I OCR'd this from an article in 1926 Golden Age magazine. I thought it may be of interest to some.

Hope it isn't too big as I could not upload as a file.

Article from the "GOLDEN AGE" December 29, 1926

*Philately -- A Useful Hobby*

There are people in this world who think themselves superior persons and who
affect to look down upon those who make collections of postage stamps, but the
work of the philatelist is not in vain. He is a collector of history and of art,
and sometimes on a large scale. Philately also encourages the study of
geography.

A collection of stamps of all the countries in the world, showing the stamps
which are in use on the day this paper falls into the hands of our subscribers,
would give a very fair idea of the progress which, those countries have made to
date in the designing, engraving, lithographing and printing industries. A
similar collection made ten years ago would give a very fair idea of the same
items at that date, and the same would: be true of a collection fifty years
old. It would provide reliable history which in a few instances could not be
obtained so well elsewhere.

Governments usually pay much attention to their stamps. The stamps represent
the government and the people in a very special way. They go out to the ends of
the earth, to be seen, admired, collected and preserved. It is claimed that the
most truthful likeness of Queen Victoria known to exist is on a Canadian
revenue stamp. It is also claimed that the only known picture of Sydney, New
South Wales, as it was in the early days, is found on an old postage stamp.

Many artists are philatelists. They find that the stamps which fall into their
hands give them new and accurate ideas respecting styles and customs,
buildings, historical characters, the formation of letters and figures, and the
results which can be accomplished in engraving on tinted paper. The stamps of
France are considered masterpieces in this latter respect.

The word “philately” comes from two Greek words, philos, a friend or admirer,
and ateleia, exemption from taxation. The first journal devoted to the
philatelic art appeared in Belgium in 1863, and the first public sale of stamps
at auction, occurred in London in March, 1872. Stamp dealers sell (for about 15
cents per 1,000) “hinges” for mounting stamps in albums securely, and yet in
such a way that they can be quickly transferred to other places as desired.

*Stamps of the United States*

The first stamps issued by the United States government appeared in 1847, since
which time an average of more than twenty-five new designs has appeared each
year. Prior to 1847 the postmasters of some cities issued their own stamps; and
these now bring, in some instances, prices as high as $15,000 each. If the
United States was slow in getting started in the printing of its own stamps, it
has made up for this since; because it is claimed that the stamps now cancelled
annually in American post offices would, if placed end to end, girdle the earth
five times.

With the World’s Columbian Exposition, held at Chicago in 1893, the United
States began the execution of a series of historical designs which are unique,
beautiful and valuable. The principal events in American history are thus made
a matter of pictorial record and spread broadcast over the earth. The stamps
issued in 1893, ranging in value from one cent to five dollars, showed
Columbus’ portrait, his solicitation of aid from Isabella, Isabella pledging
her jewels, Columbus’ flagship, his fleet, his first view of land, his mingling
with the natives, his welcome at Barcelona, his announcement of his discovery,
his recall, his incarceration, his restoration to favor, etc.

One of the amusing things in this series is that on the one cent stamp Columbus
is shown as sighting land, at which time he was smooth shaven, not a whisker in
sight. On the two cent stamp, representing his landing, which supposedly took
place a few minutes after the scene shown, on the one cent stamp, Columbus has
a beautiful beard; but how he grew such a magnificent beard in so short a time
is known only to the artists who made the portraits and the officials who
approved the designs.

In 1898 this government recognized the Trans- Mississippi and International
Exposition, held at St. Louis, by featuring western items such as Marquette on
the Mississippi, Indians hunting buffalo, the prairie schooner, a prospector,
troops guarding a railroad train, Fremont on the Rocky Mountains, range cattle
in a storm, the Mississippi River bridge, etc.

In 1901 came the Pan American Exposition at Buffalo, and with it the
transportation stamps, steamers, railway trains, automobile, bridges, locks,
etc. The Louisiana Purchase Exposition held at St. Louis in 1904, brought
stamps of historical personages connected with the purchase. The Jamestown
Exposition of 1907 brought pictures of early Virginia scenes, John Smith,
Pocahontas, etc.

In 1909 the Hendrik Hudson celebration brought out a picture of the “Half Moon”
and the “Clermont”, also a stamp commemorating the purchase of Alaska from
Russia. The opening of the Panama Canal brought pictures of Balboa, the Panama
Canal, the Golden Gate, and San Francisco Bay. The conclusion of the World War
brought forth some victory stamps. The Pilgrim Tercentenary was the occasion
for stamps illustrating the “Mayflower”, the Landing of the Pilgrims and the
Signing of the Compact. In 1924 the Huguenot Tercentenary was similarly
recognized and commemorated.

The stamps of 1925 and 1926 are appropriate to the Sesqui-Centennial recently
held in Philadelphia, illustrating Washington at Cambridge, Washington taking
command of the American army, the birth of liberty, the battles of Lexington
and Concord, the Liberty Bell, etc.

*Interesting South American Stamps*

THREE of the most valuable stamps known in the world were issued by the little
country British Guiana, South America. A pair of circular two cent stamps of
British Guiana, bearing the Georgetown postmark and the date of 1850, sold in
London in 1921 for over $20,000. In order to get a similar pair Mr. J. J.
Duveen, a New York stamp collector, sent a representative all the way to South
America to obtain them.

A British Guiana one cent stamp of 1856, the only one known to be in existence,
was recently purchased from the French government, by Arthur Hinds, of Utica,
N. Y., for 1,075,000 francs, or about $35,000. The stamp was originally the
property of Von Ferrary who, at the time of his death in Switzerland during the
World War, had the most famous collection in the world. His mother before him
was a famous collector of stamps.

Von Ferrary had plenty of money to gratify his hobby, and devoted his life to
the collection of rare stamps. Believing it would be best cared for there he
left the entire collection to the Berlin Postal Museum, but it was seized by
the French government and is being broken up and sold. More than 50,000,000
francs has been realized from it to date. Philatelists will never forgive the
French government for this act of vandalism. Von Ferrary was a quiet, shy,
harmless old man who tried all his life to keep out of the limelight into which
his great collection constantly led him.

It is claimed that the best map of the Venezuela boundary dispute territory is
to be found engraved on the Venezuela stamps for 1896. The Tacna-Arica
plebiscite stamp is of great interest to philatelists, as is also the Chilean
stamp of Robinson Crusoe’s island, Isla de Juan Fernandez. In the year 1922
Guatemala issued “no less than thirty-five new designs of stamps.

*Asiatic and African Stamps*

AMONG the Asiatic stamps printed in 1922, Armenia had forty-nine designs,
Indo-China forty designs, the Far Eastern Republic thirty-six designs, and
Turkey and Siberia each thirty-five designs. Iraq or Mesopotamia has the
distinction of possessing a series of stamps designed by women. They portray
native life and characteristics in an exceptionally artistic manner.

Among the African stamps printed in 1922 there were thirty-five Egyptian
designs. A curious slip in the formation of a single Arabic character on one of
these stamps caused the condemnation of 5,000,000 of them, doomed to be used up
on official papers and thus eventually to be destroyed. The incorrect stamps
bring a high premium.

Liberia has an interesting series of stamps commemorating the planting of the
colony of free Negroes from the United States by Jehudi Ashmun, D. D., in the
Summer of 1822. The colony was and is a success. The principal feature of the
designs is the sailing ship in which the colony was brought, and the small
boats putting off from it to land. Ashmun, a lover of his fellow men, remained
in Liberia six years and planted there a strong colony of more than 1,200
persons. He was a graduate of the University of Vermont.

The Sudan British government pictures on one of its stamps Sir Slatin Pasha,
author of “Fire and Sword in the Sudan”, making his escape from the Arabs on a
camel.

The highest price ever paid for a stamp was paid by Arthur Hind, Utica, N. Y.,
textile manufacturer. He is reported to have paid $50,000 for an envelope
mailed in 1847 in the African island of Mauritius, and bearing both the one and
two penny values.

*Europe--The Philatelist’s Paradise*

AMONG the European stamps issued in 1922, Hungary had thirty-six designs,
Ireland forty-two, Danzig forty-four, Italy sixty, Germany sixty-one, Russia
sixty-two, Lithuania seventy and Austria seventy-four. Two years previous,
before the boundaries of Europe were adjusted following the World War, there
were 370 plebiscite stamps in use, in various parts of Europe.

Although the king of England is an enthusiastic philatelist, yet Britain and
British possessions generally give scant attention to new and interesting
designs. When a new sovereign comes to the throne his or her face is supposed
to be of surpassing interest to all generations, until another one appears.
Nevertheless, London is the recognized center of the philatelic art.

In 1923, at the International Stamp Exhibition in London, the United States
government placed on exhibition a complete set of all the stamps issued up to
that time in this country. Five hundred exhibitors had their collections at the
exhibition. Their value was estimated at $5,000,000.

Although neither Britain nor any British possession has ever recognized
Shakespeare on a stamp, yet Denmark shows on one of its stamps of 1920 a view
of Kronborg Castle, which is the castle made famous as Elsinore Castle in
Hamlet. Belgium has issued several flood stamps, the purpose of which is to
raise funds for the relief of flood victims.

Spain has issued (in 1905) ten large pictorial stamps, illustrating scenes from
“Don Quixote”. Portugal has issued stamps in four designs honoring St. Anthony
of Padua. On the back of each is printed a Latin prayer. Portugal has also
honored her poet de Camoens, and Vasco da Gama, the explorer.

In 1899 Malta issued a stamp commemorating the landing of St. Paul on that
island. Montenegro, in 1893, commemorated the four hundredth anniversary of the
establishment of printing in that kingdom, now part of Yugoslavia.

Italy has celebrated the six hundredth anniversary of the death of Dante.
Fiume, which d’Annunzio seized on behalf of Italy, had a stamp in 1920 bearing
d’Annunzio’s likeness. Italy has announced that it will sell advertising
privileges on its stamps, and hopes to make from $10,000,000 to $15,000,000 a
year by this means.

Austria has issued stamps bearing portraits of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven,
Schubert, Bruckner, Strauss and Wolf. Poland has issued a stamp bearing the
likeness of Paderewski. Bulgaria has commemorated a living poet, Ivan Vasoff,

and a deceased friend of the nation, an English journalist, J. D. Bourchier.
Roumania has honored the memory of her late beloved queen, Carmen Sylva, by
several scenes, portraying her in various poses, writing, nursing a wounded
soldier, spinning and weaving.

Regards Pete