The Early Postage Stamps of British Guiana. B87 
The first recorded price paid for a copy, the second one discovered, was 
£20, purchased by the late Judge Philbrick, one of the pioneers of 
philately in its earlier days and a household name where early Guianas 
are mentioned, he having specialized and written extensively in the late 
sixties and seventies on the issues of this colony. The first discovered 
copy found in 1877 changed hands in 1878 at £25; in 1883 it sold for 
£30 and in 1877 for £75. In 1895 a copy of this stamp realized £210. 
Only three pairs of this rarity are in existence, the first discovered 
pair passing into the collection of Baron von Ferrary of Paris. 
The first recorded price fetched for a pair of these stamps was £175 
in 1890. In 1896 the third historic pair was discovered by Archdeacon 
F. P. L. Josa, who tells the following tale :—On Easter Monday of 1896, 
Archdeacon Josa, then Vicar of Christ Church, went to thank Miss 
Preston for the gift of two British Guiana Stamps of 1852, which had 
been presented by her to the Church. Whilst there, he enquired if she 
had any more old stamps, the lady replied, she had given all away but 
brought out a basket filled with old papers and allowed the Vicar to 
search, when he was rewarded by discovering an envelope addressed. 
Miss Rose, 
Blankenburg. 
On it were two of the 2c. rose stamps of 1850, an unsevered pair, 
cut to shape. The lady to whom the letter was addressed was in the 
room at the time and presented this valuable envelope as an Easter 
oftering to the Church. 
The pair was sold in the colony for $1,005 to Mr. E. C. Luard who 
resold it shortly afterwards to Messrs. S. Gibbons, Ltd. for £600. From 
this firm it passed into the hands of a well-known philatelist in London, 
in whose wonderful British Guiana collection it now rests. 
The system of charging postage on letters by distance did not meet 
with approval, and a uniform rate on letters and newspapers forwarded 
to all parts of the colony was introduced on Ist January, 1852, viz :— 
On lettters under OZ. ae ad 4+ cents. 
at 
2 
5 5 exceeding + oz. under 1 oz. 8 
“ ce re 1 oz, and under 2 oz. 12 ,, 
and four cents for each additional ounce 
and each newspaper | cent. 
Newspapers had been allowed to pass through the post, free, 
previous to this new postal rate. This charge was not enforced long, for 
in the Official Gazette of 5rd April, 1852, there appears a further notice 
allowing newspapers to be forwarded free of charge, pending the passing 
of the Inter-Colonial Postage Ordinance. 
