What Are Semipostal Stamps?

Semipostal stamps are used by various countries to raise money for charitable or humanitarian causes. First used a little more than a century ago, the price of a semi-postal stamp includes payment for the item being mailed (i.e., the postage charge) and an additional surcharge that is collected by the postal authority and then directed toward charities for their use.

Although there are a couple of additional types of stamps that also raise funds for non-postal purposes (for example, war tax stamps and postal tax stamps that are required to be purchased), the postal customer's use of semipostal stamps is always strictly voluntary.

A few countries - notably Switzerland with its long-running annual Pro Juventute semipostal series - issue new semipostal stamps every year, or at least close to it. But most countries only issue them every once in a while, usually when a particularly good cause such as the need for earthquake disaster relief arises. And sadly, it was 1998 before the United States ever issued its first semipostal stamp - the Breast Cancer Awareness Stamp, US Scott # B1.

In most country stamp albums, semipostal stamps (which are also called semi-postal stamps, charity stamps or welfare stamps) are located in the Back of the Book stamp section of album pages, generally just before airmail stamps.