Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-05-20
ONE FIVE THOUSAND STAMP
Said to he on the Union Pacific Bill
of Sale and Cannot He
Purchased.

Nearly $500 was paid the other day for a
beautiful specimen of the green hve-dollar
revenue stamp. This stamp. although is
sued no further back than the early '7Os,
is now among the rarest of the many priced
revenues. to which stamp collectors are
paying so much attention.
Recent as was this stamps production
1t was only a few years ago that stamp col
leCtors became aware Of its existence. II
was brought to their notice by the dis
covery of twenty-four specimens in a Lon
don warehouse. In this warehouse there
had been deposited many barrels of bay
rum and some OF these barrels bore the
scarce stamps. The bay rum, which came
from Jamaica to this country. was stamped
here and then sent across the water.
The barrels had been allowed to remain I'm
their storage place for a number OF years.
Great as was the value Of the liquid they
contained, it was easily exceeded by that
of the apparently insignificant stamps each
one of which is now valued at from $3.50
upward. The fine copy referred to brought
$685.
The stamp belongs to the issue Of 1915
and is of the size of a small envelope 1t
is printed in black and green, the portrait
Of Washington being in the center within
an oval border.
1t was printed on two kinds of paper
violet and green. There were issued.
according to the government records
seventy-four on the violet and fifty on the
green paper. ,
The revenue stamps are in more than 800
varieties. Many of them were used during
and after the civil war on all kinds of docu-
ments, such as agreements, certificates
bills of lading, contracts powers Of attor-
ney, bonds, warehouse receipts, convey
ances. probate OF wills, leases life insur-
ance policies, mortgages bills of sale, bank
checks, etc. They were made in denomina-
tions that ranged from cent TO $1,000 and
there is even a story to the effect that a
5000 stamp was issued.
According to the stamp dealer this speci-
men is the most valuable stamp ever is
sued by the United States and had its origin
owing to a singular circumstance At the
time the Union Pacific railroad was sold
by the government in 1895 the revenue taxes
established during the Spanish American
war were in force.
Some $65, 1000 was involved in the trans
action. The highest denomination of reve-
nue. stamp at that time was $50 as the 500,
$500 and 81, 900 varieties were not issued I'M
til 1899.
1t was clearly out Of the question to use
stamps of this denomination, as the num-
Der required would almost cover the docu-
ment, so special stamp Of the denomina-
ton of 5000 was ordered. Only two specI-
mems OF the stamp were printed one OF
which was placed on the bill of sale and
that document is now said to be in the
office of the president of the railroad.
The other stamp was added 10 the govern
ment collection of stamps in the postoffice
department at Washington, which contains
a specimen OF every stamp that has been
used by the United States. OF course this
stamp has no official existence.
Repeated offers, it is said, have been
made for the stamp by collectors, some Of
them going as high as 5000. but there is
little possibility of the oddity ever being
sold, as its absence from the document
might lead to trouble.-New York Sun.