First Issue 2 Cents Bank Check Early Usage

Interesting, I've always liked the early usages especially on documents and or instruments.

I've made two scans, first of the instrument, then of the right and proper enlargement of just the stamp.

I'd recommend if any of the First Issue Members should purchase the reprint of "An Historical Reference List of the Revenue Stamps of the United States". Good basic information, a few errors, but everyone makes errors. Takes careful reading to get the accurate details!

Now before you tell me there were a lot of these Two Cents Bank Checks stamps (both blue and orange), that is true. But on document/instrument usages for the early period are just a little more difficult to find.

This instrument was printed by the "T.K. & P. G. Collins, Printers"!

Notice how some of the features of the instrument in question, you do not see much usage today "Dollars _____"
100

Or " Dolls. Cts."

Again one of my interesting usages during October 1862!








Cheers

David (Stampmaster)

1862 usages are an interest of mine. They tend to garner a bit of a premium, and the closer you get to October 1, 1862, the prices rise dramatically. Anything in the first 2 weeks of October is quite a nice piece. I pick up 1862-dated revenue uses on document any time I see them.

A number of years ago I found an eBay seller that was listing revenue-stamped checks regularly, and every week or so amongst the listings were checks from T.P. Howell & Co., always dated 1862 to mid-1863. I contacted the seller and arranged to buy the 1862-dated ones that they had, and every few months after that they would contact me with a few more. I think there wase a giant trove of stamped checks that they pulled from as needed.

Sadly there was no first-day usage amongst them. The closest I got was October 2, 1862. I do have a first-day-of-use manuscript cancel on a stamp though.

Some of my early usages:

These are very nice pieces. I especially like the New London Northern Rail Road Company document, as railroads are also an interest of mine. The railroads had a lot of interaction with the banks at this time.

Thank you for sharing these.

Alan