Is This Battleship Proprietary Stamp Worth Anything? Thank You

Emerson Drug had 4 private die medicine stamps used in the 1898-1901 tax period (RS280-RS283). However these stamps were not available until Oct 1900. Before that the company used battleships with this type of cancel. Value is usually in the $3-$5 range depending on condition.

The earliest date of use of Emerson's private die stamp is Thursday, November 8, 1900 on the green #8541; ¢ stamp. The earliest recorded date of the ¼ ¢ private die stamp is Monday, November 12. But Emerson ran out of private die stamps and reverted to the battleships in January and February, 1901. The latest recorded date of the private dies is Tuesday, May 21, 1901 after which they again reverted to the battleships through June, 1901, when the tax was repealed.

Emerson is also known to have used two different handstamps in 1898 and introduced a different style printed cancel from August - November, 1899. The style shown here in this thread was in use off and on from November, 1899.

Ron, where is this info from?

The information is from my exhibit directly, which is supported by a list of the battleship cancels by Chappell, edited and added to by Morton Dean Joyce, and published by the American Revenue Association in the 1950's.

A listing of the cancels on the Emerson Private Dies was published separately in The American Revenuer and I will have to search a bit further to get the exact reference.

Thanks

Thank you both for your information. That is very interesting!

One might add that the private die stamps of Emerson Drug Company have often been touted as the finest engraving product of the Bureau of Engraving & Printing. A close look, perhaps with a magnifying glass, at the label on the Bromo-Seltzer bottle and it become readable!

It was a great job