and 4. Zurich 6r, two strips of ten and a double strip of ten. This exhibit received a gold medal.

In single issues specialized Mr. Lichtenstein was also rewarded with a gold medal for his collection of the pence issues of Canada, a highly developed study of papers, transfer varieties, cencellations, etc., etc.

Mr. Lichtenstein carried off a third gold medal for his collections of the stamps of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. They are remarkable for the number and quality of the shilling stamps of 1851, unused, used (in the finest condition), pairs, on covers, splits, etc.

The collection of the United States 1847 issue shown by the Hon. E. R. Ackerman attracted much attention because so much had been done with so little. It contains many fine stamps and blocks, a careful study of plate varieties, papers, cancellations, etc. The special Gold Medal of the American Philatelic Society was awarded to this exhibit.

Sir N. E. Waterhouse received the Boston Philatelic Society's special Gold Medal for his United States stamps of the 1847 and 1851 issues, which included many very fine specimens, types, shifted transfers, recut stamps (especially a block of six of the 10c 1851, showing all three varieties of recut), scarce cancellations, etc.

Sir N. E. Waterhouse also had a fine display of the 5c New York. There were about 200 copies, showing plate variations, pairs, strips and a reconstructed sheet of forty. A silver medal was awarded.

Dr. Carroll Chase sent a few pages from his highly specialized collection of the United States 1851-57 issues and of the Franklin and Eagle Carrier Stamps. These pages were interesting but could only give a suggestion of the possibilities of these issues. This exhibit was not for competition.

Mr. John A. Klemann won a silver medal for his collection of the stamps of Greece, against the keenest competition from five other Greek collections and several other countries shown in the same class and section.

Mr. E. S. Knapp's very fine collection of the general issues of the Confederate States was much admired for its fine blocks and scarce varieties., but most of all for the reconstructed sheets and blocks,

which work is much appreciated in England and on the Continent. This was awarded the Joslin Special Gold Medal.

Mr. Knapp's collection of the 5c New Orleans stamps of 1861, ably written up on the historical side, well studied as to the production of the stamps and their varieties, and culminating in three reconstructed plates showing the stamp in its three periods, was rewarded with a silver medal.

Collectors in general and Americans in particular were interested in the important displays of the stamps of several South American countries. Mr. Thos. W. Hall's collection of Peru was especially deserving of attention for its reconstruction of settings and sheets of the early issues, transfer errors, and substituted transfers. Of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's stamps there were shown cancelled thirteen copies of the 1 real and two of the 2 reales. In the 1858 issue there were 17 copies (two on cover) of the 1⁄2 peso red, error, and 82 copies of the 1⁄2 peso yellow, including three unused and a strip of ten used. This exhibit was awarded the special Grand Gold Medal of the Collectors' Club.

Mr. Chas. L. Pack's study of the Diligencia issue of Uruguay (323 copies) was especially interesting for its recontructed plates and the demonstration of the means by which the different stamps were placed. This received a silver medal.

When the Rarities Class was reached Mr. Arthur Hind again made a very strong showing with three separate entries: the first of British Colonial stamps, the second of stamps from South America, West Indies and United States possessions; and the third of old European stamps. The three groups made an amazing display of some of the greatest treasures known to philatelists. They were at all times a center of attraction to the visitors. Naturally, everyone desired to see the world-renowned British Guiana stamp, the 1 cent black on magenta of 1856, from the Ferrary collection, and there was seldom a moment that it was not being gazed at. Unfortunately the light was not very strong and the stamp was high up in the frame, so that only tall people could get a good view of it. The color of the paper is very dark, so that the design does not show distinctly, and most of us had to content ourselves with knowing that we had seen the world's

great philatelic rarity without feeling that we had attained any great familiarity with it. Instead of awarding a single gold medal for one of the three groups the Judges decided to treat them as one exhibit and awarded a grand gold medal for the combination.

In the Rarities Class Baron Erik Leijonhfvud showed some interesting varieties from Sweden, including the error of the 1857 issue, the 3 shilling banco printed in yellow instead of green, the only known copy. This exhibit was not for competition.

The good will shown by the United States Post Office Department in preparing a special exhibit and sending it in the personal charge of the Hon. W. Irving Glover, Third Assistant Postmaster General, was a subject of much favorable comment. The exhibit was handsomely arranged, though it was far from strong from a philatelic point

of view. The most interesting thing in it was a die proof of the 24c air post satmp with the centre inverted. This is the third copy of this proof in existence.

I have endeavored to refer briefly to some exhibits that I feel would have been of most interest to collectors in the United States, could they have seen them. It will scarcely be necessary to say that there were very many other exhibits of the highest order and worthy of great praise did time and space permit reference to them. I regret that I cannot give them the individual mention and description that they so richly merit. I hope that the exhibition catalogue will be. widely distributed, so that those who were not able to see this truly great exhibition may read of the treasures shown and thus form some idea of the extent and the great philatelic and historical value of the exhibits.

Philately Precedes the News

MR

R. JOHN N. LUFF, in his "Chronicle of New Issues" in the May issue of the Journal, formally brought Trans-Jordania into the family of stamp issuing countries when he said:

"Bring from Palestine Nos. 26 to 36 and give them new numbers I to II."

The "Chronicle" for the May issue was prepared in April. So it happens that Mr. Luff reached his decision regarding the status of these stamps several weeks in advance of a news despatch from Jerusalem announcing Great Britain's purpose to separate Trans-Jordania from Palestine. In other words, here was another instance where, by studying a country's postal adhesives, it was possible to foreshadow political developments. In effect, Mr. Luff anticipated Britain's action by correctly interpreting the significance of the "Hukumat ul shark il Arabiya" surcharges which he chronicled in the May Journal.

Thus was Trans-Jordania given its own philatelic section in future catalogue and album-and on May 16 we read, in a despatch from Jerusalem, the following:

"Great Britain is prepared to confer independent government on Trans-Jordania if the League of Nations gives its consent, says an official communiqué issued here today.

"Provided a constitutional form of government is set up giving Britain the possibility of fulfilling her international obligations toward that country, the British Government agrees to declare the Palestine, territory east of the Jordan autonomous, and not subject to Sir Herbert Samuel's administration, the statement declares."

Apparently the League of Nations gave its consent to this arrangement, for a news despatch supplied to The Associated Press by the Jewish Telegraph Agency, the despatch being dated at Amman, Palestine, on May 26, reads:

"Notables from Palestine and other neighboring States attended a celebration here today of the newly attained independence of Trans-Jordania, with the Emir

Abdullah as the ruler. As part of the ceremony the Emir read the text of the declaration agreed upon by the British Government in conferring the rights of autonomous administration to the territory east of the Jordan.

"Sir Herbert Samuel, British High Commissioner for Palestine, was the chief guest of honor, and delivered an address felicitating Trans-Jordania on its attainment of independence. While Great Britain would continue her interest, he declared, the country would be what the Arabs made of it."

So without question we may look forward to a definitive Trans-Jordania series soon to displace the overprinted series chronicled in the May Journal. Indeed, according to Stamp Collecting, these various surcharges all prepared at Amman, the city from which the second foregoing despatch emanated-have already been withdrawn from circulation, and superseded by a series comprising the 1922 set of Hejaz surcharged in black with an Arabic inscription, in three lines, signifying "Arabic Government of the East" and the date, "1341." A new complete set, 10 paras to 10 piastres, is thus provided.

Regarding the stamps of Trans-Jordania, R. E. D. Francis makes an interesting contribution to a recent issue of The Stamp Lover. Mr Francis says in part:

"The country known as Jordan from before the time of Moses, takes its name from the river Jordan or Yar-Dan, i. e. : The river of Dan, so-called because it takes its rise in the vincinity of the ancient little city of Dan, at the eastern ridge of Mount Lebanon. It flows south, intersecting the Sea of Galilee, and loses itself in the Dead Sea, a distance from its source of about 100 miles.

"Many great events of the world's early history have taken place in this province; mighty armies passed through the country -of King Darius, Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Alexander the Great, Titus, and many others, to the time when the Turks captured it, and held by them ever since

till General Allenby's victorious army captured it from them in 1917."

The correct translation of the Arabic overprint on the first Trans-Jordania series, the one which Mr. Luff has transferred from Palestine, is, according to Mr. Francis, "Sharkee Yardan," meaning "Eastern Jordan," and not "East of Jordan." The Arabic lettering for "East" is "Shark," and the lettering for "Eastern" is "Sharkee," he explains. He continues:

"In November, 1920, at the Orthodox Convent at Jerusalem, the E. E. F. stamps were overprinted in black and silver in Arabic only, 'Sharkee-Yardan' (Eastern Jordan), and were placed on sale at the very few post offices in the country, as Es Salt, Irbid, Amman, El Kerak.

"This issue was withdrawn after a few months; used copies are scarce and difficult to obtain and will certainly pay for the trouble of searching for them.

"The overprinted Arabic characters are not always placed equidistant from each other in making up the full word. Going through the sheet it will be noticed that the setting of these letters on the stamps varies a good deal, yet the entire length of the inscription remains the same—that is, 13 mm. in the normal 220 times in the sheet of 240 stamps, and 14 mm. occurring 20 times in the sheet. The number of each value overprinted is very small.

Mr. Francis goes on to illustrate and describe three distinct types of the "ke" in "Sharkee," and states that of the I millieme value, perforated 14, there were only four sheets, the error soon being discovered and the remaining sheets destroyed, only a few copies becoming available for philately. (This error is Scott's present No. 26a of Palestine, or No. 1a of TransJordania in the coming 1924 catalogue.)

Mr. Francis concludes in his article that various British and Palestine stamps were overprinted "O. P. D. A.,” meaning Ottoman Public Debt Administration, and "H. J. Z.," meaning Hejaz Railway, for fiscal purposes, but that, presumably owing to shortage of current Palestine stamps, many of these types of surcharge were used for postal purposes on both domestic and foreign-going mail.

Under Soviet Rule

NTERESTING information regarding philatelic affairs in the land of the Russian Soviets comes to the Journal from Mr. Harold K. Salsberg, of Galesburg, Ill., in the form of a cover from Azerbaijan by way of Moscow (!) and two copies of a publication called The Northern Correspondence, printed in Archangel.

The significant point regarding the cover is that while it was mailed at Baku, in Azerbaijan, it does not bear the stamps of that Republic! The stamps used are recent ones of Soviet Russia-Scott's No. 223, chronicled in the May Journal, six of these 200r being used; Scott's No. 229, chronicled in the February Journal, one copy of this 100r being used; and Scott's No. 340, chronicled in the February Journal, one copy of this 35k+250r blue being used.

Moreover, this cover from Azerbaijan bears a postmark of Moscow, indicating that the letter passed through the Pomgol, or Central Office, which, as told in the May Journal, the Soviets have officially established at Moscow to regulate and tax philately. The significance of all this is pointed out by Mr. Salsburg, in his letter, as follows:

"The fact that this letter bears Russian stamps and that it had to go through the office at Moscow is an indication that that state [i. e., Azerbaijan] is now a part of the Soviet Government, as has been reported."

The total postage on the cover, some of the stamps being on the reverse, is 1,550 rubles, not counting the "35k" part of the charity stamp. This sum of 1,550 rubles, Mr. Salsburg points out, is equivalent to postage amounting to fifteen and a half millions' worth of old style rubles, reckoning 10,000 old rubles to I present-day ruble. Of this fifteen and a half millions, our correspondent states, two and a half millions go to charity. (If, we may add, it does not go to Soviet graft in Moscow!)

While something regarding the Soviet central office was explained in the May Journal on the authority of a British stamp publication, the situation is of sufficient interest to reprint from The Northern Correspondence what that Russian philatelic