Semi-postal stamp facts for kids
A semi-postal stamp is a special kind of postage stamp that helps raise money for good causes. It's also called a charity stamp. When you buy one, you pay a little extra money beyond the cost of postage. This extra money goes to a specific charity or project.
Often, these stamps show two numbers. For example, it might say "10c + 5c". This means 10 cents is for postage, and 5 cents is the extra donation. Sometimes, only the postage value is shown, but you still pay a higher price when you buy it. The extra amount is the donation.
The First Charity Stamps
The very first semi-postal was actually a postal card. It was released in 1890 in the United Kingdom. This card celebrated the Uniform Penny Post, which made sending letters cheaper. The card cost one penny to send, but it was sold for sixpence. The extra money helped postal workers.
The first semi-postal stamps came out in 1897. They were issued by the Australian colonies of New South Wales and Victoria. These stamps celebrated Queen Victoria's 60th year as queen, called her Diamond Jubilee. They had a postage value of one or two pennies. But they were sold for much more, like one shilling or two shillings and sixpence. This was a big increase! The extra money went to hospitals. For example, in New South Wales, it helped a home for people with tuberculosis.
In 1900, the Australian states of Victoria and Queensland also issued charity stamps. These stamps raised money for soldiers returning from the Boer War and their families.
Charity Stamps in the 1900s
Semi-postal stamps became very popular in European countries in the early 1900s. Many countries started issuing them every year. For example, Switzerland has had its "Pro Juventute" series since 1913. These stamps raise money for youth programs.
During World War I, many countries issued semi-postal stamps to help the Red Cross. The extra money you pay on these stamps is called a "surcharge." Usually, this surcharge is a small part of the stamp's postage value.
The United Kingdom's Royal Mail didn't start using semi-postals until later. Their first one was in 1975. It had a postage value of 4.5 pence and an extra 1.5 pence for charity. The money went to health and disability charities. However, this stamp wasn't very popular, and the UK has issued few semi-postals since then.
Some countries outside Europe also started using them. New Zealand has issued "health stamps" every year since 1929. The Cook Islands and Niue, which are near New Zealand, also often issue charity stamps for Christmas or Easter.
The United States started using semi-postals much later. Their first one was the Breast cancer research stamp, issued in July 1998. Since then, the U.S. has issued more charity stamps for different causes, like Alzheimer's disease.
Helping After Disasters
Semi-postal stamps are not just for health or youth programs. They are also sometimes used to raise money after natural disasters. These are often called disaster relief stamps.
For example, in 1971, India issued stamps to help refugees. In 1982, the Falkland islands issued a "rebuilding fund" stamp. This was after a war over the islands. This stamp had a postal value of £1 and an extra £1 surcharge. It was mainly aimed at stamp collectors.
Smaller island nations often use charity stamps after hurricanes or cyclones. For instance, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines issued hurricane relief stamps in 1980. Tonga issued a cyclone relief stamp in 1982. Sometimes, they just add an overprint (extra printing) to existing stamps to show the reason for the surcharge.
See also
In Spanish: Semipostal para niños
- Postal tax stamp
