1898 One Quarter Cent Inter REV Proprietary Flower Cancel?

Hi Everyone,
Here is a stamp that I have not seen, nor have I seen the two flower-like cancel marks. Well, I am guessing these are cancel marks?

What does Proprietary mean regarding old stamps?
Did the USA ever have a 1/4 cent coin or did you have to buy 4 at once?
What does the Internal Revenue have to do with stamps, well maybe it's not a "stamp"? You mean like the IRS?
Thank you,
SueStamps

Hi Sue,

This stamp is from a very large group of stamps called "revenue stamps" or "revenues". Revenues were used to pay tax in the same way that we now pay federal, state, and local taxes (sales tax, property tax, vehicle tax, you name it - back in the day it was all done with tax stamps)

This specific stamp is listed in the Scott Catalogue as #RB21. It is from a group referred to as "Battleship Revenues" of 1898. It has just a minimal value because of it being very common. Companies also had very specific commercial overprints that they applied to their stamps (literally thousands of different overprints). I looked through a friend's catalog who specializes in these but I wasn't able to find this specific overprint. I'll take another look through and I'll get ahold of him also and see what he has to say. It could also affect the value if it's rare.

Kurt

OK - I managed to miss it on the first pass.

He has it listed as the type 2 pre-cancel for the Imperial Soap Company out of Boston, Mass.

Most of the time the company precancels were printed with the company name or logo so it made it more obvious. Sometimes it was overprinted nice and sharp but often it's faded ink and harder to recognize. Yours is rather interesting since it only has this symbol making it less recognizable as a commercial precancel (but it is!)

Hi klange,
Thank you so much for the information.
What is the name and company of the catalog?
Thanks so much,
SueStamps

There really is no specific name of the catalog. His name is Charles Souder (a local guy) and he has a specialized study of these 1898 Battleships and has assembled "Commercial Overprints on Battleship Revenue Stamps 1898-1901"

I happened to get a copy of his homemade color catalog when he went and updated it. I was lucky enough to get the older version so it didn't just get tossed in the trash. It's about 100+ pages and incredibly detailed but it has yet to go to press and be officially published.

I'm happy to look up anything else for others who may be curious. Not a problem at all.

Kurt

Eric Jackson stamps has a couple of these marketed on ebay. Here's one example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RB21-Imperi...t_1606wt_656

Well, klange, since you offered...could you take a look at this one?



Regards, Robert

Sure, as long as you call me Kurt.

I dug high and low through his research and came up empty-handed on this one. So, I sent your scan along to him to see if he has any current info on "L. & F. / 1900 / New York"

It might even be a new one for him and he'll add it to his "user unknown" section at the end of the catalog where he keeps them until they can be associated to a company use.

I'll keep you posted...


Kurt

Kurt, I think the L&F refers to Lehn & Fink (a chemical or consumer products company in its day), but I don't really know for sure.
Regards, Robert

This thread prompted me to look at my Battleship Revenues. Can anyone identify who "The D. Mfg. Co." is/was, as in this example?

Robert, yep you nailed it.

He wrote back to say it was Lehn & Fink - this is one type of about a dozen different devices they used.

Kurt

That was a good one. I searched high and low but had to refer to Charles again.

He suggested that it's probably "The Dalley Manufacturing Co" out of New York.

If you're into Match and Medicine stamps, it's THIS Dalley: http://www.rdhinstl.com/mm/rs73.htm

Nice stamp - a keeper for sure.

Kurt

Thanks. Very interesting information about the Dalley Manufacturing Company.

here is aninteresting overprint on one cent battleship issue

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I know someone will) but I believe that battleship on the stamp is the Maine, and of course 1898 was the year of the Spanish American War. My understanding is these stamps were issued as a direct result of the war.
Or have I been sucked into a myth again?

"Remember the Maine"

https://www.stamp-collecting-world...._RB1898.html