The late Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as a collector--King George's stamps: Great Britain, Mauritius, British Guiana, Barbados, Nevis--The "King of Spain Reprints"--The late Grand Duke Alexis Michaelovitch--Prince Doria Pamphilj--The "Tapling" Collection--The Berlin Postal Museum--The late Duke of Leinster's bequest to Ireland--Mr. Worthington's promised gift to the United States. BIBLIOGRAPHY 333 INDEX 351 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT PAGE Perforation Gauge 43 The Commemorative Letter Balance designed by Mr. S. King, of Bath (1840). A monument "which may be possessed by every family in the United Kingdom" 72 Mr. King's Letter Balance had a tripod base, as in the uppermost figure, thus affording three tablets on which the associations of J. Palmer, Rowland Hill, and Queen Victoria with postal reform are recorded 73 A Facsimile of the Address Side of a Penny Post Letter in 1686, showing the "Peny Post Payd" mark instituted by Dockwra and continued by the Government authorities 83 Facsimile of the Contents of the Penny Post Letter of 1686 84 The Official Notification of December 3, 1818, relating to the use of the Sardinian Letter Sheets. Described in the records of the Schroeder collection as "the oldest official notification of any country in the world relating to postage-stamps" 86 (_Continuation from previous page._) The models show the devices for the three denominations: 15, 25, and 50 centesimi respectively 87 Proof of the Mulready Envelope, signed by Rowland Hill. (From the "Peacock" Papers) 111 Gauge for Arranging Stamps in a Blank Album 144 Autograph Letter from Rowland Hill to John Dickinson, the paper-maker, asking for six or eight sheets of the silk-thread paper for trial impressions of the adhesive stamps 164 Original Sketch for the "Canoe" Type of Fiji Stamps 169 A Postal Memento of New Zealand's "Universal Penny Postage," January 1, 1901 190 The First Postage Stamp of the present reign, together with the Post Office notice concerning its issue on November 4, 1910 193 The Official Notice of the Issue of the New Stamps of Great Britain for the reign of King George V. 195 LIST OF PLATES