M. S. C.--The coin dealers sell the 1803 cent for 10 cents. The English coins mentioned are all common.

L. V. BLISS.--Thanks for your suggestion. I would adopt the same at once, but the postal laws do not permit the printing of any ill.u.s.tration of a U.S. stamp, or even part of such and the absence of ill.u.s.trations would make such articles uninteresting and very difficult to understand.

H. CROSSMAN.--England 1840 1d. black, 2d. blue.

RAY B. BAKER.--The Cape of Good Hope, 1861, 1d. red is worth 60 cents, the wood-black, $15, the wood-black error, same issue, $250. The 1/2d, 1871 is sold for 6 cents. $1, $2, and $5 Columbian, $7, $4, $5.50 respectively.

O. A. P.--It is not a coin, and is worth nothing.

HELEN O. KAUPER.--The 90c. orange, 1890, is sold by dealers for $1.50 unused, 75 cents used. The coins are worth face value only.

B. W. LEAVITT.--A 2c. stamp should always be enclosed with a letter of inquiry.

C. MCQUEEN.--The values of all the Columbians are about the same as six months ago, except that the $1 has advanced to about $6 in value, and the $2 is hard to get at less than $4.

H. H. BOWMAN.--The 3c. 1861 mentioned by you is the regular rose issue, but oxidized by time. All red stamps with cochineal are subject to oxidization from dampness, sulphur fumes, etc.

H. C. DURAR.--I congratulate you on your discovery of a rare local.

J. B. DAGGETT.--There are three varieties of the 1803 cent. The small circle is sold for 10c., the large circle for 40c., the 1-100 and 1-1000 for 35c. The Kossuth medal has no value.

W. S. FOWLER.--The first postage-stamp ever made was the 1 p.

black of 1840. It is sold for 8c. The 1 p. red was used from 1841 to 1880. There are many minor varieties, some of which are rare.

E. P. NOYES.--The silver dollar does not command a premium.

J. S. GREEN.--No premium on the eagle cent. The Dutch penny has no value in the U. S.

W. H. KERR.--The two Siam provisionals, 1 att on 64 atts and 2 atts on 64 atts, are worth 10c. or 15c. each. The other stamp is a "sick-fund" stamp from Germany.

C. C. PERPALL.--The difference in the stamps is caused by imperfect printing.

ASH.--The $3 gold pieces do not command any premium. The dates given are the common dates.

M. C. W.--The two stamps are revenue stamps from Bosnia. They cannot be used in payment of postage. Embossing was described in the last number of the Round Table. Stamps vary in value from year to year, and even month to month. Generally there is an increase year by year, but in a few instances they decrease in value. No catalogue can fix prices, and the same issue may be cheap or dear, according to the condition of the individual stamp.

PHILATUS.

ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nTS.

Highest of all in Leavening Power.--Latest U. S. Gov't Report.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Royal Baking Powder]

[Ill.u.s.tration: If afflicted with SORE EYES USE Dr. ISAAC THOMPSON'S EYE WATER]

HARPER'S NEW CATALOGUE,

Thoroughly revised, cla.s.sified, and indexed, will be sent by mail to any address on receipt of ten cents.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BICYCLING]

This Department is conducted in the interest of Bicyclers, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our maps and tours contain much valuable data kindly supplied from the official maps and road-books of the League of American Wheelmen.

Recognizing the value of the work being done by the L. A. W., the Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with membership blanks and information so far as possible.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Copyright, 1895, by Harper & Brothers.]

The last stage of the run from New York to Philadelphia is given in this week's map. The distance is thirty-one miles, and the road, good in the main, is greatly helped by being generally a little down grade. On leaving Trenton by Warren Street the rider will soon come to the Delaware River, which he should cross by the Warren Street Bridge. He then runs into Morrisville on the other side. Immediately after crossing, turn left to the Bristol turnpike, and on reaching this turn to the right into it. The run is direct then to Tullytown and thence to Bristol. Between Tullytown and Bristol the run is along the river, and at times the road is quite good, especially if rain has not made the reddish-yellow earth soggy and muddy. For a good deal of the distance from Trenton to Bristol--a distance of nine miles or more--you will do well to take the side path, which here, as elsewhere over such generally level country as New Jersey and this part of Pennsylvania, is likely to be good.

From Bristol turn to the right at the hotel and run on to the cemetery, where you should take the left fork, which will carry you direct to Frankford-on-Pike, a distance of fifteen miles. From here the run to the outskirts of Philadelphia is but two miles. On this run from Bristol you pa.s.s by Bridgewater, Eddington, Holmesburg, near Tacony, and into Frankford, and there is but one hill of any note, which is just before entering Holmesburg. Indeed, this is not a bad hill compared with some of the Western Ma.s.sachusetts hills, and some of those on the New York-Albany route. Entering Philadelphia you run along Lehigh Avenue, until reaching Broad Street, where you turn left into the latter, and run on to the public buildings in the centre of the city.

Philadelphia is a magnificent city for bicyclists, and we propose next week to give a map of all the asphalted and macadamized streets within the city limits, which in the coming weeks will be followed by short routes in the vicinity. The New York-Philadelphia run is a capital one, and can be made if the trip is taken at easy stages, as we have described it, by any one who can ride a wheel. Many women could do it without difficulty, and it has the added advantage of being part of the way on the great New York-Washington run. So that if you arrive at Philadelphia, and want a little longer journey, especially if it is in the fall of the year, and Washington is in full feather, there is a fine opportunity for a good long trip of easy stages to Washington and return to New York. Inquiries are constantly being made to the Department regarding trips, and the best roads from one town or city to another.

Partly because of the absolute inadequacy of s.p.a.ce, and partly because maps of many of these routes could not be judiciously published, we have been unable to answer these questions. A general suggestion can be made, however, in regard to this matter. If you join the L.A.W. Division in the State where you reside, you pay $2, and receive a copy of the road book of that State, if one has been issued, besides maps showing the best bicycle roads. These are sent you free of charge. You can procure road books of other States by writing to the Secretary of the L.A.W.

Division for the State of ----, naming the particular State in question.

These will cost from $1 to $2 each. Using these there will be no difficulty in laying out the best roads between almost any two points you desire.

NOTE.--Map of New York city asphalted streets in No. 809. Map of route from New York to Tarrytown in No. 810. New York to Stamford, Connecticut, in No. 811. New York to Staten Island in No. 812. New Jersey from Hoboken to Pine Brook in No. 813. Brooklyn in No. 814.

Brooklyn to Babylon in No. 815. Brooklyn to Northport in No. 816.

Tarrytown to Poughkeepsie in No. 817. Poughkeepsie to Hudson in No. 818. Hudson to Albany in No. 819. Tottenville to Trenton in 820.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE PUDDING STICK]

This Department is conducted in the interest of Girls and Young Women, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor.

Going to the country? City girls think as much of their summers among green fields as country girls do of coming to town, and one can say no more than that.

School is over, and the lessons done with for the present, and now you may enjoy the sense of freedom from rules, which is one of the really charming things in a vacation. If I were you, though, I would not spend all the summer weeks without learning something, either about Nature and her wonders, or else about housekeeping and sewing.

At Aunty's in the mountains help is hard to get, and Aunty and her daughters make their own beds, and do much of the housework outside of the kitchen. Do you know how to make a bed? It looks very easy, yet there is an art in doing it well.