Overstamps

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Marks or prints placed on top of existing stamps or labels to alter their value or purpose ; additional imprints added over prior markings to signify a change or update ; supplementary impressions applied over previous stamps to modify status or indicate new usage
2. Printed or stamped designs applied above original postage or official stamps to change denomination or purpose ; overlaid impressions on earlier labels to update or validate them ; superimposed markings on pre-existing stamps to reflect revised information or authorization
3. Impressions made over existing stamp images to denote new values or validity ; overlays on previously issued stamps that alter or add official information ; stamped additions on former markings to transform or authenticate the original intended use

Etymology: "Overstamps" is the third-person singular present form of "overstamp", a verb that means to print or stamp a new mark over an existing postage or official stamp, usually to change its value or update its validity. The base verb is simply "over-" attached to "stamp", so the history is a plain compound rather than a dramatic story. The "over-" element is an old English prefix meaning "above" or "across", as in "overlook" or "overcome", and it has long been used to form verbs that describe placing one thing on top of another. "Stamp" itself goes back to Old English roots meaning to strike or pound a surface, which is the physical act behind every printed mark. Combining the two gives a verb whose sense is literally "to stamp over", applied to a stamp that already carries its own impression.

Synonyms: overprints, overlabels