1 Cent - Cigarette Tax New York

New York began taxing cigarettes in 1939, among the first states to do so. These small paper stamps functioned as fiscal instruments — proof of tax paid at point of sale — rather than currency, though they circulate through notaphilic collections today alongside revenue stamps of comparable format. The 1942 date places this squarely in wartime, when state revenues from tobacco taxation spiked sharply as military-driven demand for cigarettes pushed consumption to record levels.

At 19 × 15 mm, this is among the smallest items in any serious revenue collection.