Spectacular Museum-Quality 1893 United States Internal Revenue Special Tax Stamp Certificate – 100% Uncut Condition Featuring All 12 Original Left-Margin Retail Liquor Dealer Coupons Intact (July 1893 – June 1894) – Issued Under the Landmark Federal Revenue Act of October 1, 1890 – Hand-Inscribed to Historical Griswold, Iowa Blacksmith James M. Kouns – Exquisite Bank-Note Quality Intaglio Engravings Produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) – Absolute Time-Capsule Condition Architectural Paper Relic!
Up for sale is an exceptional piece of late 19th-century American fiscal history and Western saloon culture: an original, verified complete 1893 United States Internal Revenue Special Tax Stamp Certificate for a Retail Liquor Dealer. Issued under the strict federal guidelines of the historic Revenue Act of October 1, 1890, this oversized document served as the official, highly regulated nationwide commercial license required to legally operate a saloon, tavern, or spirits shop in the late 1800s.
Flawless Rarity Driver: The Complete 12-Month Uncut Coupon Strip:
What makes this specific specimen an extraordinary, investment-grade acquisition for advanced paper ephemera collectors is the pristine structural completeness of the left margin. It features its original, 100% uncut strip of 12 individual consecutive tax coupons spanning from July 1893 through June 1894. Under 19th-century revenue laws, collectors or inspectors would physically cut away and shear off corresponding monthly coupons if a saloon keeper closed their doors, failed a routine inspection, or changed operational locations mid-year. Finding a vintage piece where all twelve coupons remain entirely attached and unsevered from the master sheet is an extreme rarity, separating this specimen from common, heavily modified fragments.
Local Iowa History & Individual Identification Details:
The document is crisply filled out in beautiful late-Victorian cursive penmanship, displaying unique historical details linking it straight to the southwestern Iowa frontier:
● The Serial Number: Struck under the unique federal registration identifier No. C24901.
● The License Fee: Registers the standard high-value federal tax assessment of $25.00.
● The Recipient Connection: Hand-inscribed to James M. Kouns (Jas M. Kouns), a prominent 19th-century pioneer blacksmith who operated a highly successful local wagon forge and blacksmith shop in the region.
● The Locality Registry: Officially localized to Griswold, State of IOWA, sitting inside the historic 4th District of the State of Iowa.
● The Collection Stamp: Formally dated at the regional treasury headquarters in Burlington, Iowa, on June 27, 1893, complete with the original ink signature of the regional Collector, John W. Burbank.
Elite Bank-Note Quality Intaglio Engravings:
Printed directly by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) in Washington D.C., this certificate displays the same magnificent, high-security geometric lathe work and intaglio engraving techniques utilized on United States paper currency. The center features a gorgeous allegorical vignette of a 19th-century industrial distiller seated next to a massive wooden barrel cask while adjusting a copper distillation coil. The face is struck with a huge, pale pink security underprint reading "RETAIL LIQUOR DEALER," flanked on the bottom by the crisp, circular crimson ink stamp of the official Internal Revenue Seal.
Condition Notes:
This 133-year-old federal paper document is in spectacular, crisp vintage condition. The heavy banknote paper stock remains remarkably stable, bright, and completely supple with no brittleness or crumbling. The typography and hand-written inks are perfectly dark, deep, and legibly defined. In the interest of absolute clarity for advanced collectors, the piece shows 3 clean vertical fold lines from original 1890s wallet storage, minimal superficial corner handling wear, and an entirely blank, clean reverse side. There are absolutely no modern restorations, synthetic glues, or major border tears present (there are some small splits at the folds, see photo of back for clearest detailed shot). Stored carefully in a smoke-free, climate-controlled facility. Please view the high-resolution photos for close-up cosmetic details.
Shipping & Handling:
To ensure this delicate, large-format 1890s revenue document arrives at your door in its pristine uncut state without suffering bending or post-office folding, it will be packed with elite professional care. The certificate will be placed inside a crystal-clear archive sleeve and sandwiched securely between two layers of thick, extra-rigid corrugated cardboard armor sheets to prevent corner flexing. The entire assembly will be enclosed within a water-resistant poly shipping barrier and nestled inside a heavy-duty flat shipping box. Sent with full automated tracking and transit insurance.
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