>
> I recently discovered on the TeX-Live 2 CD-ROM a file revtex.cls.

Hm.  This is an original "temporary" version from 1994.  It is a pity
that it was not updated.  The real trouble is that in that time a new
revtex was supposed to show up Real Soon Now.

> I append it here for your interest since it seems not to be well known.

As it is "well known" for over two years now this still leaves some
points open.  Here is a slightly younger version (why it did not
find its way onto TeX-Live 2 I have no idea):

  --mj

%
% revtex.cls, version 2, 24-JUL-1995
%
% Temporary fix to RevTeX 3.0 package with LaTeX2e 1994/12/01,
% by David Carlisle, 22 Dec 1994
% Added fix for `control sequences (.e.g. \dag) as biblabel' bug
% (David Carlisle, Christian Spieler, 24 Jul 1995)
%
%
\ifx\every@math@size\undefined\else
  \let\old@expast\@expast
  \def\@expast#1{\old@expast{#1}\let\@tempa\reserved@a}
\fi

\input{revtex.sty}

\@ifundefined{@ExpandsToRefNumber}{\relax}%
{%
\def\@ExpandsToRefNumber #1{%
TT\fi %
\@ifundefined{b@#1}%
{\@tempcntb=1
}%
{\protected@edef\@tempb{\csname b@#1\endcsname}%
\def\@tempa{\@temptokena=\bgroup}%
\if0A { \else  \fi %
\afterassignment\@tempa
\@tempcntb=0\@tempb}%
}%
\ifnum\@tempcntb>0 %
}%
}

\endinput
% end of revtex.cls