Stamped paper
Encyclopedia
Stamped paper refers to an, often, foolscap
piece of paper which bears a pre-printed revenue stamp
. Stamped papers are not a form of postal stationery
. The use of stamped paper in the American colonies was so unpopular that it has been credited with sowing the seeds of the American Revolution
.
towards 1555. Heavy users have included Great Britain, the United States and India.
The 1765 Stamp Act required all British colonies in the New World to use stamped paper prepared in London and embossed with a revenue stamp. This led to riots and political agitation which has been credited with sowing the seeds of the American Revolution.
for the same reason.
, where other forms of taxation are hard to collect.
Foolscap folio
Foolscap folio is paper cut to the size of 8 1/2 × 13 1/2 in...
piece of paper which bears a pre-printed revenue stamp
Revenue stamp
A revenue stamp, tax stamp or fiscal stamp is a adhesive label used to collect taxes or fees on documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses, firearm registration, and many other things...
. Stamped papers are not a form of postal stationery
Postal stationery
A piece of postal stationery is a stationery item, such as a stamped envelope, letter sheet, postal card, lettercard, aerogram or wrapper, with an imprinted stamp or inscription indicating that a specific rate of postage or related service has been prepaid...
. The use of stamped paper in the American colonies was so unpopular that it has been credited with sowing the seeds of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Uses
Stamped paper has been widely used around the world to collect taxes on documents requiring stamping, such as leases, agreements, receipts, court documents and many others. The papers are bought blank apart from the pre-printed stamp and are available from stationers, lawyers offices, post offices and courts according to local regulations. The parties to the matter then write their legal business on the paper and lodge it with the court or other interested party. This is an efficient way of collecting taxes and stamping documents without the need to submit them to a separate government stamp office.History
Stamped paper was a Spanish invention, and was introduced into the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
towards 1555. Heavy users have included Great Britain, the United States and India.
The 1765 Stamp Act required all British colonies in the New World to use stamped paper prepared in London and embossed with a revenue stamp. This led to riots and political agitation which has been credited with sowing the seeds of the American Revolution.
Security measures
The stamp sometimes occupies the entire width of the top part of the paper and is often of an intricate engraved design in order to enhance security. The paper will also frequently have a whole page watermarkWatermark
A watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...
for the same reason.
Current uses
Stamped papers remain in use in many countries, however, electronic versions are being developed in order to reduce the risk of fraud. This has particularly been the case in India following a recent large scale fraud. The use of stamped paper remains an important source of revenue in some developing countries, like BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, where other forms of taxation are hard to collect.
Further reading
- Castenholz, Bill. Field Guide to Revenue Stamped Paper, Castenholz and Sons, Publishers, Pacific Palisades, California, United States.
- Einstein, Joseph; Thomas C. Kingsley and W. Richard DeKay. Handbook for United States Revenue Stamped Paper, American Revenue Association, Inc., United States.
- Koeppel, AdolphAdolph KoeppelAdolph Koeppel was a distinguished American philatelist and author who wrote a number of authoratitive works on the revenue stamps of India and Italy that remain the standard works in their areas.-Prize-winning collections:...
. The Stamps that Caused the American Revolution, the stamps of the 1765 British Stamp Act for America, American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, New York, 1976.
External links
- Embossed revenue stamp paper.
- http://postalheritage.org.uk/collections/archive/stamps/phillips/VolI/Vol_I_pg_038/Vol_I_pg_038/imageEssaysEssay (philately)In philately, an essay is a design for a proposed stamp submitted to the postal authorities for consideration but not used, or used after alterations have been made. By contrast, a proof is a trial printing of an accepted stamp....
based on the Wyon headWilliam WyonWilliam Wyon, RA , was official chief engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828 until his death. He was influenced by the master of relief sculpture, John Flaxman. Wyon was a highly visible proponent of the Neoclassicist vogue, and was elected to the Royal Academy in 1838.Wyon was born in Birmingham,...
intended for stamped paper submitted after 1839 by Charles Whiting] - United States Two-Cent Revenue Stamped Paper - The Civil War Designs.