THE MUSEUM. 
65 
attention to these articles. At first they are 
almost always overlooked, especially where 
other relics are fine or abundant, many sug¬ 
gesting broken or imperfect implements. 
Fuller examination reveals their character 
and increases our knowledge of their many 
forms. W. M. Beauchamp. 
The first stamp dealer and collectors in the 
United States arose in 1861; the first hand¬ 
book appeared in 1863, and the first philatelic 
paper in 1864.— Exchange. 
The entire number of match stamps is 283 
varieties of adhesive, and 195 varieties of 
match wrappers.— The Hermes. 
According to the Collector's Companion , 
Mr. E. R. Durborow, of Philadelphia, pos¬ 
sesses a valuable collection of stamps, num¬ 
bering over 5000 specimens. Among many 
rare ones are a New York Post Office stamp, 
5c. black, canceled with the postmaster’s 
initials, a genuine specimen of Blood’s large 
despatch stamp with man stepping over 
houses, and forty-six varieties of Peruvian 
surcharged stamps. 
Perforated stamps are separated from each 
other by round holes like those now used in 
this country, 000000000. Rouletted stamps 
are separated by narrow oblong cuts like the 
current Chili stamps,.. Unperfo¬ 
rated stamps are not perforated in any man¬ 
ner, but have to be cut apart.— Philatelic 
Monthly. 
Among the rarest of Government locals is 
an original specimen of the New Haven, Conn. 
The stamps were issued by E. A. Mitchell, 
postmaster in 1845, but all disappeared until 
1871, when a solitary specimen was discovered 
in a collection formed by a New Haven law¬ 
yer, and which was stolen from him and sold 
to a New York dealer. It is probable that 
not over two thousand stamps, in all, were 
sold.— The Stamp World. 
pumiMMtkss. 
NOTES BY HENRY PHILLIPS, JR. 
PORCELAIN MONEY OF SIAM. 
In the possession of Dr. Vilhelm Bergsoe, 
of Copenhagen, there are many hundreds of 
remarkable specimens of the porcelain coin¬ 
age of Siam. Upon the occasion of my visit 
to his great collection, he kindly presented to 
me the five pieces here figured. It seems that 
the bullet-money being unsuited to the re¬ 
quirements of the gambling table, of which 
the Siamese are especially fond, and which is 
(or was) encouraged by the government, per¬ 
mission was granted to their proprietors to use 
special counters of porcelain , glass or lead, 
of various shapes and inscriptions. These 
“ rapidly became a favorite medium of ex¬ 
change, and filled so well a long felt want of 
small money, that the circulation went much 
beyond its legal sphere,” and over 890 vari¬ 
eties are known to have existed. Counter¬ 
feiting, naturally, soon took place, and the 
currency was suppressed in 1871. 
1 2 
No. 1 represents a Salu'ng (15 cents), obverse, 
a dragon ; reverse, an inscription. 
No. 2, a Salu’ng, obverse, a rosette; reverse, 
inscription. 
3 4 5 
No. 3, a Salu'ng, obverse, a crane; reverse, a 
stag. 
No. 4, a Salu‘ng ; inscription. 
No. 5, a Fu'ang (7^ cents). 
