(_From the "Duveen" Collection._)]
Beyond the items the character of which I have indicated as desirable
in the historical collection, there are others, which will readily
suggest themselves to the collector who develops a keen enthusiasm for
his _specialité_. Portraits of persons concerned in the production of
the stamps and in their use often lend an enhanced interest to the
collection as a whole, and sometimes maps are conveniently inserted
in the album to show the geographical disposition of the places where
stamps were issued or used. No one can expect those who have not
studied the particular _specialité_ to understand, without such a
guide, the use of the "zemstvo" stamps of Russia, the courier stamps of
Morocco, the Treaty-Port stamps of China, the provisionals of Mexico,
or the Chilian stamps used in the Peruvian campaign of 1881-3.
In concluding this chapter I would allude to the interest and value of
the collector's acquisition and preservation of modern documents. In
the present day there are few events of importance that are not duly
chronicled in the newspapers, and events of philatelic interest are
largely recorded in the newspapers specially devoted to Philately,
such as _The Postage Stamp_ (weekly) in Britain and _Mekeel's Weekly
Stamp News_ in the United States. But with the enormous increase in
bulk of newspaper records, they are becoming constantly more difficult
of ready access for information on many points of even considerable
importance. Further, the original Act, Decree, Postal Notice included
within the album containing the stamps referred to leaves no room for
any question of printer's errors, which may often crop up in newspaper
reproductions, telegraphed perhaps in cipher from a distant colony.
Among modern items added to my own collection I regard the card sent
out by the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, as Premier and Postmaster of New
Zealand, on the establishment of Universal Penny Postage from that
colony as of historic interest.
[Illustration:
WITH THE HON. J. G. WARD'S COMPLIMENTS.
In sending for your acceptance this, one of the first
articles posted under the Universal Penny Postage scheme, and
date-stamped as the bells are ringing in the new century, I
offer you the season's greetings, and trust that the year which
brings New Zealand within the circle of the penny post may be
one of happiness and prosperity to you and yours.
_GENERAL POST OFFICE.
WELLINGTON, NZ_
Sir Joseph Ward]
Another is a typewritten circular calling for designs from artists in
competition for the new stamps of the Australian Commonwealth, and I
was recently indebted to a correspondent in Pretoria for sending me the
following notice, the historic interest in which needs no enlarging
upon from me.
[Illustration: A ROUGHLY PRINTED CARD SHOWING THE DESIGNS AND COLOURS
FOR THE UNIFIED "POSTAGE AND REVENUE" STAMPS OF GREAT BRITAIN, 1884.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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