Some years back, the editor of The Precancel Gazette used to carry on serious arguments with some of the larger collectors, who insisted that the proper way to collect precancels was in an alphabetic array — by cities only.
Today, no collector questions that merit of the better plan: The alphabetic array by STATES, first, and under each state the alphabetic array by cities. This plan has been tried and is the universally used mounting scheme today. It permits of more scientific treatment.
Today, especially among collectors who are starting their collections, a strange metaphysical method is being used. We have witnessed it time and time again in collections of less than two thousand.
It is this: the stamps of each denomination are mounted by themselves. The first page is all one cent greens, the next two cent reds, the next is three cent purples, and so on up thru the dollar values. This method of collecting is very poor. The reason is that it is not practical after the collection grows to over two thousand. it is impossible to locate specimens since the numbers are too diffuse.
There is but one practical mounting method. It is the division by states, and under each state the placing of towns in sets, according to the alphabet. This plan will work with a large or small collection. You can always locate your city; it is the scientific plan of mounting.
[Reprinted from The Precancel Gazette, Vol. IV, No. 10-11, Wh. No. 39, Oct.-Nov. 1923. -dp.]
How many times have you seen such collections mounted by lc, 2c, etc.? Did it: make any sense to you mounted that way? Surely many of those who chose that method found it satisfactory, but I’ll bet they made a change even before that 2,000 mark referred to above was reached.
Can’t you visualize a collection today with the many thousands of denoms, towns and types mounted in that manner? Even some 60+ years ago, the wise precancel collector could foresee the problems it would bring forth.