RO152d Reading Match Co. Stamp

The Reading Match Company, based in Reading, Pennsylvania, was an industrial producer of friction matches during the mid-to-late 19th century. The company is primarily recognized by historians and collectors today for its distinctive private die revenue stamps, which were authorized by the Tax Act of 1862 to fund the American Civil War. Under this federal law, companies like Reading Match could design their own ornate tax stamps, which often doubled as a form of brand advertisement while allowing the business to purchase the stamps at a discount from the government. The specific one-cent black stamp pictured—featuring an image of the globe and the company’s initials—was in use between 1880 and 1882, a period during which match production was a major part of Pennsylvania’s diverse industrial landscape alongside the dominant iron and railroad sectors.