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$2 Beer revenue stamp proof single

National Postal Museum

Object Details

Depicts
Alexander Hamilton, American, 1757 - 1804
Printer
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
National Bank Note Company
Description
This image is a proof on card of the two barrel, 2-dollar Beer Stamp of 1871. The 1871 series of Beer stamps was bicolor with engraved colored frames printed by the National Bank Note Company and engraved black vignettes printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. For this stamp, the frame is red brown and the vignette features an image of Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804). If listed in Scott, the number would be REA29P4.
Brewers received the stamps without gum or perforations. They then cut the stamps apart, cancelled them, and pasted them over the bung of the beer barrel so that tapping the barrel destroyed the stamp.
The BEP used two vignette plates for the 2-dollar stamp and designated them with letters (A, B), which appear on the left of the vignette (B for the stamp illustrated). Starting at a sheet's upper left corner, a position number (from 1 to 20) appears on the vignette's right side. A printed sheet had four rows of five stamps each. Plate numbers for the frame plates appeared in the side margin next to stamp 10, but none are reported for REA29.
1871
Object number
1999.2018.467
Type
Revenue Stamps
Medium
card; ink (red brown, black) / engraved
Dimensions
Height x Width: 2 15/16 x 2 7/8 in. (7.4 x 7.3 cm)
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
On View
Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
Title
Scott Catalogue USA REA29P4
National Postal Museum
Topic
Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1877)
Record ID
npm_1999.2018.467
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm80270ffdf-df17-40a7-864f-fc537f7a5b17

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This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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