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Postage Stamp Collecting, or Philately: Victoria

Besides such slightly abnormal deviations from the general run of postage stamps, may be enumerated the "too late" label formerly used by the colony of Victoria, now particularly recherche by philatelists, especially in an uncancelled state. This individual is unique in its application; but there are several impressions exclusively devoted to the registration of letters. Those of Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland (like the cut, but the word "registered" substituted for the value) are well known; and the recently emitted Prussians, one of which is given on the next page, are of somewhat kindred nature.

The quaint centre device is an offshoot from the fertile field for philatelists, New Granada, alias the United States of Columbia; the R standing for registrados (registered).

Besides strictly governmental issues, many private firms and individuals have been tacitly allowed to issue postage stamps, more or less partaking of the character of regular official emanations. Such are those of the United States, amounting to upwards of five hundred; some of which, though catalogued, never did duty, and were only concocted for sale. They are now, we believe, all extinct. Some of them are represented on previous pages. The City of Hamburg has produced upwards of a hundred, of which the greater part are impostors. An unimpeached one will be found depicted farther on.

The pages devoted to the U. S. locals by those who collect them, present a most varied and extraordinary appearance, from the endless varieties of device and colour employed. Profiles, busts, figures of men and animals, numerals, plain inscriptions, symbolical and allegorical representations meet the eye, varied with all the colours in and out of the rainbow. Dresden, Breslau, Montreal, Shanghai, Constantinople, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London, also contribute their quota towards the ranks of locals. These are all emissions of private firms: those of the third place mentioned are more than doubtful; the latter are now prohibited by law.

To these may be added those of Throndhjems (Drontheim), Tammerfors, Helsingfors, with the Levant, Danubian, and Pacific Steam Companies. The legally authorised issues of Malta, the Danish West Indies, &c. and the very low values of continental stamps, may be likewise termed locals; not being available out of their own birthplace. The La Guairas, one of which is figured at page 842, must not be omitted from the list.

Still farther than the unaccredited locals from a strictly legitimate postal collection are the numerous labels issued by the several railroads. They amount to a considerable number altogether, ranging in value from one farthing to five shillings.

Many of the foreign telegraph stamps are extremely tasty, especially the Belgian and Spanish: these, however, are not usually admitted into collections. Still less are our own now disused "Customs" labels, which far exceed the postals in beauty; as do our receipt, bill, and legal adhesives, some of which are as high as 5l. or more in value.

The "needle-gun" war of 1866 introduced quite a novel genus of postage envelopes. They were employed in Prussia, Saxony, &c.; some for the use of civilians writing to their friends or relatives at camp; others for the exclusive service of the military. Some Brazilian youths, of more ingenuity than probity, concocted an imitation of these, and passed them off at a price among dealers and amateurs, as being employed for a similar purpose in the conflict between the Brazilians and Paraguayans.