Pair of Bone Dice with tax stamp in leather shaker from the Revolutionary War

This is another nice piece being offered, it is a pair of Revolutionary War bone dice in its leather shaker, bearing the Crown over “G.R.” mark of British King George III, indicating that the tax had been paid as required by the British Stamp Act of 1765. It was the first serious attempt to assert British governmental authority over the 13 colonies.

The cup has a diameter of 1 ½” and stands 3” high, with the dice measuring half-inch. Originally, the markings on the dice would have been outlined in red, but after so much use over the centuries, it has worn off. The faint markings are still there, but I had to magnify it to see better.

The Stamp Tax was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain on February 6th, 1765, during the reign of King George III. It was designed to raise revenue from the American Colonies by a duty (tax) in the form of a stamp required on all newspapers and legal or commercial documents.

Dice were the only non-paper items listed under the Act, and stamp impressions were made on the dice as proof that the Stamp Tax had been paid. In the case of dice, a 10-shilling tax had to be paid per pair, the equivalent of about $60.00 in 2024. There are examples of Revolutionary War dice in "Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution", by Neumann and Kravic (see pictures).

This pair is well worn but in nice condition for being over 250 yars old. The stamping would typically be on the number six side. Playing dice was a popular game with Revolutionary War soldiers, and this would be the exact type that they used. This Stamp Tax was one of the major causes resulting in the Revolutionary War.