THE PROGRESS OF POSTAGE STAMPS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2054, 15 April 1907, Page 4

THE PROGRESS OF POSTAGE STAMPS.

Thci immense number of postage damps of different countries shown it a recent English Kxhibition, together with the multitude of minute differentiations between specimens of the. same country, makes the Spectator conclude that the desire of the average man to make anything like a representative collection of postage stamps is about as hopeless as the moth’s desire for the star. “In the sixties and seventies almost anybody could make a. good collection of the stamps of tho world; to-day it. may take a mail of means to make—that is, buy—a decent collection of the stamps of a single country.” The total number of postage stamps issued by Governments up to January Ist has just been computed at 20,490, of which 0153 belong to the British Empire and 14,3-13 to the rest of the world. Europe has made 4301 issues, Asia 3856, Africa 4409, America 4088, the West Indies 1637, and Oceania 1485. Tile totals would he doubled if they wore made to include varieties only distinguished by differences of water mark, perforation, and so forth, “local” and non-government stamps. From tho study of oven a moderately complete collection of all these, a good deni of the century’s history might ho gathered. How obvious is the contrast between the uneventful tranquility of British affairs, as in.dieated by different issues of stamps hearing for over 00 years tho same Royal head, and the varying designs of French stamps since 1849. The wreathed head of Liberty was succeeded, after three years, by an issue hearing the words, “Repub. Franc,” hut hearing instead of the head of Liberty the portrait of tho President Louis Napoleon. Next year sees the inscription changed to “Empire Franc.,” and ten years later tho head is crowned with laurels. After another eighteen years the head of Liberty is restored in rough, lithographed impressions on the stamps struck during the siege of Paris, and later comes the well-known “Peace and Commerce” issue, with it tranquility of design. It is a curious fact that tho stamps of all the leading nations, except tho United States, have shown a steady degeneration from issue to issue in colors, workmanship, and design. The earliest penny and two-penny stamps of Great Britain arc models that have never been equalled since. Most of the other countries, which started with excellent workmanship have, gone from had to worse till the present day. Now Zealand is no exception to this rule, but this colony lias still to perpetrate a stamp as had as tho sickly green and yellow 1873 penny issue of Victoria, of which a philatelist remarked: “The Yankee may boast" that he licks creation, hut it would take a man and an Australian to lick that.”