Check with Revenue Stamp - $10 each - 4 Examples Showing - 1870's dated Check - Not a Group

Check with 2 cents orange Washington revenue stamp. (example of 4 different shown). $10 each. Not a Group.

Revenue stamps have a history that predates postage stamps, which were first introduced in 1840. The stamps of the Stamp Acts of the 18th century were indeed revenues. Their widespread use in the 19th century was partly influenced by the success of postage stamps and partly motivated by the desire to streamline government operations. The presence of a revenue stamp indicated that the item had already paid the necessary fees. However, revenue stamps have become less common in the 21st century due to the rise of computerization and the ability to track payments accurately using numbers.

There are various types of revenue stamps worldwide, and many remain unrecorded. Both national and local entities have issued them. Governments have sometimes combined the functions of postage and revenue stamps. In the former British Empire, such stamps were often inscribed “Postage and Revenue” to reflect their dual purpose. Other countries have simply allowed revenue stamps to be used for postage or vice versa. A revenue stamp authorized subsequently for postal use is known as a postal fiscal. For instance, Bhutan authorized the use of revenue stamps for postal purposes from 1955 until the country issued its first proper postage stamps in 1962.