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For broadcast on CBS Radio Network stations August 9-10, 2003:


A taxing specialty.


The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.


They're not for postage, they show that taxes were paid. They're called
"revenue stamps."


"They are stamps that show payment of a tax to a government -- might be the
federal government, a state government, local government."   RUNS :08


Ron Lesher is a past president of the group that specializes in these
stamps, the American Revenue Association.


"I found that I could acquire very interesting stamps at a fraction of what
I could acquire some of the postage stamps for and there lots of
opportunities for new discoveries."  RUNS :12


Some of the more common revenues are for alcohol, tobacco and playing cards,
but there have been some strange taxes in the U-S.


"If you go down to North Carolina, they taxed laundry if you went out and
had a professional laundry do your laundry - there was a tax  on that bill.
Dog food is certainly one of the more unusual things. Smoking opium in the
19th Century was taxed." RUNS :16


And that's stamp collecting this week. 


I'm Lloyd de Vries, CBS News. 

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