ANTIQUE BANK CHECKS - MYSTERY OF POSTAGE STAMPS ON CHECKS

I found a partial answer to why at least one of these checks has a postage stamp - apparently it was used to pay a revenue tax - that supported the Spanish-American War. The revenue stamps were slow in being issued - so banks and businesses just substitued a regular postage stamp. Of course the revenue went to the Postal Service and not the Tax service.

Here is a link that explains it better.

http://1898revenues.blogspot.com/2010/08/bank-checks-postage-used-to-pay-tax.html

However it does not explain the use of the stamps decades earlier - but will assume it is to pay some type of processing fee or tax.

gerry

ANTIQUE CHECKS -

Does anyone know why these checks - sans any envelope - have a stamp on them ?

I found these to be pretty interesting little reminders of banking as it use to be.

Hope you enjoy them

gerry