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Post by captphil on Oct 18, 2024 6:17:03 GMT
From the 1940s until the 1990s, France had a tradition of creating a batch of imperforate stamps from the first sheets printed of most new designs. I have a fondness for them and I've accumulated a small hoard over time. I hope to present them as a gallery here soon.
But first, I'd like to learn all I can about them. Were quantities always limited to 20 sheets? Who was in the pecking order to get free stamps? Wasn't there a subscription model later on? They were once seen as a collectors scam, do many still feel that way?
So, I'm saying I know some but not everything. Tell me more, and I'll be glad to show my handsome French imperfs.
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Post by captphil on Oct 18, 2024 6:21:57 GMT
France sc 687, French Dress Industry,, 1953. Engrsvervby our man Pierre Gandon. He hated the colors....
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Post by franoise on Oct 18, 2024 7:03:41 GMT
There was no public sale and no subscription for those imperforate stamps.
From Wiki (in French) : "Par ailleurs, dans certains pays, comme la France, ses colonies ou Monaco, certains dirigeants de tutelle de la Poste ont reçu des tirages non dentelés des timbres émis. Il semble que ces personnes en ont fait profiter amis et relations, et souvent en ont tiré profit eux-mêmes, puisqu'il y avait un marché pour ces timbres. Chaque nouvelle émission de timbres faisait l'objet de la fabrication de 24 feuilles de 50 timbres non dentelés offertes à des personnes bien choisies, au nombre desquelles le ministre chargé des postes et son directeur de cabinet et un certain nombre de hauts fonctionnaires. Ceux qui connaissaient la valeur de ces timbres les revendaient en s'adressant à une entreprise spécialisée. Cet avantage octroyé à quelques personnes n'était évidemment pas connu de l'administration fiscale et ne reposait sur aucune justification. Sous l'influence de la Cour des comptes, ce système peu acceptable a été abandonné sous le Gouvernement Jospin."
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Post by captphil on Oct 18, 2024 7:30:31 GMT
The above was originally in French. The system translated it later. Thanks again.
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Post by franoise on Oct 18, 2024 7:41:28 GMT
Here is a translation : "Furthermore, in some countries, such as France, its colonies or Monaco, some of the Post Office's supervisors received imperforate copies of the stamps issued. It seems that these people passed them on to friends and relations, and often profited themselves, since there was a market for these stamps. For each new issue of stamps, 24 sheets of 50 imperforate stamps were produced and offered to selected individuals, including the minister responsible for the post office, his chief of staff and a number of senior civil servants. Those who knew the value of these stamps resold them by contacting a specialist company. The tax authorities were obviously unaware of this advantage, and there was no justification for it. Under the influence of the Cour des Comptes, this unacceptable system was abandoned under the Jospin government."
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Post by captphil on Oct 18, 2024 7:57:30 GMT
Thank you. Franoise. This is very close to what I have read from different sources. Several times I have read the limit was 20 sheets, although the sheets could be 10 stamps. 20 stamps. 50 or 100 stamps, so actual quantities varied. With the larger art stamps this made for very small quantities printed.
I am aware that these were never used for postage, so of course they were never sold over the counter. I did read once ( how true?) that in the 1970s they were avaliable through "licensed" stamp dealers, but I cannot remember when or where I read that.i understand now that the Jospin/Chirac government ended this in 1997.
Thank you again for the translation.
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Post by captphil on Oct 19, 2024 13:36:46 GMT
France sc 692A, 12f value In Memoriam Leclerc, 1954. France sc 729, Chateau Villandry, 1954. France sc 799, Birth Centennial of Marshal d'Esperey, WW1 Leader, 1956. France sc 807-09, Major Infrastructure, 1956. France sc 859, Cervantes, 12f from set of 7, 1957. Dealing with the selvudge with imperfs can be a chore. Best practice is to leave them on, but i have seen the margins trimmed to fit in stickbooks better. France sc 878, French Pavillion at Brusseles Expo, 1958.
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Post by captphil on Oct 19, 2024 14:03:55 GMT
France sc 889-90, Europa 1958. France sc 914, 175th Opening of National Mining School, 1959. France sc 1091-92, Arms of Niory & Gueret, 1964. France sc 1101, 40c le Corbusier's Chapel at Ronchamp, 1964.
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Post by captphil on Oct 19, 2024 16:08:11 GMT
France sc 1112, Chateau Joux, 1965. France sc 1133, National Reforestation Campaign, 1965. France sc 1134, Tercentenary of Settlement of Reunion, 1965. France sc 1155, Rhone Bridge at Pont Saint Esprit, 1966.
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Post by captphil on Oct 19, 2024 16:22:32 GMT
France sc 1157, Bicentennial of Return of Lorraine and Barrois, 1966. France sc 1158, Sevre River at Niort, 1966. France sc 1159, 300th Anniversary Academy des Sciences, 1966. France sc 1162, Oberon Bridge, 1966.
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Post by captphil on Oct 19, 2024 16:38:29 GMT
France sc 1170, Tidal Power Station, Race River, 1966. France sc 1171, 3rd Congress European Broadcasters Union, 1967. France sc 1218, 50th Anniversary Paris-St. Nazaire Airmail, 1968.
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Post by captphil on Oct 19, 2024 17:57:50 GMT
France sc 1232, Church at Brou, Chantilly, 1969. France sc 1233, Voglans Sam, Jura, 1969. France sc 1235, Trinity sur Mer, 1969.
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Post by captphil on Oct 19, 2024 21:53:27 GMT
France sc 1282, 25th Anniversary of Liberation of the Camps, 1970. France sc 1306, French Revolution, Battle of Valmy (1792), 1971. France sc 1307, French Revolution, Storming of the Bastille (1788), 1971. France 1309, Aid to Rural Families, 1971. France sc 1311, Fountain at Dole, 1971.
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Post by captphil on Oct 21, 2024 15:36:05 GMT
France sc 1312, 90c Riquewihr, 1973. France sc 1313, 1.10f Fort at Sedan, 1971. France sc 1333, World Health Month. April, 1972. France sc 1336, Founding of the National Academy of Medicine, 1971. France sc 1320, Embroidery Industry, 1971.
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Post by captphil on Oct 21, 2024 17:32:48 GMT
France sc 1339, 65c Eagle Owl, Nature Protection, 1972. France sc 1343, "Cote d'Emeraude," 1972.
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stainlessb
Member
qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep
Posts: 4,899
What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Oct 21, 2024 17:46:56 GMT
captphil an impressive effort! I have a few, but as I stop at the end of pre-decimal, and really haven't looked that hard. There was recently (last couple of days) a good size lot of blocks of 4 imperf issues. I placed a few bids, but it quickly got above what my interest inspired me to spend more on! Maybe you won?
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Post by captphil on Oct 21, 2024 18:07:47 GMT
No, that was not me. I only dabble these days, one stamp at a time and I hope to have a nice one coming soon. But still I have a few more modern imperfs to show as well as airmails and some semi-postals to go. Thanks very much for your compliments.
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Post by captphil on Oct 21, 2024 18:12:58 GMT
France sc 1351, Scenes from French History, 1972. France sc 1358, Polish Immigration of 1920s, 1973. France sc 1864a, Bicentennial of Manned Flight, 1983.
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Post by captphil on Oct 21, 2024 18:51:12 GMT
France sc C37, Nordatlas used & imperf, 1960. France sc C38, MS 760 Paris used & imperf, 1960. France sc C40, Alouette used & imperf, 1960
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Post by captphil on Oct 22, 2024 15:41:20 GMT
France sc C47, 15f Guillaumet & Codos, aviation pioneers, 1973. France sc C50, 65th Anniversary 1st Airmail Villacoublay-Pauillac, 1978.
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Post by captphil on Oct 22, 2024 17:34:04 GMT
France sc C45, Didier Daurat, Raymond Vanier, aviation pioneers, 1971. France sc C49, Transatlantic Flight Attempts, 1977.
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Post by captphil on Oct 22, 2024 18:29:23 GMT
France sc B377, 20c+5c from 20th Anniversary of Liberation, 1964.
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Post by captphil on Oct 22, 2024 19:10:23 GMT
France sc B387, de la Rocheloucauld, Red Cross Personalities 1965.
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Post by captphil on Oct 22, 2024 19:24:06 GMT
France sc B379, Duke Charles de Orleans, Red Cross Personalities 1965.
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Post by captphil on Oct 23, 2024 17:20:03 GMT
France sc B391, Paquette " La Guienne " 1965. France sc B441, Fight Against Cancer, 1970.
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Post by captphil on Nov 2, 2024 15:45:37 GMT
Oy, this one's a keeper! France sc 496, 25f black reissue of 15f stamp sc 473 from June 10, 1944. Reissued by de Gaulle government, October 1944, imperf, mnh.
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