stamps. As a matter of record we give a description of them: Unwatermarked. Perforated 12. Buff Paper 12s dull violet and green. 3s red and dull blue 8s red. 20s deep blue. NETHERLANDS: The hideous charity labels, which we chronicled in our February number, were withdrawn from issue on January 14th, after being on sale exactly one month. We feel they can well be spared. We are not over-well disposed toward the futurist, cubist and contortionist forms of art and this Dutch effort cer tainly reached the limit. As the stamps As the stamps were intended to raise money for charity we think a portion of it might well be spent in sending the perpetrator of these designs to a school where he might learn to draw and paint. It is stated that 500,000 copies of each stamp were printed and only about one-fifth of them sold. Evidently they were not appreciated by the fact this is not the first attempt to 'Seebeckize' Persia. M. Molitor, the late Director General, showed me, in the safe in his office a supply of proposed stamps in three sets of designs (ordinary, service and parcel post), which a Continental dealer had tried to get the Government to accept, but without success. I trust, and believe, that M. Pire, the new Director General, will be as firm as his predecessor in resisting all such attempts to prostitute the postal issues of Persia. Yours truly, January 18th, 1924." G. S. F. NAPIER, POLA us: "In a mixed lot of used Polands we have discovered a copy of the I mark, fortress type, in a rose red color, evidently an error in the color. It is on vertically laid paper, perf. 111⁄2. We have never before seen this stamp nor can we find any record of its existence." public. But the worst news is that they RHODESIA: An English correspond are to be issued annually, like the Swiss "Pro Juventute" stamps. We are not informed if the stamps of this year will be re-issued or some new atrocities perpetrated. ERSIA: In our August chronicle we PERS wasted considerable space and some perfectly good money in listing and illustrating a lot of gorgeous labels that had been sent us as a new issue from Persia. Subsequent information made us doubtful of the stamps and we did not include them in the new edition of our catalogue. The following letter to the Philatelic Journal of Great Britain seems to put a definite end to any claim of these stamps to recognition among postal issues: “Dear Sir,—With reference to your remarks on 'Coronation Issue of Persia' in the P. J. G. B. for January, my attention was drawn to the article in Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News some two months ago, and I at once wrote out to Mr. R. W. Gray at Teheran for any information he could give me on the subject. I received a reply from him three days ago and, as I expected, he wrote "The issue of the Kadjar dynasty which you mention is absolutely unauthorised, and is never likely to be put in circulation.' As a matter of ent writes as follows: "No doubt you are aware that the British South Africa Company has held at their London office a large stock of all issues of Rhodesian stamps, most of which were on sale at their face value, but from time to time some of them were withdrawn from sale. As the administration of Rhodesia has passed from the hands of the Company the sale of the stamps in London had to cease, but as the stock in hand was too large to sell unused and they could not be sold below the face value they have been 'cancelled to order' with dated postmarks and sold to a speculator. These comprised all issues from 1891 to 1910 inclusive and they are now being put on the market." This is not pleasant news. In the past the "cancelled to order" junk of Borneo, Labuan, Costa Rica, etc., has disgusted collectors. To have practically all the issues of Rhodesia treated in this way will do much to destroy interest in a hitherto pleasing and popular country. So far we have seen only stamps of the 1896 issue with these unwelcome cancellations. this instance they consist of small circles with the names of various towns and dates in the years 1897, 1898 and 1899. The London cancellations are very clean and neat, whereas the cancellations that were In struck in Rhodesia in those years were heavy, blurred and difficult to read. from The London Philatelist for January has an editorial on these remainders which we quote: "We have ourselves been offered already scarce perfs., imperf. between, and suchlike freaks, at very high prices. All we can do it to inform our readers of the fact, and advise them to be wary before they buy stamps of this description. What makes the matter rather worse is that some of these freaks to which we have alluded printed in these colors as a trial but never were not postmarked, although we have RUSSIA: every reason to believe they came out of the lot recently sold by the British South Africa Company. For such proceedings it would be difficult to find an adequate excuse." A correspondent in one of our southern states wrote us recently: "I have just received from Mr. of London a £1 stamp of Rhodesia, King and Queen type of 1910, in the colors of the 10d, namely, plum and rose red. He states that he obtained the entire lot that exists (100), and that they were sent to the Salisbury (Rhodesia) P. O." We compared the error (?) stamp very carefully with copies of the 10d and found the color of the frame very much the same though a trifle browner. The heads, however, were not in a carmine or rose red but in red with a tint of orange and a very little brown. We know that shades are plentiful in this issue and an error is not impossible. On the other hand, there is the possibility that the £1 stamp was In our January number we described a cover which bore, among other stamps, diagonal halves of our numbers 226 and 240 surcharged with new values. We have received a letter from Mr. N. A. Vikhireff of Moscow, in which he states that these bisected and surcharged stamps are fantasies which were never officially issued. He also calls to our attention that the stamps in gold currency, I kopeck to I ruble, issued in 1923, are lithographed and that certain values in these types have recently been typographed (see the chronicle in this number). The lithographed stamps are printed on thin semitransparent paper. The typographed are on a stouter and more opaque paper and show on the backs the raised outlines of the clichés. The Lenine mourning stamps were issued on January 28th, at Moscow only. It is stated that they were on sale for three hours, two copies to each purchaser, and the stock exhausted in that brief time. We think we have seen too many copies for this statement to be quite correct. The May Number of Our Journal Will contain an exhaustive article on the Twelve Cent Black-1851-1857 By Colonel J. K. Tracy and Stanley B. Ashbrook These prominent Philatelists have written, for the readers of our "Journal," the latest, up-to-the-minute information about this interesting stamp, with enlarged illustrations of all the important varieties. If you want to know all about the "Black Beauty" of the 1851-57 period, including Recuts and Double Transfers, be sure and subscribe to Scott's Monthly Journal. The only way you can get this important number is by getting your name on our subscription list. Subscription Price, $1.00 per year. M The 1925 Catalogue OST men in the stamp business look forward to the coming of Spring as the beginning of the season for outdoor recreation and the letting up of the arduous duties of the Winter. There are two men, however, to whom Spring means just the reverse. I refer to Mr. John N. Luff, who handles the gigantic task of writing the annual edition of Scott's Standard Catalogue, and the writer, upon whose shoulders falls the responsibility of pricing the items which Mr. Luff lists. In order for the annual catalogue to appear in October, it is necessary for us to begin our work early in May of each year. This annual revision is not an easy or short task, but involves an infinite amount of painstaking research, investigation and study extending over a period of months. When one considers that there are approximately 70,000 varieties of stamps listed in Scott's Standard Catalogue and that prices must be determined for both unused and used condition, one can begin to comprehend the enormous amount of work involved and the need for accurate and detailed information. It is a self-evident fact that no one man can be in possession of full and accurate knowledge regarding such a large number of subjects as are represented by the various stamps of the world. A specialist, whose efforts are confined to one issue, country or group of stamps, will naturally be in possession of certain information not known to the average collector or dealer. A great many specialists and dealers have been kind enough to favor us with their aid and experience in compiling certain sections of our catalogue, and we are indeed grateful to all who have thus aided our efforts to make the catalogue as nearly as possible a perfect work. We want to know every fact and circumstance that in any way bears upon the status and value of postage stamps. Some of our critics seem to feel that proper attention has not been given to the stamps in which they are particularly interested. We do not pretend that the catalogue is a complete encyclopedia of philatelic information, nor that it contains a listing of all minute and hair-splitting varieties-not all collectors wish such highly technical information, in fact, the majority of American collectors dislike it. The average American collector regards his stamp collection as an interesting recreation rather than a scientific study and, of course, the catalogue is designed to meet the wishes of the American public, rather than the desires of collectors in foreign countries. We want the catalogue to cover the field of interest to the majority of American collectors and to present faithfully and accurately the selling values of all stamps, as determined by careful and unprejudiced review of market conditions. We are taking this means of renewing our annual invitation and request to the collecting and dealing fraternity to extend to us the benefit of any information they may possess that would correct any errors of omission or commission appearing in the 1924 edition of our catalogue. We want opinions, of course, but we ask that opinions be based upon some definite information or reason and that these reasons be explained to us. In order to be of use for this year's catalogue, we must receive the suggestions and criticisms not later than May 15th. We are absolutely sincere in stating our appreciation of all aid and constructive criticism, and assure you that full consideration will be given to every suggestion received. There is only one form of suggestion which we flatly refuse to consider: namely, information furnished by someone who has an "axe to grind," and with pecuniary benefit as his motive. We welcome disinterested, unprejudiced aid in presenting an accurate and true list of valuations, and will appreciate deeply any communications from either collectors or dealers who have the interest of philately at heart. HUGH M. CLARK. |