Messrs Stanley Gibbons Limited to Crown Agents
391, Strand, London, W.C.
28th February 1898.
19
Gentlemen,
In reply to your favour No.81/1897. In reference to what we estimate the market value of Hong Kong $1 stamps to the face value of 57,600 dollars, we should give us our opinion that no one firm would require a tenth part of this amount unless they could be bought at almost wastepaper price. The stamp is not a saleable one and it is only one variety instead of being in sets like the Leeward Islands and others. It is very difficult to say what any firm would give for these, but personally, our own opinion is that we should not care to tender more than £200 for the entire lot, and even then we suppose we should be years before we should dispose of them. Might we venture to suggest that we think it would be more in keeping with the dignity of this country and her Colonies if all such remainders of postage stamps that were thrown on the hands of the Crown Agents through any cause, should be burned.
are offering and advertising for tenders for St Helena remainders and stating that no offer of under face value will
accepted. In our opinion you are not likely to get an offer half face value or anything like it, and we certainly do not think it is dignified or proper for advertisements to be appear-
in the stamp Journals by the Government of England asking tenders for obsolete stamps. This is a sort of device for making small sums of money which is usually reserved for such Governments as those of Central America who, we believe, are
generally in a chronic state of bankruptcy, but for Great Britain to do this sort of thing is, in our opinion, a decided
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"come-down"