Nevada City, CA
1887
$35.00
By 1887 the bank check tax was no longer in effect, having been repealed in 1883. Yet some account holders maintained the familiar sight of a revenue stamp imprint by having their checks imprinted with facsimiles. This design is accounted for in “The ARA Report” (Einstein/Kingsley, 1979) and again in Kimber Wald’s monograph on RNs published in the 1989 APC yearbook.
This orange G-like facsimile, however, is not a stand-alone imprint. It is part of a larger overall safety tint designed and copyrighted by Milton C. Johnson, as indicated in lower borders of the design. Text within the upper borders reads “Revenue Tint,” an obvious allusion to revenue stamp imprints in use since 1862, but which carried no official or governmental imprimatur.
Then there is the check design itself with its stylized Eastlake-influenced design and typography. Black on orange “Revenue Tint”-ed white paper. Typical spindle cut is not immediately visible.