Keep an eye out for J.B. Rose black Centaur proprietary revenue stamp

Stamp Market Tips — By Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

 Revenues remain one of the most active segments of the U.S. stamp market, and private die proprietary (match and medicine) revenue stamps are among the most popular types of revenue stamps being actively collected.

The charm of match and medicine collecting is the variety, whimsy, and appealingly idiosyncratic nature of the stamp designs and the products that they advertise.

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J.B. Rose & Co., of New York City produced 2¢ and 4¢ black Centaur stamps (Scott RS204-RS205) that showed payment of the tax on the company’s patent medicine, Centaur Liniment. There were two versions of the liniment, one for humans and one for animals, primarily horses — hence the centaur theme. The liniment was claimed to cure muscle strains, gout, rheumatism, venomous stings and bites, burns, chilblains (skin inflammation from repeated exposure to cold air), wounds, screw worms, and most other ailments know to man and beast.

The 2017 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers values the 2¢ stamp on silk paper (Scott RS204b) at $6.75 and on pink paper (Scott RS204c) at $35.

Values are for stamps in the grade of fine-very fine “that may be somewhat faulty but reasonably attractive, with the faults usually not readily apparent on the face.” Either variety is a good buy at Scott catalog value.