Revenue stamps, issued under the Revenue Act of 1862, produced in the next twenty-one years some $192,000,000, which met a large hunk of the Civil War bill. These stamps were required on all papers showing a transfer of property, and on such assorted luxuries as playing cards, perfume, matches, patent medicine, photographs and canned fruit. To collect the tax on these items, two kinds of stamps were used — United States revenue stamps, for the most part bearing George Washington’s head, and private proprietary stamps, which pictured a trademark or whatever design the proprietor fancied would help advertise and sell his product. The RT4 1c Blue Corning & Tappan Perfumery Stamp is what is pictured on the jugs above.
This article originally appeared in American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
