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since, what were accredited to us as stamps purporting to carry letters or parcels from California to Los Angelos, and other places, by the Mexican mail. There were nine, various, printed on paper of different colours, all bearing the same value, 2 reals. Should they turn out to be forgeries, we can only give the concocter credit for more impudence than honesty.

A new issue of Italians is beginning to appear. What we have seen are somewhat similar to the earliest Sardinians,-colour on white.

The blue dos centavos Nicaragua, which, as yet, has been noticed in Moens' third edition only, has just fallen into our hands. We propose to give an engraving of it next

month.

'WHAT'S THE USE OF THEM?'

BY C. W. VINER, A.M., PH.D.

'That weakest and most puerile of manias, Postage Stamp Collecting, has found a literary organ in the STAMP COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE, which is announced for appearance on the first of next month.'-EVENING PAPER.

WE are highly indebted to the journal from which this is quoted, for the gratuitous insertion of the above advertisement; and think the sneer, emanating from a party publication avowedly opposed to all progress, an unintentional compliment. Right glad were we to get so apt a motto for our proposed paper. Cui bono?' is ever the cry of prosaic utilitarians, when a pursuit presenting no apparently positive fruits falls under the distorted sphere of their observation. We do not presume to range the subjects treated on in this unpretending publication among those meriting serious or undivided attention; but we will vindicate the claim of our gaily-coloured pieces of paper to be redeemed from the charge of futility and frivolity.

They may be termed historic, geographic, artistic, and statistic; inasmuch as they tend to the study of history and geography; exercise and develop the aesthetic taste of their designers; and exhibit the various monetary denominations of their respective governments.

No mean historical value bear they even at present, comparatively short as has been

the time of their circulation; the heads of the successive sovereigns of Austria, Saxony, and Portugal being accurately pourtrayed; though in the far-looming period of Macaulay's New Zealander, we must venture to anticipate considerable confusion and endless discussion amongst the antiquarian literati of the day, should they try to collate the accredited records of the succession of Spanish monarchs by means of the postage stamps of the country, carefully preserved in albums; for the former will prove there must have been but one queen from 1850 to 1863 and afterwards; whereas the latter will show the imagery of seven profiles so discordant as to be almost incapable of indentification.

This sole exception to our assertion of their historical value proves the rule; for, 'Cum multis aliis, quæ nunc perscribere longum est,'

POSTE ESTENSI 98

CENT. 5.

the essays for Paraguay will testify to the abortive project of erecting that republic into a kingdom; the stamps of the period will be indelible records that Parma, Modena, and Tuscany, once had independent rulers of their own; they will mark the revolts of Schleswig-Holstein, and Romagna; exhibit the transfer of Luxembourg from Holland to Belgium :when North and South America are parcelled out into kingdoms, like Europe in our days, CO they will testify to the preexistence of New Granada, and the Argentine Confederation, &c., as republics ;-show the phases of French government, from republic to presidency, and thence to empire;-and record to remotest generations that the Grecian islands owned in days long past the sway of the British Queen Victoria; for postal amateurs are already on the qui vive in anticipa tion of another series of Ionians, under a change of régime.

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Tasso's beautiful simile of the sweetened physic-cup (borrowed from Lucretius), is exemplified in postage stamps smoothing geographical asperities. Nevis, Liberia, Corrientes, and Reunion, would have

been little likely to attract the attention of juveniles, apart from their postage stamps; and Thurn and Taxis, now familiarised by our talented contributor in the former number, was formerly equally a terra incognita, as was the Zollverein before the first Great Exhibition.

In an artistic point of view, we have already, in a previous paper, animadverted on the comparative taste, or want of taste, displayed by postal designers; but, not being owls enough to think our own bantlings the prettiest, we will not again so unpatriotically call attention to deficiencies; hoping some day to congratulate our readers on a penny postage stamp worthy the world-wide fame of England.

Our ingenious Gallic neighbours, with their ready appreciation of a fashion likely to prevail, have designed postage-stamp scarf-pins. Last summer we noticed in the Palais Royal, the stamps of England, Prussia, Russia, France, Cape of Good Hope, &c., elegantly enamelled on fine gold, and perfect fac-similes of the originals, but, of course, of reduced size; and, in a window of the Rue de la Paix, we counted no fewer than thirteen various imitations.

Here we could, but need not, expatiate on the scope for display of taste in the arrangement of specimens; for a much abler pen than our own has already afforded a paper on that subject; but the prejudiced opponents of such fantaisies as we are treating upon, cannot be too cogently argued with, and too deeply impressed, that the habits of order, neatness, industry, patience, and research, requisite for, and superinduced by, an earnest collection of postage stamps, will, most probably, accompany their youthful possessor, and materially accelerate his career in after life.

'What's the use of them?' has been the remark of many an individual, in wonderment at the trouble bestowed and interest taken in our own collection; but full oft has a palinody been sung,-for no fewer than half-a-score can we enumerate who have been eventually drawn into the fascinating vortex; and a young friend of ours, who used to ridicule the fancy, and who has since twice visited the antipodes, confessed to us, a few

weeks ago, that he would walk twenty miles any day, to obtain a good postage stamp!

THE SYDNEY STAMPS.

BY DR. J. E. GRAY, F.R.S., F.L.S., F.Z.S., ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

In most catalogues the Sydney stamps are regarded as one type, offering three different values of different colours. If they are carefully examined, it will be found that each value present a very different type, each having variations, according to the different issues.

These stamps are peculiar. It is a view of the sea coast, with a church in the distance, and a group of figures in the foreground, in a circle surrounded by a band inscribed, Sig. Nov. Camb. Aust.; and on the lower part of the circular disc, under the view, is a motto. This motto has been a difficulty, as it is rarely to be seen distinctly on the stamps as they appear in our collections. Lacroix, in his catalogue, gives it as, Sic fortis curia crevit, which it certainly is not. In my catalogue, I read it, Sic fortis et rudis crevit, which is also incorrect. I believe it is a line of a Latin poet, Sic fortis etruria crevit.'

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I. In the red one penny stamps the frames on the sides are double, the letters are white, and the motto is in two lines, and the spandrils, or angle between the circle and the oblong frame, are granulated. Of this I have seen three variations.

1. Has the inner frame with large pale reticulations, and the outer frame is formed of narrow red and white oblique bars.

2. The inner frame of smaller reticulations, and the red bars of the outer frame are nearly horizontal and wider. Camb. in the inscription begins at the righthand angle of the left lower spandril. 3. Like 2, but Camb. in the inscription begins rather above the middle of the left lower spandril.

I have been informed there is a stamp of this type with horizontal lines in the spandril, and should like to see one, if it occurs in the collection of any reader. It shall be faithfully returned if desired.

II. The blue twopenny stamps. The frame

on the side is single and formed of oblique engine-turned spiral lines. The motto is in three lines, the letters are white. Of this type I have seen four varieties.

1. The stamp very badly executed; the spandrils white.

2. Like No. 1, but the spandrils with distant irregular perpendicular lines.

3. The stamp much better executed;

spandrils with close perpendicular lines. 4. The stamp like No. 3, equally well executed, but the spandrils are shaded with close straight and waved horizontal lines.

III. The olive-green threepenny stamps are like the blue twopenny ones in many respects. The frame is single and the motto in three lines, but the letters are dark on a pale ground, and the side frames are formed of engineturned transverse oblong lines.

I have only seen one kind of this stamp, which has the spandril shaded with close rather waved horizontal lines, but I have reason to believe there are others, and shall be glad to receive any that may occur to any collector of the stamps, to be examined.

P.S.-In a note from Major Christie, the postmaster at Sydney, he says the picture stamp is the first stamp that was used in the colony. It was an imitation of the great seal of the colony, with its motto, Sic fortis etruria crevit. They are no longer used.

ADDENDA TO MOUNT BROWN'S CATALOGUE OF POSTAGE STAMPS, COMPRISING NOTES, ADDITIONS, AND EMENDATIONS, BY C. W. VINER, A.M., PH.D.

Antigua.

SINCE the publication of Mr. Brown's work, the anticipated 1d. (of which an engraving will be found in the present number of this magazine) has appeared.

Argentine Confederation.

There is a 5 c. lilac, as well as rose.

Austria.

COMPLEMENTARY LABELS.

We regret we cannot throw any light on the vexata quæstio of these stamps. We

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REVIEWS OF POSTAL PUBLICATIONS. A Hand Catalogue of Postage Stamps, for the use of Collectors. Second edition, revised and enlarged. By JOHN EDWARD GRAY, Ph. D., F.R.S., F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c., of the British Museum. London : Robert Hardwicke.

THE value of the work is very considerably increased by the addition of the colours to each stamp, and other emendations and improvements. This edition may also be purchased elegantly bound in roan gilt, with gilt edges, and doubly interleaved with good paper for making notes and additions, or for the purpose of being used as a portable album. We understand the author has a

third edition in preparation, with a supplement including the numerous and interesting local Americans, and other generally-acknowledged stamps.

Manuel de Moens. Third edition. Brussels :

J. B. Moens.

THIS edition contains a supplement with very numerous additions, both of stamps lately issued, and of others unnoticed in his former editions. Mr. Moens still persists in retaining the mythical Newfoundland halfpenny, and in noting six of that colony's stamps as having been recently changed in colour, having probably copied the same error in Mount Brown's Catalogue; whereas three only, the 4d., 6d., and 1s., are now lake instead of vermillion. The anecdote in his preface relative to the traveller, the postman, and the maid of the inn, is correct, if we substitute the name of Samuel Taylor Coleridge for that of Rowland Hill.

Leisure Hour. No. 579. London: Religious Tract Society.

THIS useful and deservedly-popular publication contains a well-written paper on postage stamps, by Mr. Henry Whymper; and a page of engravings so well executed by his father, that we have commissioned him to engrave for us in the present and future numbers.

Postage Stamp Album and Catalogue. By

EDWARD A. OPPEN. London: Benjamin
Blake.

HAD the compiler of this album employed a
competent person to revise it, the publication
would have been really valuable, as it is
clearly printed on good paper, and wears a
handsome appearance; but such mis-spelled
words as Parmenti, Modonensi, corale, Para-
quay, for, Parmensi, Modonesi, locale, and
Paraguay, detract somewhat from its excel-
lence. The omission of Antigua is a great
oversight. The current stamp for Algeria,
and the French West-Indian
colonies, of which we give an
engraving, is called the former
issue, and the duffers made by
soaking 10 c. and 20 c. French
Empire in some liquid, figure

here, as in other catalogues, as the present

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To the Editor of the 'STAMP COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE.' SIR,-Among the curious facts elicited by the collecting of postage stamps, it is worthy of remark that the French stamps with the President's head were first issued, or at least were first in general use, in September, 1852, only three months before the coup d'êtat' of December in that year. Again, only two of the stamps, out of six then in use in France, were changed, viz., the 10 c., circulating in Paris and other great towns, and the 25 c., used between Paris and the departments. Is it an unfair inference, that the present emperor then already meditated a revolution (for his four years of office as President were just expiring), and wished to accustom the French nation to the sight of his portrait as the head of affairs? I believe I am correct in stating that the effigy of Louis Napoleon on these stamps as President is identical with that on the stamps of the French Empire. 'Coming events cast their shadows before them.'

I am inclined to agree with the writer in your Magazine for February, who gives the palm of beauty among adhesive stamps to the present Nova Scotian series. I am sorry to add that not to our own engravers, but to our trans-atlantic cousins, is this praise due; for these stamps were engraved in New York, and were exhibited by the American Bank-note Company, along with many of their bank-notes, in a large frame, in the American corner of the International Exhibition, where probably very few saw them. The Canada d. also formed part of the same display.

A word as to some spurious stamps. I believe that I possess the only known genuine Zurich 4 and 6-rappen stamps of 1843. They are essays, I am nearly certain, and therefore are not the first stamps used out of England. As far as I know, the earlier Finland 10 and 20-kop. stamps are some of the first, if not the first, issued by any other country than our own; at all events they were discontinued in 1850. These 1843 Zurich stamps, then, were shown by me to Mr. Brown, who placed them in his list, but without a very particular description; which, I regret to say, has enabled those mercenary Swiss (point d' argent, point de Suisse') to make several sorts of counterfeit 1843 Zurichs; not knowing, however, where to place the date, some have put the figures 1 8 4 3 at the four corners, and others at the two lower angles, thus,-18 43. All that I have seen of these 'soi disant 1843 Zurich stamps, have been copied in other respects from the later issues, and are all equally spurious. My copies were given

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