Part 5 (1/2)

In the mean time the 20 cash stamps had arrived and, not needing provisionals of that value, he restored them to their original value by the second surcharge, ”100 cash.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: Stamp, 1 penny, surcharged ”Cyprus”, 30 paras]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Stamp, ”Antigua”, surcharged ”Montserrat”]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Stamp, ”Bermuda”, surcharged ”Gilbraltar”]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Stamp, ”Straits Settlement”, surcharged ”Perak”]

This group ill.u.s.trates stamps of one country or state surcharged for use in another. For a long time Cyprus was supplied by overprinting the stamps of Great Britain. In like manner Montserrat was surcharged on Antigua stamps, Gibraltar on Bermuda and Perak on the Straits Settlements. In the case of Gibraltar some of the stamps were printed in other colors than were used in Bermuda. The colony of Eritrea has always been supplied by overprinting the Italian stamps.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fives]

In 1883 a large quant.i.ty of stamps were stolen in Cuba and to prevent their being used the remaining stock were overprinted with the devices shown here. These were the _cliches_ used to print the control numbers on the tickets of the Havana lottery.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Stamp, ”Z. Afr. Republiek”, 1 penny, surcharged ”Transvaal”]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Stamp, ”Transvaal Postage”, 6 pence, surcharged ”Z.A.R”, 2 pence]

Sometimes surcharges are the outcome of historic events or are at least suggestive of such. The first stamp in this group is one of the crude products of the South African Republic, which was surcharged during the British occupation of the country. The second is a stamp issued during the same occupation and surcharged after the Boers again came into power. The Chilian coat of arms on the stamps of Peru tells its own story of war and invasion. Lastly we have a stamp of Fiji on which the initials ”C.R.”, Cakambau Rex, are overprinted with the ”V.R.” of the Queen of England.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Stamp, ”Correos del Peru”, 1 centavo]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Stamp, ”Fiji”, surcharched ”V.R.”]

During the Carlist insurrection in Spain, the stamps of France, surcharged with a _fleur de lys_ surrounded by a five-rayed star, were used by Don Carlos to frank his correspondence across the frontier into France. These stamps were in use for only a brief period, pending the preparation and issue of the Carlist stamps.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Stamp, Poland]

It may be remarked that there are many suggestions of history in stamps that are not surcharged. The succession of portraits and other devices in the issues of a country is often eloquent of the march of great events, and there is a touch of pathos in Poland's solitary stamp.

Finally, I wish to call your attention to a few stamps which tell most interesting stones, and which have a touch of mysticism and symbolism, which is not of to-day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Stamp, ”Correos Mexico”, real]