Newspaper Tax Stamps | The Stamp Forum (TSF)

daniel
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Posts: 2,127

Newspaper Tax Stamps Oct 20, 2021 1:22:32 GMT Philatarium, Ryan, and 12 more like this

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Post by daniel on Oct 20, 2021 1:22:32 GMT

The Stamp Act of 1712 was passed in the United Kingdom on 1st July 1712 during the reign of Queen Anne. It taxed newspapers along with pamphlets, commercial documents, advertisements and other papers. The rate of taxation was originally one penny, increased from 1797, reduced in 1840 before being abolished in 1855.

This example is The Edinburgh Gazette from 1840 and is taxed at one penny. A Gazette, in the UK, was primarily for statutory notices and royal and government news. There were also Gazettes for Belfast and London. Newspapers were commonly collected in bound editions as library references, from the left margin, you can see that this particular copy of the Edinburgh Gazette was taken from just such a bound volume.

With the royal coat of arms, it's an attractive item.

I've added the lower half of the front page. The Edinburgh Gazette sold for 5d. By this time, the tax stamp would have been pre-stamped on the paper.

Last Edit: Oct 21, 2021 17:33:08 GMT by daniel: correction

Allo, I won't take me coat off - I'm not stoppin'!

daniel
Member

Posts: 2,127

Newspaper Tax Stamps Oct 21, 2021 2:57:24 GMT Philatarium, Ryan, and 2 more like this

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Post by daniel on Oct 21, 2021 2:57:24 GMT

Since collecting whole newspapers can be rather cumbersome, it is more typical to collect the tax stamps either with the newspaper banner or cut out completely. This is an example from The Royal Cornwall Gazette,/Falmouth Packet and Plymouth Journal from Saturday, February 11, 1804. This was a weekly paper, price sixpence.

At this time the tax stamp was quite elaborate due to multiple price increases and discounts offered. As was typical for revenue stamps, it was necessary to add up all of the values shown to get to the total tax. So, the lower part of the stamp shows the previous rate of 2d, shown as HALFPENNY/HALFPENNY/HALFPENNY/HALFPENNY, this was increased in 1797 by Three Halfpence as shown at the top of the stamp, making a new total of three and a half pence tax.

Discount rates are shown at the top, 16 percent, and the sides, additional 18s per cent. 93 at the very bottom was the die number.

A couple of interesting partial stories are shown on the reverse of the banner. Firstly, a story regarding the health of 'The Heir Apparent', the Prince of Wales, later the Prince Regent then George IV. Also, a story regarding the status of volunteer soldiers who, it was decided, 'unless he has entered into an express condition to the contrary, has a right at any time to resign, without permission being either asked or had from his Commanding Officer'.

Last Edit: Oct 21, 2021 17:34:24 GMT by daniel

Allo, I won't take me coat off - I'm not stoppin'!

Ryan
Member

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Posts: 2,719

What I collect: If I have a catalogue for it, I collect it. And I have many catalogues ....

Newspaper Tax Stamps Oct 21, 2021 3:58:58 GMT Philatarium and daniel like this

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Post by Ryan on Oct 21, 2021 3:58:58 GMT

Oct 21, 2021 2:57:24 GMT daniel said:

This is an example from The Royal Cornwall Gazette,/Falmouth Packet and Plymouth Journal from Saturday, February 11, 1804.

This piqued my interest as I had recently been looking at Samuel Johnson's dictionary (the 1785 edition, which would have been the last one he was still alive to work on). That thing is filled with long s usage and it sure is hard for me to read. Not all that much later, your 1804 newspaper is blessedly free of those monsters. I don't know about your particular paper, but according to the Wikipedia article on the long s, the Times of London last used the long s in 1803. Hooray for the death of the long s!

Ryan

Last Edit: Oct 21, 2021 3:59:24 GMT by Ryan

colnect.com/en/collectors/collector/RyanD (but I've barely started on that)