Help With 1878 Tax On Seals

Not sure how to classify this or even what to call it. Obviously a revenue, but ...?

Looking for your friendly expert opinion. It's attached to a court document from Texas.

Thoughts? ID?

Thanks,
Dave

The law establishing the Alabama tax on seals was passed on February 22, 1866 and effective immediately. The use of stamps lasted until December 3, 1884 almost 19 years later. The tax or fee for the use of the seal of the Secretary of State, State Auditor, or Clerk of the Supreme Court was $2.00. For other public officers the fee for the use of their seal was $1.00. Whether these public officials could charge additionally is not known. However, if they were barred from additional charge, this act would have had the effect of standardizing the cost of obtaining officially certified documents.

Thanks, Rev. Now I need to figure out why a stamp from Alabama is on a Texas court document. Curious.
Are state stamps like this listed anywhere? Any value attached?

Last December I sold one of these stamps on ebay not on document for $23. It should be worth more on document - not sure how much more.

State Revenue Society and catalog.

http://staterevenue.org/

http://staterevenue.org/srs_catalog.html

Without knowing what else is on the Texas document it is difficult to know why the Alabama stamp is on the document. One scenario that I have seen on other documents is that someone had to certify a signature as authentic. We see this with the consular fee stamps where a signature is authenticated in a foreign country and then brought back to the U.S., e.g., for the consummation of the sale of real estate.

What is the transaction on the document?

Thanks Redwoodrandy and Revenuemd....I will have to get back to,you on what the document is about (I put it away and will have to dig it out!)

Alabama is not the only state to have had such a tax or fee for what I believe we would call today the services of a notary public. Virginia comes immediately to mind, initiating this in 1900. I do not know when Virginia's law was rescinded, but I have at least one document in the mid-1920's that still has such a stamp, tied to the document with the embossing of the notary.

Revenuemd, I amaze even myself. Found said document, started re-reading it..turns out at the very top it says Probate Court of Cleburne County, Alabama! Not Texas. I have to admit that after I saw Cleburne county the first time I read it I stopped, because (I think) there is a Cleburne county in Texas. So I assumed it was from Texas, mainly because 99% of the documents and letters I am going through are from a lawyer/law firm here in Tyler, Texas.
So my mistake on the location...but I'm pretty happy with the find, nonetheless!