Evening star., 1940-05-01
Stamp Centennial
Exhibit Will Include
Rare Proprietaries
Relics Of Financing
Government by Taxes
On Matches Listed
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

by JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
Scraps of paper which are relics
of the time when the operations of
The Federal Government were finan-
ced by taxes on matches and medi-
cines will be exhibited in the Postage
Stamp Centenary exhibition at the
National Museum, beginning tomor-
row evening at o'clock.
Philip H. Ward, Jr., Of Philadel-
phia, director of the centennial
show, announced yesterday that he
has arranged for the valuable collec-
ton of private proprietary stamps
owned by j. B. Kremer of New
York. to be included in the display.
"The extraordinary demands of
the Civil War upon the Federal
Treasury" Mr.. Ward explained.
resulted in Congress passing the
Revenue Act of 1862. Under It's
provisions, the Government ordered
revenue stamps to be affixed to boxes
or packages of matches. medicines.
perfumery. playing cards, etc. But
manufacturers were permitted, at
their own expense. to have dies en-
graved and plates made for their
exclusive use. Many were only too
willing to do this because discount
or premium of from to 10 per cent
was allowed on orders from the dies,
which often made it possible for
them to undersell their competitors.
They also realized that certain
advertising value was involved.
Rates Of Taxes.
Match charges were cent for
each hundred or fraction thereof.
Medicines and perfumery were taxed
at the rate of l cent for each Is
cents OF the retail price or fraction
thereof up to 81 and 2 cents for
each so cents or fraction thereof
above that amount. Playing cards
were first taxed at the same rate,
but subsequently the tax was cents
for a deck of So cards ard 10 cents
for a greater number of cards or
double decks.
THE stamp tax was repealed
March 3. 1888. How much it brought
the Government probably never will
be known, but the amount must
have been considerable.
Among stamp collectors some of
the rarest designs are much sought
after. Prices range from few
cents for the commoner types to
$3.50 for the most uncommon. Such
collection as Mr.. Kremers, one of
the finest in the world, Is worth a
fortune.
TT is interesting to note that
practically all the physicians repre-
sented on the medicine stamps are
bearded gentlemen. They belonged
to the horse and buggy era when a
doctor was not recognized as doc
tor unless he had whiskers."
Other Material in Show.
Mr.. Ward said that supplementary
philatelic material to be exhibited
in the centenary show will include:
Patriotic covers of the Civil War
period lent by Mrs. Eugene Klein
OF Phllaoelpnla ana Mrs. henry "A.
Diamant of New York and St. Louis:
rare United States blocks of inverts
belonging to Mrs. Ethel B. Stewart,
stamps rejecting the changes in
women's fashions over many CEN
turies gathered by Mrs. Hugh M.
Clark, rare stamps of the Italian
states from the collection of Miss
Irene NJ. Pistorio and a!rmail
stamps of the world from the col
lection of Mrs. Louise S. Davis.
All of the philatelists in This group
of exhibitors are women who like
wise have won distinction in busi-
ness. literature, the arts and the
sciences.
The Postage Stamp Centenary
exhibition will continue throughout
the month of May. At the opening