Stamps on birth certificages, documents, receipts.

[Shakypop]

Hi all.

My first time posting here. I'm trying to research my family tree and my nan gave me a load of old stuff, birth/death certificates, letters, all kinds.

Anyway, I noticed that most of the birth/death/marriage certificates have a penny or two pence stamp on which has a signature written across the stamp. They are on jewellery receipts and funeral directors bills too.

I'm sure there will be lots of people on here who can tell me why they did this

[lynne99]

Don't know all of the reason, but it is Stamp Duty. We still call it this when buying houses , but a stamp is no longer used. It was abolished for receipts in 1964 by parliament. (It was a tax)
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/comm ... mp-duty-on
Hope this helps

[MaryA]

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

I may be corrected but in addition to Lynne's answer above, I would suspect that it confirmed authenticity.