What is a revenue stamp?

Revenue stamps were used to pay taxes on various items in the United States such as playing cards, tobacco and liquor and are still used in some countries. At one time Great Britain accepted the same stamps for postage or revenue taxes.

Revenue stamps are prized by some stamp collectors but are not as popular as postage stamps. The largest use of revenue stamps was in the 1800s and early 1900s, with the first known stamps issued in the 1620s in the Netherlands. The use of revenue stamps has been reduced in current times with the increased use of computerized systems and other technology, but they are still used in some parts of the world.