Editing Overprint (section)

== Change of function overprints ==
Regular stamps were also overprinted to indicate exclusive usage for a special function or combination of functions; intended for [[airmail]], [[official mail]], [[Newspaper stamp|newspapers]], [[postage due]], [[Special delivery (postal service)|special delivery]], [[Telegraph stamp|telegraph]] and so on. The official stamps of some countries like Great Britain had an overprint which defined the specific official usage; for [[Revenue stamp|inland revenue]], government parcels, office of works, [[Military stamp|military]], admiralty, [[War tax stamp|war tax]] (see below). The opposite occurs as well, in this case special function stamps are overprinted to serve as regular stamps.
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1899 Malta 5s revenue stamp.jpg|[[Postage stamps and postal history of Malta|Malta]], 1899: 5s, 1886 issue, overprinted 'Revenue' 
1900 British army telegraphs stamp.JPG|[[Postage stamps and postal history of Great Britain|Great Britain]], 1900: British 1/2d stamp overprinted 'ARMY TELEGRAPHS'
Nicaragua 1901 Sc153 used.jpg|[[Postage stamps and postal history of Nicaragua|Nicaragua]], 1901: A [[postage due]] stamp overprinted for use as regular stamp
Briefmarken Flugpost 1918.jpg|[[Postage stamps and postal history of Austria|Austria]], 1918: Austro-Hungarian Empire stamps overprinted 'FLUGPOST' for airmail. Also surcharged.
Stamp Soviet Union 1924 d1a.jpg|[[Postage stamps and postal history of Russia|Soviet Union]], 1924: regular 1918 issue overprinted 'DOPLATA' for postal duty. Also 1 kopeck surcharge.
Stamp UK MEF 1942 2p.jpg|[[Postage stamps and postal history of Great Britain|Great Britain]], 1942: British 2d stamp overprinted 'M.E.F.'  ('Middle Eastern Forces'), for military use
File:Soviet_stamp_Talalihin.jpg|Soviet Union, 1944: regular 30-kopeck stamp overprinted "AVIAPOCHTA" for airmail, and value increased to 1 [[Soviet ruble|ruble]]
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