ROTARY PRESS COIL STAMPS
The wide-format non-denominated major-type playing cards US revenue stamps were issued in 1940. The central design of these new stamps is inscribed 1 PACK, indicating that each stamp is valid for the payment of the tax on a single deck of playing cards.
These new non-denominated playing cards stamps were produced in two different formats -- horizontally-perforated coils, and perforated on all sides.
These coil stamps only exist precanceled.
The wide-format non-denominated major-type playing cards US revenue stamps were issued in 1940. The central design of these new stamps is inscribed 1 PACK, indicating that each stamp is valid for the payment of the tax on a single deck of playing cards.
These new non-denominated playing cards stamps were produced in two different formats -- horizontally-perforated coils, and perforated on all sides.
These coil stamps only exist precanceled.
RF26 (PRECANCEL TYPE PC 1, PC 9, PC 10, PC 11 AND PC 13)
1 Pack (1940 - Wmk. 191R - Perf. 10 Vert.)
RF26 was issued by the Bureau because of the new 11c tax rate, effective July 1, 1940. The stamps were in coils of 3000, rotary press printed and PRECANCELED. The stamp is very similar to the small "10 CENTS", the difference being it now reads "1 PACK".
RF26 (TYPE PC-1)
B & B (Brown & Bigelow) PC-111 ($125)
A.P.C. Co. (American Playing Card Company) PC-102
1 Pack (1940 - Wmk. 191R - Perf. 10 Vert.)
RF26 was issued by the Bureau because of the new 11c tax rate, effective July 1, 1940. The stamps were in coils of 3000, rotary press printed and PRECANCELED. The stamp is very similar to the small "10 CENTS", the difference being it now reads "1 PACK".
RF26 (TYPE PC-1)
B & B (Brown & Bigelow) PC-111 ($125)
A.P.C. Co. (American Playing Card Company) PC-102
RF26-12 W.P.L. Co. (Western Printing & Lithographing Co.) PC-110
a) Unwatermarked, dry printed
(TYPE PC-9)
RF26A-20 C.P.C. (Consolidated Dougherty Company) PC-202
RF26A-21 C.D.C.Co. PC-201
(TYPE PC-10)
RF26A-22 U.S.P.C.Co. PC-221
(TYPE PC-11)
RF26A-23 W.P.L.Co. (Western Printing & Lithographing Co.) PC-232
A.P.C. Co. (American Playing Card Company) PC-231
RF26A-24 H.M.C. (Hallmark Cards, Inc.) PC-233
S.P.C. (Standard Playing Card) PC-234
(TYPE PC-13)
RF26A-26 C.D. (Consolidated Dougherty) PC-241
RF27 (PC3 and PC8 Types)
1 Pack (1940 - Perf. 10 Horiz. - Rotary- Wet Printing)
The large majority of the RF27 stamps also are Bureau precanceled. A few have been found rubber stamped, either by hand or a roller, "B&BA" for Brown and Bigelow Agency and "QPA" for Quality Park Agency or Quality Park Art. On all stamps seen the initials are inverted on the stamps. Some of them were on cases printed "Look Playing Card Co., St. Louis, Mo." Others have been reported from Novelties Manufacturing and Sales Corp., same city. The ink used for the overprint is fugitive.
(TYPE PC-3)
RF27-14 B & B (Brown & Bigelow) PC-133
E.E.F. CORP. (E. E. Fairchild Corporation) PC-135
(TYPE PC-5)
RF27-16 C.D.C. DIV.
U.S.P.C.Co (Reading Up) PC-163
C.D.C. DIV.
U.S.P.C.Co (Reading Down) PC-163a
(TYPE PC-7)
RF27-18 U.S.P.C.Co. PC-181
(TYPE PC-8)
RF27-19 A.P.C.Co. (American Playing Card Company) PC-191
W.P.L.Co. (Western Printing Lithographing Co.) PC-194
S.P.C. (Standard Playing Card) PC-195
RF27A (TYPE PC-12) Unwatermarked, dry printing
RF27A-25 S.P.C. (Standard Playing Card) PC-301
B & B (Brown & Bigelow) PC-302
RF28
1 Pack (1940 - Perf. 11 - Flat - Wet Printing )
Issued August 2,1940.
a) Dry printing
b) Rotary printing, un-watermarked
The Red Rabbit
326 Central Avenue, New Haven, CT (1949)
Latham B. Lambert's Playing Card Business.
Mr. Lambert was also a playing card collector.
$500
326 Central Avenue, New Haven, CT (1949)
Latham B. Lambert's Playing Card Business.
Mr. Lambert was also a playing card collector.
$500
RF28 is the same as RF27 but printed on the flat plate press and perforated 11. It was first issued August 2, 1940 and continued to be used until April 22, 1965, when the tax on playing cards was repealed.
It was used by some of the smaller manufacturers and by many importers. Probably some of the large manufacturers sold cards to distributors who affixed and cancelled their own stamp.
No attempt has been made to distinguish printed from hand stamped cancels, nor wet from dry prints.
Unless noted to the contrary, all cancels are in red, and are printed horizontally.
The cancels are listed alphabetically by initials or by surname if included in the cancel.
A D G Co - in blue.
A M C/ August 5 69
Anglo Continental
A P - vertical, letters 9 mm high and joined. Found on the tuck case of a Bicycle deck made by the USPC Co.
A. P. C. CO - Arco Playing Card Co.
A P C CO/ MAR 18 1965 - no periods; also dated 8-5-3.
A. P. C. & M. CO. - also cancel doubled. Believed these cards were made in the U. S., exported
and taxed on re-entry.
A. S. W./INC. - vertical between bars and reading up.
A T C/11-64 - large serif letters.
Cancelled /Bally Mfg. Co/May 28, 1941 - typewritten.
B & B A - Brown & Bigelow Art.
B M C - Also with bar under "M".
B N - red, 4 mm high, between vertical bars 12 mm apart
BUR-WIL IMPORT/DEC 21st 1964 - black.
C. B. C. C. - inverted.
Clifton Sales CO/ ? ? ? - black handstamp on. diagonal.
C. M. CO. - violet between bars, Cruver Manuf. Co.
C M CO - black, no bars or periods.
C. M. C. - block letters between bars.
C M & D
C N & D CO - black, between bars 51h mm· apart
Collectors Haven/P. O. Box 1819/Chicago, ? ? ? - black.
C. P. C. C. - incomplete cancel, may be in box; also "double. Criterion Playing Card Co.
CRUVER - blue.
DEX - black.
D. P. P. C./Corp - normal, also inverted. Dale Plastic Playing Card Co.
D. P. P. C./Co - normal, also inverted.
D S/7-23-53 - black.
E. II. O. & CO. -- in box.
F. A. N./CO. - in circle, date added, made in Denmark.
F K H
H M C - Hall Mark Cards
Based on dates of cancellation it is believed that Hall Mark Cards used RF28 from
November 1, 1961, to June 22, 1965.
There are two types of cancel, in both of which the first line consists of the initials "H M
C" in serif caps 5 mm high.
In Type 1 the date, the second line, is shown in numerals.
11-1-61 11-3-61 11-6-61 11-10-61 11-13-61 12-8-61
12-22-61 12-29-61 1-16-62 1-20-62 1-25-62 3-2-62
3-9-62 3-20-62
In Type 2 the day is not shown, the month is spelled out, and the year is shown in full.
The following months have been reported;
1962 April, May, June, July and Sept.
1963 Feb., March, April, Oct. and Nov.
1964 March, June and July.
1965 May.
H H of C - black, in circle, normal; also inverted.
H. OF P. CO. - violet, also in black dated. Hermes of Paris.
H R Son
F R & S - red, also in black.
I. D. C./? ? ? -1960 - blue, black.
I D G 7 28 50 - blue.
I L C - Heraclio Fournier.
I R E Co - black.
J J I C AUG 21 1962 - blue.
J MASS/AUG 1956 - black; also in blue.
K&S
K & V CO - without date or with sundry dates. Made in Austria.
KEM CARDS - "KEM" in monogram at left.
KEM CARDS - black.
KEV. CO./Jun 2nd 1962
K. P. P. C./Co. - between bars. Kem Playing Card Co.
KS - blue.
NEW ADDRESS/THE LANSELLE COMPANY/837 TRACTION AVENUE/LOS ANGELES, CALIF. -A long 4-line cancel printed in caps.
L P C - black or in blue block letters between bars. Lane Playing Card Co.
M. P. S./Lawrence, Kansas. - black between bars. Miller Print Shop cards from England.
A. M. Newman/IMPORTER/? ? ?
Ostrich - round cards made in England.
P N C - made in Hong Kong.
Q. P. A. - red or in violet, vertical bars left and right. Quality Park Art.
R M C
R. R. C./Co. - or possibly Q. R. C./Co.
R S & C C /MAR./? ? ?
R S & CO./OCT. 28 1952
R S & CO./ date not clear - black.
R S & CO./AUG. 30, 1950 - black, blue or red.
R W - block letters 9 mm high, 32 mm apart, also inverted.
S-B - normal, also inverted.
AUG 26 1963/S. I. ?. F.
S. S. ADAMS Co./1945 - also 1947.
S. S. ADAMS Co - inverted, date not clear.
THE AKRON/Jan 25 1964 - in box 29x17 mm.
THE HANDE SHOPPE/WICHITA, KANSAS
The same - in black between bars; also inverted between bars 1.5 mm apart.
The same - SHOPPE spelled SHOPDE.
The same - in script between bars "hande Shoppe, Wichita, Kansas".
TIC
TLC
T T C - possibly in box.
V. F. - red, between bars, vertically reading down.
V. M. S./U. S. A.
V P I - red, normal or inverted with sundry dates. Also blurry normal. Made in Japan. Viscount Products Inc.
June 16, 1953 - Diagonal handstamp reading up. Manuscript initials. "al operations/ in charges/ good D. C." partial violet cancel reading up.
The following cancellations all have the same design-the initials of the company with three horizontal wavy lines before and after. All are horizontal and all are in red.
A C - normal, also inverted, also in violet.
T C - red, black or violet. Lanselle Co.
L P - red, also purple.
L . p - black, Livingston Plastics.
N P - initials 71Aa mm or 9.5 mm wide. Northbrook Plastics, Chicago.
It was used by some of the smaller manufacturers and by many importers. Probably some of the large manufacturers sold cards to distributors who affixed and cancelled their own stamp.
No attempt has been made to distinguish printed from hand stamped cancels, nor wet from dry prints.
Unless noted to the contrary, all cancels are in red, and are printed horizontally.
The cancels are listed alphabetically by initials or by surname if included in the cancel.
A D G Co - in blue.
A M C/ August 5 69
Anglo Continental
A P - vertical, letters 9 mm high and joined. Found on the tuck case of a Bicycle deck made by the USPC Co.
A. P. C. CO - Arco Playing Card Co.
A P C CO/ MAR 18 1965 - no periods; also dated 8-5-3.
A. P. C. & M. CO. - also cancel doubled. Believed these cards were made in the U. S., exported
and taxed on re-entry.
A. S. W./INC. - vertical between bars and reading up.
A T C/11-64 - large serif letters.
Cancelled /Bally Mfg. Co/May 28, 1941 - typewritten.
B & B A - Brown & Bigelow Art.
B M C - Also with bar under "M".
B N - red, 4 mm high, between vertical bars 12 mm apart
BUR-WIL IMPORT/DEC 21st 1964 - black.
C. B. C. C. - inverted.
Clifton Sales CO/ ? ? ? - black handstamp on. diagonal.
C. M. CO. - violet between bars, Cruver Manuf. Co.
C M CO - black, no bars or periods.
C. M. C. - block letters between bars.
C M & D
C N & D CO - black, between bars 51h mm· apart
Collectors Haven/P. O. Box 1819/Chicago, ? ? ? - black.
C. P. C. C. - incomplete cancel, may be in box; also "double. Criterion Playing Card Co.
CRUVER - blue.
DEX - black.
D. P. P. C./Corp - normal, also inverted. Dale Plastic Playing Card Co.
D. P. P. C./Co - normal, also inverted.
D S/7-23-53 - black.
E. II. O. & CO. -- in box.
F. A. N./CO. - in circle, date added, made in Denmark.
F K H
H M C - Hall Mark Cards
Based on dates of cancellation it is believed that Hall Mark Cards used RF28 from
November 1, 1961, to June 22, 1965.
There are two types of cancel, in both of which the first line consists of the initials "H M
C" in serif caps 5 mm high.
In Type 1 the date, the second line, is shown in numerals.
11-1-61 11-3-61 11-6-61 11-10-61 11-13-61 12-8-61
12-22-61 12-29-61 1-16-62 1-20-62 1-25-62 3-2-62
3-9-62 3-20-62
In Type 2 the day is not shown, the month is spelled out, and the year is shown in full.
The following months have been reported;
1962 April, May, June, July and Sept.
1963 Feb., March, April, Oct. and Nov.
1964 March, June and July.
1965 May.
H H of C - black, in circle, normal; also inverted.
H. OF P. CO. - violet, also in black dated. Hermes of Paris.
H R Son
F R & S - red, also in black.
I. D. C./? ? ? -1960 - blue, black.
I D G 7 28 50 - blue.
I L C - Heraclio Fournier.
I R E Co - black.
J J I C AUG 21 1962 - blue.
J MASS/AUG 1956 - black; also in blue.
K&S
K & V CO - without date or with sundry dates. Made in Austria.
KEM CARDS - "KEM" in monogram at left.
KEM CARDS - black.
KEV. CO./Jun 2nd 1962
K. P. P. C./Co. - between bars. Kem Playing Card Co.
KS - blue.
NEW ADDRESS/THE LANSELLE COMPANY/837 TRACTION AVENUE/LOS ANGELES, CALIF. -A long 4-line cancel printed in caps.
L P C - black or in blue block letters between bars. Lane Playing Card Co.
M. P. S./Lawrence, Kansas. - black between bars. Miller Print Shop cards from England.
A. M. Newman/IMPORTER/? ? ?
Ostrich - round cards made in England.
P N C - made in Hong Kong.
Q. P. A. - red or in violet, vertical bars left and right. Quality Park Art.
R M C
R. R. C./Co. - or possibly Q. R. C./Co.
R S & C C /MAR./? ? ?
R S & CO./OCT. 28 1952
R S & CO./ date not clear - black.
R S & CO./AUG. 30, 1950 - black, blue or red.
R W - block letters 9 mm high, 32 mm apart, also inverted.
S-B - normal, also inverted.
AUG 26 1963/S. I. ?. F.
S. S. ADAMS Co./1945 - also 1947.
S. S. ADAMS Co - inverted, date not clear.
THE AKRON/Jan 25 1964 - in box 29x17 mm.
THE HANDE SHOPPE/WICHITA, KANSAS
The same - in black between bars; also inverted between bars 1.5 mm apart.
The same - SHOPPE spelled SHOPDE.
The same - in script between bars "hande Shoppe, Wichita, Kansas".
TIC
TLC
T T C - possibly in box.
V. F. - red, between bars, vertically reading down.
V. M. S./U. S. A.
V P I - red, normal or inverted with sundry dates. Also blurry normal. Made in Japan. Viscount Products Inc.
June 16, 1953 - Diagonal handstamp reading up. Manuscript initials. "al operations/ in charges/ good D. C." partial violet cancel reading up.
The following cancellations all have the same design-the initials of the company with three horizontal wavy lines before and after. All are horizontal and all are in red.
A C - normal, also inverted, also in violet.
T C - red, black or violet. Lanselle Co.
L P - red, also purple.
L . p - black, Livingston Plastics.
N P - initials 71Aa mm or 9.5 mm wide. Northbrook Plastics, Chicago.
RF29
1 Pack (1940 - Wmk 191R - Perf. 10 x 11) $92.50
RF29 is an interesting stamp. Perhaps RF28 and RF29 should have been reversed as to catalog listing. RF29 was issued on June 28, 1940 and RF28 not until August 2, actually to replace RF29.
The majority of them were used by Kem Plastic Playing Card Co., and carry the firm's red overprint and its initials between two horizontal lines which look very much like a Bureau precancel above but is not.
a) Imperforate (Pyramid Playing Card) ($1,000)
1 Pack (1940 - Wmk 191R - Perf. 10 x 11) $92.50
RF29 is an interesting stamp. Perhaps RF28 and RF29 should have been reversed as to catalog listing. RF29 was issued on June 28, 1940 and RF28 not until August 2, actually to replace RF29.
The majority of them were used by Kem Plastic Playing Card Co., and carry the firm's red overprint and its initials between two horizontal lines which look very much like a Bureau precancel above but is not.
a) Imperforate (Pyramid Playing Card) ($1,000)
Taxes on playing-cards were abolished in the U.S. in 1965. Many manufacturers then continued using stamps with their own design to seal the package.