US revenue stamps for the motor vehicle use tax were used from February 1942 through June 1946. During World War II, there were serious wartime shortages, including gasoline. The US government imposed the motor vehicle use tax to encourage people to use public transportation and to help pay for the war effort.
The new motor vehicle use tax stamps were gummed on the face, to enable them to be displayed on the inside of an automobile windshield. The back of each of the US revenue stamps had spaces for the automobile owner to enter the make, model, engine number, and license plate number of their vehicle, as shown in the image above.
At 42 Cents per month or Five Dollars per year, these US revenue stamps were a considerable expense for many Americans. At that time the national minimum wage was about Fifty Cents per hour.
The catalog detail tables below are sorted by the year and month of issue and the catalog number. These vehicle use tax stamps were valid for one year, beginning on July 1 of the current calendar year and ending on June 30, of the following calendar year. The denominations varied, depending on how many months before the end of the fiscal year they were purchased.
US revenue philatelists usually prefer to collect these stamps in mint condition, as used condition examples are often discolored and mutilated.
Motor vehicle use tax US revenue stamps were produced from February 1942 through June 1945. All of these tax stamps are offset printed, watermarked, and perforated 11. The central designs of the stamps feature the Liberty Bell. An example of each of the four issued colors is shown above.
The catalog details for stamps with gum on the back side are as follows:
The catalog details for stamps with gum on the front side and inscriptions on the back side are as follows:
The catalog details for stamps with gum and a control number on the front side and inscriptions on the back side are as follows:
The catalog details for stamps with gum on the front side and inscriptions and control number on the back side are as follows:
New, horizontal format, motor vehicle use tax US revenue stamps were produced from July 1945 through June 1946. All of these tax stamps are offset printed, watermarked, and perforated 11. They are gummed on the front side, and they have a control number and inscriptions on the back side. An example is shown above.
The vignette on each of these US revenue stamps features Daniel Manning (1831-1887), the US Secretary of the Treasury from 1885 to 1887.
The catalog details are as follows:
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Motor Vehicle Use Tax Stamps of 1942-1946