Need Help About This Stationery Card.

I came across this card, it looks strange that the Napoleon vignette in the upper right was supposed to be essay and now it is used as postal stationery card, what is more strange is that the card left Belgium for France, does anyone know the background of this postal stationery?

Supposed it was a essay for Napoleon-stamped postal card and mistakenly used as a regular postal stationery?

Why it's shipped from Belgium?

Is the vignette postage legit? and what is the denomination?



here is the usual appearance of the essay.


*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***

Could it be possible to post a scan or a better picture?


Peter

The Belgian stamps were cancelled at Marchienne-au-Pont that is close to Montigny-le-Tilleul. Both are in the province of Hainaut in Belgium.
Maybe someone from Belgium acquired the card in France and used it at home. Marchienne-au-Pont is close to the French border.

Alternatively, someone from France may have been in Marchienne-au-Pont and posted the item there to save on the cost of postage.

Adressed to a Sylvain Dothée, painter. A painter "Sylvain" Joseph Dothée, born 27 April 1853 in Molenbeek was active in Montigny-le-Tilleul from 1891 until 1906 and died there 18 June 1934. But he cannot be the addressee.

Yes Peter, here is the clear photo of the vignette

Looks fishy to me.

No value, FRANG. instead of FRANC., doesn't reference France above Carte Postale (not that it has to...not every piece of French postal stationery does, though many do).

Would the Belgian stamps have paid contemporaneous postage for a card mailed in Belgium, to Belgium? (Seems high, but what do I know?)

@NSK

Very interesting.........

@Cjd

I think the vignette was from the same die of the essay, which also shows FRAN"G".

I noticed that. I have no actual information to impart...hopefully someone will come along with more info about the card.

The two 2c stamps would have been rather old in 1897, no?

Those Napoleon labels are not essays but cinderellas
Issued in 1896,not 1854 as found on some Internet sources.
9 perf. values exist,and 8 imperf.
They can be found with pleasant cancels "Paris rue de Vaugirard" or "Tombeau de Napoleon 1er Invalides"

vayolene,
Well done.
Don

I read the year in the cancellation as 1857. But it could be 1897. That would tie in nicely with the issue (or rather publishing) date of 1896. It, also, makes "Sylvain" Joseph Dothée a likely recipient.

I came across that name 'googling' for "Sylvain Dothée paintre montigny le tilleul." Since the card did not bear an address but did identify the recipient as "painter" he might well have been known and mentioned on the web.

The Belgian post office may well have mistaken the impression for a stamp, since it was cancelled in Marchienne-au-Pont, like the Belgian stamps, and on the same date.

I figured 1897 was the only option for the cancel based on the issue date of the 1c arms stamp.

I had not checked those yet. Never assume always check! But I did not check that: too late at night.