THE STAMP COLLECTORS HANDBOOK. BY EDWARD L. PEMBERTON, AUTHOR OF “ THE FH1LATEL1CAL CATALOO0E;” ETC.; EDITOR OF “ THE FHILATELICAL JOURNAL,” Sttonb (Eiriimn. SOUTHAMPTON: EDWARD L. PEMBERTON. LONDON: STANLEY, GIBBONS, & CO., 8, GOWER STREET, W.C. 1878. [Copyright.] . * ÖEQüEATHf;.\ • * : - Ï MKl OF CKAWl'Okf'¡ K. r. INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST EDITION. The aims of the present work are not ambitious. A plain and strictly accurate list of postage stamps, brought down to the month of publication, copious notes relieving the monotony of the Catalogue, and clear, reliable lists of the Confederate and Russian Locals, form the whole of my plan. Technicalities are carefully avoided, and, though collectors of varieties will find all needful information, the peculiarities of watermark and perforation are made subsidiary. The work is written as “ A Stamp Collector’s Handbook,” to be an every-day guide and handy-book, suitable and ready for reference on all ordinary points. The Catalogue has been con­ densed as far as consistent with accuracy, and should be of great service, since no complete catalogue has been published in English since 1870. The Appendix A, on Russian Locals, beginning at page 155, is the only complete list published; and the Appendix B (page 192), on Confederate Locals, contains many now mentioned for the first time in a catalogue. I have tried to render this work as accurate as possible, and I sincerely trust that it may prove as useful as I have aimed to make it. EDWARD L. PEMBERTOK Dawlish, March, 1874. INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND EDITION. Since the publication, in 1874, of the first edition o f The Stamp Collector's Handbook, stamp collecting has made great strides, and the number of specimens has increased so rapidly that the want of a reliable catalogue has been long felt. I trust that the present work, greatly enlarged and brought down to date as it is, may meet the requirements of all classes of collectors. The new Postal Unions, necessitating a variety o f fresh rates, will account for the issue of an immense number of specimens since 1874 ; whilst the postal departments of many countries seem to intend to emulate Spain in the number o f their changes both of type and colour. W hen we add to these the use of a large number of provisional stamps, and a considerable enlargement of my former arrangements of watermarked and perforated sets of older issues, the great increase in the number of pages of this edition will be understood. The General Catalogue of Govern­ ment Issues now fills two hundred and sixty-eight pages, with ten pages of additions, against one hundred and fifty-four pages, and one page of additions, in 1874. It is true, I have not gone exhaustively'into the varieties of watermarks and perforations; but I believe my lists and remarks will be found sufficiently copious to lead the way to all who wish to acquire a thorough knowledge of stamps. From the time when cheap postage was mooted, and its accomplishment was recognised as dependent on an economical collection of the postal charges by means of pre­ paid wrappers or labels, it has always been sought to minimise INTRODUCTION. V the chances of forgery hy the adoption of various devices. Great excellence of engraving was primarily insisted upon, and the earliest of all stamps, our Mulreadys, and later the 1841 enve­ lopes, were protected hy silk threads woven into the substance of the paper: this was termed Dickenson paper, after its in­ ventor. The same system was adopted ten years later by Prussia, Bavaria, Switzerland, and Wurtemburg. The more general safeguard adopted, however, has been the watermark, to which our early English adhesive 1, 2, and 4 pence, added a peculiar gum, which acted upon the colour, and turned the paper blue; this is found also upon old Ceylon, Barbadoes, Chili, Trinidad, Indian, Malta, Western Australia, etc. O f course our English system of check, by lettering the adhesive stamps of 1 penny and 2 pence, is known to every one. The watermark most widely distributed is the “ c.c.” over “ crow n;” it signifies “ Crown Colony,” and is used for most of our current colonials; the star watermark was previously the colonial favourite— notice Antigua, Ceylon, New Zealand, Victoria, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, etc.— though a number of the colonies used no watermark whatever at the commencement, as Bahamas, Barbadoes, British Guiana, Mauritius, Trinidad, etc.; and the North American Colonies never usedone at alL In this particular they resemble many prominent (and other) European countries— Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Norway, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Servia, Spain (until lately), Sweden, and Turkey, never having adopted any distinctive watermarks for their adhesives. The early envelopes of Russia were, how­ ever, nearly all watermark. The United States, except for its envelopes, used no water­ mark ; and, save for Chili 1853, and Argentine 1864, the same holds good with every Republic and State of South America; and in Africa the Orange State and Transvaal follow suit. For the convenience of the student, I have compiled a list of all Governments issuing, or which have issued, stamps, upon specially watermarked paper; the list applies solely to adhesives. n INTRODUCTION, In many countries stamps have been prepared for use, but, for various reasons, never issued to the public. The following list comprises the leading examples chronicled in these pages : B ra z il .................. Head. 300 reis, bicoloured. B ru n sw ick ....... | gute-groschen, brown on white. G reat Britain ... v.b. 1 penny, black. „ ,,, 1860. 1£ pence, rose-pink on bluish. „ ... 1J » envelope, dated 2. 4- CO. „ ... 1862. 3 „ dotted ground. In d ia ................... 1854. I anna, red. L o m b a r d y ......... 1861. 2, 3, 15 soldi. M a u ritiu s ........... Britannia. Red-brown, and blue. M od en a ............... Journal. 9 cents, lilac, No n.G. N ew fou n d la n d ... 1862. 8 pence, lake. S pain .............. 1854. 2 cuartos, bear. „ ................... 1857. 12 „ orange. „ ................... 1875. Alfonso Card; head to left, arms to right. An examination of any one series in the succeeding list, will prove to the student that little order or system can be attained if watermarks are ignored; and any so-called arrangement, based alone on external appearances, however admirable the results may appear to the eye, will be, in reality, what is vulgarly termed a jumble. It has been therefore, with the view of inducting recent volunteers to the rank of Philately into the higher mysteries of the art, my aim to clearly define all distinctions of watermark, all prominent perforations, and, where practicable, the leading shades. If I have succeeded, and can induce more and more interest on the part of the collector on these points, essential to the very production of each individual stamp, I shall be amply repaid. E dward L. P emberton. Portswood, Southampton. LIST OF ADHESIVE POSTAGE STAMPS BEARING DISTINCTIVE WATERMARKS (with appboximate dates). Makers? names, laid lines, and fancy papers, not enumerated. Antigua ......................... Star, 1862 to 1873; ee. and crown since. A rgentine Republic... lío wmk., 1862 to 1864; R.A., 1864 to 1867; no wmk. since. B a h a m a s ....................... No wmk., 1859 to 1863 ; ce. and croton since. B a r b a d o e s ....................... No wmk., 1852 to 1871; star, 1871 to 1874; cc. and crown since. B a v a ria ........................... No wmk., 1849, 1 kr. ; silk threads, 1850 to 1870; lozenges, 1870 to 1875; undulations Bince. B e lg iu m ......... .............. Monogram LL., 1849 to 1860; no wmk. since. B erm u d a ....................... Cc. and crown. British Columbia ....... Ce. and crown. B ritish. Columbia and 1 Vancouver Island . f Ce‘ and British Guiana ........... No wmk., 1850 to 1876 ; cc. and crown Bince. B ritish Honduras ....... No wmk., 1865 to 1872; cc. and crown since. B r u n s w ic k .................... No wmk., 1852; post-horn, 1853 to 1864; no wmk., 1866. Cape of Good Hope ... Anchor, 1853 to 1862; no wmk. to Provi­ sionals, 1861 ; cc. and crown since. C e y lo n ............................... Star, 1857 to 1863; no wmk,, 1863; cc. and crown since. C h i li................................... Numeral, 1853 to 1867 ; no wmk. since. TUI LIST OF ADHESIVE POSTAGE STAMPS Cuba ......... .................... Loops, 1855; lozenges, 1856; no wmk. since. D en m a rk ...................... Crown. D anish Indies ............. Crown. D o m in ica ..................... Co. and crown. E g y p t .............................. Pyramid. F iji ............................... Fiji Postage in middle of sheet. G a m b ia ........................... No wmk., 1869 to 1874; cc, and crown since. G old C oa st....................... Cc. and crown. Great Britain ............... Small crown on 1 penny and 2 pence, 1840 to 1856. ‘ „ „ ............... Large crown on 1 penny and 2 pence. 1856 to date, and on 1^ pence of 1870. „ „ ............... Garter on 4 pence, 1856 to date, and on 8 pence, 1876. „ „ ............ Pour flowers on 3, 6, 9 pence and 1 shilling, 1856 to 1865. „ „ ............... Pose on 3,6, 9,10 pence, 1 shilling, 2 shillings, 1866 to date. „ „ ............... Maltese cross on 5 shillings. „ „ ............... Value in full on J penny, 1870 to date. „ „ ........ Anchor on 2J pence, 1875 to 1876. „ „ ............... Orb with cross on 2J pence, 1876 to date. G r e n a d a ........................... No wink., 1860 to 1864 ; star wmk. since. H a m b u rg ....................... Undulation, 1859 to 1864; no wmk., 1864 to 1868. H a n o v e r .......................... Line round 1 g. groschen, 1850; 1851 to 1866, branches ; no wmk., 1856 to 1868. H o n g H o n g ..................