French Postal History--Part 2

The second Republic

I'll start with a very interesting entire. It was sent on January 18, 1853, but I can't read where from. It is addressed to a person, who is a clerk with a notary in the Rue of the 4 Churches. Which leads me to believe it is a local letter. It has two black circular hand stamps, Paris and Savoy, both on January 20, which kills the assumption that it is local. It is franked with a President Louis Napoleon (2nd Republic) 25 centimes (SG 39) and imperforated. Although the stamp is not in a good condition, one can see the little "B" under the bust, which refers to the engraver M.Barre.

The second Empire

Next is a small cover, sent from Vif on November 7, 1856 to Romans (Dept Drôme) via Grenoble. It has 3 circular hand stamps: Vif 7 Nov; Grenoble 8 Nov and Romans 9 Nov. It has a black wax seal and is franked with a pair of imperf 10cts Emperor Napoleon 3 (SG.50a), with a dotted diamond cancelation.

The following cover is from Nantes to RizOranges and travelled on the train from Nantes to Paris. It was sent on June 26 and arrived on June 27 1855. It has a private red wax seal on the back and is franked with an imperf. 20 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 51) which has a diamond shaped dotted cancelation with a number (illegible) in the center.

This would be one of the smallest covers, that I have seen. It measures 10cm x 6½cm. It was sent from Laigle, on June 24, 1862, went on the train between Cherbourg and Paris and arrived in Paris on June 25, 1862.All this in circular hand stamps. The postage stamp is a 20 centimes, imperf. Napoleon 3 (SG 51), cancelled with the dots in diamond shape, wherein the number 8197.

This cover is not much bigger than the previous one. It measures 12cm X 6½cm. It was sent from Paris to London. It has an orange "PD" hand stamp, which means that postage has been paid to the destination. The English orange circular stamp confirms that. It left Paris on 5 September 1867 and arrived in London on September 8. The postage stamp is a 40 centimes Napoleon 3, (SG 119) which is cancelled with dots in star shape and the number 1 in the centre.

Here is another small cover (11cm x 7cm). It left Paris on January 6, 1867 and went on the train "Paris a Bordeaux". It arrived in Libourne, Gironde on January 7, but was sent on to Lussac (also in Gironde) on January 8, 1867. It is franked with a 10 centimes Napoleon 3, (SG 91).

Here we have an other cover, that went to England. It left Pau on October 10 and went on the train from Bordeaux to Paris. Then it went on the Paris to LeHavre train and arrived in Carsnathon (Surrey) on October 12, 1868. It has the orange P.D. hand stamp (Paid to destination) and the Enlish "Paid" hand stamp. It is franked with a pair of 20 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 115a), which are cancelled with two sets of dots in diamond shape, with the number 2795.

Next cover is sent from Grenoble to Marcelin on the 5th of March 1866. It arrived the next day and is franked with a 20 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 95), which is cancelled with dots in diamond shape with the number 1716.

This is a small wrapper sent from Niort on May 16, 1871 to St.Maixent, where it arrived the next day (17th). It is franked with a 20 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 115a, where Napoleon wears a Laurel wreath.)and is cancelled with the dots in diamond pattern and number 2669.

Here is an entire, that was sent from Montpellier on November 10, 1855 to Florence in Italy, where it arrived on November 14, 1855. It travelled via Marseilles and then to Livorno. It looks as if there is now a postal agreement in place for mail to foreign countries as there are two hand stamps of PD (Postage paid to destination). The letter is franked with a pair and a threesome of 20 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 115a), making it a total postage of 1 franc. The stamps are cancelled with the dots in diamond shape, but I cannot decypher the number.

The next item is an entire, sent from Toulouse on Sept. 3, 1861 to Lisieux in Calvados, where it was received on the 6th. The reason for this delay is explained by the black hand stamp "APRÈS LE DÉPART", which tells you that the letter was received in the postoffice, after the mail had already gone. It was franked with a 20 centimes Napoleon 3 (a cut in SG 51), cancelled with the dotted diamond and the number 3383.

Here we have an entire, which was sent on November 5, 1861 from Anger,went on the train from Paris to Cherbourg the next day and arrived in Lissieux (Calvados) also on the 6th. It is franked with a 20cts imperforated Napoleon 3 (SG 51) with a diamond dotted cancel and the number 73.

The following entire is a bit of a mystery. As the writer does not reveal the origin of the letter, we have to assume by the Bordeaux hand stamp (16 Nov 1861), that this is the post office of departure. Bordeaux being in the south of France, I can only assume that the hand stamp, that I cannot decypher is of the train "Bordeaux to Paris" and it then went on the train Paris to Cherbourg and landed in Lissieux in Calvados.And all that in one day. It is being franked with a 20 centimes imperforated Napoleon 3 (SG 51) and cancelled with the dotted diamond and number 441.The number 441 belonged to the post office at St.Hillaire-Peyroux in Corrèze untill 1874.

Next we have a local Parisian letter, from one notary to another. It was sent from Bouly Sebastopol 9, on the left bank to the Rue de bondi 38. It was written on July 31, 1861 and franked with a 10 centimes imperforated Napoleon 3 (SG 50a), cancelled with the dotted diamond and the number 9.

Here we have an entire that went from Gaillon (Eure) to Lisieux. It left Gaillon on October 22, 1863 and went on the train Paris to Cherbourg (23-10-1863) and arrived in Lisieux on the 23rd.It was franked by a 20 centimes imperforated Napoleon 3 (SG 51) and was cancelled by a dotted diamond and the number 1361.

This entire was written in Nantes on the 25th of April 1865, mailed the same day and travelled on the Nantes to Paris train, also on the 25th and arrived in Paris on the 26th. It is franked by a pair of 10 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 91) and cancelled with three dotted diamonds and the number 2602.

This entire was written in Le Havre on October 30, 1865 and posted the same day. It was addressed to the Rothchild Brothers in Paris. In Paris it was stamped "Poste restante 31 Oct 65" and that was probably the reason for the high postage. It was franked with a 40 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 97) and cancelled with the dotted diamond and the number 1769.

The next entire was written in Paris and sent on October 23, 1865, to Cosne where it arrived on the 24th, after having travelled on the train from "Paris to Clermont". It is also franked with a 40 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 97),which lead me to believe that the postal rates have gone up. The stamp was cancelled with the usual dotted diamond, but I cannot decypher the number.

The following entire was written in Paris on July 3, 1866 and mailed the same day to Malaga in Spain, where it was received on the 7th of July 1866. It was franked with a 40 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 119 ) and cancelled with a dotted star and the number 1 (which seemed to have been the number of the GPO in Paris, in the "Place de la bourse".)

Here is another entire, that is also bound for foreign shores.It was written in Bordeaux on May 16, 1867 and mailed on the 22nd of that month. It then went on the train "Bordeaux to Paris" (22 May 1867). It probably was dispatched in bulk from Paris, as there is no "Paris to Havre" hand stamp. It has the orange PD (paid to destination) hand stamp and an orange circular Philadelphia stamp (which is almost illegible). It was franked with an 80 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 98) and cancelled with the dotted diamond and the number 532.

This cover is a local Parisian letter sent on the 13th of March 1870. It is franked with a 10 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 113a) and cancelled with the dotted star and the number "2"(The number 2 post office in Paris at the Place Lazare?)

Here we have what looks like a bill for a funeral. It was written in Marseilles on April 18, 1868 and sent to Malta by the packet boat "Desmageres", and arrived on April 28, 1868. It was franked with a 40 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 119) and cancelled with a dotted diamond and the number "2240". It does have the PD stamp (paid to destination).

This entire was written in Montpellier on September 11, 1869. It was cancelled at the railway station at Montpellier on the same day. It then went on the train to Tarascon and finished up in Turin on September 13, 1869. It has a black "PD" (Paid to destination) stamp. Also a "3" in a cicle and a "1A Dist 13" black oval stamp, which may be Italian markings. It is franked with a pair of 20 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 115a) and 2 dotted diamonds and the number "27".

The last entry for the 2nd Empire is a cover from Versailles to Paris. It was sent and received on August 30, 1867 and is franked by a 40 centimes Napoleon 3 (SG 119), which seems a very high postage for the distance involved. The stamp is cancelled with a dotted diamond and the number "4158".

The third Republic

After Napoleon 3 had declared war onto Prussia in 1870 and was soundly defeated at Sedan in 1870, he lost his throne and France became the 3rd Republic. One of the early entires of the Third republic is this statement of invoices, sent from Tours on March 22, 1872 to Mont Cazon (Indre et Loire) where it was received on March 23, 1972. It is franked with a 25 centimes "Ceres" (SG 198), cancelled with a dotted diamond and the number "3807".

The next one is a bill sent from Lyon to Geneve in Switzerland. It left Lyon on December 15, 1873 and arrived in Geneve on December 18, 1873. It has the departure and arrival circular hand stamps and also the orange "PD" hand stamp.(Paid to Destination). It is franked with a 25 centimes "Ceres" (SG 198) and a 5 centimes "Ceres" (SG 191), which are both cancelled with a dotted diamond and the number "6320".

Here is a tiny wrapper, that was sent from Grevino to Santenay. It is an interesting cover because of the many hand stamps on it. It left Grevino on October 26, 1875 and travelled that same day on the train 'Lyon to Paris" and arrived in Mirebeau-S-Beze on the 27th. Was it then transferred to train 1307 to arrive in Santenay on October 28,1875 ? It is franked with a 25 centimes "Ceres", which is cancelled with a dotted diamond and the number "1213".

With the following bill, that was sent from Lure on November 3, 1875, to Ronchamp where it was received the next day, we go back to the pre stamp days. Did the post office run out of stamps and did they therefor charge 40 centimes?

Next we have an entire that was sent from Privas on April 26, 1876 and arrived in Lyon on April 27, 1876. It is franked with a 25 centimes "Ceres" and cancelled with a hand stamp of two concentric circles with "3e-26-Avril--76" in the centre and Privas (6) in the outer circle.

This entire from Lyon to Ambert is franked with a stamp of the new "Peace and Commerce" issue. It was sent from Lyon on July 8, 1879 and arrived in Ambert (Puy de Dôme) the next day. The post office in Lyon seem to have been on "Les Terreaux". The stamp was the 15 centimes "P & C" (SG 279).

The next entire is similar to the previous one, except that there are two Lyon cancellations on the same day, but at different locations.One is Lyon La Guillotiery and the other is Lyon Rhone. It arrived in Ambert the next day, all the same. The stamp is the 15 centimes "P & C" (SG 279).

Here is a local Parisian cover. It is dated July 5th, 1889 and mailed at the Paris post office at the "Place de la Bourse" and bound for IVRY-CENTRE at SEINE. It arrived the next day and it is franked with the 15 centimes "P & C" (SG 279)

Here we see a small lettercard that took one day to travel from Paris (Bd St Germain Post office) to Amsterdam (Holland). It has an imprinted 15centimes "P & C" and a T in an upside triangle.This means that there was insufficient postage and the 0.10 above the "carte" indicates the shortfall.

The first entry in the 20th century are these two postcards. They are both franked with a 10 centimes "P & C" (SG 284), while they are addressed to two different countries. One travels from Tournus (Saone et Loire), departing October 13, 1900 and arriving in Vienna on October 22, 1900.
The other one travels from Paris (St Germaine Post office), departing September 3, 1900 and arriving in Dusseldorf, Germany on September 7, 1900.

In 1900 a new series of stamps were issued of the type "Blanc", so named after the designer. Here we see a postcard, franked with a 5 centimes "Blanc" (SG 295) sent from St. Wandrillerrancon (Seine Inférieure) on August 3, 1901 to Paris. The address is Avenue de la Grande Armée, which was named after the army that Napoleon Bonaparte took to Russia in 1812.

Next we have 3 funeral related postal items that went from France to Argentina.

The first one is a registered funeral notice,that was sent from Margaux (Gironde) on Juin 13, 1904 to Mendoza in Argentine, where it was received on July 6, 1904. It went from Margaux to Bordeaux (same day) and then to Argentina. It was apparenty at the wrong address, but that was changed by the postman. It has a "R" in a black sqare, which indicates the registration. It is franked with a 25 centimes "Sower" type (SG 320) and a 50 centimes "Olivier Merson" type (SG 305").

A similar mourning cover was sent to the same address (which was the wrong address), which left Margaux and Bordeaux on January 2. It then travelled via Rosario to Mendoza, where it arrived on the 1st of February, 1905. This cover was not registered and franked with a strip of 5 x 5 centimes "Blanc" (SG 295)

The last of the three covers seem to have carried the whole or part of the inheritance. It was sent as a registered letter from Bordeaux, with a declared value of 200 francs on April 8, 1905. It was hand stamped in Bordeaux-Chartrong and shipped on April 14, 1905, with a hand stamp "Bordeaux-Buenosayres". It arrived in Mendoza on the 10th May 1905.It was sealed with 5 wax seals and the initials of "Fouquier et Miailhe". It is franked with 2x 10 centimes "Sower" (SG 314) and 1x 1Franc "Olivier Merson".

Early in that fateful year of 1914, this cover was sent from Villeneuve Les Avignon (Gard) on February 7, 1914 to Stockholm, Sweden.It is franked with a 25 centimes "Sower" (SG 341).

It was received in Stockholm on February 11, 1914

During the war, the mail of the French Red Cross apparently did not need postage stamps, as this cover shows. It was sent by the local committee of the Red Cross at Gérardmer (Vosges) on March 29, 1915 to the head office in Paris.

Then in the last year of the "War to end all wars" a letter was sent from Sermaize les Bains (Marne) on March 14, 1918 to Marylands in the United States. It was received in Paris Etranger (Foreign) on March 16, 1918. It was inspected (censored) by the Military authorities and I assume that this happened in Paris, rather than in Sermaize les Bains. It has a strip where it was opened, with the words: "CONTROLE POSTAL MILITAIRE" and two green oval hand stamps: "CONTRÔLE par l'AUTORITÉ MILITAIRE". It is franked with a 10 centimes "Sower" (SG 334) and a 15 centimes "Sower" (SG 316).

On the 28th of February 1920, this cover was sent from Vincennes, Seine to Chicago, Illinois, USA. The sender was a man of one of the Coloniale regiments, stationed at Fort de Vincennes. The cover is franked with a 15centimes "Sower" (SG 316) and a 10 centimes "Sower" (SG 334).

This cover was sent on the 10th of November, 1929 from Troyes to Sargan, Switserland. It is franked with a pair and a single of the 50 centimes "Sower" (SG 421). The cancellation advertised the town of Troyes as the town of haberdashery.

This cover was sent from Lourdes in Hautes-Pyrenees to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on the 1st of August between 1923 and 1932. It is franked with a pair of 50 centimes "Pasteur" (SG 399)

Here we have a small cover that a mother sent to her son, from Paris to Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Although her return address is in Paris, the letter was cancelled in Cherbourg, Manche on March 18, 1927. It is franked with a 1fr50 "Pasteur" (SG 400d). The cancellation carries advertising for the town of Cherbourg.

This cover was sent from Paris (Rue de la Boetie Office) on April 23, 1924 to Munich-Gladbach in Germany. It looks to me that the addressee in Munich, was working at the offices of the Occupying Rhine army at 9 Humboldstrasse. The cover is franked with 2x 10 centimes Olympic Games stamps (SG 401) 1x 50 centimes "Pasteur" (SG 399) and a 5 centimes "Sower" (SG 380). It is also cancelled with advertising for an International exhibition about decorative art and modern industrials, held in Paris during April to October 1925.There is no return address.

This cover was sent on September 8,1937 from the Foreign Service of the United States in Paris (Post Office in the Rue d'Anjou) to Englewood, New Jersey in the USA. It is franked with two "Peace" type stamps: 1 fr (SG 512) and 1.75 frs (SG 515)

This cover was sent from Chateau Thierry in Aisne in 1937 to Melbourne, Australia. It is franked with 3x 50 centimes "Peace" stamps (SG 508).

Our next entry is a cover that went from Paris on December 24, 1938, to Gatesville in Texas, USA. It has a hand stamp saying "Imprimé", meaning it contained printed matter. It is franked with 3 "Mercury" type stamps: 10 centimes (SG 621),15 centimes (SG 622) and 20 centimes (SG 623).

Vichy France

Then the war breaks out and France surrenders in June 1940.The northern part of France is under German occupation, while the southern part becomes Vichy France, with Marshal Pétain as head of State. Here we see 2 covers: one sent from Clermont Ferrani in Puy-de-Dome to Brioude in Haute Loire on November 15, 1942 and the other sent from Nemian in Aude to Ydes in Cantal on December 2, 1943. Both covers are franked with a 1.50 Franc "Petain" (SG 721)

This cover was sent from St Maxime, Var in Vichy France to the headquarters of the International Red Cross in Geneve, Switzerland on November 24, 1942. Although it does not seem to be censored, there is a red label on it with the letters "CC.LU-3". It has a total franking of 4 Francs, but it is a mixed bag. 3x 40 centimes " 1938 Mercury" (SG 626), 1x 10 centimes "1938 Mercury" (SG 621), 1x 1fr20 "1941 Pétain" (SG 719) and 1x 1fr50 "1941 Pétain" (SG 721).

The fourth Republic

On June 6th, 1944, the invasion at Normandy takes place and on September 2, 1944, Lyon is liberated. A proud overprint on the "Mercury" stamps, (that were issued in Vichy France with "Postes Francaise" and not "Republic Francaise") puts this right with "R.F."

Now that the war is over and the 4th Republic has been proclaimed in 1945, things come slowly back to normal. This is a cover sent from Vincennes, Seine on April 29, 1949 to New York, USA. It is in an "Airmail" envelope and franked with 2 of the first post war definitives: 8 francs "Marianne" (SG 1006) and 10 francs "Marianne" (SG 1007) plus a 25 francs "Views 1" (SG 982a).

This cover was sent from the distribution office in Rue Singer in Paris to the Horlick's Malted milk company in Sydney, NSW, Australia, on May 18, 1949.(The food situation was not completely back to normal). It is franked with a vertical pair of 40 francs "1946 Air" (SG 967).

Here we have a cover that was sent from the Town Hall in Paris on September 7, 1950 to Sydney, Australia. It looks like the sender is also from Sydney, as the return address is a GPO box in Sydney. It is franked with a total of 155 francs: a pair of 5 fr "1945 Marianne" (SG 921), a 25 francs "1949 Views" (SG 1068) and a vertical strip of 3x 40 francs "1949 Views" (SG 1069).

This cover, which was sent from Paris (Av.de Wagram Post office) on October 26, 1951 with printed matter (IMPRIMÉS) to New York City, USA. It is franked with a pair of 3 francs "Provincial Coat of Arms 2" (SG 1125)

The fifth Republic

On March 27, 1958, the first year of the 5th Republic, this cover is sent to Glencoe, Illinois, USA by airmail from Wervicq-Sud in departement Nord. It is franked with three nice stamps, with a total of 75 francs, of which 5 francs are a charity surcharge. The 15 + 5 francs stamp shows the motorised postman of the " Day of the postage stamp" series (SG 1375), the 20 francs shows "Lourdes" from "Views 3" (SG 1211a) and the 35 francs is from the Tourist publicity series (SG 1354) overprinted with "Conseil de l'Europe".

These cancelations show how much the Tourist industry means to France. From now on, most cancelations carry either a tourist promotion or some other message.

This is a first day cover, that is addressed to a Philatelic Society in the same place as the cancellation, which makes it a very local letter.The first day issue (March 21 1959) was the "Day of the postage stamp (SG 1416) and the place was Lons-le-Saunier.

The postage of the stamp did however, not suffice and therefor an extra 5 francs (of the coat of arms series) (SG 1409) is on the back of the cover.

Here is a cover that went from Annecy, Haute Savoie on May 10, 1960 to New York,USA. It is franked with a pair of 0.25 fr "Marianne in ship of state" (SG 1456).The cancellation advertises Annecy as the place where you can have happy holidays.

This cover was marked to go by airmail to New York, USA on February 18, 1962 from Paris (the Post office in the Rue de Louvres).It is franked with a 0.20 fr "Sower" (SG 1455) and a 1 fr "1961 Tourist publicity" (SG 1549).

This is a cover that was sent from Paris (Rue du Conservatoire) on January 9, 1963 to Valletta on Malta, where it was received on January 13, 1963. It is franked with a pair of 0.25 fr "Marianne" (SG 1494) and the cancellation carries an advertising slogan for thr post office:" Postal information through the telephone."

This is a registered cover from the chief treasury of the Post and Telecommunications of the departement Seine, sent on March 24, 1964 to Brooklyn, New York, USA. This office must also handle the Philatelic mail, as the cancelation reads: "Paris, R.P.(Recette Principale) Philatelie". The total franking is 1.60 frs plus 0.20 fr charity surcharge, consisting of a pair of 0.20 fr and a pair of 0.50 fr of the "1964 20th anniversary of the liberation" (SG 1634 and SG 1635 carrying the surcharge) and a 0.20 fr "1963 Opening of Radio and Tv centre in Paris" (SG 1630).

It arrived in Brooklyn on April 13, 1964 and was apparently sent to another office at Greenpoint on the 14th.

Here is another registered cover from the Head office of the Post and Communications. It is addressed to the same person in Brooklyn, New York, but the flight symbol in the left hand corner indicates that it was send by airmail. It left Paris on May 4, 1965 and is franked with a threesome of 0.60 fr "Welcome and Friendship" campaign (SG 1678) and a 0.15 fr "coat of arms" (SG 1499d)

It was received in Brooklyn on May 14, 1965, but then sent to Greenpoint Station on the 15th.

On the 6th of January, 1965, this airmail cover was sent from La Garenne Colombes (a district 6.5 km from the CBD of Paris) to Montreal in Canada. It is franked with a pair of 0.50 fr Tourist Publicity 1963 (SG 1620).

This local Parisian cover was sent from the Post office in Rue des Pyrenees on the 1st of December 1965 to the Rue Vivienne in Paris. It is franked with a 0.30 fr "Gallic cock" (SG 1562a) and the cancellation carries advertising for an exhibition of Electronic components in the Salon International in Paris from 3 to 8 February 1966.

A local Parisian cover sent on 23rd of February 1970 from Rue de Chaillot post office and is franked with a 0.40 fr "Republique" stamp (SG 1768b). The cancelation carries Promotion of the Paris' Fair, which is called "Salon of Tourisme".

This is a cover sent from Nice in the Alpes Maritimes to Paris on September 8, 1970. This is at the end of the summer and the cancellation carries the message: "Safeguard the forests around the Mediteranian; Fires prohibited." It is franked with a 0.30 fr "Republique" (SG 1843) and a 0.10 frs "Coat of Arms of French towns" (SG 1499b)

This is a cover, sent from Paris on November 10, 1970 to Schaffhausen in Switzerland. It is franked with 2 "Coat of arms of towns" series: a 0.05 fr (SG 1700) and a 0.20 fr (SG 1735) and a 1.00 fr "Tourist publicity" (SG 1885). The cancellation does not carry any advertising.

This cover was sent from Aix en Provence to Paris on February 19, 1971. It is franked with a 0.50 fr "Marianne" definitive (SG 1905 and the cancellation carries advertising for the town of Aix en Provence. It reads: Aix en provence: Town of Waters and Town of Art; They come together at Aix.

This is another local Parisian cover, sent from Rue Duc post office on February 19, 1972. The cancelation is also promoting the Paris' Fair, which must be an annual event. This time it is franked with a vertical pair of 0.30 fr "Republique" (SG 1843)

This commemorative cover is cancelled at Neuilly Sabons (Hauts de Seine) on the 29th of May 1972, to commemorate the death of Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor. The actual day was May 28, but as that was on a Sunday, all post offices were closed. Who issued the cover, I do not know, but the cover is numbered "415" on the reverse side. Although it is franked with a 0.30 fr "Republique" (SG 1843) postage stamp, there is no room for an addressee.

Here is an airmail cover that was sent from Toulouse, Haute Garonne on June 8, 1973 to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Total franking is 1.50 frs, with 1x 0.50 fr "Europa" stamp (SG 2000) and a pair of 0.50 fr "Martinique Flower Cultivation" (SG 1982). The cancellation urges the use of the postal code. There is a 3 in a circle, that I cannot explain.

Nine years later, there is another airmail cover to the same address in Pennsylvania, USA, but this time sent from Roanne, Loire on March 24, 1982. The cover had insufficient postage and was therefor marked with the "T" in a triangle and franked with 1x 0.50 fr "Sabine" (SG 2217) and a 2.30 fr "Anti Racism" (SG 2525). The cancellation does not carry any advertising.

This airmail cover was sent from Bordeaux (Gironde) on May 9, 1974 to the A.C.T. in Australia. It is franked with a total of 1.60 frs; one 1.20 frs " 1972 Tourist publicity" (SG 1959) and one 0.40 fr "50years Unknown soldier" (SG 2020). The cancellation carries advertising for a booklet about postal savings.

This airmail cover was sent from Paris (Rue Singer office) to Sydney NSW, Australia on July 23, 1981. The total franking is 3.60 frs, comprising of a strip of 3x 1.20 frs "1981 Technology" (SG 2387).

The next airmail cover is very interesting, because of the advertising that it carries. It is sent from Marie du Mont in Manche on August 8, 1983 to Mortongrove in Illinois, USA. An hour and a quarter later, it arrives in Cherbourg, from where it is send on. It is franked with 3 stamps of the "Liberty" series. A 0.50 fr(SG 2450), a 1.00 fr (SG 2455) and a 2.00 frs (SG 2465)

It is the back of the cover that carries the advertisement for Utah-Beach. There is a seaside monument, a museum about the debarkation of the American troops in June 1944, tennis courts and a camping.

The next airmail cover was sent from Chalons sur Marne (Marne) on November 11, 1987 to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. It has franking of 4.20 frs, which apparently was 60 centimes short, judging by the "T 60/480" scribble. The stamps are a 2.00 frs "1986 Minerals" (SG 2736) and a 2.20 frs "1987 Philexfrance" (SG 2761). The cancellation carries advertising for the 4th International challenge to the worldchampionship of fencing, which will be held in Chalons sur Marne in February 1988.

This airmail cover was sent from Paris (Rue Epee de Bois) to Canberra, ACT, Australia on March 23, 1988. It is franked with a total of 5.40 frs being a pair of 0.50 fr "Liberty" (SG 2450) and a pair of 2.20 frs "Liberty" (SG 2467). The cancellation does not carry advertising.

These two nice covers were sent to a record company in California by a collector of "Roling Stones" material.One carries the complete strip of General de Gaulle commemoration in 1971 (SG 1937-1940) plus two "Republique) (SG1768a), while the other carries two General de Gaulle (SG 1938 and 1940) and 3x 1970 "Tourist Publicity (SG1885).

Here we have a picture postcard from Paris to Chatham New Jersey, USA.

It was sent from the Museum du Louvre post office and the cancellation shows the pyramide of "The Louvre". It is franked with a 4.30 frs commemorative of 50 years since the liberation.(SG 3210)

This pre-stamped airmail cover is sent from Metz (Central sorting office), Moselle, to Alexandria, Virginia, USA on June 18, 1999. On the reverse side it is stated that this airletter is valid throughout the world from France.

Here is another pre stamped airmail cover, but this one has additional franking. It was sent from Nice, Alpes Maritimes on May 31, 2000 to Westgate, NSW, Australia. It is pre-stamped with a 1998 Red Cross stamp (SG 3540) and was a Christmas cover. As it was used in May 2000, it needed the strip of 3x 3.00 frs "2000 73rd Philatelic congress" (SG 3667) to make up the correct postage. The Euro not yet having been introduced, is the alternative value of 0.46e on the stamp.

This airmail cover was sent from Strasbourg, Alsace to Garden Suburb, NSW, Australia on November 2, 2004. The cover is franked with 0.90 Euro, since the Euro replaced the Franc on January 1, 2002. The stamp is a 0.90 Euro "2004 Auguste Bartholdi" (SG 3952). The cancellation reads Marseillaise, (it was written in Strasbourg) and shows Marianne leading the revolt.

The following airmail cover has some interesting stamps on it. It was sent from Clapiers, Hérault to Garden Suburb, NSW, Australia on July 14, 2004. It is franked with 4 different 0.50 Euro stamps. The first is of the "2004 Farm animals" (SG 3967), the second is of "2004 Dien Bien Phu" (SG 3972), the third is "2004 Road safety" (SG 3965) and the fourth is "2004 George Sand" (SG 3960). We note that the "par avion" stickers have been replaced by "Prioritaire.

And this is also a nicely franked cover, sent from Perigueu, Dordogne, to Balmain, NSW, Australia on April 27, 2007, but without a "Prioritaire" sticker. The franking is a mixture: 2 self adhesive cartoon stamps, which were issued in a booklet of ten for letters within France, of 20gr or less. A 3.00 frs "1998 Tourist publicity" (SG 3489), a 1.00 fr or 0.15 Euro "1999 Sailing ships" (SG 3605) and a 0.01 Euro "Marianne definitive" (SG 4036)

France being inclined to issue funny stamps sometimes, is shown by this cover and the promotional pamphlet, that goes with it.

My last entry is a selection of promotional pre stamped cards from 1989 to 2003. I do not know, whether people were charged for these or whether they were issued just to promote new issues.