Billhead receipts are receipt

Receipt

A receipt is a written acknowledgment that a specified article or sum of money has been received as an exchange for goods or services. The receipt is evidence of purchase of the property or service obtained in the exchange.-Printed:...

s that were commonly used in business transaction

Financial transaction

A financial transaction is an event or condition under the contract between a buyer and a seller to exchange an asset for payment. It involves a change in the status of the finances of two or more businesses or individuals.-History:...

s from the late 1860s through the early 1940s. They can be found in present-day transactions, although they are less common today.

Many billhead receipts were illustrated and decorated with fancy steel engraving

Steel engraving

Steel engraving, is a commercial engraving technique for printing illustrations, based on steel instead of copper. It has been rarely used in artistic printmaking, although was much used for reproductions in the 19th century. Steel engraving was introduced in 1792 by Jacob Perkins , an American...

s, while others carried no illustrations. In either case, the receipt was important, as it stood as your proof of delivery

Proof of delivery

Proof of delivery is a method to establish the fact that the recipient received the contents sent by the sender. When the sender sends multiple documents through the mail there is a possibility of some not reaching the intended recipient...

. Most billheads would bear the company's name and address, a unique invoice

Invoice

An invoice or bill is a commercial document issued by a seller to the buyer, indicating the products, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services the seller has provided the buyer. An invoice indicates the buyer must pay the seller, according to the payment terms...

 number, the payment terms, line items for products or services, a total, and (optionally) handwritten notes.

Vintage Ephemera

Billheads are considered to be vintage ephemera

Ephemera

Ephemera are transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, letters,...

. Some collect billheads from a certain state, region, or town; others base their collections on types of illustration

Illustration

An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...

s. In some cases, a relative or ancestor may have owned the business or even have signed

Signature

A signature is a handwritten depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a signature is a signatory. Similar to a handwritten signature, a signature work describes the work as readily identifying...

the document.