I Thought Surcharges Enhanced Value

Stanley Gibbons goes a step further for the 1883 stamps:

As in the misuse of "hopefully" to mean "with luck", and the pronunciation of "dissect" to rhyme with bisect.

As for Noah Webster, he was to the English language as wolves are to three little pigs.

If the purpose of this forum is to educate, then we should strive to use philatelic terms correctly, regardless of the poor use choices by various catalogs. Why not push them to improve their product instead of lowering ourselves to their level?

Probably, because we might end up speaking Latin again.

Onay anksthay.

Falsus in uno falsus in omnibus - I am thinking about learning Mandarin

Don

ASKPHIL :


Surch.: abbreviation for surcharge, overprint.

Surcharge:
1: an overprint which changes the denomination of a stamp either up or down.

2: Universal Postal Union language is additional fee.

3: used on Britain and British Colonies issues may mean postage due.

4: can change a regular definitive stamp into a semi-postal stamp, or regular issue to an air mail issue.

5: zuschlag (Ger.).

Surcharge Postage: Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, postage dues

Surtax:
the additional denomination on a semipostal stamp over and above the amount that covers postage; if used as an overprint, it is called a surcharge.

Surtaxe: (Fr.) surcharge.

The trouble is we're talking about two different meanings of "charge". If we use "charge" in the sense "fee, price", then a "surcharge" is an "additional fee" and must therefore represent an increase in value. But I think the philatelic term is using "charge" in the older sense "mark, symbol", so a "surcharge" is an "additional mark" that changes the original value, either up or down. This usage is in no way incorrect; it's just based on a meaning of "charge" that's no longer in common use (outside of heraldry, anyway).

Heraldry?.... ohhhh.... "Sir Charge"... I see.

An interesting way of thinking.

Surcharge meaning an extra charge over the basic charge is an established meaning with a long history. Originating from France, the word was adopted into the English language. I am not quite sure what makes the heraldic 'charge'



Heraldic terminology is mostly French and not an adoption of French. It does not have widespread use.



Linking the use of surcharge to heraldry requires knowledge of heraldic terms, but ignorance when it comes to the use of that terminology.




'charge' in he meaning assigned to 'surcharge.' Adding 'sur' is superfluous in heraldry. A charge on a charge remains a charge and does not become a 'surcharge.' Also, I am not quite sure how 'charge' translates into 'mark' in the sense of the overprint. This meaning of 'mark' puts the emphasis on it being a symbol, rather than an overprinted value.

If the heraldic use if charge is indeed the origin, below stamps posted by danstamps54 are surcharged.



This being the one example I have never seen referred to as 'surcharged.'

Academic discussion aside, every time I see the word surcharge in my life it means I just became a bit poorer.

In my philatelic world, this is how I perceive these words;

surcharge and/or revaluation = change in denomination
overprint = a method of printing content on top of an existing surface

So a surcharge or revaluation can be applied as an overprint.
Don

This is how I perceive the 2 words:

Surcharge: an increase in the face value of an item, which preserves the original face value and adds to it. This can be done during the original printing (often seen with semi-postals), or by a later overprint.

(This would mean there is no such thing as a reduction in value via surcharge for purposes of a definition, but I have an open mind to see a proposed example to discuss, since there is probably one unusual exception or two that will be pointed out here shortly.)

Revaluation: a change in value, which completely negates the original value and replaces it with an entirely new face value.

Except in Yvert, of course. But we've already established that the French don't count.

(I kid, I kid, my French friends. I love your coquilles st jacques. And of course your fries.)

noix de Saint-Jacques.
I would not recommend eating them with their shells.




The French would throw 'French fries' in the garbage bin and tell you they are an American product.
They, usually, cut their pommes frites a lot coarser.