Stamps – Great Britain – The Match Tax, A Law That Failed To Pass In Parliament

Robert Lowe, the chancellor of the exchequer, proposed a new duty on matches in 1871. Each box was to bear a stamp, with the image of a flame and the words “Ex luce lucellum” – or “from light, a little gain”. The joke remarked one Liberal politician, might “divert a college common room”, but the thought of Oxford dons smiling over a tax on the poor was bad politics.

A leading economist rallied to the defence of the tax, arguing that the poor should contribute to the state in proportion to their means. If they did not, surely taxes would fall on capital which would flee to foreign countries and so lead to unemployment. Such arguements were no match for the bad politics of Latin puns, and the tax was abandoned in a matter of weeks. Bryant and May, the great match manufacturer, erected a celebratory drinking fountain on Bow Road to mark the defeat of the tax:

Bow Station Bryant May Drinking Fountain
Bow Station Bryant May Drinking Fountain

The Stamps were produced but unissued.

1928 British Legion Stamp

I have a stamp that I can’t find much infomation on using search engines and thought I would post it up here incase someone has any information on it. I can see its a British legion 4 1/2p stamp but no clue on whether there was a set of them or anything – Does anyone know about these?

Royal British Legion Blue Stamp 1928
Royal British Legion Blue Stamp 1928

The Royal British legion is a military charity in the Uk who give welfare and support to veterans. Its overprinted 1928 though i’m not sure why, could be to do with the great pilgrimage? Please do post in the comments if you know anything about this one or whether there is a set of them, I’d be very grateful.