AN EXPENSIVE MISTAKE

New Zealand Tablet, 15 May 1913, Page 62

AN EXPENSIVE MISTAKE

Perhaps the most colossal error that has ever occur•red in the history of postage stamps has just happened in the United States (writes Mr. W. S. Lincoln, the well-known stamp expert, of 2 Holies street, Oxford street, London, W. To commemorate the opening of the Panama Canal, a new series of four values was prepared, viz.— Ic. green, portrait of Balboa — first man to cross the Isthmus to the Pacific, 1513. 2c. red, view of the Gatun Locks in the new Canal. sc. blue, view of the Golden Gate. 10c. orange, picture depicting the discovery of San Francisco Bay. The 1,5, and 10c, appeared, and it then transpired that, by some extraordinary, mistake, the picture on the 2c. stamp was a view of San Pedro Miguel Locks instead of the Gatun Locks, though the stamp was inscribed with the latter name. The U.S.A. Government immediately withdrew the whole printing, consisting of more than twenty million stamps, and destroyed them, and a new printing is just to hand showing the view of San Pedro Miguel as on the error, but inscribed ‘ Panama Canal.’ This may perhaps be considered the most expensive error of printing ever committed by a Government.