Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 236, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1910 — $5,000 WORTH OF KNOWLEDGE. [ARTICLE]

$5,000 WORTH OF KNOWLEDGE.

This Stamp, Collector Recognized a Variety When He Baw It. Through his intimate knowledge of United States postage stamps a Philadelphia collector was enabled the other day to make a quick profit of over $5,000 on a small lot of envelopes bearing ordinary looking stamps to which the average person would have paid little attention. The collector was passing the house of a man who handled curiosities of variouss.kindß when the dealer called him in to take a look at nine stamped envelopes. The dealer said he knew nothing about stamps and would like to know what the collector would give for them. “One hundred dollars apiece, or S9OO for the lot of nine pieces,’’ came the prompt reply of the collector. “Oh, I don’t want to stick you,’’ said the dealer. “I offered these identical stamps to a well known stamp dealer here in town for $35 each an& he replied he would give only $25 apiece.” “Never you mind,” said the collector. “The nine hundred goes, and I’m glad to have the chance.’ ’ ■ • The envelopes or letters had been sent from Baltimore in the AOs. Five of them bore two stamps, while the four others had only a single stamp each. The letters were written before the United States adopted the adhesive postage stamp and at a time when the postmafetef of 'each large city issued his own stamps. The postmaster of Baltimore at this time was Jas. M. Buchanan. Postmaster Buchftan issued five and ten cent adhesive stamps and a series of five and ten cent stamped envelopes. The stamps on the envelopes showed a large figure “5” or “10,” surrounded by a circle. Above was the word “Paid,” and above that the name of the postmaster in full, “James M. Buchanan.” This signature was placed upon each envelope with a hand stamp. Two colors were used —red and blue —the stamps appearing on paper of different colors. Sometimes, probably on account of the scarcity of the regular ten cent stamp, two of the fives were used on one envelope to make up the sum of These were called compounds, and the collector in question in his lot of nine envelopes obtained five of these compounds, all of which are very rare. Of the ten cent red stamped envelopes of straight denomination! only two specimens are known to exist The collector had no difficulty in disposing of his stamps for $5,000 and still has in his possession a specimen of the compound envelope which is easily worth $1,500. From what can' be learned these early envelopes with hand stamped signatures were issued in 1845 for the first time. There is also on record a copy of the envelope with the autograph signature of Postmaster Buchanun. —New York Sun. J