t
Stage in No. 827. Second Stage in No. 828. New York to
Boston--Second Stage in No. 829.

[Illustration: STAMPS]

This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin
collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question
on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should
address Editor Stamp Department.

The New York _Herald_ states that the Duke of York is prepared to sell
his very valuable collection of stamps to the highest bidder. Lord
Rothschild has made the most liberal offer thus far, but he would prefer
to buy the rarest specimens only.

C. E. ABBEY.--U. S. stamps are printed on plates of 200 or 400
stamps divided into _panes_ of 100 stamps each. A sheet of 100
stamps as sold by the Post-Office is one of these panes. Every
plate bears a number, and this number is printed on the margin of
each pane. For instance, the current 2c. red is printed from
plates of 400 stamps which, after printing, is cut into four
sheets. I illustrate plate No. 112.

[Illustration]

I know of no stamp chapter in Newark.

H. B. THAW.--The 12 sen 1875, Japan, is worth 70c., the 15 sen,
same issue, 60c.

L. M. C.--Dealers quote two varieties of the half-dime of 1838,
one at 10c., the other at 30c.

A. WHITTEMORE.--No stamp was found in your envelope when opened.

D. C. S.--The stamps are Costa Rica revenues. There are several
varieties of U. S. 1c. Proprietary worth from 1c. to 10c. each.

J. K. MORLAN.--The current 1s. Great Britain postage-stamp is
catalogued at 2c. if used. As there are many thousand varieties of
North, Central, and South American stamps, I cannot quote values,
but advise you to buy a catalogue.

E. H. MAURER.--The $1 values of U. S. postage-stamps are largely
used to pay postage on packages of bonds sent from the U. S. to
Europe. The "pink" 1861 is extremely rare. It is a peculiar shade
which cannot be described in words.

H. L. WATSON, Paris.--It is probably a fraud. The only Jones
Express known in America bears Washington's portrait, and is
printed on pink paper.

A. E. BARROW.--No coins enclosed. I cannot say what dealers will
pay for stamps. That depends on scarcity, condition, and quantity.
An unsevered pair of any scarce stamp is always worth more than
two single stamps of