Philatelic Collection for Leeds University (1913)
Valuable Gift by a well-known Leeds Collector.
This news article was first published in The Postage Stamp, June 1913.
It is announced by the Yorkshire Post (4.6.13) that the University of Leeds has just accepted the offer of a gift of a collection of British stamps which, with one possible exception, is stated to be the most valuable and comprehensive in the country. The collection has been formed by Mr. W. Denison Roebuck, a well-known Leeds citizen, and it represents the results of over 20 years’ keen and enthusiastic collecting.
In making his unique donation to the University Mr Roebuck has been prompted by the feeling that there ought to be some collection of adequate extent and representative character which should become public property, and that the University of Leeds be the most fitting representation of the public interest, and of the intellectual life of the city. There are but few collections of the kind in existence, notably the famous Tapling collection, which is housed at the British Museum; the Dunbar Dunbar collection at the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh; and the Halliday oollection at the Huddersfield Technical College. The Roebuck stamps, however, form a precedent in being, so far as is known, the first instance of a public collection of British stamps in general, in which the postage stamps form but a small part, although fully and copiously represented.
Mr. Roebuck’s gift comprises British stamps only, but includes all the stamps of the islands of the British seas, Guernsey and Jersey, and the Isle of Man, and the multifarious issues peculiar to Scotland and Ireland. Colonial and foreign stamps are only included where they happen to have been used or cancelled within the limits of the British Isles. The range of values of single stamps is from one farthing to as high as £5 in postage, and from £1,000 up to £11,250 in embossed deed stamps. In dates the fiscal stamps begin with 1694 in the reign of William and Mary, and of course postage stamps from 1840. The earliest British stamp known to exist is included: it is dated June 30, 1694, the day following the giving of the Royal Assent to the first Stamp Act.
Particularly interesting are examples of the ancient hair-powder stamps of 1786 in sheets and pairs; specimen copies of the Hat Tax stamp of 1874, and the post-horse licence stamps of the reign of William IV.; a series of specimen impressions of the whole series of embossed stamps, and a book of impressions of patent medicine, hat tax; playing card, and newspaper stamps on copper plates for a period of five months (July, 1802 to February, 1803). Judicial and Law stamps are well represented, and there are examples of those used in the Chancery and Common Law Courts in all three kingdoms. Also included are a great variety of commercial stamps, and used for bankruptcy, the registration and winding-up of limited liability companies, foreign bills, contract notes, receipts, patents, policies of marine insurance, trade marks, transfer duties, etc. The collection of cheque stamps is very complete, including 90 per cent, of the 550 dies known to exist, and several thousand examples. A strong point about the series is that it comprises a larger number of date records for the first use of particular stamps than any other collection possesses, including one which is the oldest known British stamp with a certified date. An interesting “side line” is a collection of stamps of all kinds which have been used or cancelled in Leeds, which is so nearly representative that of the 152 plate numbers for the old red penny stamps every one is included with the Leeds postmark, with one exception only, viz., the last, which was only in use a month.
The entire collection is mounted on about 6,000 large cards, which are copiously written up with notes on the issue, their dates, and uses. At present the University authorities are considering, in consultation with Mr. Roebuck, the means by which the collection may most conveniently be made available for consultation and examination by philatelists and students of British stamp administration.
