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Month: December 2015

10-cent Trans-Mississippi used as revenue on document

10-cent Trans-Mississippi used as revenue on document

This was a nice acquisition. The 2-cent Trans-Mississipis are findable on bank checks, and usually sell in the $100-200 range, but the other denominations are quite scarce used as revenues. This one is on a marriage license and certificate, paying the correct 10-cent tax. You can see the foxed impression of the stamp at top where it laid when the document was folded.

Two interesting Civil War stock certificates

Two interesting Civil War stock certificates

Just got these two in this week. This first one is a nice early usage of a tougher imperf (R36a catalogs $500). What I don’t quite get is the tax rate. A certificate tax for an incorporated company should have been 25 cents, whereas the 10-cent rate was reserved for unincorporated companies and “other” usages. From Bart Rosenberg: The reason for the ten cent tax is because the first is not a stock certificate. It is scrip for the transfer…

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Battleship revenue used as a patriotic label/cinderella

Battleship revenue used as a patriotic label/cinderella

I picked up this cover on eBay. At first glance it looks like an improper/illegal use of a battleship revenue as postage, but I don’t believe it is. It is a Spanish-American War patriotic cover sent to Germany via steamship S.S. Augusta Victoria. I believe the correct rate for the cover would have been 10 cents, so the revenue stamp was not needed for postage. Instead, in keeping with the theme of the cover, I believe the intent was as…

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A Saturday morning stampshow jaunt…

A Saturday morning stampshow jaunt…

This past Saturday dawned with the promise of higher-than-usual temperatures for December, with highs expected in the mid-60s, so nice weather to drive to a stamp show. The MSDA winter show at the Lindner Conference Center in Lombard, IL is an easy 2.5-hour drive. The show opened at 10am, so I hit the road at 7:00 just in case there were delays. Glad I did, as 3/4 of the drive was pea soup fog. 75mph through fog is all sorts…

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Just a gorgeous revenue document and cancel

Just a gorgeous revenue document and cancel

I hid in the weeds for this one on eBay, and got it for a song. This document has it all: railroad, steamship/maritime, and a pair of wonderful cancels. It is a receipt for ship transport via Merchants Navigation and Transportation Co. steamer ‘Commonwealth’ from Silas Pierce & Co. to the Boston & Providence Railroad. There is a crisp railroad receiving datestamp (unlisted in Tolman) at top right center, and then an absolutely superb ‘E.J. Smith’ script handstamp cancel tying…

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