Improper Usage Of Postagestamps

Are these considered illegal or improper usage of postage stamps?

They aren't postage stamps. With the overprint, they are revenue stamps and are appropriately used to reflect the payment of the documentary tax.

So, the I.R. over print is Internal Revenue?

Oh, duh!

Thanks.

Dadgum it! Had me goin' there for a second. Revenue-related Illegal/improper usages are my thang!

revenuecollector, I was digging around revenue-collector.com and came across the Improper Usage: Postage Stamps as Revenues page. Intrigued because I had just scored a pile of revenue documents.

Besides the improper use of postage stamps, what other treasures should I be looking for?

The reverse, revenue stamps used as postage on cover, used in-period. Usages of the revenue stamps far after their normal use period are worth considerably less.

Proprietary stamps and other revenue stamps used as documentaries are also illegal/improper and of interest.

Huh! I'll have to look into that, thanks.

Now I just need to figure out the correct usage of revenues...still a little new to this.

This one was interesting. Looks to be a receipt with a 2 cent Bank Check R6c.

Another interesting usage, bank check and telegraph stamps on the attached document.

Both of those are normal usages. While the original intent was that stamp type match the transactional document, that requirement was lifted in December of 1862 after protest from business owners. Only Proprietary and Playing Cards types were restricted after that point.

Early matching usages (EMUs) from 1862 and early 1863 are collectible.

Proprietary and Playing Card types used on documents are nominally illegal and collectible, although not to the extent as illegal usages of postage stamps.

Well, heck! =) I had a great time treasure hunting though.

I'll find one eventually! =)

Keep hunting! The improper usages are fun to find but the issue I find is beating the guys above to sale

This is a riot!

So, how about improper use of Internal Revenue Documentary stamps as postage stamps?

Looks like someone got into Daddy's Revenue collection to mail Christmas cards.

I saw that one. Used 54 years out of period, it's not really in demand. Would be considered philatelic.

Always on the hunt for interesting items, I ran across this cover on ebay.
Sc RF #27 (I can never tell is it's dry or wet print)
Precancel A.P.C. CO. ( My guess is American Playing Card Company)
Cancelled 1955 which would put the RF27 within the service dates 1940-1965