Perfin "Paper Penetrating" Cancellation On Battleship Proprietary RB23p

Finally secured my first "perfin" on a RB23! Very pleased as it was the one I had recently and unsuccessfully made a bid on and lost but subsequently and unknowingly had acquired in a different lot that I bought... LOL. What a surprise when it materialized right before me eyes!

Now I need to figure out who this company is, either "W.A." or "A.W.", and why on earth they would have used a perfin cancellation as a proprietary company.

The perfin was most likely applied before the stamp was affixed to the product or one would logically conclude so. May be wrong on that though.

Perforated letters were usually put on a stamp as an anti pilfering device.
I have recently got some Battleship design stamps some say Documentary and some say Proprietary, What were they for? irecently got an old Scott catalogue but still don't quite understand what they did other than somehow indicate tax paid.

Arthur Mongan's excellent, although not infallible, work on perfins on revenues, published by The Perfin Club, credits this perfin to Alfred Wright of Rochester, NY. The Battleship Desk Reference by Robert Mustacich and Giacomelli has the same attribution. This work also lists perfumes as the business of Alfred Wright. This latter work is essential for the library of anyone collecting cancels on the proprietary battleships.

To Noocassel - The documentary inscribed stamps were used on documents that were financial transactions subject to taxes. These included stocks, bonds, checks, promissory notes, etc. The proprietary stamps were put on medicines, perfumes, chewing gum, wine, toiletries, etc. The proprietary tax on medicines, toiletries, and perfumes was based on retail price 5/8¢ per 25¢ retail). Wines - 1¢ for a pint; 2¢ for more than a pint.

@revenuermd - Many thanks for that tip good sir! I thought it might be Alfred Wright but when I had referenced BDR earlier I somehow completely missed the "[perfin] vert" entry under Alfred Wright. So again thank you!



Was that U.S. Revenue-Perfins, Volume 1 by Mongan?


@Noocassel - Yes, that is true in regards to perfins... however, they are somewhat rare on proprietary revenues and usually seen on documentary revenues instead.

These two revenue series were issued to pay for the Spanish American War under the United States War Revenue Law of June 13, 1898. "Proprietary" revenue stamps were issued for use on taxable proprietary consumer products, such as playing cards, cosmetics, medicines, liquor, tonics, matches, etc. While "Documentary" revenue stamps were issued for collecting taxes on various legal and business transactions (such as bank checks/drafts/wires, insurances, stock certificates, bills of lading, and shipping manifests).

Thank you revenuemd. Was the battleship shown the USS Maine?

Yes indeed, it is the U.S.S. Maine (ACR-1... not the BB-10 which was a later battleship launched and commissioned in 1901/1902). The engraved vignette by Robert F. Ponickau (frame and lettering were engraved by British-born engraver Douglas Stewart Ronaldson) was taken from the following 1895 painting by F.N. Atwood (Washington D.C. National Archives):

Here are few other pictures that have been attributed to Ponickau's engraving process:

One of my favorite Battleship uses. The ship on the engraved draft does not match the stamp (main mast too far back on the engraving, for one), but still a neat pairing.

@John Becker - Very nice thanks for sharing that. The ship is Columbia-class protected cruiser USS Minneapolis (C-13).

Battleship. Thanks, I was hoping someone would recognize it and save me some legwork.

I spent a many study hall session at military school staring at Jane's instead of doing my class work.