Counterstamp

/ˈkaʊntərˌstæmp/ noun

Definition

A mark, seal, or stamp applied on top of or in response to another stamp, especially on official documents or coins.

Etymology

From 'counter-' plus 'stamp,' which comes from Old Norse 'stempa' meaning to press. Used in numismatics and administrative history to describe official stamps placed over previous ones to indicate changes in authority or validity.

Kelly Says

Historians treasure counterstamps on ancient coins because they reveal political revolutions—a ruler's face overstamped with their successor's head tells the exact moment power changed hands, sometimes even revealing which coins were removed from circulation.

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