What is this? SA Duty Stamp Die?

[markn]

We found this last night and we're wondering what it is.  The seller called it a duty stamp but it's a positive image rather than a negative so it can't actually be that (we think).  It's a piece roughly engraved steel about 10mm thick sandwiched in two pieces of thick leather (5mm) that are tacked together.  The backing is two layers of thin beige card.  There are four holes pierced part way through the backing.  The front is crudely engraved.

[ausjack]

No idea sorry but what if it's the right way up and you put your paper on top and press down on it, wouldn't that put the image the right way up on the paper :scratch_one-s_head: Looks pretty old.

[Robster]

I will go with A.J. here, perhaps to stamp skins or hides.! looks like it has been struck many times and the leather would act as a bit of a shock absorber.?  Or paper rolls.? :angel:

[notcb]

Mark,

Isn't it a stamp for embossing legal documents such as wills, titles etc.?

It fits in a press and you screw the press down on the paper.  Are then legal eagles or bank employees on this forum who can elaborate?

Cheers

Peter (notcb)

[Australian coin]

kinda look like a wax seal

[purplepennyhunter]

AJ and Robster. Mark actually bought something else from the same seller that was related to a tannery. I put the two together and thought similar.

The embossing paper idea sounds good too.

[robbiegal]

http://www.ozrevenues.com/Revenue-Railway-Local-Perfin-Catalogue/sa-revenue-catalogue.htm

the document is copy right protected
but if you go down to 1939 - about half way down - your stamp is there
and it appears to be bank cheque embossing stamp "revenue stamps"

[Nevol]

Great sleuthing there RG! :wavemulticolor:

[ausjack]

:yahoo: I was right. Yes thanks heaps RG :give_rose:

[purplepennyhunter]

Thanks RG. Last year I think it was, Mick Vort-Ronald gave everyone at the NSSA meeting a gift of a pile of old cheques for his 70th birthday. Apparently Mick has rescued thousands of cheques from the incinerator and keeps the important one's. I'll be going through that pile!

[robbiegal]

did you see the embossed stamp? (labelled 1939) - it looked much the same to me

but then again I do suffer from over active imagination

[markn]

did you see the embossed stamp? (labelled 1939) - it looked much the same to me

but then again I do suffer from over active imagination

Yes, we saw it.  Looks like an exact match.  Nice detective work.

[robbiegal]

***blush***