RT2P3 Corning & Tappan, Proof, Proprietary Die Perfume Stamp

Corning & Tappan was a prominent American perfume and cologne manufacturer based in New York City during the Victorian era. Established in the mid-19th century, the firm was known for producing affordable fragrances like “Sweet Bye & Bye,” “Musk Cologne,” and “Ball Room Bouquet,” primarily targeting the middle-class market. The company is notably remembered for its distinctive private die proprietary stamps, which were issued from late 1878 through February 1883 to pay federal taxes on perfumery. These beautifully engraved stamps featured an allegorical scene of a Cupid standing on a table and spraying a young woman with perfume from an atomizer. By 1873, Herman Tappan had emerged as the successor to the original partnership, and he continued to market the brand with a particular fondness for innovative figural perfume bottles shaped like baseball bats, boots, and street lamps.