New To This Site Need Info On French Colonies

I have been collecting since the early 50s. I have a lot of stamps and have been playing on and off with French Colonies. The only way I will collect them is if they are cancelled with the correct small or large number cancel. This is an important question that I need an answer to asap. There is an auction I am looking at that has 2 copies copies of what appear to be Scott France 35 (40c pale orange perf 13 x 13.5) with the large number 5080 cancel. I was not aware the perf issues were used in the colonies but the cancel clearly shows they were. Could this be a fake cancel? I also have coming in the mail a 10c (French Colonies #10). The only problem is it is not a Ceres but rather a Napoleon stamp. Scott does not list this. The cancel is small number #3716 and 3760. Can anyone tell me what I have or what I will probably bid on. The auction ends Sunday. Thanks, Allan
Send me an email as well as a reply here. I have never used this site before and I am not sure I will be able to find a reply to this.
Thanks again

Allan you are discussing many things in your post. I will only respond on your France Scott # 35 (or Spink Maury 2017 Cat # 31) a 40c Napoléon III Lauré, with a perf of 14X13 1/2 and not 13X13.5. In Scott's French Colonies, this would correspond to # 14, but #14 is imperf. I did not see in either Catalogue (and Maury does present various cancels) a cancel with a large number 5080. I would guess this might represent a Colony cancel but the subject is not discussed in Maury Catalogue and this is a Specialized France Catalogue with more details than Scott. Good luck !

Thanks, just more of a mystery. I have an 2006 Yvert & Tellier catalogue and it lists some of the large and small cancels. It shows that the large 5080 was used by Alexanrie probably in Egypt.

Allan

I think you will like to look at this link which describes the pair of 40 c. orange Ceres stamps (1871-75) with a big 5080 cancel from Alexandria, Egypt.........

https://corinphila.ch/en/_auctions/..._all_lots=1#