AIR MAIL STAMPS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 264, 4 August 1919, Page 8

AIR MAIL STAMPS

NEW FIELD FOR PHILATELISTS. (By "T.P." in the "Daily Mail.") In philatelist circles the Most enthusiasin is to collect firat issues of aerial postage stamps. There will be n particularly keen demand for the stamps from the 100 letters which Mr. Hawker attempted to bring over from America on his Atlantic night, but the demand for aerial stamps which ar« without such a romantic interest also will he in big demand. Particularly eager are stamp collectors to obtain the first stamp specially issued for aerial services. So far none has been issued, tne policy adopted in the United States and for the mails carried by Mr. Hawker being to surcharge the ordinary letter stamp and endorse theso "Aerial Mail Service," or, in the case of the Atlantic mail, "First Transatlantic Aerial Mail, April, 1919." There is, however, in production a special stamp for the" American aerial postal servico, and it will be interesting to see what demand is made for tho first copies to arrive in Britain. It is 79 years ago since the first adhesive stamp' - was issued, and for three years the monopoly remained with Britain. Now more than twenty different countries employ this means of franking letters, and more than 30,000 distinct type 3 of stamps are recognised by philatelists, With the development of aerial postal services all over the world this figure will rapidly ibe increased. America is going ahead with such schemes, and in all probability before very long an 'air post will bo instituted in Great Britain. High prices will be paid for tho firqt stamps, and should youi receive a letter ono of theso days delivered by air from Paris or elsewhere you will ue able to turn it to good commercial account.