French Stamps
Definitives of 1940-1942
The first definitive french stamps for the new Vichy government began to appear in 1940, continuing through 1941 and 1942.
Due to the urgent need for new definitive postage stamps by the government of Vichy France, large numbers of stamps of the recently abolished Third
Republic were overprinted and re-valued.
The eighteen commemorative and definitive french stamps of the former Third Republic, shown above, were overprinted and re-valued during 1940 and 1941.
Their designs have been previously described.
Their catalog attributes are as follows:
- 30 C. on 35 C. (1941 - Y&T #476, Sc. #400) - Green.
- 50 C. on 55 C. (1941 - Y&T #478, Sc. #401) - Dull Violet.
- 50 C. on 65 C. (1941 - Y&T #479, Sc. #402) - Ultramarine.
- 50 C. on 75 C. (1941 - Y&T #480, Sc. #403) - Olive Green.
- 50 C. on 75 C. (1941 - Y&T #477, Sc. #404) - Orange Brown.
- 50 C. on 80 C. (1941 - Y&T #481, Sc. #405) - Orange.
- 50 C. on 90 C. (1941 - Y&T #482, Sc. #406) - Ultramarine.
- 01.00 F. on 01.25 F. (1941 - Y&T #483, Sc. #407) - Carmine Rose.
- 01.00 F. on 01.40 F. (1941 - Y&T #484, Sc. #408) - Red Violet.
- 01.00 F. on 01.50 F. (1941 - Y&T #485, Sc. #409) - Dark Blue.
- 01.00 F. on 01.75 F. (1940 - Y&T #486, Sc. #397) - Ultramarine.
- 01.00 F. on 02.25 F. (1941 - Y&T #487, Sc. #398) - Ultramarine.
- 01.00 F. on 02.50 F. (1941 - Y&T #488, Sc. #399) - Green.
- 01.00 F. on 02.15 F. (1940 - Y&T #489, Sc. #410) - Violet Brown.
- 02.50 F. on 05.00 F. (1941 - Y&T #490, Sc. #411) - Ultramarine.
- 05.00 F. on 10.00 F. (1941 - Y&T #491, Sc. #412) - Brown on Blue.
- 10.00 F. on 20.00 F. (1941 - Y&T #492, Sc. #413) - Blue Green.
- 20.00 F. on 50.00 F. (1941 - Y&T #493, Sc. #414) - Ultramarine.
The four large-format portrait definitive French stamps of the Vichy government, shown above (Y&T #470-473, Sc. #415-418), were issued in January and February of 1941 in honor of Marshal Petain. The stamps are engraved and perforated 13.
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Petain (1856-1951), a
French General Officer and hero of the Battle of Verdun during World War
I, was the nominal Head-of-State of Vichy France from 1940 to 1944.
The twenty-three portrait definitive french stamps of the Vichy government, shown above, were issued between 1941 and 1942.
The designs feature various contemporary portraits of Marshal Petain.
The catalog attributes, for stamps that are typographed and perforated 14 x 13 1/2, are as follows:
- 20 C. (1942 - Y&T #505, Sc. #427) - Lilac.
- 30 C. (1941 - Y&T #506, Sc. #428) - Rose Red.
- 40 C. (1941 - Y&T #507, Sc. #429) - Ultramarine.
- 50 C. (1941 - Y&T #508, Sc. #431) - Deep Green.
- 60 C. (1942 - Y&T #509, Sc. #432) - Violet.
- 70 C. (1942 - Y&T #510, Sc. #433) - Sapphire.
- 70 C. (1942 - Y&T #511, Sc. #434) - Orange.
- 80 C. (1941 - Y&T #512, Sc. #435) - Brown.
- 80 C. (1942 - Y&T #513, Sc. #436) - Emerald.
- 01.00 F. (1941 - Y&T #514, Sc. #437) - Rose Red.
- 01.20 F. (1942 - Y&T #515, Sc. #438) - Red Brown.
- 01.50 F. (1941 - Y&T #516, Sc. #439) - Rose.
- 01.50 F. (1942 - Y&T #517, Sc. #440) - Red Brown.
- 02.00 F. (1942 - Y&T #518, Sc. #441) - Blue Green.
- 02.40 F. (1942 - Y&T #519, Sc. #443) - Rose Red.
- 02.50 F. (1941 - Y&T #520, Sc. #444) - Ultramarine.
- 03.00 F. (1941 - Y&T #521, Sc. #445) - Orange.
- 04.00 F. (1942 - Y&T #521A, Sc. #446) - Ultramarine.
- 04.50 F. (1941 - Y&T #521B, Sc. #447) - Dark Green.
The catalog attributes, for stamps that are engraved and perforated 14 x 13 or perforated 13, are as follows:
- 04.00 F. (1942 - Y&T #522, Sc. #448) - Ultramarine.
- 04.50 F. (1942 - Y&T #523, Sc. #449) - Dark Green.
- 05.00 F. (1942 - Y&T #524, Sc. #450) - Prussian Green.
- 50.00 F. (1942 - Y&T #525, Sc. #451) - Black.
The 1.50 F. denomination was also issued in booklets, containing panes of 10 stamps. The booklet panes are worth very little more than the catalog value of 10 sheet-format stamps.
eBay Auction and Store Links
France Postage Stamps
The following links feature category-focused affiliated seller listings on various eBay sites worldwide. They may enable visitors to shop
for and to buy specific items for the
particular collecting subject they've just read about.
The
affiliated eBay seller auction lots provided by eBay,
Inc. are not the responsibility of the management of this
website. On high priced material, make sure the lots you are buying are properly authenticated.
Remember
that the lots on European eBay sites are priced in EUROS. Shipping
charges may be more, and the lots may take longer to arrive. Also, make
sure the foreign seller ships to your country, before bidding on or
buying his lot.
Return to French Stamps from
Definitives of 1940-1942
