyalty of the English nation is of no uncertain

character, and is at once a source of pride to the people
that tenders it and the dynasty that receives it. The long
and beneficent reign of Her Gracious Majesty the Queen
has tended to consolidate this sentiment, while the know-
ledge that her direct descendants inherit, to a great extent,
the virtues of their Royal mother, affords a happy augury for the
future. The several members of Her Majesty's family have
chosen each his metier, and by the conscientious discharge
of the duties therein involved, have added another link to the
chain that binds the English people in friendly fetters to the
Constitutional Monarchy. The full light of publicity that is cast
upon the members of the Royal Household renders supererogatory
anything but a cursory glance at the life of the Royal Duke whose
portrait forms so fitting a frontispiece to the initial number of this
journal. His Royal Highness Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Edinburgh, who is
the second son and fourth issue of Her Majesty, was born on 6th August, 1844,
and is consequently in his 48th year: on 23rd January, 1874, His Royal Highness
espoused the Grand Duchess Marie of Russia, sister to the present Czar, and his
family consists of a son, born 15th October, 1874, and four daughters. The Duke
of Edinburgh, at an early age, selected England's first line of defence—the Navy—
as a profession, and after a long and devoted service in all quarters of the globe, has
attained the rank of Admiral, and in virtue of that office now holds the important
command of Devonport. It is no secret that His Royal Highness has been for many
years an indefatigable collector of Postage Stamps. We have been informed by those
2 OURSELVES.

who have been privileged to inspect the treasures that the Duke has gathered
together by assiduous industry and philatelic knowledge, that his collection is in
many respects a fine one and well worthy of careful examination. These facts
being known to leading members of the London Philatelic Society, they were
emboldened to ask His Royal Highness to open the Jubilee Philatelic Exhibition of
May, 1890, and when the Duke, graciously consenting, presided at the inaugural
ceremony on the 20th May, he may be said to have publicly set the seal upon his
connection with Philately. With the English method of our Royal family of not
doing things by halves, the co-operation of the Dnke did not stay there, as he not
only exhibited a considerable portion of his own collection, whose merits were duly
recognised by the udges, but by his attendances evinced his thorough interest in the
subject. Those members of the London Philatelic Society who were privileged to
meet his Royal Highness on those occasions were impressed with his wide grasp of
Philately, and were more than gratified to note that in all respects the Duke was an
ardent and conscientious collector. His Royal Highness has further added to the
debt that English Philately owes to him by accepting, on 19th December, 1890, the
post of Honorary President of the London Philatelic Society, an announcement that
came as a most pleasant surprise to many collectors in this country, but was received
with a universal chorus of congratulation. The manifold duties that are the
inevitable prerogative of Royalty, doubtless interfere with the leisure hours that the
Duke can devote to his Philatelic treasures, but we can assure his Royal Highness
that on any occasion when he can honour the Philatelic Society of London by his
presence, in his official capacity, he may rely upon the grateful and cordial apprecia-
tion of its members, and that among Her Majesty's lieges he will find no more loyal or
devoted adherents than the members of that Society, who are privileged to
acknowledge him as their president.

.OURSELVES.

THE appearance of another new journal, whether devoted to any special

interest, such as Philately, or to general literature, is not, in these days of
wide-spread periodicals, an event to make a red-letter day, and might be
deemed to be destined to such an ephemeral existence as oft befalls the ventures of
other Philatelic (?) journals. We may, however, claim that as the literary labours
of the London Philatelic Society, in another form, have now been prominently before
the world of collectors for some years, and have been adjudged no inconsiderable
value in the study of the science, it is to be inferred, that in setting its imprimatur
on a periodical that shall be its recognised organ, the London Philatelic Society may
be relied upon to evolve a journal that shall be neither trivial in its aims nor
evanescent in its existence. We deem it better to judge of performances than to
hold out promises, and we are therefore content to modestly proclaim our pro-
 NEW ISSUES AND UN CHRONICLED VARIETIES. 3

gramme in the simple dictum—that irrespective of pecuniary considerations—this

journal will always be a paper written by collectors for collectors, and that its sole
aim will always be, the advancement of scientific and intellectual Philately. In
pursuance of this, while we shall always open our columns to collector and dealer
alike, we shall, without personal feeling, unreservedly express our opinions on " men
and things," convinced, that as the honesty of our efforts is recognised, we shall not,
even where we differ, give offence to any opponent. We have been promised the most
cordial co-operation of most of the leading Philatelists of this country in the
endeavour to make this journal a success; and it will be the endeavour of those
connected with the management of this journal to provide as many original con-
tributions as possible, including, en parentliese, a history of the London Philatelic
Society from its inception. We start, therefore, with the best augury of success;
but nevertheless we would impress upon all the Members of the Society that it
is at once their bounden duty to support the LONDON PHILATELIST by every means
in their power; if they wish this journal to faithfully reflect the varied interests
and the reputation of their Society, they must aid it by their literary contribu-
tions. One of the principal objects in launching our new venture has been
to bring Metropolitan and Country Members more in touch with each other; it is,
therefore, obvious that the more each Member strives to make it the medium for
the communication of his Philatelic knowledge the more certain will be the attain-
ment of this object. We can promise on behalf of the staff of the LONDON PHILATELIST
an ungrudging devotion to its interests, but in order to make it a conspicuous success,
the co-operation of each and every Member of the London Philatelic Society is an
imperative necessity.

NewIssuesandUnchronicledVarieties.
NOTE.—The co-operation of Members of the London and other Philatelic Societies, and of
all Collectors and Dealers is invited, in order that these lists may be as complete as
possible. The earliest intimation of Novelties is desired, accompanied, if possible,
by the specimen referred to, ivhich will be acknowledged, with the sender's name,
unless otherwise requested.

ADHESIVES.
Afghanistan.—We have seen specimens of a new issue with the inner circle
wider, also varying in other particulars as to the design and the paper on which they
are printed. "We hope to illustrate these varieties shortly, and to include all the
varieties of which several contemporaries give varying lists.
British Guiana.—Mr. W. T. Wilson has discovered a new variety; it is the
1860 type, 1 cent black, with overprint "Official," word barred out in black, and
without perforation between a pair, which are otherwise perf. 10. By a reference to
the Society's work (p. 66) it will be seen that this variety is chronicled among the
Official Stamps.
Issue of June 1875 ; 1 c. black, with official barred imperf. certically on one side.
 NEW ISSUES AND UXCHRONICLED VARIETIES.

British Honduras.—From Messrs. Whitfleld King & Co., we have a fresh

variety of a lower value than heretofore,
caused by the requirements of increased postal
facilities. The overprint, which consists of a
large uumeial 1 on the word cent in thin
upright Roman capitals, similar to the other
values previously issued, is well printed in
that clear, shiny black that betokens Metro-
politan handiwork. We are informed that only 30,000 of these stamps were thus
surcharged, and (as already elsewhere chronicled) the permanent value is now in issue.
1 c., black surcharge on one penny, pale green, watermark C.A. and Or., perf. 14.
1 c., green, current type ... ... ... „ „ „
We illustrate the surcharged varieties that recently appeared.
Curacao.—The 50 c. of the current set has been overprinted in a similar
manner to the 30 c. value recently chronicled, i.e., with large clumsy numerals, and
words " 25 cents " in two lines.
36 c., black surcharge on 50 c. violet, current issue.
Dutch Indies.—Following the example of the Mother
Country, the Unpaid Letter Stamps have been appearing in the
re-modelled type with fancy numerals and the word cent in the
central disc as illustrated. The following are the values at
present in circulation according to the Timbre-Poste ; paper and
perforation presumably as before.
2i c., lilac and black.
5 c., „ „
10 c., „ „
Great Britain.—At the meeting of the Brighton Philatelic Society on
4th January, Mr. J. H. Redman showed a curious variety of the Is. green. The
stamp in question was a specimen of Plate 1, with the small letters in the corners—
the letter (K) in the lower left angle being in the centre of a small white circle that
almost touches the four outer edges of the block of solid colour containing the letters.
The remaining three angles are normal, nor can we gather the reason for this unusual
variety.
Is., (1862) issue, watermark four flowers, with white circle containing left lower angle
letter.
Grenada.—We have another provisional from this prolific philatelic possession
—thanks to Messrs. Whitfield King & Co. The overprint is in figures, 2^d., nearly
4 mm. high. Mr. Mayoock has also sent us a pair—printed, as usual, tete-becJie—
which shews that there are two varieties of the " fd.," and further states that the
6d. value will shortly be operated on.
2^d., black surcharge on 8d. brown, current issue.

Hawaii.—We give an illustration of this recently-issued

stamp, bearing the Royal presentment of Queen Kamaka-
Liliuokalani, sister of the late monarch.
2 c., dull lilac, perf. 12.

India.—We hear from various sources that the new design for the Rupee stamp
to supersede the one that was so freely imitated has been executed, that the colours
are to be carmine and green, aiid the perforation and watermark as heretofore.
1 rupee, carmine and green.
 NEW IS/SUES AND TTNCHRONICLED VARIETIES.

The 4 anna olive green has also been surcharged 2| annas pending the issue of the
permanent stamp of that value.
2j annas, black surcharge on 4 annas olive (current issue).
Messrs. Stafford Smith & Co. have sent us a specimen of the new permanent design for
the value last mentioned. The design is almost the same as the late 4. as. 6 pies, stamp
which was utilised for making the provisionals. The octagonal frame enclosing head
differs very slightly indeed, but the ornamental work outside this is different, the
colour (green) is of a less yellow cast, and the value is of course " Two annas and 6 pies."
Watermark and perforation as last.
2J annas green, watermark star, perf. 14.
Jeypore.—We append illustrations of the variously announced new issues for
this Sultanate ; of the first type there are :—
I anna, green blue surcharge.
1 „ brown-violet „
- „ blue „
4 ,. olive .,

And of the second :—

.J anna, green (?) black surcharge,
I „ brown-violet „
•2 „ blue „
4 „ olive „
A „ green (?) red sxircharge.
1 „ brown-violet „
2 „ blue
4 „ olive „

Johore.—A new series of stamp has been issued for this State with some
pretensions to individuality, and is therefore a welcome accession. They bear a
three-quarter face portrait of the reigning Sultan, within an arched oval, with the
value at the base in two octagons, in English and Native characters respectively,
between which is the inscription in small letters on solid ground, " Johore Postage and
Eevenue." The values are as under:—
2 cents, lilac and yellow.
4 „ „ blue.
5 „ „ green.
6 „ „ blue.
1 dollar, green and rose.
 NEW ISSUES AND UNCHRONICLED VARIETIES.

Labuan.—We present an illustration of the latest pro-

visional for this Colony, as recently announced in Philatelic
Journals.
Martinique.—The Timl>re-Poste announces the 2 c., with
the simple surcharge " Martinique—0,1 c.," in black, and states
that there are two varieties of the numeral. Numerous more or
less interesting variations are noted in the same source on the 30 c. unpaid letter
stamp type. 0.1 centime, black surcharge ; on 2 c. bistre, current type.
Negri Sernbilan.—The recent apparition of a new type for the several States
of the Malaccan Peninsular has been welcomed
as holding out a prospect of a termination of
the monotonous list of surcharges (the latest,
of which we illustrate). Except for the name
of the issuing State, Pahang, Perak, Selangor,
and S.(unjei) Ujong, the design is identical,
and, as will be noted from our illustration,
has at least the merit of novelty.
Persia.—The whole of the new issue of stamps here has now made its appearance,
nor, as will be noted, are the designs of any striking merit; if, as the Timbre-Poste
states, the)- emanate from Vienna, something handsomer might have been anticipated
from a city whose artistic tastes are so well known. Paper white, perforation 11|.
Type 1—1 shahi, black.
•2 „ bistre.
I jj „ 0 „ dark blue.
„ 7 „ slate.
„ 10 „ carmine.
„ 14 „ orange.
Type 2—1 kran green.
„ 2 „ pale orange.
„ 5 „ „ yeUow.
Porto Rico.—Principally with a view to prevent fraud, new colours—being
those of the Postal Union—are to be given to these stamps.
The Stamp News announces three values:—
1 c., de peso, blue green.
5 c. „ green.
10 c. „ rose.
Queensland.—At a recent meeting of the London Philatelic Society,
Mr. Yemen Roberts showed a vertical pair of the old 5s. no watermark stamp,
without any perforation between them.
5s. rose (1866 issue), imperf. horizontally on one side.
Russia.—The highest value of the new series with the thunderbolts has atlast made
its appearance, similar otherwise to its preceding companions.
7 roubles, black and yellow.
Schatz (TamlojF).-This well-known
stamp has been altered somewhat (Timbre.
Paste), notably in the ornaments of the
oval, as shown by our illustration.
3 kop., black on rose, perf. 1H.
 NEW ISSUES AND UNCHRONICLED VARIETIES. 7

Sweden.—We have two more values of the new handsome series,

30 ore, brown, new type, perf. 14.
•50 „ grey „ „
St. Lucia.—We have received from Messrs. Cheveley, Wilson & Co. specimens
of a new provisional surcharge that inspires us with a very limited feeling of
pleasure. The stamps in question were received on a letter direct from the Colony by
our correspondent on the last day of the old year, and there seems, therefore, no
room to doubt their authenticity, but we can conscientiously affirm that the primitive
and slovenly method of imprinting the surcharge is at once a discredit to this Colonial
Postal administration, and an incentive to fraudulent imitations. The overprint
consists of the words " One Penny" in two lines of black upright Roman capitals,
badly formed and worse printed. We hear that the 3d. value has also been sur-
charged " One Halfpenny '' in three lines.
Id., black surcharge " ONE PENNY " on 4d. current issue. Wmk. O.A. & Or., Perf. 14.
St. Pierre and Miquelon.—We are indebted to Messrs. Whitfield King &
Co. for a sight of another set of twelve varieties of French Colonials. At the rate of
issue that has obtained for the several Gallic possessions during the past few months
it will not be long before " France and Colonies" will be more numerous than
this country and its dependencies ; but whether the same aggregate of value will be
attained is a widely different matter ! This series consists of the current set over-
printed diagonally from left to right in small Roman capitals, about 1| mm. in
height, " St. Pierre M—ON."
1 c., black on blue, black surcharge (current type).
2 c., brown on bistre, black ,,
4 c., violet on pale blue, black „
5 c., green on greenish-red, black,,
10 c., black on violet-red, black „
15 c., blue on pale blue, black „
20 c., brick on green, black „
25 c., black on rose, black „
30 c., brown on fawn, black „
40 c., vermilion on bistre, black „
75 c., carmine on rose, black „
1 fr., brown on green, black „
Surcharge inverted.
75 c., carmine on rose, black surcharge.
1 fr., brown on green, „ „
For the further necessities of the enormous postal requirements of St. Pierre and
Miquelon—and, of course, not for the delectation of dealers and the exploitation of
enthusiasts—surcharged varieties have been called into existence, but as the three
values are sent both with and without surcharge there is no apparent dearth of the
denominations created, and we are compelled to draw the inference that the latter
and not the former reasons have called these into existence. Our Belgian con-
temporary has also some criticisms hereon—as just as scathing.
The surcharge consists, in addition to that of the name of the
possession as previously described, of a thick numeral 4 mm. high
above the centre and below the word " cent," in heavy lower-
case type about 2| mm. in height, all three overprints being
of course diagonal.
1 c., black surcharge, on 5 c. green on greenish (current type).
2 c., „ „ on 10 c. in black on blue.
4 c,, „ „ on 20 c. brick on green.
8 NEW ISSUES AND UNCHRONICLED VARIETIES.

Tasmania.—We are informed that the 4d. has lately appeared of a dark
chrome colour—probably a provisional printing, as was the case with the Id., as
recently described,
Victoria.—The Monthly Journal announces a modification in the colour of the
postage due stamp, which has been seen in the lowest values, e.g., from brick red and
pale blue to—
Jd. postage due carmine and blue.

ENVELOPES, WRAPPERS, &c.

NOTE.— Unless otherwise stated, the description of Xovdties under this heading applies to
ordinary Postal Envelopes.

Bahamas.—The reduction of the postal tariff has caiised another change here,
and we have been favoured by Messrs. W. King & Co., of Ipswich, with the inspection
of two newly issued varieties on the current fourpence envelope. The value at the
base is ruled out by three pairs of thin parallel lines, extending to the edges of the
oval, and " 2id." is imprinted on the lower portion of the bust in small upright
numerals. We are informed that the issue consisted of 500 of each variety.
2jd , red surcharge, with six lines on 4d., dull mauve (current issue).
2|d., black „ „ „ „
British South Africa.—We have received from Mr. Nankivell a specimen of
the new Registration Envelope issued by the Company. Embossed on the flap is a
large transverse oval with broad white border, containing the inscription in small
block capitals, " The British South Africa Company,'" and below, in a small coloured
oblong cartouche, the words, " British Central Africa," in small white capitals ; the
centre is occupied by the Arms of the Company embossed on a solid ground of
colour, and beneath, in a large scroll extending beyond the oval on either side, is
inscribed, " Registration Two Pence," in white capitals on coloured ground ; the design
as a whole is of novel and pleasing appearance, and is of a bright blue shade. The
face of the envelope is cross lined as usual, and inscribed above, in large Roman
capitals, " British Central Africa Administration," below this, " Registered Letter,"
in large block capitals, with the usual instructions below, and a large R on the oval to
left, and a square to the right directing the place of the adhesive; the usual cross
lines are added, the whole being in blue ; the envelope is linen lined, with a heavily
gummed flap, and measures 151x98 mm.
Registration Envelope, 2d., blue on white.
Leeward Islands.—We give an illustration of the
recently issued Registration Envelope,
as also of a Wrapper, similar in type to
those now in use for other British
possessions.
Registration Envelope, 2d., pale bine.
Wrapper, jd., green on manilla.

New South 'Wales.—We have the current Registration Envelope, reduced

in value by a circular black line erasing the words, " Pour Pence," while across the
stamp is imprinted in thin upright Roman capitals, " Three Pence." The size of the
 NEW ISSUES AND UNCH1RONICLED VARIETIES. 9

specimen submitted to us by Messrs. "VVMtfield King & Co., is 98x153 mm. (85 by
5| inches).
Yindin's Philatelic Monthly announces the fact that there is a second type with
the word threepence in thin block capitals, and that there are the two usual two
sizes of each variety.
Registration Envelope, 3d., black surcharge, Roman capitals, on red (current issue).
„ „ block capitals, „ „

POST AND LETTER CARDS.

NOTE. — Unless otherwise stated, the description under this heading applies to the ordinary
single Post Card.

Brazil.—We learn from the Ilhistriste Briefmarlcen Zeitung, on which Journal

Dr. F. Kalckhoff, a member of the London Philatelic Society has recently joined the
editorial staff, that the recently issued Brazilian letter cards—with head of Liberty
and landscape—have appeared in somewhat rainbow fashion. Our contemporary
notes the following colours, presumably of official issue, and in any case to meet the
legitimate requirements of the public ! The impressions are in the old colours, but
they necessarily vary in appearance owing to the shade of the cards on which they
are imprinted.
Letter Card, 80 r. (1891 Issue) on dull yellow card.
( „ ) „ brown „
, ( a ) " <Jreen »
( „ ) „ blue rose (!) „
„ ( „ ) „ light brown „
., ( „ ) „ orange-red „
„ ( „ ) .. salmon „
„ ( „ ) „ flesh-pink „
India.—Messrs. Whitfield King & Co. send us a specimen of the current Jialf,
one and a half anna Postal Union Card with its value reduced to " One Anna " by a
black upright surcharge of block capitals 3 mm. n height, traversing the stamp
immediately over the arched label of value.
1 anna, black surcharge on 1| a., blue, current type.
French Colonies.—Our Belgian contemporary states that the black on
chamois card has been adopted for all the French Colonies. If this means that one
uniform card, innocent of all surcharges, is to be adopted for all collectors will heave
a sigh of satisfaction.
10 c., black on chamois.
New South Wales.—We have to note another new and apparently tem-
porary variety to meet the reduced postal tariff. As will be seen by our
illustrations this consists in the altera-
tion of the current, card, and that for
the reply, to that of a higher value,
by the elimination of the view of
Sydney and its replacement by prosaic
numerals of value, an alteration that
is certainly not an improvement in the
eyes of Philatelists.

The other h a l f Is Tor the R e p l y o n l y .

I* cane cidoinie tt»t de»linee a la rlpon^e
10 NEW ISSUES AND UNCHRONICLID VARIETIES.

Igd. current issue with numeral added,

blue on pale yellow.
I g X l j current issue with numeral
added, blue on pale yellow.

Spain.—We gather from several sources that the 10 c. card has appeared with
the inscription " Union Postal Universal'" in larger letters ; the same alteration
also applying to a lesser extent with the other lines of the heading.
10 cents red-brown on chamois (altered inscription).
Straits Settlements.—The 3 c. card has been converted to a 2 c., value
(Monthly Journal) in the following varieties :—
2 c., red surcharge, block numeral " 2 " over figure " 3 " on 3 c. current card.
2 c., black „ „ ., „
2 c. „ „ sloping block capitals in two lines, over figure " 3 " „
Mr. Gillespie has shown us a card of an official and apparently novel kind. The
face has the inscription above, " Post Card," in Roman capitals, below this, in
Gothic, " Straits Settlements ;" and in the former t3'pe, beneath this, again, " The
Address only to be written on this side." The lower half of the card is occupied by
the direction in three lines, " To the—Eegistrar of Servants—Singapore;" the
second line in large Roman capitals, and the third in large block. The upper right
corner of the card is occupied by the Royal Arms, thus apparently signifying
exemption from the necessity of adding any further stamp. The obverse of the card
is taken up by a blank form extending over eight lines, to be filled up by the master
whose service has been left by a servant, and who is compelled to register the same !
This would be an improvement here, but we fear our masters, the servants, would
revolt; and, indeed, we hear that even the Cingalese domestics rebelled as this
card was speedily withdrawn. The large oval red embossed stamp of 20 c. value,
occupying the right hand corner on the reverse side, has apparently no postal
signification.
Official Card—Registry of Servants—buff.
United States.—We have from Messrs. Cheveley, Wilson & Co., specimens of
the long heralded cards. The general appearance is bold and satisfactory, the
engraving being well executed. As we shall probably illustrate the types, it will be
only necessary to state that the design consists of a medallion at the right hand,
with three-quarter face portrait of General Grant, with the name of the country in large
Gothic type, surrounded by ornamentation, above and below which are the value and
direction in smaller capitals. The inscriptions vary in size for each value, and the
smaller card boasts, in addition, a small replica of the national arms in the centre.
1 c., blue on white. New issue, 117 x 73 mm.
1 c., grey-black on buff. „ 155 x 95 „
Victoria.—Messrs. Whitfield King & Co. send us a specimen of the Reply
Card, with the additional surcharge value in red, l|d. Universal Postal Union, as
described in the various Philatelic magazines last month.
IJd,, violet on buff; surcharged in red on current value, Reply Card.
 11

SomeOfficialInfomationontheStampsof
CapeofGoodHope
A PAPER READ BEFOBE THE PHILATELIC SOCIETY, LONDON, JANUARY IST, 1892,
BY E. D. BACON.
WHILST consulting the pages of the early English Philatelic publications, in
order to see what light they could throw upon the history of the stamps
of the Cape of Good Hope, I was struck by the almost total absence of
information there is upon the postal issues of this Colony. j!^ot one of the early
writers have, so far as I have been able to discover, ever published any paper, or
given out to the Philatelic world at large any facts they may have become acquainted
with concerning these stamps : and, further, if we consult the magazines of more
recent years, we still find the same silence maintained with regard to their history.
It is true that in The Philatelist, Vol. IX. page 35, " A Reference List " of the stamps
may be found, which was compiled by the Philatelic Society of London, in 1875, but
the list can hardly be said to be more than a plain catalogue of the various issues.
I have been engaged for some months past collecting materials for a paper on these
stamps, and I venture to hope the new particulars I am enabled to lay before you
this evening may be found both interesting and instructive.
If we turn to the old " Reference List " of the Society I have drawn attention
to, we find that the date of the first issue is vaguely given as 1853 for the four values.
Mons. Moens in the seventh edition of his Catalogue puts January 3rd, 1853, for the
one penny and four pence, and 1858 for the six pence and one shilling. I am some-
what curious to know from whom Mons. Moens took his date for the two lowest
values, as he would, I feel sure, never venture to give such a precise date without
some good authority for so doing. The following notices extracted from The Gape of
Good Hope Government Gazette for August 18th, 1853, proves his informant was
certainly not to be relied upon, for we read : —
PROCLAMATION
By His Excellency Lieut. -General tJte Horible Sir George Cathcart, Knight Commander
of the Military Order of the BatJi, $c., <fr., $c.
WHEEEAS, by the 8th Section of Ordinance No. 1, 1846, entitled " Ordinance for
the Regulation of the Post Office and Postage," it is enacted that it should be lawful
for the Governor of the Colony to provide Stamps, to be affixed to letters, and to
announce by Proclamation by whom, and at what places such stamps should be issued
to the Public, and from and after what date such stamps should be receivable, in lieu
of postage, at the several Post Offices within this Colony, —Now therefore, I do
hereby PROCLAIM, DECLARE, and MAKE EJfowir the several matters following;, that is
to say, —
1st, That certain stamps, of the value of 4d. each, and certain other stamps of
the value of Id. each, have been provided by Government for the use and convenience
of the Public.
2dly, That upon and from the IST of SEPTEMBER NEXT, all persons desirous of
purchasing any of the said stamps will be able to obtain the same from the Postmaster-
General in Cape Town', and from the several Postmasters throughout the Colony.
12 OFFICIAL INFORMATION—CAPE OF GOOD HOPE STAMPS.

3dly, That upon and from the said 1st of September, every letter, not exceeding
half an ounce, which shall have affixed thereto one such stamp of the value of 4d.,
and if exceeding half an ounce, then so many such stamps as shall together amount
to the postage which would by the said Ordinance require to be prepaid in money, in
case no stamps were used, shall (provided none of the stamps so afftxed shall have
been used before) pass by the post free of postage.
4thly, That upon and from the said 1st of September, newspapers, having
affixed thereto, or to the cover thereof, a stamp of Id. for each newspaper, will
(provided none of the stamps so affixed shall have been used before) pass by the post
free of postage.
5thly, That persons licensed in any part of the Colony to keep retail shops, and
who shall purchase for sale in such shops any of the stamps aforesaid, will be allowed
a reduction or discount of 2| per cent, upon all purchases to the amount of £1
sterling, or upwards.
(Signed) G. CATHCART,
Governor.
(Countersigned) R. SOTTIHEI',
Acting Secretary to Government.
The following Post Office Notice also appeared in the same number of The
Gazette as the above Proclamation :—
General Post Office, Cape Town,
17th August, 1853.
NOTICE is hereby given that the undermentioned parties have consented, and are
authorised, to vend Postage Stamps from and after the 1st of September next, when
the system of paying postage by means of such stamps will be introduced.
It will be necessary that these persons should make application to this office for
such supply of the Stamps they may require, not less than 20s, upon which an allow-
ance of 2| per cent, will be made to them.
Any other persons holding licenses for Retail Shops in Cape Town, who may be
disposed to become such vendors of Stamps, are requested to signify their wish in
that regard to this office.
(Signed) J. A. LE SITETTR,
Postmaster- General.
At the foot of the notice there is a long list of names and addresses of
tradesmen from whom stamps could be obtained.

The first of the notices gives September 1st, 1853, as the correct date of the
first issue, which we learn consisted of two values only, one penny and four pence.
The former stamp would be used for newspapers, while the latter prepaid a half
ounce letter transmitted within the Colony.
The next notice, taken from The Gazette for February 19th, 1858, proves the
date of issue of the six pence and one shilling values.
NOTICE.
THE Public are hereby informed that a supply of Six Penny and One Shilling
Postage Stamps has been received, and are now procurable at the General Post Office.
(Signed) J. A. LE SUETJR,
Postmaster- General,
General Post Office, Cape Town,
18th February, 1858,
 OFFICIAL INFORMATION-CAPE OF GOOD HOPE STAMPS. 13

The six penny stamp prepaid the half ounce letter rate to Great Britain, while
the one shilling value was employed to defray the higher postal rates to foreign
countries. The half ounce rate to Great Britain was raised on April 1st, 1863, to
one shilling by packet, and lowered to four pence for letters sent by private ships.
The first four values of postage stamps used in the Colony were printed by
Messrs. Perkins Bacon & Co., and the design is, in my opinion, one of the most
beautiful of their many striking productions. The original die, which had the value
one penny upon it, and from which the dies for the three other values were afterwards
manufactured, was engraved by Mr. W. Humphreys, an artist employed by Messrs.
Perkins Bacon & Co., for several of the early colonial stamps printed by their firm.
The plates from which the stamps were printed were steel, and each contained
240 specimens, in fifteen horizontal rows of 16 stamps, which were arranged in eight
squares. All four plates were handed over 'to the Agents for Crown Colonies on
January 28th, 1862, and Messrs. De la Rue & Co. have since held the contract for
printing the Cape stamps.
Proofs in black upon white card struck from the dies, are known of all four
values, and I possess proofs, also in black, of the one penny and one shilling, which
were taken from the plates. Mr. Alfred Bacon, the secretary of Messrs. Perkins
Bacon & Co., Limited, has been good enough to make me out a detailed list of all the
Cape of Good Hope stamps printed by the Company, which shows the dates the
various consignments were despatched from London. A copy of this interesting list
will be found given as an appendix to the present paper.
On 15th September, 1860, a local delivery of letters was established in Cape
Town, and the half ounce letter rate for that town was fixed at one penny. The
Proclamation instituting these postal facilities appeared in The Gazette for 4th
September, 1860, and the following is a copy of that document.
PROCLAMATION
By His EXCELLENCY SIR GEOBGB GBEY, Knight Commander of the Most Honour-
able Order of the Bath, &c., &c., &c. WHEREAS, by the 7th section of the Ordinance
No. 1, bearing date the 7th day of January, 1846, the Governor is empowered to
establish offices for posting and delivering letters within the limits of any town in
this colony, as such limits shall be by him for that purpose fixed, and to fix the rate
of postage to be charged and paid for such town delivery : I do hereby proclaim and
make known, that, in pursuance of the power and authority so vested in me, I
appoint the General Post Office in Cape Town to be a receiving and delivering office
for and within the limits of the Cape Town Municipality, and do establish the Pillar
Letter Boxes erected in the localities hereunder mentioned, as places for the posting
and receipt of letters within the same limit*, namely :—
1st. Near Castle Bridge.
2nd. At the corner of Long and Bloem Streets.
3rd. At the corner of Strand and Bree Streets.
4th. In Orange Street, at the top of the Government Gardens.
And further, that I do fix the rate of postage chargeable and payable upon all
letters, &c., posted within the said limits, and intended for delivery therein, as
follows, namely:—
On every letter not exceeding half an ounce, one penny.
On every letter exceeding half an ounce, and not exceeding one ounce, two pence.
On every letter exceeding one ounce, an additional sum of two pence for every
ounce or fraction of an ounce.
14 HALF-HOURS WITH THE AUSTRALIAN STAMPS.

The prepayment of such postage to be compulsory and effected by stamps affixed

or impressed on such letters.
The Cape Town Penny Post deliveries will be three in each day, Sundays
excepted, namely : —
The first to commence at 9^ a.m.
The second to commence at 1| p.m., and
The third to commence at 3| p.m.
Letters posted at the Cape Town Pillar Boxes up to 9 o'clock in the morning,
will be included in the first delivery ; those posted up to 1 p.m. will be included in
the second delivery ; and those posted up to 3 p.m. in the third.
And lastly, I do hereby fix and appoint the fifteenth day of September next, as
the day from and on which this Proclamation shall come into operation and have
effect. (Signed) GEOBGE GBEY,
Governor•.
(Countersigned) WM. DE SMIDT,
Under-Colonial Secretary.
In the number of TJie Gazette for 23rd April, 1861, a similar Proclamation to
the above appeared, establishing a Local Post for the town of Port Elizabeth, at the
same reduced rates as those previously instituted for Cape Town. Mr. A. Wilmot
was postmaster of Port Elizabeth at the time this local Penny Post came into
operation there on the 1st May, 1861.
A one penny rate for half ounce letters came into force, between a few towns in the
vicinity of Cape Town, on 1st February, 1864, and this rate was gradually extended
to other towns at a more remote distance. It was not, however, until as recently as
1st January, 1889, almost fifty years later than Great Britain, that the penny rate
became uniform over the whole of the Colony.
(To be continued.)

HalfHourswiththeAustralianStamps
By M. P. CASTLE, V.-P.
AT the suggestion of some of iny confreres, I propose, under the above
heading, to submit for the benefit (or otherwise) of the readers of the
LONDON PHILATELIST the result of such observations as I may have been
able to gather in the study of current literature in this wide field and in the
formation of my own collection. I do not propose at the present, in view of
the many matters calling for notice in the first number of the Society's Journal, to
do more than give an indication of my purpose, and I cordially invite from my
brother collectors any expression of their views on the subject. I may add, that
while I hope not to lose sight of Philatelic requirements, I should aim at making the
articles of an easy, mentally digestible nature, so that they may appeal to the
sympathies alike of the advanced scientist who revels in the minutest varieties, and
of those collectors who are content with a representative array of the Australian
Stamps. It is obvious that much has been learnt since the publication of the London
Philatelic Society's work on Oceania, and my object would be to embody, as far as
possible, all the information that has been brought to light since that period, in the
hope that it may eventually be of some service in the preparation of the second
edition of that work, whenever it is undertaken. In some cases it would increase the
interest of the " chapter" if the stamps treated of could be first submitted to the
Society, and subsequently published with such illustrations as might be necessary,
which course, I trust, may commend itself to those who may be good enough to
follow my remark?
 15

TheLaureatedReprintsofNewSouthWales
IT may excite a little surprise to see this now familiar heading reproduced in
the initial number of a new magazine, nor do we propose to again go over
the ground that has been so amply traversed by various writers lately in
the Philatelic Record and Stanley Gibbons' Monthly Journal. It will, however, be
seen by a, perusal of the following extract that justice demands a compliance with the
request contained in the closing sentence. For the benefit, however, of those of our
readers who may not be au courant with all that has gone before, we will very
briefly state the facts that lead up to Mr. Vindin's present letter. About four years
since the late Mr. T. K. Tapliug, M.P., Mr. M. P. Castle, Mr. B. P. Rodd, and other
collectors received from Mr. Vindin a sheet of each of the values of the
Laureated series of New South Wales, of the 2d., 6d., and 8d. values, xiuused, which
purported to be genuine originals recently discovered, and being part of eight sets
only thus found. Some of these gentlemen, with others also members of the London
Philatelic Society, eventually became purchasers of these sheets at large prices. A
year or two later it was evident that the original eight sets had considerably ex-
panded, until it became an ascertained fact that hundreds of sheets existed. These
sheets were brought to this country by Mr. A. Van Dyck, of Sydney, the principal for
whom Mr. Vindin had previously avowedly been acting as to the earlier " find." The
former mysteriously disappeared, and lately arriving in America disposed of a further
quantity there, openly acknowledging them as Reprints. As soon as these facts
became patent, in self-defence Messrs. Stanley Gibbons, who are the present holders
of the stock, acquired in a perfectly legitimate manner, published a full statement of
all their knowledge on the subject, and Mr. M. P. Castle (the Vice-President of the
London Society), who had been in continued correspondence with Mr. Vindin, also
set forth all the information that he had acquired. The burden of these statements
was necessarily to cast the blame on those who made false statements in selling these
stamps, and to shift the onus of their deception to the original vendors. The various
Philatelic Journals having reached the antipodes, Mr. Vindin hastens as far as he is
able to rehabilitate his character as an agent in the disposal of these sheets.
(Vindin's Philatelic Monthly, 24th Nov., 1891, p. 41.)
" Having just returned from New Zealand and Tasmania, I hasten to reply to
the article on the above stamps, published in the Monthly Journal of September. In
the next issue of the Monthly I intend reprinting the article from the Monthly
Journal, and will reply thereto fully. In the meantime I wish to state that I have
had nothing to do with, and have no actual knowledge of, these stamps having been
reprinted. When I offered these stamps for sale in 1887 I believed they were
original impressions, and that only eight sheets each of the 2d. Star, 6d., and 8d.
orange, and one sheet of the 8d. in blue existed. My belief was based on the know-
ledge that the plates were not in the possession of the N.S.W. Government, and I
was further of the opinion that these plates had long before 1870 been destroyed
under instructions from the Government. Mr. Alfred Van Dyck negotiated their
purchase—at least, he told me he purchased the twenty-four sheets for ,£350 from an
unknown party whom he had reason to believe was a Government official. He offered
me liberal terms to sell these sheets, understood that the selling should be left
entirely in my hands, and arranged for me to state that I myself purchased them, as
 16 LAUREATED REPRINTS OF NE W .SO UTH WALES.

he did not wish to be mixed up with buying and selling stamps. I had known Mr.
Van Dyck for five years and, with everyone else, had the utmost confidence in him.
During that time Mr. Van D}-ck was living in Sydney and held a good position, had
no business or occupation, and must have lived at the rate of fifteen hundred a year
or more. Dr. Houison trusted Van Dyck when he left for London [Link] collection
worth £1,000 to be sold, and has never received a penny from him since; the N.S.W.
Postal Department lent him some much-prized proofs and essays of New South Wales
stamps, and these are still wanted by them. It can, therefore, be understood that I
had every reason to believe in the gentleman in question. I acted as his agent when
I offered the stamps for sale, and, further, issued a personal guarantee with all those
I sold. Fortunately I sold very few of the stamps. One set of sheets to
Dr. Houison, with whom I have since arranged; one set of sheets, at a
comparatively low price (under unusual circumstances), to Mr. llodd, of
Hamburg, which, I afterwards heard from several of Mr. Rodd's personal friends in
Sydney, had been cut up by him over two years ago, and sold at a large profit. This
statement was made by Mr. Rodd's own family in Sj-dney, and was repeated to me
and also to several local collectors by friends of the family, so it is reasonable to
suppose it is the truth. Of course, Mr. Rodd had every reason to believe the stamps
were original, and therefore was justified in re-selling them. Be3'oud these six sheets
I only sold a few single copies and blocks of each, and in every case guaranteed them.
The whole of the balance I handed over to Mr. Van Dyck when he left for London in
1888, since then I have had none of these stamps in my possession, and therefore
cannot have sold any. The first I knew of there being more than eight sheets of
each was when I found them being offered so freely at the London auctions, there-
fore the principal London collectors and dealers knew of such being the case before I
I did. I naturally regret my connection with this swindle, for such it seems to me it
is. It has worried me a good deal, and has resulted in a serious pecuniary loss, but
my conscience in the matter is quite clear, and I consider I stand only in the same
position as does Mr. M. P. Castle. I believed in the stamps and so did he, and he
knew as much about them as I could tell him. I believe Mr. Van Dyck worked his
" game " single-handed. I feel sure that no one at this end of the world can tell
more than I have done in the course of this explanation. Both the Postal and
Government printing office authorities have endeavoured to fathom the mystery for
months past, but without success. In the next issue of the Monthly I will deal with
the matter more fully, and meanwhile would esteem it a favour if the editors of the
various publications in England, America, and Europe will reprint this statement."
The burden of Mr. Vindin's defence is that he acted in good faith as an agent for
and the tool of Van Dyck. Les absents ont toujours tort, but in the present instance
the saying seems to have strong ground for credence. Many of the facts as to
Van Dyck quoted in the foregoing are known from independent evidence to be correct,
and, as will be seen by a reference in the quotations from Mr. Vindin's correspond-
ence (S, Gibbons' Monthly Journal, 1891, pp. 58-62), they tally with those therein
contained. Mr. Castle in his remarks on the latter expressly gave Mr. Vindin credit
for " sticking to his guns," in his statements as to his knowledge, and was more
directly concerned to locate the blame of these scandalous proceedings in the proper
quarters without necessarily imputing to Mr. Vindin a conscious share in it. It is
onl)* fair to add that from two well-known and respected sources in Australia we
have received assurances of the writer's full belief that Mr. Vindin was imposed
upon by Mr. Van Dyck, almost equally with the philatelic world on this side of the
globe.
 LAUREATED REPRINTS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 17

We shall await with interest the promised statement that Mr. Vindin announces
for his next issue, and trust that it may be as full and explicit as possible. In that
gentleman's remarks no mention is made of the fact that the late Mr. T. K. Tapling
purchased a set at full price, nor is it stated if any collector in Sydney bought a set
under like conditions. If, as we sincerely hope, Mr. Vindin can to a great extent
exonerate himself it is all the more to be desired that he should associate himself
with his fellow sufferers in endeavouring to trace the mischief home to its authors.
We use the plural advisedly, as we feel certain that however astute and reserved
Van Dyck may have been, he was not alone in the matter, and we are of opinion that
this swindle, for such it is, to have been brought to such a successful issue, must have
been aided and abetted by some person or persons of assured position. We should like
to know the name of the " unknown party whom he believed to be a Government
official" from whom he is stated to have purchased; we should like to know who
made the paper. Prom inquiries made by Mr. Castle in London some time since at
the hands of experts, it was stated that paper of this sort must have been made
especially for the purpose, it being totally different from any made at the present day,
and that the preparation of this would entail the expenditure of a considerable sum.
It should also not be difficult to ascertain who printed these sheets. It would be an
unusual transaction, one involving skill, care and risk, and as several persons must
thus have been aware of the transaction, even though unaware of the illegal nature
of the proceeding, it is possible that information might be forthcoming if the proper
steps are taken. The Sydney P.O. Authorities might well enough offer a reward to
this end.
The Australian stamps have always been so favoured in this country, the
London Philatelic Society has taken so prominent a part in the study of them, and so
many of its members have been mulcted in large sums by this nefarious proceeding, that
we feel confident we are only acting in the best interests of its members by using
this and every future opportunity to unravel the tangled skein, and to bring to light
the authors of perhaps the biggest fraud that has ever been perpetrated on collectors.
Mr. B. P. Rodd sends us the following reply to the remarks made by Mr. Vindin
in connection with his name :—
" I have received from Sydney Vindin's Philatelic Monthly for November last,
containing, under the above heading: ' A Preliminary Explanation by D. A. Viiidin'
in which, after giving his version of his transactions with Mr. Van Dyck, he proceeds
as follows :—' Fortunately I sold very few of the stamps. One set of sheets to Dr.
Houisoc, with whom I have since arranged, one set of sheets at a comparatively low
price (under unusual circumstances) to Mr. Eodd, of Hamburg, which I afterwards
heard from several of Mr. Rodd's personal friends in Sydney had been cut up by him
over two years ago and sold at a large profit. This statement was made by Mr. Rodd's
own family in Sydney, and was repeated to me and several local collectors by friends
of the family, so it is reasonable to suppose it is the truth. Of course Mr. Rodd had
every reason to believe the stamps were original and therefore was justified in re-
selling them.'
" Prom this one would suppose that instead of being victimised, that I had been
instrumental in disposing of these stamps at a large profit, &c. Had Mr. Vindin
been contented with simply stating the fact that he had sold one of the sets to myself,
I would have been spared the trouble of writing this, and I cannot imagine his reason
for going into further particulars, especially as they are totally untrue, and if the rest
of his statement is equally to be relied upon, I regret to say it is not worth the ink he
took to write it. The following are the facts so far as I am concerned, and which I can
18 REVIEWS.

prove by his own handwriting, &c. When the eight sheets were first offered, and I
believe just before Mr. Castle offered to buy the lot, he sold one set at the ' compara-
tively low price ' of £150 to my mother— subject to my approval within a certain
time— she paid a deposit of £75, which in the event of my returning the sheets
within the term, he undertook to repay. Not being satisfied with what I had heard
from Mr. Castle I returned the sheet within the term, and upon same being presented
to him and the £75 claimed, he pleaded his inability to repay same, and therefore my
mother was obliged to keep them, of course ' under the unusual circumstances,' for
the amount of the deposit £75. My mother ' under the unusual circumstances '
returned them to me, and they still are, and have ever since been in my collection—
neither ' cut up, over two years ago, nor ever offered to any one. He goes on to kindly
justify my good faith, in selling what he himself had guaranteed, and what I still
have. With his Monthly I have also received copy of a letter that my mother imme-
diately upon reading his ' Preliminary explanation ' wrote to him, calling upon him for
an explanation, and to withdraw his remarks, &c., in his next issue, also in a postscript
to same reminding him that within the last three montlis she had reminded him that I
had not been able to dispose of them. As he writes that he has arranged with Dr.
Honison there is still some hope that he will do so with me."
Since the above was written we have been informed that Mr. Dawson A. Vindin
has sailed for this country, and may be very shortly expected here. We understand
that the primary object of his visit is in connection with these laureated reprints,
and we are confident that his statements will receive an impartial consideration, the
sole object of all the writers on the subject having been to drive home the blame to
the culpable parties.— ED.

Reviews.
THE STAMP NEWS ANNUAL. *
THE second venture of this Christmas Philatelic literature will, on the whole,
compare favourably with its predecessor, which it resembles in size and
general appearance (83 pp. quarto), except that—perhaps, in deference
to the widespread mortality due to the insidious influenza—it appears in a
rather funereal garb as to its cover. Among the numerous articles forming its
contents, we may cite as the best, The Stamp of Prince Edward's Isle, by Mr. A. A.
Bartlett; of Portugal, by Mr. J. N. Marsden; of Azores, by M. de Keuterskiold; of
the South Australian Officials, by Delta (why the modesty of this nom deplume?);
of Bavaria, by the Eev. D. Dunbar; and of Venezuela, by Mr. G. Lockyer. Among
the papers of a general nature, we note as interesting that of Some Reminiscences,
1863-70, by a Parisian Collector—eminently readable throughout, and evidently by
" an old Philatelic hand." Mr. Westoly discourses on French " Postage Stamp
Statistics," and the Vice-President of the London Society gossips on the " Fashions
in Stamps." The difficulties of prophecy are set forth by the Editor, and there are
other articles of varied degrees of merit. The revision of the work is somewhat
faulty, as there are many typographical errors, notably in the index, but, as a whole,
the work is one that will readily be welcomed by the collecting fraternity, and is a
credit to the enterprise of Messrs. Theodor Buhl & Co.
* The Stamp News Annual for the Year 1892: Theodor Buhl & Co., 11, Queen Victoria
Street, London, B.C.
 19

PhilatelicSocieties'Meetings.
THE P H I L A T E L I C SOCIETY, L O N D O N .
Honorary President: H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH, K.G., &c.

Committee fop the Year 1891—92.

President: F. A. PHILBRICK, Q.C. Vice-President: M. P. CASTLE.
Secretaiy: D. GAETH. Assistant Secretary: J. A. TILLEARD.
Treasurer and Librarian: C. N. BIGGS.
E. D. BACON. I MAJOR EVANS.
A. W. CHAMBERS. T. MAYCOCK.

THE Fifth Meeting of the Season 1891-92 was held at the Salisbury Hotel,
Fleet-street, on Friday, the 4th December, 1891, at 7.30 p.m. The
members present being Messrs. E. D. Bacon, T. Maycock, A. W. Chambers,
R. Pearce, E. J. Nankivell, E. A. Elliott, A. Ludwig, C. N. Biggs, F. Ransom,
R. Meyer, J. D. Henderson, J. H. Redman, E. Stanley-Gibbons, C. J. Dunn,
J. A. Tilleard and D. Garth.
In the absence of the President and Vice-President, the chair was taken by Mr.
Bacon, and the minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A letter from
Mr. John "Walker of Edinburgh, offering to present to the Society's Library a copy of
the 5th Edition (1864), of Mount Brown's Catalogue, and also a copy, of the 3rd
Edition (1865), of Dr. Gray's Catalogue, was read, and the Secretary was directed to
accept these with the thanks of the Society. The Secretary reported the result of
the replies to the circular sent to the members in regard to the annual dinner, and it
was resolved that the dinner should be postponed to a date to be fixed in January or
February of the ensuing year. Mr. "W. T. "Willett, of Brighton, proposed by the
Vice-President and seconded by the Secretary, and Mr. W. Silk, of Hampstead,
proposed by Mr. Nankivell and seconded by the Secretary, were duly elected members
of the Society, the balloting for the two other proposed members whose names were
on the list for the evening being postponed to the next meeting. The consideration
of the arrangements for the publication of the Society's proposed new journal was
then proceeded with, and the Secretary stated what had been done towards this end
since the last meeting, and he explained the recommendations of the Committee in
this respect. Mr. Bacon read a letter he had received from Mr. Cheveley,
offering on behalf of his firm of Cheveley, Wilson & Co., to undertake
the sale of the journal, and the canvassing for and the management of the
advertisements, for a remuneration of 15 per cent, of the receipts, and, in addition,
to take for his firm one page in the journal for the advertisements of the firm, paying
the usual price for the same, and to allow the Society one page for advertisements in
each of the sale catalogues free of charge. After much discussion, Mr. Bacon moved
and the Secretar}' seconded a resolution : " That a letter should be sent to Messrs.
Cheveley, Wilson & Co., thanking them for their letter, and stating that the Society
were unable to accept the offer.'' Mr. A. W. Chambers moved as an amendment that
the words " as a whole " should be added to the resolution as proposed \>j Mr. [Link],
but the amendment wa-s not seconded, and the original motion, on being put to the
meeting, was carried. After a long discussion the above recommendations of the
20 PHILATELIC SOCIETIES MEETINGS.

Committee were adopted. Upon the motion of the Secretary seconded by Mr. Bacon,
it was resolved that all matters connected with the publication and general manage-
ment of the journal be left to the discretion of the Editor. It was further resolved
that a letter should be written to Messrs. Theodor Buhl & Co., as the proprietors of
the Philatelic Record, informing them of the intentions of the Society, and that a
circular should be sent to the leading collectors and dealers, announcing the proposed
publication and inviting subscriptions. The Treasurer gave notice, that, at the next
meeting, he would move a resolution as to a separate banking account being opened
in the name of the Society. On the consideration of this subject it was resolved as
an instruction to the Treasurer, that the accounts with the new journal should be kept
separately. The revision of the reference list of the stamps of Ceylon, which was on
the Agenda for the evening, was postponed, owing to the time occupied by the
discussion of the foregoing business.

The. Sixth Meeting of the Season was held at the Salisbury Hotel on Friday, the
18th December, 1891, at 7.30 p.m., the following members being present, viz.,
Messrs. M. P. Castle, V. Roberts, E. D. Bacon, C. JST. Biggs, T. Maycock, A. W.
Chambers, "W. Silk, jun., R. Pearce, E. J. Nankivell, A. B. Creeke, jun., H. E.
Wright, W. T. Willett, J. A. Tilleard, and F. Street. The chair was taken by the
Vice-President, and the minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.
Amongst the correspondence read there were letters from Mr. Bambridge, the private
secretary of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, and letters from Mr. L. Gibb and
Messrs. Theodor Buhl & Co. In the course of the discussion on the correspondence,
it was determined that it should be left to the Secretary to arrange the date for the
annual dinner. In reply to Mr. Bambridge's inquiry as to the purchase of a copy of
the Society's recent work on the stamps of the West Indies for Prince George of
Wales, it was resolved that a copy of the work should be suitably bound and offered
for the acceptance of H.R.H. Mr. L. Gibb, in his letter from Montreal acknow-
ledging the receipt of a copy of the recent publication, referred to the interest with
which the work had been received by the members of the Society at Montreal. He
also mentioned that the collectors in Canada felt some difficulty in acknowledging the
existence of the 12d. stamp of that country on wove paper as having ever been issued
and used. Messrs. Theodor Buhl & Co. in their letter stated that they would shortly
communicate to the Society their decision regarding the continuation of the
Philatelic Record. In the course of a discussion on this subject it was reported that
arrangements had been made for the continuation of that journal under the editorship
of a well-known Philatelist. In view of the arrangements made for the publication
of the Society's new journal it was moved by the Assistant Secretary, seconded by
Mr. Chambers, and resolved, " That the resolution of the 19th December, 1890, in
reference to the communication to the Philatelic Record of the minutes of the Society's
meetings be rescinded." Mr. E. Street, proposed by the Secretary and seconded by
the Assistant Secretary, and Mr. H. Eerrier-Kerr, proposed by the Secretary and
seconded by the Vice-President, were duly elected members of the Society, the ballot-
ing for a third candidate being postponed to the next meeting, in the absence of his
proposer and seconder. The revision of the reference list of the stamps of Ceylon
was proceeded with and adjourned. The Vice-President, taking advantage of the
presence at this meeting of Mr. Vernon Roberts, the President of the Manchester
Society, and Mr. Willett, the Honorary Secretary of the Brighton Society, offered
through these gentlemen the congratulations of the London Society on the formation
 PHILATELIC SOCIETIES MEETINGS. 21

of the new Societies, and wished them every success in their endeavours to promote
the science of Philately. Mr. Vernon Roberts showed a pair of the 5s. stamps of
Queensland imperforate horizontally, a variety which does not appear to have been
hitherto chronicled. Mr. Vernon Roberts also brought to the meeting a large
number of very rare stamps all in fine condition. Amongst these were Great Britain
Id. V.R., 4d. small garter, and a pair of 2s. brown imperforate (all unused), Switzer-
land double Geneva (unused), Tuscany 3 lire, Hong Kong 96c., yellow brown (un-
used), Mauritius fine natives, including the large fillet, British Guianas of 1862, New
Brunswick O'Connell, and a splendid selection of the shilling values of all the
British North American stamps, Peru Medio peso rose, New South Wales, a pair of
the 5d. large square stamp imperforate, and many other rarities in these countries
and in the stamps of Moldavia, India, Ceylon, Cape of Good Hope, Victoria, Western
Australia, &c.

The Seventh Meeting of the season was held at the Salisbury Hotel, on Friday,
the 1st January, 1892, at 7.30 p.m., and was attended by the following members,
viz:—Messrs. M. P. Castle, R. Pearce, E. J. NankiveU, W. Silk, Junr., H. E. Wright,
T. Maycock, R. Meyer, F. Street, E. D. Bacon and J. A. Tilleard.
The Vice-President having taken the chair, the minutes of the la^t meeting were
read and confirmed. A telegram was received from the Secretary announcing his
inability to attend the meeting in consequence of ill-health, but there was no further
correspondence before the meeting. The ballot for one of the candidates whose name
was down for consideration at this meeting was postponed, owing to the absence of
his proposer and seconder, and Dr. Mailman, Mr. Krapf, Lieut. Ludwig Schwarz, and
Mr. Stiohmeyer (the members nominated by the Vienna Society, as suggested in the
recent correspondence), all proposed by the Vice-President and seconded by the
Secretary, were duly elected members of the Society. The motion standing in Mr.
Biggs' name, in reference to the Society's Banking Account, was, in his absence,
postponed to the next meeting. Mr. Bacon read a paper entitled—" Some official
information on the stamps of the Cape of Good Hope." After remarking upon the
small amount of written information hitherto published in regard to the history of
thfise stamps, Mr. Baoon gave the result of his researches in the official records,
which enabled him to fix with certainty the dates of most of the various issues,
including the first issue, and the number and arrangement of the stamps on the
sheets. An interesting fact in regard to the Id. rate of postage for letters in this
Colony was referred to, viz.:—that although in 1861 the Id. rate came into force for
Port Elizabeth, it was not until 1889, or nearly 50 years after the introduction of
" Penny Postage " into Great Britain that this rate became general over the whole of
the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope. In regard to the locally printed stamps
known as the " wood blocks," beyond the names of the printers and the number and
arrangement of the stamps on the sheets, very little appears to be known, but
Mr. Bacon in his paper suggested the probable mode in which these stamps were
prepared for use. In reference to the Id. triangular stamp with the watermark
Crown and C.C., it appears that very little information is forthcoming, and in
suggesting the probable cause of the existence of this stamp, Mr. Bacon invited
further research into its history. A curious feature was noted in regard to the gd.
(black) stamp, which appears to have been chronicled as early as 1876, although it
was not until 1882 that the |d. Inland rate for newspapers came into force. A large
amount of interesting and valuable information was given in regard to the other
stamps of the Colony, and the numerous extracts from the official Gazettes, and the
22 PHILATELIC SOCIETIES MEETINGS.

statistics given in respect of the number of stamps printed, showed the great labour
and infinite pains which the author of the paper had bestowed upon his work so as
to render it as complete as possible. After some discussion upon several of the points
raised, a cordial vote of thanks, upon the motion of the Assistant-Secretary seconded
by Mr. Meyer, was accorded to Mr. Bacon for his most interesting paper, which it
was proposed, with his consent, to publish in the Society's journal. The further
revision of the reference list of the stamps of Ceylon, which was upon the Agenda
for the evening, was adjourned until the next meeting.

BRIGHTON AND SUSSEX PHILATELIC SOCIETY.

Honorary President: BARON DE WORMS.

Committee for the Year 1891-92.

President: M. P. CASTLE. Vice-President: 3. H. REDMAN.
Hon. Sec. and Treasurer: W. T. WILLETT.
A. DE WORMS. ] J. W. GILLESPIE.
H. STAFFORD SMITH. I J. H. ESCOLME.

THE Third Meeting of the Season (1891-92) was held at HarkwelTs Hotel,
Brighton, on 4th January, at 7.30 p.m. Eleven members and one visitor
were present; the President in the chair. The minutes of the previous
meeting having been read and confirmed, the Secretary announced the receipt of a
parcel of books from Messrs. Theodor Buhl & Co., as a donation to the library of the
Society ; on the motion of the [Link], seconded by the Vice-President, a cordial
vote of thanks was given that firm for their liberal gift. The Secretary moved,
" That in future, the minutes of the Society be sent to the LONDON PHILATELIST,
Philatelic Record, and Monthly Journal;" this was seconded by Mr. H. Stafford
Smith, and carried unanimously. The Vice-President read an interesting paper on
" Areas of Collecting;" a short discussion ensued on this subject, the further
consideration of which was postponed till the next meeting. The Vice-President
exhibited a curiosity—the English Is., small letters, with a white circle round the
letter (K), in the left hand bottom corner. He also showed, on behalf of the Rev.
E. H. Rogers, a proof, in red, of the current 2|d. New Zealand. Mr. -Gillespie
exhibited a Straits Settlements Post Card, specially prepared for the Registration of
Servants.

MANCHESTER PHILATELIC SOCIETY.

A MEETING of this Society was held at the Mitre Hotel, Manchester, on

Friday, the 18th December, the Vice-President in the chair.
Two gentlemen who had been proposed at the last meeting came up for
election, and were duty elected.
The Vice-President, addressing the meeting, referred to the absence of the
President, who was attending a meeting of the London Philatelic Society the same
evening,' and finally called upon Mr. Collett (who had kindly consented to act as
secretary for that meeting) to read a letter which had been received from the hon.
 CORRESPONDENCE. i3

secretary of the Society tendering his resignation of that office owing to business
engagements.
The letter having been read, the Vice-President moved, and Mr. Collett seconded,
and it was resolved, that the resignation be accepted.
A discussion then took place as to the best means of raising a Library Fund, out
of which all the principal Philatelic books could be purchased for the use of the
members. Several suggestions were made, but it was eventually decided to adjourn
the matter for further consideration to the next meeting.
Mr. Durst then read a paper on the Postage Stamps of Lubeck, in the course of
which he made numerous references to official documents. He dealt with the reason
of the water-marked paper being employed, and also with the semi-official reprints.
The conclusions drawn from the official documents quoted by Mr. Durst tended to
show the stamps on water-marked paper were those first in use. This, the vice-
president pointed out, was, he believed, against the order given by the authorities.
A discussion took place on the paper, after which a vote of thanks was accorded
to Mr. Durst for his interesting paper.
The rest of the evening was spent in the exhibition of novelties and new issues.

Correspondence.
AUCTIONS. the action of dealers at the auctions. Dealers
Tu the Editor of the LONDON PHILATELIST. have been the principal buyers, and although
SIB, —There are several points in connection jealousy and a desire for notoriety have
with the stamp auctions now being so fre- apparently been sometimes the motives leading
quently held which call for careful con- to competition, yet is it not to the common
sideration. interest of dealers to effect a rise in prices ?
The foremost question is, of course, whether And are the interests of dealers and collectors
these auctions are a benefit to Philately as a always identical 1
science ? This question has been mooted Further, is not the whole tone of our pursuit
before, and I am not sure that the answer to lowered by this constant putting of a money
it should be in the affirmative. value on stamps ? Should we gloat over this
It is very convenient for a person who or that stamp simply because it is worth so
desires to sell his collection to know that his many pounds ? I think there is a great harm
stamps can be readily disposed of, and that by to Philately by the lowering of everything to a
breaking them up into lots, and submitting commercial and money basis.
them piecemeal to competition, a higher price Moreover, has not this continual open deal-
for the whole is to be got than if he had to ing in stamps, with the prominence given to
negotiate a sale en Moo to a dealer or another their money value, and the public ear-marking
collector. But this is an advantage to an of the varieties most sought after, given an
individual only, and in many cases to an impetus to the forgery of these stamps 3
individual who is ceasing to take an active I am aware that much can be said in favour
interest in Philately. It is doubtful whether of auctions, and that ills formerly existed
there is a corresponding advantage to which it was hoped public sales would cure.
collectors, whilst it is a matter for regret to But I should like to know from Mr. Garth
hear that a valuable collection is broken up whether the result has been all that he hoped
and its gems dispersed, so that reference to for when he organised the first of these modern
them may be no longer possible. sales.
Owing, in a large measure, to the auctions, I may be premature in giving expression to
collectors have seen a great increase in the the doubts which I confess that I feel.
prices of stamps, and, to a very large extent, Perhaps those laws which govern all other
this rise in values has been brought about by transactions into which " business " enters are,
 24 CORRESPONDENCE,

if somewhat slowly, already beginning to act London Philatelic Protection Association

on our sales, and that a remedy for the evils should challenge bogus stamps at sales in the
which have existed is almost in sight. Time name of the Association, and that no collector
will show. or dealer should bid for a stamp so challenged.
Bat may I be permitted to refer to some I am sorry to say I have seen a dealer bid,
other aspects of the case. If we are to have without making any reserve, fo'r a stamp which
these sales it is absolutely necessary that the a competent authority had declared to be a
auctioneers should have a good knowledge of forgery.
stamps, and this is the case with the gentle- In concluding my, I fear, over-long letter,
men who conduct the more important sales. should like to quote from the catalogue of a
But is it also necessary that the auctioneers recent sale the description of one lot of
should be dealers, or intimately connected " postage stamps," and to give the price for
with dealers 1 When Mr. Bull was induced to which it was sold: —
undertake Mr. Garth's tentative sale it was "Itminiama, Moldavia: 1854, circular 54
felt to be a matter for congratulation that paras green, 81 paras blue, 108 paras
while Mr. Bull had an excellent knowledge of pink; 1860, 40 paras blue, 80 paras red.
stamps, he had also an amateur's love for them, Moldo-Wallachia:—1862, 3 paras yellow,
and was not in any way connected with the 6 paras red, 30 paras blue."
stamp trade. These conditions cannot, I think, Sold for six shillings! (There were other
be said to exist now, as among the subscribers lots equally good and equally cheap!) For
to the Memorandum of Association of Mr. what purpose were they bought ? And do
Bull's Company appeared the names of the such sales as these benefit Philately 2
partners of a well-known firm of stamp dealers Your journal, Sir, has been started with no
and large buyers at the auctions. But I do personal object, but with the hope that it may
not find a cause of complaint in this, and to be of help and interest to all connected with
answer my own question, I fear that (under Philately. Wishing you every success,
existing conditions) it is unavoidable that I am, your obedient servant,
auctioneers should be dealers. But there i* a B. PEARCE.
danger in the fact that we do not know who London, 9th January, 1892.
are the sellers behind the auctioneers. I have
heard it said that some dealers, taking advan-
tage of the high prices they have helped to A TBANSVAAL STRANGER.
create, have come to the auctioneers as sellers To the Editor of the LONDON PHILATELIST.
and then bid for and run up their own stamps. DBAS SIR,—At one of the recent stamp
The mere existence of suspicions of this sort auctions in London a 1 'penny red inverted
is a source of injury to auctioneers, dealers, surcharge on Queen's head was offered for sale,
and collectors alike, and I would suggest that but was immediately challenged by several
whenever possible auctioneers should state in dealers as a bogus surcharge, and was there-
their catalogues the names of the vendors, and upon withdrawn. I was not present at the
that it should be understood that in every case sale, but I had previously inspected the
buyers should have a right after the sale to stranger and could discover nothing to justify
demand this information with respect to their suspicion, though quite prepared to be scepti-
own purchases. If a dealer should wish to sell cal of a stamp, the existence of which I had
a portion of his surplus stock by auction, there never heard of before.
is no reason why he should not openly do so, It would be interesting to know on what
and I, for one, should be glad to see dealers grounds the stamp was challenged—whether
hold periodical sales. it was simply because it was unknown, or
One other point. I believe that four out of whether it had been closely compared with a
the five firms who have been holding auctions ;enuine surcharge and so condemned. To my
in London withdraw a stamp if challenged by knowledge two other large collectors of Trans-
any dealer or collector of standing, and in vaals who examined the stamp saw nothing in
doubtful cases a guarantee is given for a it to justify suspicion.
stated tune. May we not expect a similar And now that such a stamp has turned up,
course to be followed in every case ? We do it would be interesting to know whether any
not want to see lots described in catalogues collector or dealer has ever met with an un-
as " postage stamps" sold, as I have seen doubtedly genuine inverted surcharge, red or
them, with the remark, " I guarantee nothing. black, on the Queen's head issue.
You must buy them for what they are worth." Yours truly,
I would suggest that one of the experts of the EDWARD J. NANKIVBLL.
 CORRESPONDENCE. 25

PROPOSED PHILATELIC CLUB. exhibition might be held of the stamps de-

To the Editor of t!ut LONDON PHILATELIST. scribed, and no doubt collectors would crowd
DBAE SIB,—A proposal is being put forward around to inspect and to fill up gaps in their
to establish a Philatelic Club at some central albums.
place of meeting in London, and I understand Again, there might be " open" and " close "
that it goes the length of opening some two or days at the Exchange. " Open " days for the
three rooms at a subscription of a couple of attendance of collectors generally, and " close "
guineas per annum. The object of the club, days for purely trade transactions, when the
as now proposed, seems to be to bring dealers might meet in secret conclave and
collectors and dealers together in one club for fleece each other.
their mutual advantage, and, I suppose, their Yours truly,
mutual—profit. Now I have my doubts as to WIDE EOULETTE.
the success of this idea, for three reasons.
1. That there are not to be had a sufficient THE LONDON PHILATELIC SOCIETY.
number of subscribers who, in addition to the To the Editor of the LONDON PHILATELIST.
almost numberless calls upon their pockets DEAB SIK,—In the December number of the
for subscriptions to this, that, and the other PJiilatelie Record an interesting correspond-
thing, care to establish another two guinea ence is opened up which, now that the
per annum call. 2. That those who can spare London Philatelic Society is to have, in the
the money, have not also the time to spare to LONDON PHILATELIST, a monthly journal of its
avail themselves of the proposed advantages, own, may well be continued in our own
and, 3. That a club of dealers and collectors columns. Mr. Garth, as Secretary of the
will not work, for the simple reason that, Society, writes to answer, once and for all,
although a few of our best dealers would the question that, he says, is almost daily put
scrupulously abstain from bothering their to him, " What benefit do I individually reap
collector fellow-members to " buy, buy, buy," by being, or shall I reap by becoming, a
in season and out of season at the club, human member of the London Society 1" And he
nature is so constituted, that, in the long run, goes on to say that he has received letters
dealers would make the club a rendezvous for which " show that the writers seriously expect
catching desirable customers for recent that in return for their moderate annual sub-
acquisitions. scription our Society should present its
But why not remove the mask from the members with at least five times the equivalent
proposal and start it right away as a Philatelic in valuable stamps." He further adds, " I am
Exchange, for which dealers and collectors also twitted with the existence of rival
may be eligible, and let it be a place of meet- societies, and with the formation of new
ing, with an exhibition room and a smoking societies, offering equal advantages, at a sub-
room, where dealers may congregate to show scription of a nominal half-crown or five
collectors their recently purchased collections shillings per annxim."
and novelties and rarities. Most collectors To all this Mr. Garth pertinently replies
would, I believe, be willing to subscribe the that the London Philatelic Society aims at
small annual subscription which would be something more than mere periodical meet-
necessary to provide two such rooms, and, of ings, that " it has always sought to advance
course, it would be to the advantage of all the science of Philately by giving, not only its
leading dealers to be members of the Exchange. members, but to the world at large, the benefit
Indeed, I am of opinion that it would pay the of its research, and it aims at placing in the
leading dealers to establish an Exchange at hands of the collector, little by little, the
their own cost, charging, if desirable, a nominal complete history and catalogue of the postal
membership fee. The sales room might be let issues of the world."
for auctions, and so focus them into one well That Mr. Garth should receive suggestions
known central place of Philatelic rendezvous, for increasing the Society's usefulness would
instead of holding them, as now, here, there, surprise no one who knows how influential and
and everywhere, to the confusion of all con- international is its membership, but the ques-
cerned. An " Auction Announcements " board tion, " What benefit do I reap, or shall I reap ?"
would keep every probable buyer informed as from membership is, to say the least, strange
to the next auction. Dealers might also and curious. The man who wants his "pound
advantageously get up practical and un- of flesh" may easily be recognised as the
pretentious exhibitions. For instance, on the intolerable dione -who is always crying out for
publication of a new volume of the magnificent his quid pro qtto, though he never contributes
catalogue of the London Philatelic Society an a farthing more than will entitle him to
26 OCCASIONAL NOTES.

benefit from the unselfish labour of his fellow- Philatelic journal in which will be gathered
members. together the ripe experience of the most
The magnificent volumes of the Society's expert philatelists of our day. Besides all
catalogue, and the eager expressions of plea- this, membership in the London Society is
sure which greet the production of each accepted all the world over as an unquestion-
succeeding volume, go to prove that there able guarantee of Philatelic status. And in
cannot be many such drones in our Philatelic these days it is worth more than a guinea to
hive. That there are many outside must be be so separated from the rag-tag and bob-tail,
due to sheer ignorance of the advantages of the fakers and surchargers, and the chemical
membership. For putting the question on a dyers and cleaners, who vex and puzzle the
pure quid pro quo "pound of flesh" footing, I Philatelic soul in every quarter of the globe.
defy anyone to produce a Philatelic or any The London Philatelic Society never has
other Society that yields for membership a touted for members, and there is no sign that
return at all equal to that which the London it will ever need to do so. It can best serve
Philatelic Society now gives to its country the permanent interests of Philately by pur-
members for their subscription of one guinea. suing in the future the wise policy that has
For that self-same guinea there are supplied marked its past with so much success. Its
without further charge the handsome volumes rank, its position, its influential membership
of the Society's catalogue once a year—so and its published work, justify its rigorous
much appreciated by others that almost any and healthy action in promoting the survival
one volume will, if sold to-morrow, more than of the fittest and the best, in matters
return in hard cash a year's subscription. Phitnletic, individual and material.
Commencing with this year, there is also Yours truly,
supplied, without further charge, a monthly CEdric.

OccasionalNotes
IT is with much regret that we have to from future literary work, and we trust, there-
announce the death of a well-known Con- fore, that his absence will be but of a temporary
tinental dealer, and one with whom we have character.
ourselves for many years past been personally * * *
acquainted. Herr Anselm Larisch, after a THE scarcity of Plate 9 of the halfpenny
brief illness, and at the early age of 48, expired value of this country is well known to most
on the 12th of this month at his residence in collectors; it has therefore been somewhat
Munich. The catalogues issued by Mr. Larisch surprising to note the frequent recurrence of
have attained a wide circulation throughout specimens at auctions and elsewhere during
Germany, and his name has been a household the past few months. We have seen pseudo
word in stamp circles for many years past as copies of this stamp which revealed the fact,
an energetic and honourable dealer. The after careful examination, that the figures
sympathies of collectors here and in the denoting the plate number had been carefully
Fatherland will he extended to his wife and and cleverly altered from a " 3" to a " 9." On
young family. examination it will be noted that this can be
* * * comparatively easily effected, and we would
WE regret to learn that, after an existence warn all collectors to closely scrutinise any
of two years, one of our most able and interest- specimens that may be offered to them. The
ing contemporaries, the Federal Australian " imitations " have the head of the 9 smaller
Philatelist, has ceased to exist. Some con- than usual, while the tail extends further out,
solation may, however, be derived from the as with Plate 3. They should be held to a
announcement that the defunct journal is to strong light and examined from the back,
be embodied in Vindin's Philatelic Monthly, and when the alteration can be distinctly noted.
that the co-operation of Mr. A. F. Basset Hull, * * *
its editor, is assured for the latter. Mr. Hull, WE have received from Messrs. Stanley
who is a member of the London Society, is Gibbons & Co., Limited, a copy of an innova-
such an able writer that the whole Philatelic tion in the shape of a " Duplicate Stamp
community would suffer by his abstention Album." The novelty consists in the arrange-
 OCCASIONAL NOTES. 27

ment of a number of envelopes, three of which brought up by habeas corpus to answer other
are securely fastened to each page of the book, charges of a similar kind.
each, while readily unfolded, being so contrived Mr. Charles Reya, antiquarian bookseller,
that its contents are securely held. Every Harris's-place, Oxford-street, said he became
envelope is consecutively numbered and acquainted with the Prisoner in respect of
indexed, so that a ready reference can be some pictures, in July, 1890. In December of
obtained to the contents of the volume. As that year the Prisoner called at his office and
nearly 150 of these neat little receptacles are showed him an Indian four-anna red and blue
furnished it will be evident that a large stamp, with the head of the Queen reversed.
number of duplicates can be thus stored away. He said he wanted money, and asked Witness
Different sizes are published, all of which are to buy it. He named £20 as its value.
neatly bound and well turned out in every Witness told him he must make inquiries
respect. We have, after making practical ex- about it, and then the Prisoner said he would
periments, satisfied ourselves as to the useful- take £8 for it. Witness told him to reduce it
ness of these Duplicate books, and can there- to £7 10s, and then he left the stamp with
fore cordially recommend them to the notice him, on the understanding that he was to call
of collectors. again in a day or two. In the meantime
* * * Witness took the stamp to a firm of stamp
MAJOR E. B. EVANS has sent us a copy of dealers and offered it to them for £15. They
a catalogue of stamps that were dispersed at accepted the offer, and on his again seeing the
auction on the 20th of this month at Chicago, Prisoner he handed him the £7 10s and
by Messrs. Elison, Flersheim & Co., in which obtained a receipt. Witness believed that it
the following rara avis is described :— was a genuine stamp. Subsequently the
" Victoria, 1863, 4d, rose, wmk. 4, surcJiarged Prisoner called again, with another stamp —
Id in red. This is an unrecorded provisional, a penny blue Cape of Good Hope, saying that
and its condition is such as to preclude any it belonged to his brother, and was a very
doubt as to its authenticity. The figure 1 of valuable one. He offered it for £3 or £4, and
the surcharge is 1J m thick and 12 mm tall; the it was left on approbation as before. On
d is somewhat elevated and is nearly the same Witness again seeing the firm alluded to, the
thickness and height. The stamp bears a stamp was detected as a forgery, and they
light cancellation and postmark, the latter kept it in their possession. He communicated
showing ' MEL MY 2 63,' and is unmistakably the result to the Prisoner, and did not see him
over the surcharge." afterwards.
Oar correspondent adds that it hardly seems Mr. Hannay: How did you know what to
to be a likely variety, an opinion that has our ask for the stamp ?
ready concurrence. It would be passing Witness: From my experience in dealing
strange that, in a country so exempt from the in good books. I generally ask double (a
curse of surcharging as Victoria, this old laugh).
"beaded oval" issue should, for nearly 30 Mr. C. Phillips, secretary to Stanley Gibbons
years, have embraced this unknown variety. & Co., stamp dealers, of Gower-street, spoke
Until we have personally inspected this Itisus to the purchase of the anna stamp from Mr.
natu-ai it would be unfair to condemn it, but Reya at the price of £15. He thought at the
like our Northern countrymen "we hae our time that it was a genuine article. The Cape
doubts." of Good Hope stamp was a forgery, and it was
* * *
detained. It had been chemically altered. A
THE Assmus Case, which at the close of red stamp of the kind would be worth about
last year was fully reported in the several Is. 6d., and the blue one, which the one de-
Philatelic journals, was again heard on tained was made to represent, about £30.
January 6th, and as will be seen from the The 4 annas stamp was submitted to Major
following report for which we are indebted to Evans, an expert, and that, too, was denounced
the Standard, the Prisoner was committed for as a forgery. It differed in various details
trial:— from a genuine one. Witness believed there
• At the Marlborough-street police-court, was only one genuine stamp with an inverted
Bernhardt Assmus, a journalist, of Islington, head in England. The inversion was caused
who was committed for trial last month on a by the printer accidentally when printing the
charge of obtaining money from Mr. Giweeb, first two sheets of a particular issue. The 4
a stamp dealer, by representing a forged annas stamp was sold by them shortly after-
" V.B." black penny stamp to be genuine, was wards to Mr. Garth, a collector, for £20,
28 OCCASIONAL NOTES.

Mr. T. M. Bright, a dealer in foreign postage value. If it was a genuine blue stamp it would
stamps, the Arcade, Bournemouth, said he be worth from £25 to £30. It had originally
received, in reply to an advertisement, a letter been a red stamp, worth only about Is. Gd.
bearing the signature of the Prisoner, and Witness examined about 800 stamps amongst
dating from Church-street, Islington, offering the lot produced, and all were forgeries. They
some Baden stamps for sale at 5s. each. They included Bavarian and green Mauritius,
Witness bought four for 15s., and then, as he the latter having been changed from blue.
stated he could forward 40 or 50 more, further By the Prisoner : Witness did not think he
purchases were made, and a cheque for five should have recognised the Baden stamps as
guineas was sent to the address given in pay- forgeries unless his attention had been called
ment. Hearing of the existence of "dangerous " to them beforehand. If he had been offered a
forged stamps, Witness came to London and single specimen, he probably should have
saw Mr. Phillips, and then the various points purchased it as a genuine one. They were
of difference were pointed out. The pearls on very good imitations of the genuine article.
the band of the crown in the genuine stamps An unskilled person would be easily deceived
were regular in size, with a little colour in the by them.
centre of them, whereas in the forged stamps The Prisoner, in defence, said if the stamps
the pearls were different in several respects. which he had sold were forgeries, all he could
There was also a difference in the tissue of say was that he bought them and disposed of
the paper and the colours in the post marks. them without being aware of their character.
Prisoner: Being so sharp in the purchase In fact he had been deceived in the same way;
of stamps you bought those that were sent to but it was said he had deceived others. He
you, and yet you did not detect they were was only a collector in a small way, and if
wrong ones until you made an examination of gentlemen of such great experience as those
them with a big dealer. Do you expect, then, who had given evidence had been deceived,
that other people, collectors and the like, must surely it was very likely he would be deceived
know better than you ? also. He had no intention to defraud any-
Witness said he did not expect people who body.
speculated in stamps to send out three or four The Prisoner was committed for trial.
lots of forgeries one after the other. * * *
Detective-sergeant Penson said he searched ALLEGED FOEGEEY OP STAMPS.
the Prisoner on the 21st November at the A BRILLIANT commencement for the New
Vine-street Police-station, and found upon him Year has been made by the Philatelic Pro-
900 stamps. Altogether, on his person and at tection Association, as will be shown by the
his rooms, he discovered 4,900 stamps. There following announcement: —
were green Badens, four-anna Indians with the At the Thames Police-court on 24th Decem-
Queen's head reversed, and Cape of Good Hope, ber, Alfred Benjamin, twenty-nine, a stamp
similar to those produced. The Prisoner had dealer, of 46, Oval-road, Lambeth ; Julian
passed in the name of Bernhardt and Assmus. Hippolite Sarpy, thirty-two, a stamp dealer, of
Major E. B. Evans, late of the Royal Artillery, the same address ; and George Kirke Jeffreys,
West Hill, Sydenham, said he had been a twenty-four, a clerk, of 80, Grove-road, Bow,
collector of stamps for twenty or thirty years, were charged, on warrants, with having in the
and had written various books upon them. years 1886-90 conspired and confederated
He had examined a large quantity of postage together with other persons, by means of
stamps shown him by Detective-sergeant false pretences, to cheat and defraud Percy
Penson. The Baden stamps were forgeries. May Bright, Charles James Phillips, and
Mr. Hannay: Entirely manufactured, or divers other persons.—Mr. Muir, barrister,
altered J instructed by Messrs. Wilson and Wallis
Witness: Entirely manufactured. They prosecuted. Mr. E. S. Purcell, barrister,
corresponded with those sold to Mr. Bright. appeared for Sarpy and Benjamin; and Mr. C.
He had also seen the four-anna stamp with E. Jones, barrister, represented Jeffreys.
the head inverted. Part of it was a forgery, Counsel, in opening the case, said the
and the rest was genuine. lif was worthless warrants were only granted on Wednesday,
as it was. If genuine it would have been and in addition to the charge of fraud there
worth £20 or more. Two other stamps shown was no doubt the Prisoners were amenable to
to him by the detective corresponded. They other charges. He proposed now to proceed
also had been partly forged. The Cape of with the charge of conspiracy. Jeffreys was
Good Hope stamp had been chemically changed a manufacturer of forged disused stamps,
from red to bine, so as materially to alter its which were bought by collectors. The other
 OCCASIONAL NOTES. 29

Prisoners bought them from him, and passed were blue stamps. On the 24th ult. he searched
them off on the public as genuine stamps. the other prisoners' rooms at 46, Oval-road,
When Jeffreys was arrested and taken to the where he found a number of stamps and
station in a cab, a parcel, containing a very documents. On the 31st ult. he obtained a
large number of forged postage stamps, was search warrant at the Mansion House to search
afterwards found in the vehicle. Amongst 1, Cullum-street, City. This was a shop
them were English stamps, marked " Zululaud " occupied by Benjamin and Sarpy. He found
and " Korke's Drift." there a quantity of stamps and documents.
Detective-sergeant S. White stated that he Besides these he found three perforating
saw Benjamin at 1, Cullum-street, City. Witness machines, and also perforating tools. He also
told him the charge, and read the warrant to saw a number of bottles containing acid, some
him. He said, " I have expected this for some paint, and printers' ink.
time." Witness then took him to Leman-street By Mr. Purcell: He did not see a notice
Police-station, where he was searched. A that no stamps were warranted unless asked
large number of stamps and other papers were for. Such a notice might have escaped his
found in his possession, amongst them being attention. The things he found were not con-
two cards. cealed. He should say there were millions of
Mr. Muir: One is addressed to persons deal- stamps in the shop.
ing in forged stamps, and the other to those By Mr. Jones : He had only brought one of
dealing in genuine ones. the stones from Jeffreys' house. He found a
Sergeant White, continuing, said he arrested large quantity of Victoria Is. stamps.
Jeffreys at 80, Grove-road Bow. In reply to Henry Thomas Pauncefort, printer and
the charge the Prisoner said, " I have done the engraver, of 16, Little New-street, said that in
printing for Benjamin and Sarpy. We used to August, 1886, a person named Jeffreys came
do it on this table. There are fakes in every to his shop and gave him an order to engrave
trade. I admit I have done printing and have two steel plates from designs given to him by
faked up stamps for Benjamin and Sarpy, but Jeffreys. He engraved the stamps produced
I have done nothing for them for some time. The two plates were the same except as to
I have sold my press and given up the busi- the number. He printed 1,000 from each plate.
ness. I have not defrauded anyone." At the One was in blue and the other in carmine.
station he was searched, and some documents There was now what purported to be a post-
found in his possession. Shortly afterwards office obliterating mark on the stamps. They
Witness received a large envelope containing were not there when he executed the order.
a very large number of postage-stamps from He was paid £3 15s. for the plates and £1 9s.
the police of the M division. He showed them for the 2,000 impressions. He did not know
to Jeffreys, who said he knew nothing about for what purpose the stamps were intended.
them. That morning Jeffreys called him and By Mr. Purcell: His business was established
said, " I put the envelope and stamps under in 1816 by his father, and witness had been 21
the seat of the cab. I was foolish to do it,' years in business. He had never before or
and I am very sorry." since printed fac-similes of stamps. He
thought it was for something ecclesiastical.
Detective Cumner proved arresting Sarpy at
(Laughter.)
St. George's-road, Southwark. On telling him
By Mr. Jones : He would not swear that the
the charge, he said, " This is only spite. I
two stamps produced were two of those he
have been expecting this for a long time."
printed. He printed them separately and had
On him witness found a pocket-book contain-
nothing to do with the perforation. Both
ing documents and a large number of stamps.
were Sandwich Islands stamps.
Mr. Dickinson remanded the prisoners, and George Frederick Clayton, a postman, said
consented to accept bail each in two sureties that he resided at 25, Hazelwood-crescent,
of £300, with notice to the police. Westbourne Park. He had known Jeffreys
Remanded till 1st January, the following since 1881 or 1882. Witness had sold stamps
evidence was given, on the last occasion only for him, but could not remember the names.
evidence of arrest being taken :— He had sold "Columbian" stamps for him,
Detective-Sergeant White, re-called, stated but could not recollect whether he had sold
that on the 29th ult. he obtained a warrant to "Bermudas." He had sold " Sandwich Islands"
search the house 80, Grove-road. On the 30th stamps for him. Those he sold were marked
ult. he made his search. In a coal cellar he with a postmark, while others were marked
found two printing presses and a number of with a surcharge. Witness did not remember
lithographic stones. One of the latter bore selling some of the Sandwich Islands stamps
impressions of " Victoria Is. stamps." These to Mr, Buhl, a dealer in the City. The witness,
 OCCASIONAL NOTES.

on being confronted with Mr. Buhl, admitted bought some Argentines, upon which Jeffreys
that he had sold that gentleman two stamps put a forged surcharge. He showed witness a
which were unmarked. He agreed to pay back sheet of paper on which were impressions of
some money to Mr. Buhl because the stamps various forged surcharges. He called this
were not genuine ones. Jeffreys told him to sheet of paper the "Faker's Pride." On
sell the stamps, and get as much as he could. several occasions since then Jeffreys had
Witness had received something out of the shown him forged stamps, and asked him to
proceeds. He had sold fiscal stamps with purchase them. On the 22nd November,
postal surcharges for Jeffreys. He had also 1890, he called on Jeffreys and asked him if
sold fiscal stamps with postmarks on them. he could " clean " for him some Victoria fiscal
They were not genuine postmarks. He hac stamps. He replied that it was not worth Ms
been to Jeffreys' house, and seen him while, as he had not cleaned stamps for some
at work cutting out the postmarks on wood years, and was playing for better game. He
He had also seen Jeffreys print stamps of the added that he had quite a dozen new things
" Universal Postal Union," with surcharges on (meaning forgeries) inside of which no one
them. That would increase the value from except himself knew anything. He also said
the collector's point of view. He had seen anything new he was bringing out he should
Jeffreys use a small printing press. He saw first supply to the Continent, together -with
the prisoner perforate the stamps after they his customers, and then he did not mind sell-
came from Pauncefort's. He also postmarked ing it to the boys (meaning men who sold
them. Witness also knew Benjamin and forgeries), as they had spoiled his market on
Sarpy, whom he first met in the City. He had several occasions. He asked Jeffreys how to
seen Jeffreys with them. On one occasion clean Victoria fiscal stamps, and he replied,
Jeffreys showed him some Tasmanian stamps, " I will do so if you don't mention it to any-
which he said were "the latest." Witness one, and if you let me have any of high -salue."
knew that he meant that they were the latest He then wrote on the paper produced a list
forgery or "false." Jeffreys told him that he of chemicals he used in cleaning various
had got a good machine, which cost a con- stamps, and said, " You can afterwards easily
siderable sum. About two years ago Sarpy obtain the post mark." He had frequently
showed witness how he put surcharges on the seen Jeffreys in Benjamin's shop at 1, CiiHum-
stamps, and Benjamin looked on. He knew street.
the yellow and green stamps of Grenada, and By Mr. Pm-cell: He knew Mr. Moser, ami
had seen Sarpy put postmarks on them with a first saw him about seven weeks ago. Witness
small metal die. sold the stamps as forgeries. He knew a man
By Mr. Purcell: Before he entered the Post- named Reece who had been convicted of
office he served as steward on board a ship. stealing stamps. Witness had sold stamps for
He was not connected with the stamp society. him, and they might have been stolen. He
He was first spoken to by Mr. Moser, a private knew three more besides the prisoners who
inquiry agent. There were no Sandwich dealt in fictitious stamps.
Islands stamps, consequently those he sold Mr. Dickinson again remanded the prisoners.
were worthless. He had taken stamps from At the second remand on 8th January the
Sarpy and Benjamin to sell to others, but did following further evidence was adduced :—
not sell any after he had seen the machinery Albert Felsenthal, in answer to Mr. Jones,
for making them. Dozens of varieties came said he wished to correct his statement that
from the Continent of stamps that had no he had sold Mr. Buhl forgeries as genuine
genuine existence, while others were fac- stamps. He had sold forged stamps to Mr.
similes. There were catalogues and books for Buhl on one occasion for another dealer. He
the purpose of verifying stamps. had been twice to Jeffreys' house, the first
By Mr. Jones: No country used a dated time being about five years ago. He had heard
cancelling stamp. that Jeffreys had been in respectable employ-
Albert Felsenthal, a dealer in foreign stamps, ment at Covent Garden. It was after he had
trading as Edward Lester, of 101. Greenwood- a consultation with Mr. Moser that he went
road, Dalston, stated that he had known to J-ffreys' house. He went there as a spy.
Jeffreys for five or six years. He was intro- He had not tried the preparation Jeffreys gave
duced to him by Benjamin. About five years him. He had received £215s. from Mr. Moser.
ago he called on Jeffreys at his residence and He knew a man named The Rajah, but did not
sold him some stamps, taking payment partly know he was a collector of forged stamps,
in money and partly in stamps. Jeffreys and that the Duke of Edinburgh wanted to
showed him a number of stamps. He purchase them. Witness had sent stamps
 OCCASIONAL NOTES. 31

to Holland. He remembered a robbery of told witness he could get the type to forge the
high-priced telegraph stamps, and it was surcharge.
after that he sent the stamps to Holland. Detective-Sergeant Thomas Cumner, H
At that time the witness Clayton was in the Division, said on the 31st ult. he went
Post Office, but witness was not in frequent with Inspector Hunt and Sergeant White to
communication with him, and had not received 1, Cullum-street, and searched the place
stamps from him. He was questioned about on a search warrant. The things found
the robbery of stamps by an officer named were taken to the Mansion House. On
Doubleday. He remembered the robbery of the 1st inst. the things were handed over
British North Borneo stamps, and he had to witness. He now produced 124 stamps, five
some of them for sale. He did not give the wooden type blocks, one type stock, and one
police any information that led to Jeffreys type stamp. He saw a notice in the shop to
being taken to the police-station to see if he the effect that no stamp would be guaranteed
could be identified. He did not remember the unless a written guarantee was given. That
robbery of a show-case from Mr. Hart's, in notice was posted up on the side of the wall.
Bell-alley. On the first occasion he went to Otto Dannenberg, 4, Lewar-villas, Erskine-
Jeffreys' house he saw him put a surcharge on road, Hoe-street, Walthamstow, deposed that
an Argentine stamp. He bought a number of he was a clerk. He knew the prisoners. In
these stamps to show to other dealers, and he the beginning of last year witness was in the
might since have sold them. The "faker's employ of Mr. Hart, a stamp dealer, of 29,
pride " was a piece of blue paper. Columbian Fenchurch-street. He had seen Jeffreys there,
stamps were in black and white, but the one and he sold Hart some forged penny red
produced should be darker. Jeffreys told Sydney view stamps at the rate of 3s. each.
him he had quite a dozen new things, meaning The proper value for a genuine stamp of that
forgeries. description was between 20s. and 30s.
Budolph Meyer, Sussex House, Queen Jeffreys said nothing was to be said to
Elizabeth-walk, Lordship Park, deposed he Benjamin or Sarpy about the transaction,
was managing clerk to a firm of shipping as they had previously bought a quantity
agents. He had been a collector of stamps from him on condition that he did not
for many years, and had been in the habit of sell to any one else in London within a
making purchases from Benjamin and Sarpy. certain period. On one occasion witness went
They had often boasted to him about forgeries to Jeffreys' house, where he was shown some
they had been in the habit of making and impressions of an 8d. Ceylon stamp, and he
selling. He had seen forged Bavarian stamps saw some star water-marked paper which was
at their shop. Witness had also seen Sarpy used for the manufacture of stamps.
clean fiscal stamps, post-mark, stamp, and By Mr. Purcell: He had been on the Conti-
roulette them. The latter was a substitution nent selling forged stamps for Mr. Hart.
for perforation. Those processes, in some Witness had himself removed the perforation
instances, would considerably enhance the from a blue New Zealand stamp, and after-
value of stamps. The Victoria stamp, if wards sold it for 15s. Witness had sold
rouletted, was worth pounds, and its value forged stamps for other people. There were
was enhanced twenty - fold. Benjamin people in the world who bought forged stamps.
had been present while Sarpy was doing- The poor Belgians were taken in with the
it, and would see what witness had des- stamps he sold them.
cribed. Sarpy had shown him the imple- By Mr. Jones: He had not sold any dead
ments used. Witness had sold them genuine telegraph stamps abroad.
stamps, and had been told how they made John Wm. Jones, manager to Messrs. Stanley
12kr. Bavarian stamps. Sarpy told him he Gibbons & Co., stamp dealers, of 435, Strand,
intended to sell them for what they looked said that about six months ago he attended a
like—genuine stamps. sale at Carshalton, Surrey, at which some
By Mr. Purcell: He only bought stamps stamps were sold. He saw Sarpy there, and
as a collector. He was known amongst the that prisoner said, " Give our compliments to
dealers as " The artful man." There did Mr. Castle, and thank him for his article on
not appear to be any secrecy about what the Sydney views. We have had the plate
Sarpy and Benjamin did. He had heard altered, and they are all right now."
of the Public Prosecutor, but did not go Mr. Theodor Buhl, stamp dealer, 11, Queen
to him about it. He" had asked Benjamin and Victoria-street, City, said he knew Benjamin,
Sarpy to repair stamps for him. He lent who formerly had a partner named Bannister.
Sarpy an East African stamp to forge, and he Witness had purchased " Is. (St. Vincent)
32 THE PHILATELIC MARKET.

vermilion, surcharge id." He paid 45s. or 50s. years ago he purchased some Sandwich Island
for three of them, and purchased them as stamps from Frederick Clayton. They were
genuine. Afterwards he found the surcharge post-marked. He paid £2 10s. for them, and
was forged. He then communicated with believed they were a new issue of stamps.
Benjamin, and requested the return of the Afterwards he discovered they were not
money. First of all they denied they were genuine. He saw Clayton about them, and at
forged, and afterwards admitted the surcharge his instigation he procured other stamps.
was forged, and returned the money. Some Mr. Dickinson again remanded the prisoners.

An interesting collection of stamps has one collection, and once more testifies to the
liitely changed hands, Messrs. Gheveley, Wilson Philatelic world that the careful and thought-
& Co. having purchased the Philatelic fnl collecting- of stamps win always repay
possessions of Captain W. E. Williams, one of itself when the moment arrives for " parting."
the oldest members of the London Philatelic We are informed by the auctioneers that
Society. The Mackwood collection, and also these stamps were the property of a well-
that of Mr. E. D. Bacon, were component known gentleman residing in one of our
parts of Captain Williams' treasures, and it Colonial dependencies, and he wffi have good
may therefore be readily imagined that the reason to be satisfied with the results, the
collection contains many scarce varieties. sum of £1,490 having been the aggregate
Amongst the more interesting stamps are a attained.
fine lot of Afghan, Mexican, early Swiss Amongst those present at the sale we
stamps and West Indian, and there is also a noticed—Collectors : V. Roberts, Avery, Blest,
magnificent Plate of the Mauritius 1848 Id. Street, Ransom, Castle; dealers: Gibbons,
red in a very early state of the die, the acquisi- Buhl, Giwelb, W. T. Wilson, Giun, Calif,
tion of which stamps must have proved a very Astruc, of Paris, and many others. Prom the
paying investment to the original purchaser. outset it was evident that there were many
A sale was held by Messrs. Thomas Bull & eager bidders, and as in numerous instances
the same lots were required the resultant high
Co., Limited, on the 2nd of this month notice-
prices perhaps should hardly be taken to re-
able for a number of the early Mauritius
present the actual values. The highest price
stamps, which changed hands at satisfactory
attained was £49 (Theodor Buhl & Co.) for
rates. The 4 and 5 pesos Buenos Ayres, which
an 81 paras Moldavia, in our opinion £20
realised respectively £9 10s. and £8 10sv
above its present value, the set of the four
another 1869 30c. U.S., with centre inverted,
values of their first issue reaching the
that went for £15, were the best lots. We
stupendous figure of £91 los. ! The blue
note that as in other sales the scarce Plate
Trinacria of Naples, unused, was bought by
9 of the halfpenny of Great Britain was sold Mr. Castle for £32; the other Europeans,
at a good price. Our readers will see that such as Swiss, Tuscany, &c., more than
reference is made to these stamps elsewhere realising the previous record of prices. A
in this issue. We must congratulate Mr. Bull slightly damaged " Council" fetched £16 10s.,
in having arranged Ms catalogue according to and the so-called provisional of Nova Scotia
the "quarters" of the globe, thus saving were knocked down, those with the smaller
materially both the time and patience of his type for £13 the pair, and with the larger for
clients. A sale was also held by Mr. Hadlow £36, a good price considering that they were
on the 9th January, but there was nothing to expressly stated to be sold on their merits,
call for comment in the lots submitted. and, as is well known, that their claims to be
Since the inauguration of auctions in this issued postal varieties is by no means ad-
country by the Secretary of the London mitted, British Guianas, Nova Scotia, &c.,
Philatelic Society there has not been, with went off very well, £18 was paid for the 1863
one exception, such a well-attended and Columbian error 50c. red, and £13 for the
successful sale as that carried out by Messrs. Medio peso rose of Peru. We are informed by
Cheveley, Wilson & Co. on 16th and 17th the auctioneers that the largest buyers were
December. As in the case of the previous Messrs. Stanley Gibbons, Limited, Theodor
exception, the event was rendered noteworthy Buhl & Co., W. T. Wilson, Hadlow, Roberts,
from the fact that all the lots emanated from Giwelb and Castle.