Fiscal Philatelic Society

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An advert for the society from a 1908 catalogue Fiscal Philatelic Society advert.jpg
An advert for the society from a 1908 catalogue

The Fiscal Philatelic Society (11 January 1902–1928) was an early twentieth-century British philatelic society that is seen as a predecessor to today's The Revenue Society . The principal object of the society was the study of fiscal stamps, or, as they are more usually called today, revenue stamps.

Revenue Society

The Revenue Society was formed in 1990 and is the only international philatelic society which covers revenue stamps of the whole world. The society is also noted for the particularly high quality of its journal which has published many articles on subjects about which little or nothing has previously been written.

Revenue stamp A revenue stamp, tax stamp, duty stamp or fiscal stamp is a (usually) adhesive label used to collect taxes or fees.

A revenue stamp, tax stamp, duty stamp or fiscal stamp is a (usually) adhesive label used to collect taxes or fees on documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses, firearm registration, and many other things. Typically businesses purchase the stamps from the government, and attach them to taxed items as part of putting the items on sale, or in the case of documents, as part of filling out the form.

Contents

Objects

The objects of the society were: [1]

(a) To encourage and advance the study of Fiscals and Revenue Stamps of all Countries.
(b) To compile Catalogues of Fiscals.
(c) To draw together all interested in these stamps.
(d) To form a Library for the use of the Members.
(e) To facilitate the exchange of duplicates among members.
(f) To appoint corresponding Members and Societies in various countries for the exchange and circulation of information respecting Revenue Stamps.

In 1911 the objects of the society were extended to include local stamps and railway stamps.[ citation needed ]

Railway stamp

In philately a railway stamp is a stamp issued to pay the cost of the conveyance of a letter or parcel by rail.

Activities and history

The society was instrumental in collating information about the latest revenue stamps, which was published in their journal The Bulletin.

From 1 January 1920 the society became the Fiscal and Local Stamp Section of the International Philatelic Union. [2]

International Philatelic Union

The International Philatelic Union, formed 1881, was an early international philatelic organisation formed for the study of stamps and the promotion of philately generally. Its office was located in London. The society survived to see its jubilee in 1931, and an exhibition was held to celebrate the fact, but its later history is unclear.

By 1928 the society had ceased to exist, possibly reflecting a declining interest in revenue stamps that started around the end of the First World War and continued until a revival that started in the 1970s. By then the society had been replaced by The Cinderella Stamp Club and, later, The Revenue Society.

Membership

Although small, the society was notable for its distinguished membership which included many of the most prominent names in British philately in the first decades of the twentieth century and shows a high correlation with Schofield's Who Was Who in British Philately and a significant number of signatories to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists. Members included, among others: [3] [4]

Roll of Distinguished Philatelists

The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists (RDP) is a philatelic award of international scale, created by the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in 1921. The Roll consists of three pieces of parchment to which the signatories add their names.

Walter Morley Walter Morley 1910.jpg
Walter Morley
A 1908 catalogue by A.B. Kay published by Bridger & Kay from information collected by the F.P.S. Priced Catalogue of British Colonial Adhesive Revenue, Telegraph and Railway Stamps 1908.jpg
A 1908 catalogue by A.B. Kay published by Bridger & Kay from information collected by the F.P.S.
Edward Denny Bacon British philatelist

Sir Edward Denny Bacon, KCVO was a British philatelist who helped with the enlargement and mounting of collections possessed by rich collectors of his time and became the curator of the Royal Philatelic Collection between 1913 and 1938.

Major Kenneth Macdonald Beaumont CBE DSO was a British lawyer, Air Service Corps officer, and figure skater. He made a major contribution to the development of international aviation law.

Walter Dorning Beckton British philatelist

Walter Dorning Beckton was a British philatelist who signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921. He was a Manchester solicitor by profession in the firm of Hockin, Beckton & Hockin.

RDP = Roll of Distinguished Philatelists

Publications

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References

  1. Advertising in Priced Catalogue of British Colonial Adhesive Revenue, Telegraph and Railway Stamps 1908 by A.B. Kay, Bridger & Kay, London, 1908.
  2. The Bulletin, Vol.II, No.1, October 1908, Fiscal Philatelic Society, London.
  3. All recorded in The Bulletin, various editions, Fiscal Philatelic Society, London.
  4. Schofield, Brian. Who Was Who in British Philately. London: British Philatelic Trust, 2003. ISBN   1-871777-14-3