Online exhibition Sealed – 400 Years of Tax Stamps

published: 24 April 2023

With the push of a button, guest curator Fons Overwater opened the online exhibition Sealed – 400 Years of Tax Stamps celebrating the 400th anniversary of this Dutch invention. Although most tax stamps were abolished in the Netherlands in 1971, this tax collection tool is still used worldwide, for example in Suriname, Indonesia and India. In the Netherlands, we still see tax stamps in the form of excise duty stamps on tobacco products.

Birth of the tax stamp

During the 80 Years’ War, the Republic of the Seven United Provinces was desperately searching for new tax revenue to fund the war against the Spanish. A lot had been cut from the nation’s defence budget during the 12 Years’ Truce, and all existing taxes had already been increased. And then, on 24 April 1623, a letter arrived at the States General stating there was an idea for a new tax that people wouldn’t object to. That sounded like music to their ears! And so the tax stamp was born.

Use of tax stamps

Initially, tax stamps were mandatory to make deeds and other important papers valid. Then they spread around the world at lightning speed and were used on numerous other items like newspapers, luxury products, hair powder, tobacco, playing cards, alcoholic beverages, sugar, salt and so on almost endlessly.

The online exhibition

In the Sealed online exhibition, you can admire many tax stamps spread across various themes, including, tax stamps in art, and tax stamp artists. For collectors, we recommend the video 400 jaar zegelbeelden [400 Years of Stamp Images].

Go to the exhibition