The 9 kreuzer, brown, of Würtemberg, has now come into use.

Four New Granada stamps are to be added to those notified in the third edition of Mr. Brown's Manual :-5 c., yellow, of the large series of 1861; 10 c., lavender, of the last issue but one; and 5 c., buff, and 10 c., stoneblue, of the present.

The appended engraving represents an essay of the United States 3 cents; the colour is the same as that of the stamp in use. There are also essays of the 5 cents in green, lilac, yellow, and

other colours.

We are able to describe two very curious and beautiful essays from specimens in our own possession. One was for Canada: it is larger than most stamps: colour, two shades of mauve and white, forming a very minute pattern groundwork; in an arched bend above, Postage, Colony of on the left, and Canada on the right hand; One Penny below; a large figure 1 in the centre; and smaller ones at the two bottom corners. The second was for Nova Scotia; more elaborate in design. The groundwork a minute pattern of white, and two shades of rose colour; the figure 6 inclosed in an octagon in the centre; Six, above; and Pence, below; Nova Scotia on the left and right sides; and the figure 6 in each of the four corners.

The red una peseta of Peru is beginning to be superseded by the adoption of the type of the well-known essays, one of which is black on white, and the other on blue, paper; but the stamp in use is brown on white.

The Queensland twopenny is now light, in lieu of dark, blue.

We have seen a specimen of the forthcoming penny English. The only variation is the addition of letters in the upper corners. It is not expected to be issued for some time. Also several essays not hitherto noticed in catalogues; e. g., 12-cent Nova Scotia, scarlet; 3-pence Newfoundland, black, &c.

We wish to notice three very curious stamps just brought under our notice;

hoping a description of them will draw forth some information from a qualified source. They are similar in value and pattern, but of different colours, and are postmarked. Upright rectangular; medium sized; very coarsely executed; an indistinct shield in the centre, on a groundwork of irregular horizontal lines. Correos, on the left side; Porte, on the top; Franco, on the right side; and 10 cents, at the bottom. Yellow-brown on white; madder-brown on white; and vermilion on yellowish paper.

We have just received essays, five in number, of the new issue for Italy. They amply counterbalance the poverty of appearance observable in most of the Italian stamps, and reach, we may well nigh declare, the ne plus ultra of engraving. Before this notice sees the light, in all probability the individual chosen may be so familiar to the eyes of collectors that a description would be superfluous. The colours of our specimens are blue, green, black, lilac, and carmine on a white ground.

Mauritius.

Besides the smaller red penny with Greek border, there are three distinct varieties of those inscribed Post-paid on the left, and Mauritius on the right, side; a red, and also a brown, on bluish paper; and a vermilion, much better executed, on yellowish-tinted paper.

Of the old twopenny, blue, we distinguish five varieties of issue, besides the wellknown stamp with Greek border. 1. Pairing with the last-mentioned vermilion penny, much better executed than the others. 2. Vertically lined. 3. With very close vertical, diagonal, and horizontal lines. 4. Something like it, but wretchedly printed, the inscriptions scarcely legible. 5. We have a very incomplete example of this; but it differs from the rest in having Postage at the bottom instead of the top.

The so-called magenta without value is red, like the one shilling of similar device. There are two singular varieties of this early issue; the green, with Fourpence, handstamped; and the violet, marked with Eightpence. We possess the former only.

Similar to the impression of 1861 are a sixpenny lilac, and a shilling green; slightly differing from the brown, blue, rose, and ninepenny, in having the value in extremely minute figures on each side of the Queen's head. Besides the sixpenny purple-brown of the Britannia issue, there is one slatecoloured, and this latter is perforated.

The oval yellow shilling envelope, described in a former number, is to be added to the ever-changing series of Mauritius stamps; and the colour of the sixpenny envelope has appeared of a rich red brown,

instead of violet.

Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

The colour of the 3 schillinge varies from dark orange to pale buff.

Mexico.

We believe no variation has taken place with regard to these stamps for some time.

Modena.

Of the early issue there is a 10 c. violet,

not brown; but we have never seen any 15 c. but the yellow. The 25 c. is not primrose, but pale ochre. We have the 15 yellow, misprinted cetn, like the 40 instanced by Mount Brown. There is a 20 c. lilac, as well as violet, of the Provisional Government.

Moldavia.

There was a tradition of an early issue of Moldavian stamps. Mr. Brown inserted one in his first edition, but cancelled it afterwards. We saw them two years ago in a Paris collection, and are now able to quote them correctly from genuine specimens. Inscription, Porto Chrncorn. This partly surrounds a bull's head surmounted by a star: underneath is a bugle horn, in the volution of which the value is marked: the whole circumscribed by a plain ring, and hand-stamped on tinted paper: 54 paras, green; 81, blue; 108, blue on lilac.

There is a very finely-executed forgery of the 1861 issue, 5 par., porto scrisorei.

ENGLISH AND AMERICAN POSTAL DEFACEMENT MARKS.

BY HENRY WHYMPER.

THE first mark we find on the Mulready envelope is a cross, printed in black ink.

This continued to be used on the introduction of the one penny black stamp; but in some cases the black ink was found not to oblite

rate the stamp sufficiently, so was altered to red. Shortly after this change was made, the stamp itself was changed to brown; and the red mark, being again found not to obliterate properly, was altered to black. After this unmeaning cross was abolished, the first mark the central office in St. Martin's-le-Grand used was a number enclosed in a diamond-shaped figure, which was surrounded by parallel lines, forming an oval. The number

in the centre was variable, beginning at a low number, such as 10, at six o'clock in the morning, and adding one on for every hour the office was

open from that time: by this arrangement any official conld, by a glance at the mark, tell the exact hour it was received. The same system of numbering is used now, but the numbers 84 or 85 are used as a startingpoint.

The outlying London offices, such as Finchley, Highgate, Richmond, or Hounslow, had the number of the office (as registered in the General Post Office) surrounded by a circle, which was enclosed by parallel lines, the whole figure being round. In all provincial towns in England and

O

Wales, the mark was the number of the town, with four parallel lines at the top, three at the bottom, and two

more lines at the top, bottom, or sides: the shape has always remained the same.

The mark that was originally universally used in Scotland was the number of the town, as before described, with four lines at the top and bottom, and five short bars on each side. After a short interval a great number of towns used four bars,

instead of five, at the sides. Some ceased using them altogether. Edinburgh took in their place a small star. In January of this year Edinburgh issued an entirely new mark. It was the Brunswick star, with a

space cut out of the centre for the number (131). We only occasionally receive it on our letters.

At the time when London was divided into postal districts distinguished by letters, the chief office changed to the mark before used by the suburban offices, and they in their turn took the chief-office mark.

* English-including Welsh, Irish, and Scotchtowns have each a separate numbering. No. 1, English, is Abergavenny; No. 1, Irish, is Abbeyleix; No. 1, Scotch, is Aberdeen. The arrangement was alphabetical at first; now, as fresh towns have post offices, they take the last number.

The annexed figure represents the mark used in the W.-C. district until December, 1862. The only difference in the district marks was in the number of horizontal lines; the shape was the same in all of them. In January of this year a much

D

used.

larger mark was The outer rim was done away with, and the lines made much broader. We think the only English mark that now remains unmentioned is that used in the Isle of Wight. It is somewhat similar to the last one described, but has only one space in the centre for the number of the office.

In America there has been lately great discussion and many proposals as to a new method for defacing stamps. We make the following extracts from the 47th annual report of the postmaster-general, and which relate to the postage stamps used as currency (not the greenbacks) :

:

'Being ill-adapted for circulation, large quantities of them have become so defaced as to be inapplicable to legitimate use for the payment of postage; and evil-disposed persons have availed themselves of the opportunity thus afforded to put into circulation stamps once used for postage, from which the cancelling marks have been wholly or partially erased.'

In pursuance of an Act approved July 16, 1862, the post office has endeavoured to punish and to prevent thereby, as well as by the attainment of a more effectual mode of cancelling, the fraudulent use or sale of cancelled stamps. The law, to be effective in its purpose, should absolutely prohibit the removal of cancelled postage stamps from the paper to which they are attached, for whatever purpose. Not being criminal in itself, it should be made so by statute, to prevent the evil consequence of the practice.

'Various new instruments and devices for cancelling postage stamps have been examined and submitted to a trial, and two

machines are now in process of construction, which are designed to replace cancelling by hand at the larger offices.'

From these numerous proposals we select six of the most curious; they stand as Nos. 4, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, on the list.

BOFEMPIRE FR

No. 4. The simplest plan yet suggested, it seems to me, is that of gumming but half the stamp, allowing the other half to be torn off with facility. [Similar to the French, of which we give an engraving]. This plan is opposed by the assistant postmaster, Mr. A. N. Zevaly, but he says it is shortly to be adopted for the Internal Revenue stamps.' No. 6. 'Let the defacing clerk place the letter upon some suitable support, and a single stroke with a rasp or a coarse file will obliterate the stamp beyond restoration.'[And perhaps the letter as well].

Celte

Latsser foll Partie inferieure

NOTIMS POSTE

No. 7. Would not an electric battery answer the purpose of perforating the stamp? for a medium battery would be sufficient to cancel two or three letters at a time.' [This has been tried; we have a stamp so perforated].

No. 8. 'A thread to underlie the postage stamp. This thread to protrude below the edge sufficiently far to allow of its being grasped by the fingers and ripped up through the stamp.'

No. 13. Another inventor has proposed, as he says, a very simple apparatus,' consisting of 'only one cutter; two springs; three gears for driving fly-wheels; and four fly-wheels for driving three or more circular saws, to scratch off the surface of the stamp.' An editor of a New York paper drily says: "The thought suggests itself, that possibly a simpler combination than this might be devised. There are several of these defacement machines very profitably employed at the present time in sawing up boards.'

No. 14. The last inventor is highly original in his suggestion. He thinks that stamps ought to be marked in the same way as sheep. A small lamp should be kept burning, in which to heat a brand;' and this gentleman considers that a man could,

with proper diligence, deface a stamp in twenty seconds, or perhaps even four a minute. This improvement will be obvious to all our readers, when we inform them that an ordinary mailing clerk can deface from 150 to 160 stamps per minute.

The ordinary American defacement is the name of the issuing town, and the date. There was, a few months ago, a mark used that cut the stamp quite through; but this occasioned such an outcry from all sides, that it was thought proper to discontinue it.

REVIEWS OF POSTAL PUBLICATIONS. A New and Complete Set of Postage-Stamp

Album Titles. Geographically Arranged by Dr. J. E. GRAY, F.R.S., &c., of the British Museum. London: E. Marlborough & Co.; Bath: Stafford Smith and Smith.

WE have received a hint to be impartial in our notice of this elegantly-designed, beautifully-printed, and extremely useful publication. This we understand as meaning we are to find faults in it; no criticism being considered as impartial if in unqualified approval. On carefully looking it over, however, we find considerable difficulty in noting aught deserving censure. The words Lübeck, Zürich, and Würtemberg might have had the proper accent over the u; and the ci-devant Isle of Bourbon had better have been given under its current appellation of Reunion. There are several blank borders which can be filled in at any time with countries not at present sporting stamps. The beauty and very moderate price of this tasty set of labels will, no doubt, command an extensive sale.

Postage-Stamp Album and Catalogue. New

and revised edition. By EDWARD A. OPPEN. London: Benjamin Blake. THE rapid sale of the first edition of this tastily-designed album having necessitated a second, much care has been taken by the compiler to correct errors, and considerable additions have been made to the catalogue. It would still bear, we are obliged conscientiously to confess, some revisals, which we

hope soon to see in a third edition; and, in the interim, would suggest the striking off of a page of emendations, which could with facility be appended, and render the work much more valuable. We have a great penchant for the beautiful stamps of Newfoundland, a correct notice of which has hitherto appeared in no catalogue, foreign or English; and as usual, they are greatly confused in the work under notice.

To juvenile collectors particularly we cordially recommend the work; the geographical, statistical, and other information. contained therein, independently of its expressed purpose, being fully worth the outlay. The clever and caustic, but flippant criticiser of postage-stamp collectors, in No. 386 of The Saturday Review, might invest in a copy with advantage to himself, and get some information upon a subject upon which he appears at present in nubibus.

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the 'STAMP COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE.' SIR,-I was thinking of replying to the different accusations contained in Nos. 2 and 3 of your publication, when No. 4 came into my hands, containing the critique on my Illustrations, which I am at present publishing, and to which I shall reply at the same time; begging you, sir, to be good enough to insert my reply in the next number of your valuable magazine.

The

The March number accuses me of having copied Mr. Brown's error in the first edition of his catalogue, on the subject of the Newfoundland stamps, among which he introduced a non-existing halfpenny emission. author of the article forgot an essential circumstance,the date of publication of the two catalogues. If he had done so he would have seen that my first edition appeared in January, 1862, while that of Mr. Mount Brown, if my memory serves me, did not see light till three or four months afterwards. So that, supposing there to be any copying in the case-the catalogues containing the same error-Mr. Brown copied mine.

The April number says I erroneously announced a new pattern with the royal arms for the kingdom of Italy. To convince this incredulous accuser, I shall refer him to the royal decree of May, 1862, creating a new type, replacing the stamps in use; the pattern, colours, and values according to the description in the third edition of my catalogue. If two stamps differing from those of the decree have been since issued, it does not prove me in error, but simply the slight attention paid to a royal decree in Italy.

With regard to No. 4, I beg to say that Mr. E. L. Pemberton is totally labouring under error in supposing that part of the impressions in my Illustrations had been made from fictitious stamps. The seven stamps he mentions as a faithful reproduction of the imitations, have been in my possession eight or nine years. 1 am myself fully persuaded of their authenticity, for, at the