US Revenue Stamp on back of a CdV photograph
Toronto. Did you ever buy an old image and discover a stamp on its back? PHSC member, sports photographer, writer, etc., etc., Les Jones, offers one explanation in his article published in issue 24-3.
In his article, “What Have CdVs Done for you Phi…Lately?” Les explains that the American government used special ‘revenue’ stamps to pay some federal taxes. The article begins, “There may be more value in those carte de visites (c.d.v.’s) than you think! Run-of-the-mill cdv’s are commonly available at a $1 or less, [fall 1998] though antique dealers may charge $6 or more depending on the content.
“Early American examples may bring a bonus if the photographs were taken during their Civil War. Here the revenue stamp on the back may often be worth more than the actual image; if you are really lucky it could be worth hundreds of dollars.
“Stamps had been in use for several hundred years before there was general adoption of the adhesive stamp for postal uses in 1845. Two years later, in July 1847, the first U.S. government stamps were issued and in 1863 a uniform letter rate was established.” …
Members read this article in full, plus seeing the photos used to illustrate it by viewing the issue 24-3 pdf file on the free members-only DVD/thumb drive. To join, just follow the notes above or at right under Membership. Questions can be emailed to Lilianne at member@phsc.ca.
Old images are often available at PHSC events such as our 2025 events listed at right. Next up is our annual summer trunk sale just days away on Sunday, July 13, 2025.
