FAMOUS STAMPS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 43, 12 February 1946, Page 3

FAMOUS STAMPS

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT’S COLLECTION

AUCTION THIS MONTH

Some American philatelists have high hopes of. adding choice items to their collections when the stamps which were President Roosevelt’s pride are auctioned next month, but others view the forthcoming proceedings with undisguised misgivings.

A lively argument is being carried on in trade journals, the Press and indignant letters to Congressmen whether stamps donated to President Roosevelt during his Presidency properly belonged to him or to the people of the United States. The collection is conservatively estimated at being worth 100 000 dollars. During the difficult years at the White House, President Roosevelt found his favourite daily recreation in classifying and rearranging his stamps. Foreign statesmen and every American knew President Roosevelt's hobby and many leather-bound albums as well as covers envelopes and special seals, were sent to Washington. One such album of Brazilian stamps bearing the signature of exPresident Vargas disappeared from ■ an exhibition in New York last September. When the loss was noticed thousands had to submit to a search by the police. Several days later the album was found undamaged under a pile of lumber near the exhibition building.

Surprisingly, no provision was made in President Roosevelt’s will for tlie disposition of liis collection, composed chiefly of United States and Central and South American stamps. It was decided to Offer the collection for public sale by the British International stamp auctioneer Mr H. R. Harmer.

Immediately the. opinion was heard that gifts to the President belong to the people not the individual holding office’ though President Roosevelt had collected stamps from his youth and never travelled without iiis stamp book. Now a more vigorous and vociferous group of philatelists remand that, whatever happens the die proofs of stamps made by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing should be conserved as the property of the nation. These proofs were socially prepared for the President by the United States Post Office.