Proprietary US revenue stamps were issued for use on taxable proprietary (consumer) products, such as matches, playing cards, cosmetics, medicines, liquor, etc. After the tax laws were passed in 1862, private proprietors were allowed to furnish their own stamps, subject to the approval of the Internal Revenue and subsequently were granted a discount on the taxes paid for the goods they sold. The proprietor was responsible for all costs associated in printing the stamps which were a good advertisement. Most of these stamps were printed by Butler & Carpenter of Philadelphia who also printed revenue stamps for the government. The paper was often called "Old Paper" as it was low quality and contained fibers Unfortunately as with newspaper stamps, they were often used as seals for the cartons or containers and were destroyed on opening resulting in a rarity of these issues. Too Bad as they are some of the best examples of US engraved stamps
C. E. Hull & Co., 1c Black, On "Old Paper" Sc RS138a
Dalley's Galvanic Horse Salve, 2c Green, Silk Paper Sc RS73b
Gardner Beer & Co., 1c Black, Sc RO86c A train full of beer!!
Last Edit: Dec 29, 2020 14:34:06 GMT -5 by sforgca
It was supposed to be a "delicate corrosive." It was meant to whiten and brighten the skin (lead white additive), but what it ended up doing was giving multiple women Lead Palsy, which had symptoms like atrophy, paralysis, nausea, and headaches.
Kennedy & Co., 2c Black, Pink Paper Sc RS157c Appears it owed it's powers to feel better by a concoction of ether, chloroform, camphor, oil of peppermint and red pepper.
William E. Clark, 3c Blue, Watermarked paper ScRS56d Showing proper method of application
San Francisco Match Co. on silk paper Sc RO165b Apparently useful for "burning a candle at both ends"
Weeks & Potter on silk Sc RS260b Andrew G. Weeks and Warren Bailey Potter were both retail and wholesale druggists in Boston. In the late 1850's they were proprietors of famous patent medicines such as Mrs. M.N. Gardner's Indian Balsam of Liverwort & Horehound, Perry's Moth and Freckle Lotion for Chloasma, Collins' Voltaic-Electric Porous Plasters and Sanford's Radical Cure. The identical stamp can be found as a 4c & there is a colored one
A. Goldback and Emanuel Bear, Jr., were match manufacturers in Richmond, Virginia in 1874-5. Their stamps were issued from July, 1874 through August, 1875. 3,586,403 were issued on silk paper. They do not mention their tax purpose perhaps to make them generic for other items? This design is an altered one where the & Co. was removed from the first issue
J. H. Zeilin & Co., 2c Green, Pink Paper Sc RS277 192,885 were printed on old paper, 2,017,727 on silk paper and 2,684,172 on pink and watermarked papers. 357,000 of the silk paper ones were perforated and gummed by mistake. Zeilin decided to use these, but told Butler & Carpenter to be sure in future to provide imperforate and ungummed ones as specified. Few of the perfed ones can be found
Merchant's Gargling Oil, Black Sc RS178c The oil for man & beast were different products not actually intended for gargling but applying on the body to cure anything from burns, wounds, frost bite and tumors
Ring's Vegetable Ambrosia, 2c Blue, Imperforate Sc RS199b The stamp above was later reproduced with a star head frame for the new product - Tubb's Universal Pain Eradicator
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