1862-'70 2 Cents Fancy Cancels?

So, (as the story goes)

I was going back through this bulk stamp lot I got in the mail 4 days ago and after finishing do the main sort I started to go back through it and in my 2 cent pile I noticed I got 4 of the bad boys, 3 of them being a slightly different type but they all have this fancy cursive on them, is this a pen hand-cancel or what exactly am I looking at here, I also cannot read them? Is this normal for these internal revenue stamps?



*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***

These are revenue stamps which were canceled by signature on documents as one way of cancellation of the revenues required on such documents.

Edit (based upon your question): The three stamps with the words "bank check" where revenue stamps used to collect a fee for the government for each personal check cashed. In other words check usage was taxed then to collect revenue for the government.

Many financial transactions were taxed then, in the time period since and continue to be now.

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You mean it was used to ship envelopes, is that what you meant by documents?

A document is an official paper, like a deed, marriage certificate etc


Peter

Revenue stamps like these were used on checks, deeds, wills, and a lot of other official and legal papers to pay the tax on the document. The tax differed on each type of document. They had no postal power at all.

Your stamps were likely used on a check or receipt like these two, where the user applied his initials and a date to cancel the stamp





These would not be considered "fancy cancels"

Here is a permission for a grocery store

naufrago - The document you show is being taxed as a receipt. It acknowledges the remittance of $417.