Art: Philatelists

A young lady advertised for gifts of canceled stamps in the London Times in 1841. By 1842 Punch had another fad to ridicule. The fad spread to the U. S., and last week hundreds of stamp collectors convened at Minneapolis for the 44th annual meeting of the American Philatelic Society, largest of such U. S. bodies. They swapped stamps and stamp stories, spoke familiarly of “Luzons” (Philippine issue), “Bull’s-eyes” (elliptically shaped Brazilian issue), compared albums. Seldom in the history of Minneapolis have there been so many pairs of tweezers in town. Stamp-men tweeze their treasures to avoid smudging, wear, tear; to hold them up to the light or pick them out of benzine baths in search of watermarks.

Also in Minneapolis was held the first National Philatelic Exposition. Here were gathered, in long rows of glinting glass cases, $1,000,000 worth of stamps owned by 100 collectors. To signalize the event a model post office was erected where visitors could mail commemorative letters home by sticking on a lowly, uncan-celed, U. S. carmine 2¢ stamp, the latest issue of which celebrates the golden jubilee of electric light and Thomas Alva Edison.

Late to arrive in Minneapolis was Arthur Hind, Utica, N. Y. plush tycoon, owner of the “world’s rarest stamp,” the only known 1¢ British Guiana of 1856, for which he paid $32,500. philately’s greatest price. Cut octagonally, magenta in color, not a particularly good specimen as stamps go, this unique scrap of paper was “discovered” in 1872, when it sold for six shillings.

Philatelist Hind also brought with him from his $2,000,000 collection his famed “Mauritius cover.” A “cover,” in stamp language, is any envelope or package wrapper to which stamps are affixed. Mr. Hind’s Mauritius cover, bearing a tuppenny and a one-penny Mauritius stamp, is considered philately’s most valuable item, worth $50,000 at least. Mauritius is a knobby little island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, once (1598-1710) a Dutch colony, once (1715-1814) a French colony, ever since a British possession.

Second in importance to Philatelist Hind’s $82,500 scraps were three more Mauritius stamps—one tuppenny, two one-pennies—owned by Alfred F. Lichtenstein of Manhattan. He also showed to envious fellow collectors the “most beautiful philatelic piece,” and original cover bearing four neatly pasted Cape of Good Hope triangular “wood blocks,” addressed in a fine, spidery hand.

The ten most valuable stamps in the world are:

Stamp Valued at

British Guiana, 1856, 1d magenta $32,500

U. S., 1867-68, 3¢ rose (no estimate)

Mauritius, 1847, 1d orange $20,000

Mauritius, 1847, 2d deep blue $17,000

U. S. “Boscawen,” 1846, 5¢ dull blue $15,000

U. S. “Alexandria,” 1845, 5¢ bluish $12,500

Spain, 1851, 2 reals, blue (error) $12,500

Hawaii, 1851, 2¢ blue $12,000

Baden, 1851, 9 kr. green (error) $11,000

U. S. “Lockport,” 1846, 5¢ red & black $10,000

Says Philatelist Hind of the “most valuable stamp”:

“I had collected stamps for about 30 years without ever being in any way connected with any stamp association or club . . . which entitles me to the claim of being fairly modest as a stamp collector—up to April 1922, when I became the owner of the world’s rarest stamp. . . . The outcome of all this notoriety is that I have had thousands of letters offering stamps of all kinds. . . .”

Notorious Philatelist Hind remembers anti-philatelic Rev. E. Bruce Cornford of Portsmouth, England, who was quoted in Stamp Collecting (London) as the author of this playlet:

Philatelist Hind. I crave admittance.

St. Peter. Have you visited the poor, visited the sick, relieved distress?

Philatelist Hind. No, I really hadn’t time, but I have here the 1d British Guiana, for which I paid over £7,000. Even His Majesty the King of Great Britain personally congratulated me upon acquiring it.* Would you like to see it?

St. Peter. Such tiny fragments of paper will readily burn in Hell.

*Indicates unused.

*Philatelist Hind acquired the Rarest Stamp from the Ferrary Collection, confiscated and auctioned by France. He had to outbid Philatelist George V, owner of the most comprehensive British collection. Philatelist Edward of Wales is making a world collection.