HAVANA FILLED

Charles Odence Company: The Boston based cigar firm of Charles Odence Company was founded in 1880 by Charles Odence, an 18 year old Russian immigrant. Various nephews, nieces and children followed Odence from Russian and worked for the company. When Charles died in 1910, the business was temporarily run by his daughter Mary and ultimately taken over by is oldest son Meyer Odence. Over the years, Charles Odence Company occupied several Boston addresses including 15 Commercial Wharf, 132 Broad Street, and Dock Square. Meyer, who lived on Cape Cod, moved the business to Lyanough Road in Hyannis in the 50's. The doors closed after 85 years when Meyer died in 1965. Odence Cigars produced and distributed cigars to wholesale customers including many US military bases. Brands included Bacchante, Flamingo, Clipper and Villazon.

This box was dated using the tax stamp "series 116". The method below states to add one year after each series starting in 1932 with series 102.

FROM MYSTIC STAMP COMPANY:  Cigar Revenue Tax Stamps

The first Cigar Revenue stamps were issued in 1846, with the tax rate based on the value of the cigars. A short time later, a flat tax per thousand cigars was introduced. In 1917, cigars were once again taxed according to their value. The cigars were designated Class “A” through “E,” with “E” being the most expensive. Class “F” and “G” were later added to meet the increasing cost of cigars. In 1932, a numbering system began for the Cigar Revenue Stamps, with the first series designated “102” and valid for one year before it was replaced with “Series 103.”  The practice continued in subsequent years. As a consequence, “Series 123” Cigar Revenue tax stamps were issued in 1953, and so on. Cigar Revenue tax stamps were discontinued in 1959.