est
is the 10c. green of 1861, a stamp catalogued at 5c. only, as it is to
be found in large quantities, and almost every collector has or has had
many duplicates.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

The first die was made with the five stars at the top of the stamp in
white on a background composed of fine perpendicular lines. It seems the
plate soon showed signs of wear at the top, and a new die was made in
which the perpendicular lines ran into a solid curved line, something
like this.

The stamps printed from the original plates are quite rare, one dealer
finding three only out of a lot of nearly five hundred. The new variety
is selling at various prices, from $5 upward. A curious result of the
new discovery has been the find of some copies with the 1868 grill. Of
course the grill is counterfeit.

New recruits are made daily to the ranks of those who are devoting
themselves to the collection of unused U. S. stamps in blocks showing
the imprint and plate numbers on the margin. Some of the scarcer 1890
and 1894 plate numbers are to be sold at auction in New York within a
few weeks. This branch of collecting offers special facilities to those
living in the smaller towns, as the post-offices in such towns
frequently have sheets of stamps issued many years ago, whereas in the
large cities the stamps on hand are usually of the very latest printing
only.

The Duke of York is reported to have sold his collection of
postage-stamps to Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild for $300,000.

F. L. POTTS.--Dealers offer 1857 half-dime at 10c.

E. V. G.--Oiled paper, or paraffine paper, will prevent stamps
from sticking to each other. But the ordinary "hinges" or
"stickers" will not adhere to such paper.

A. L. EVANS.--U.S. cents are quoted as follows: 1817, 10c.; the
variety with fifteen stars at 50c. The other cents mentioned from
5c. to 15c. each. Half-cent, 1851, 10c. Half-dollar, 1830, 75c.

W. F. T.--There are three varieties of the 1799 silver dollar,
worth $2, $3, $4 respectively.

RAM.--1842 dimes are quoted at 20c. The 1799 and 1858 cents at 5c.
each.

C. E. STEELE.--See answer to "Ram."

B. MAGELSEN.--Perforated stamps from the centre as margin of a
sheet, thus showing one side without perforations, are not so
desirable as stamps having all four sides perforated. As a rule
stamps should have all paper soaked off the ba