in Paris The first part of the noted Feryari stamp collection was sold by auction in June last at a public saleroom in Paris. The desires of philatelists all over the world were} centred in this crowded ball where stamps 90 rare as only to be on sale once in a generation were being bought for millionaires.
The most memorable prices paid were Frs, 200,000 (nominally £8,500) jor a couple of British Guiana two cents, black on rose, original lettering engraved in 1550. it is that this pair is the finest existence. A Hawaii two blue of 851 fetched Frs. 156,000. 'A penny Mauritius vermilion was! bought at Frs, 24,000, and a twopenny indigo deep? blue Frs. 60,000. The British colonies, therefore, had the honour, but later what was described as the rarest Continental stamp, bearing the ox head of Meldayia, blue on blue paper, rose to Frs, 20,000, Tt was not quite a perfect. specimen, haying a trace of a fold. All these prices were from 20 to 40 per cent. above the French catalogue. It is anticipated that the whole sale, the second part of which will take place in October, will reach a total of more than £490,000 sterling.
Tie Sports or War.
The scene of this historic sale, to be present at which collectors and dealers had come from all parts of the world, was an upper room in a grimy mansion, where all the public sales take ' place in The' walls were hung with veen baize. Next door an auction of vulgar household furniture was taking place with much bawling. Here in the green room it' was as silent as in church. The crowd stuffed within sweltered de-cerously under the glazed roof.
In the centre was a long table set for dealers and magnates; opposite the magistrates' bench' were sat the experts, anxious-faced men of portly build. Everyone had a catalogue and carefully marked the figure as it was called, but the bidding proceeded with languid dignity. This is explained by the fact that most dealers in these {mammoth bargains were bidding for absent collectors, not them-eelyes, and prices were more or less arranged beforehand. Next! to me sat a very old lady, who put down the prices with the neatest care in an old cash-book, open on her knee. As each stamp was sold, the commissionaire, with an unconvincing smile fixed on his face, held up another treasure—a spot of colour adhering to the centre of a large sheet of paper.
This collection has had a romantic history. It was composed by years of work and a mint of money by the adopted son of an Austrian nobleman, as romantic a figure in his way as Richard Wallace. himself. It is the best in Europe—perhaps in the world. Before
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.