33 1/3c Beer revenue stamp proof single

This image is a proof on card of the 1/3 barrel, 33 1/3-cent Beer Stamp of 1871. The 1871 series of Beer stamps was bicolor with engraved colored frames printed by the National Bank Note Company and engraved black vignettes printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. For this stamp, the frame is orange and the vignette features an image of David Farragut (1801-1870). If listed in Scott, the number would be REA23P4.

Brewers received the stamps without gum or perforations. They then cut the stamps apart, cancelled them, and pasted them over the bung of the beer barrel so that tapping the barrel destroyed the stamp.

The 1/3 barrel size was the optimal size for carrying two kegs on a mule, and so was used to transport beer in the western mountains. The 1/4 barrel kegs were too small and the 1/2 barrel kegs too heavy for a mule.

The BEP used two vignette plates for the 33 1/3-cent stamp and designated the plates with letters (A, B). The plate numbers (B for the stamp illustrated here) appear on the left of the vignette Starting at the sheet's upper left corner, a position number (from 1 to 20) appears on the vignette's right side. A printed sheet had four rows of five stamps each. The orange stamps are known from plates A and B, but only plate B is known on the violet brown stamp. Plate numbers for the frame plates appeared in the side margin next to stamp 10, and plate number 45 is known.