also: たかふだ
official bulletin board (Edo period)
Historical term for a wooden board used by the shogunate or domain to post laws and official notices in public places. Primarily associated with the Edo period.
highest bid; highest tender
Used in auctions and bidding contexts. The reading たかふだ is more common for this sense, but こうさつ is also used.
His bid became the highest bid at the auction.
Only with reading こうさつ
Honorific term used to refer respectfully to someone's letter. Restricted to the reading こうさつ.
During the Edo period, shogunate laws were posted on the official bulletin board.
Thank you very much for your letter the other day.
Standard kanji spelling for the historical bulletin board and the honorific letter sense. Also used for the highest bid sense, though たかふだ is more common for that meaning.
Common reading for the highest bid sense, especially in auction contexts.
Compound of 高 (high) and 札 (board, tag, or letter). The historical bulletin board sense derives from the practice of posting notices on elevated boards. The highest bid sense comes from the idea of a 'high tag' or 'high card'. The honorific letter sense uses 高 as a respectful prefix.