FRANCE Newspaper and Telegraph stamps

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Newspaper stamps

1868 Newspaper stamp, imperial eagle, inscription 'TIMBRE IMPERIAL JOURNAUX'

  2 c blue (imperforated or perforated)
  2 c lilac (imperforated or perforated)

Reprints exist of these stamps (made in 1913, rare). Futhermore fiscal stamps in the same design: 2 c red, 5 c lilac, 5 c blue and 5 c red.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I know that forgeries of these stamps exist, for example in the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries the values 2 c and 5 c can be found as forgeries (they also appear in Fournier's 1914 pricelist for 1 Swiss Franc as first choice forgeries, either perforated or imperforate). They appear there with a large 'EL' or 'RO' cancel together with a line and '1870' above it. But this need not always be the case for these forgeries.

Forged stamps as they can be found in a Fournier album.

Most likely a Fournier forgery.

There is a horizontal line in the upper left part of the second 'U' of 'JOURNAUX', but this is often invisible due to the cancel (source: Serrane guide).

Telegraph stamps

1868 Inscription 'EMPIRE FRANCAIS TELEGRAPHES'

The following values exist: 25 c red, 50 c green, 1 F orange and 2 F violet (all of them imperforate or perforated, the perforated issues are more common).

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I know that forgeries of these stamps exist, for example in the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries the values 25 c and 2 F can be found as forgeries (they also appear in Fournier's 1914 pricelist for 1 Swiss Franc as first choice forgeries both, either imperforate or perforated).

Fournier forgeries as taken from a Fournier Album.

The following cancels can also be found in this album under Alsace, but I think they were used on telegraphic stamps of France instead (the date is 1869! Stamps of Alsace were only issued in 1870):

(Reduced sizes, 'METZ FEV 69' and 'MOLSHEIM JUIN. 69')

I have seen an imperforate 2 F Fournier forgery with the above 'MOLSHEIM 12 JUIN. 69' cancel (apparently the date was added in later, see image above). I've also seen pairs of 25 c and 2 F imperforate Fournier forgeries in a Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries.

According to the Serrane guide, the 'U' of 'OUDINE' is not tall enough in the Fournier forgeries. Also the forged Fournier cancels 'CAEN 12 JUIN 69' and 'LE HAVRE 8 FEVR 68' are mentioned there.

Another forgery of the imperforate 1 F value was made by the forger Sperati. He appears to have made cancelled and uncancelled forgeries.

Sperati forgeries of the 1 F stamp

Sperati forgery with 'NONTRON 2 JANV. 70' cancel

In the Sperati forgery, there are some white spots near the 'CA' of 'FRANCAIS': the 'C' appears to have a tail and the 'A' has a white blotch at the left hand side. The outline of the wing on the right hand side is broken in several places in the forgery, while it is continuous in the genuine stamps. The cancels he used on this forgery are 'FECAMP 1 AVRIL 63' (octogonal telegraph cancel), but also the following way octagonal cancels: 'CASSIS JANV 68', 'ETAIN JUIN 69' and 'NONTRON 2 JANV. 70'.

Part of an envelope, woman with inscription 'REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE TELEGRAPHE':

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer