re: ID Help for US Revenue stamps with interesting cancels
Punch cancels are relatively common for this series, bearing the firms name or initials. What puzzles me is the hand stamp cancel appearing to be continuous for the top of E & M
but not showing on the lower half of the E & M. It's as if there is a backing on the stamps gum side on the top half taking the cancel through the punched out area there.
re: ID Help for US Revenue stamps with interesting cancels
The E & M was punched out then the stamp was applied to a document then cancelled. It appears that the picture of this stamp shows it still attached to the document it was cancelled on.
re: ID Help for US Revenue stamps with interesting cancels
Hi everyone,
Thanks a lot for your comments.I have checked it carefully. I am sure that E&M was punch out of the stamp. I am not convinced that stamp is Scott Cat R185. Please somebody could guide me more sources to dig up the history and events during the period of Scott Cat R184 to R194? I have a bunch of similar revenue stamps with same denomination and surcharge but different cancellations.This is only first one of them. Please let me know if anybody have or see the identical denomination and surcharge on this kind of US Revenue Stamps?
Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't 12 Nov 2017 11:47:49am
re: ID Help for US Revenue stamps with interesting cancels
In 1901 $2 is equivalent to $58.49 in today's money, a significant amount of value.
So when company first received these valuable stamps, they immediately punched them to prevent theft. These unused punched stamps would then sit stored in the drawer or cabinet. When a document was recorded and a stamp needed, a pre-punched stamp was taken out, applied to document, and then the stamp and document would be cancelled together.
In 1892 Francis Eames (owner of the company) developed a new system for the NYSE which modernized the way they dealt with larger volumes of stock trades. This advancement catapulted him to President of the NYSE in 1894. He remained President of NYSE until 1898. He was a part of the Eames and Moore firm from 1869 through 1902. On Jan 1, 1903, the company announced its dissolution (see clipping from New York Tribune).
re: ID Help for US Revenue stamps with interesting cancels
These aren't considered 'fancy cancels', but rather - companies that used these revenues for their businesses and thus cancelled them with a cancelling device made with their business name.
Interesting cancels though and very collectible!
You should research each one's business name for further info.