REA Piedmont Cigarette Packs - Fall 2024

[Joe_G.]

A few facts to follow-up on . . .

Tax Stamp
The tax stamps should have an overprint/cancel that would allow more accurate dating of the packs but they do not. The stamp itself is what is referred to as a "Series of 1910" stamp and was in use from July 1st, 1910 until 1917. Congress passed the new tax rate into law ($1.25/ thousand smokes) on Aug. 5th, 1909 but the new tax rate and stamp were not effective until July 1st, 1910. So these packs are no earlier than 7/1/1910 based on the Series of 1910 stamp.

ATC to Liggett & Myer Transition
All the packs reference American Tobacco Company; no reference to Liggett & Myer on the packs. However, if the packs came from the carton that is also being auctioned off . . . that carton dates to no earlier than Nov. 8th 1911 as it references "W. Duke, Sons & Co. - Branch of Liggett & Myer Tobacco Co. This entity didn't exist before Nov. 8th, 1911.

I believe it is likely that the packs and the carton itself were produced very close to Nov. 8th 1911 and that the "Free" 20 count pack of Fatima cigarettes was a late addition with that sticker placed on the carton just before it left the newly formed Liggett & Myer Tobacco Co. in ~November of 1911. Shortly after this time period the packs themselves would also be updated to reference Liggett & Myer Tobacco Co.