1871-77 S.N. Smith & Co, 4c black, silk paper
# RS225b - 1871-77 S.N. Smith & Co, 4c black, silk paper
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RS225b - 1871-77 S.N. Smith & Co, 4c black, silk paper
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US #RS225b
1871-77 S.N. Smith & Co. Private Die Medicine Tax Stamp
• Covered the Proprietary Tax rate for medicine
• Produced by famous “Wine of Tar” seller S.N. Smith & Co.
• Printed on silk paper in low quantities – many destroyed in the process of use, making them scarce today
Stamp Category: Private Die Proprietary Tax Samp
Company Using the Die: S.N. Smith & Co. of Dayton, Ohio
Value: 4¢ Medicine Tax
First Day of Issue: Likely December 1875 when Oliver Crook & Co. was sold to S.N. Smith & Co.
Quantity Issued: 308,829
Type: Silk paper
Why the stamp was issued: To cover the 4¢ tax required to be paid on S.N. Smith & Co.’s medicine known as “Wine of Tar” (though today we would probably refer to this more as “snake oil” than true medicine).
About the stamp design: Pictures an intricate and heavily ornamented outer design, with a central circle showing men working in a forest, cutting trees and burning the wood to presumably create the medicine this stamp paid the tax on. Text on the stamp reads “Dr. Crook’s Wine of Tar,” “U.S. Inter. Revenue,” “Four Cents,” “S.N. Smith & Co.” All design details are in black ink.
Special design details: This stamp was printed on silk paper, which was used to print many early Revenue stamps and a handful of Private Die Proprietary stamps. Silk paper has rag fibers scattered over the paper during its manufacture and then impressed on the surface rather than mixed into the paper pulp like regular-issue stamps printed on silk paper.
Earlier Version of the Stamp: The first version of this stamp was produced for the Oliver Crook & Co. The only design difference is the name of the company at the bottom of the stamp read “Oliver Crook & Co.” instead of “S.N. Smith & Co.” The design was adjusted after Oliver Crook & Co. was purchased by S.N. Smith & Co.
History the stamp represents: The United States issued its first Revenue stamps in 1862 to help fund the Civil War (although the stamps continued to be issued long after the war ended). This included Proprietary Tax stamps covering taxes on medicines, matches, perfumes, and much more. The taxes required for each different type of item were laid out in Schedule C of the 1862 Tax Act.
Later on, the federal government began offering tax discounts to manufacturers who produced their own Proprietary Tax stamps. The manufacturers paid for the engraving and printing expenses while the printing dies were controlled and approved by the US Department of the Treasury. Since each individual company determined the design of their stamps, they often used them as miniature advertisements for their products.
Oliver Crook (born 1818) was a Dayton, Ohio, physician from 1856 to 1868. He later left his medical practice to form the Oliver Crook & Co., “proprietors, wine of tar.” In 1875, Crook sold his company to S.N. Smith & Co. (also of Dayton). According to records, S.N. Smith went on to sell over 1 million bottles of Dr. Crooks Wine of Tar in the next 15 years.
Today, we would put “Wine of Tar” in the same category as “Snake Oil,” but in the 1800s, it was advertised as a cure-all for countless ailments and diseases. Click here to check out S.N. Smith & Co.’s advertising pamphlet known as “Dr. Crook’s Wine of Tar Alphabet.” It’s interesting and fun to see these old examples of marketing (and maybe laugh a little at how no company could get away with such tactics today).
US #RS225b
1871-77 S.N. Smith & Co. Private Die Medicine Tax Stamp
• Covered the Proprietary Tax rate for medicine
• Produced by famous “Wine of Tar” seller S.N. Smith & Co.
• Printed on silk paper in low quantities – many destroyed in the process of use, making them scarce today
Stamp Category: Private Die Proprietary Tax Samp
Company Using the Die: S.N. Smith & Co. of Dayton, Ohio
Value: 4¢ Medicine Tax
First Day of Issue: Likely December 1875 when Oliver Crook & Co. was sold to S.N. Smith & Co.
Quantity Issued: 308,829
Type: Silk paper
Why the stamp was issued: To cover the 4¢ tax required to be paid on S.N. Smith & Co.’s medicine known as “Wine of Tar” (though today we would probably refer to this more as “snake oil” than true medicine).
About the stamp design: Pictures an intricate and heavily ornamented outer design, with a central circle showing men working in a forest, cutting trees and burning the wood to presumably create the medicine this stamp paid the tax on. Text on the stamp reads “Dr. Crook’s Wine of Tar,” “U.S. Inter. Revenue,” “Four Cents,” “S.N. Smith & Co.” All design details are in black ink.
Special design details: This stamp was printed on silk paper, which was used to print many early Revenue stamps and a handful of Private Die Proprietary stamps. Silk paper has rag fibers scattered over the paper during its manufacture and then impressed on the surface rather than mixed into the paper pulp like regular-issue stamps printed on silk paper.
Earlier Version of the Stamp: The first version of this stamp was produced for the Oliver Crook & Co. The only design difference is the name of the company at the bottom of the stamp read “Oliver Crook & Co.” instead of “S.N. Smith & Co.” The design was adjusted after Oliver Crook & Co. was purchased by S.N. Smith & Co.
History the stamp represents: The United States issued its first Revenue stamps in 1862 to help fund the Civil War (although the stamps continued to be issued long after the war ended). This included Proprietary Tax stamps covering taxes on medicines, matches, perfumes, and much more. The taxes required for each different type of item were laid out in Schedule C of the 1862 Tax Act.
Later on, the federal government began offering tax discounts to manufacturers who produced their own Proprietary Tax stamps. The manufacturers paid for the engraving and printing expenses while the printing dies were controlled and approved by the US Department of the Treasury. Since each individual company determined the design of their stamps, they often used them as miniature advertisements for their products.
Oliver Crook (born 1818) was a Dayton, Ohio, physician from 1856 to 1868. He later left his medical practice to form the Oliver Crook & Co., “proprietors, wine of tar.” In 1875, Crook sold his company to S.N. Smith & Co. (also of Dayton). According to records, S.N. Smith went on to sell over 1 million bottles of Dr. Crooks Wine of Tar in the next 15 years.
Today, we would put “Wine of Tar” in the same category as “Snake Oil,” but in the 1800s, it was advertised as a cure-all for countless ailments and diseases. Click here to check out S.N. Smith & Co.’s advertising pamphlet known as “Dr. Crook’s Wine of Tar Alphabet.” It’s interesting and fun to see these old examples of marketing (and maybe laugh a little at how no company could get away with such tactics today).