Two Interesting French Stamps

Does anyone have a list of early French post offices? I'd be interested in knowing which one was 489. There's also a second number,which I think is 896.



While on French stamps, here's the first one I've found with an advertising label. I don't know how common they are - at least, I couldn't find a record of one being auctioned on ebay. I presume, though, that stamps with such labels sell for more than ones without:

The first one JimJam
Google for "Gros Chiffres"
too in depth for moi.

The second, I have never seen an advert
on the selvedge before.

If you use the text string "l'art vivant"
Google will give you this at auction,
page wont load as I am on dial up

Thanks so much, rodd222 - there turns out to be Wikipedia page with a list of the post offices:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_...e_poste_français_classés_par_oblitération_Gros_Chiffres

489 is Blâmont (Meurthe) and 896 is Changy-les-Bois (Loiret).

Only problem is - the stamp is an 1853 issue and this system of assigning post offices numbers apparently didn't start until December 1862. However, as the next series of French stamps didn't come out until 1862 (I think), the previous issue was, no doubt, very much still in circulation.

I found the ebay auction page with those stamps, rod. They sold for 90 Euros.

L'Art vivant was advertised at the bottom and 'Fauroy' at the top.

While searching I found that the same stamp appeared with an ad for 'BYRRH.'

Well that's you sorted JJ,
the L'art Vivant does not seem to be
listed in Yvert & Tellier
So that is a new one for me.
They list adverts on the Sower.

I think the Sower issue was from the 1920s. Those ads attract more attention than the ads of the 1930s. I think my stamp is from 1932.

Here's a great site I use for looking up these French postmarks:

http://www.pcgc.france-timbres.net/index.php

This stamp has the smaller size of numbers, the petits chiffres, and they had different assignments than the later larger numbers, the gros chiffres.

If it is 489 then it's from Bourmont in Haute-Loire.

However, if it's 1890 as I suspect then it's from Maromme in Seine-Inférieure, priced on the site at 2.85 euros.

I think you're right, it is 1890.

Thanks for the help!

Great Link Nigel.
Saved in the links database, Thanks.

It looks like 1896, looking at the lower cancel which is more cleanly struck.

Puzzler, you're right!

I originally thought there were two different ones on the same stamp, but now I can see that they're the same. I was sure the first numeral was a '4' but I can see now that it isn't.

Anyway, 1896 is Marseilles.

These advertising labels came on stamps from booklet panes from the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s. The 2006-07 Dallay catalogue lists the individual stamps with the various labels - the "Art Vivant" label is one of the most common, judging by the relative catalogue prices. However, you actually have the rarer of the two types, as it appears to have the little hook on the top of the "c" for "centimes". Catalogue value for that was €2.50, opposed to €1.50 for the "c" without the hook.

Ryan

Thanks so much, Ryan!

I guess there is also a difference in CV for the same stamp without the label?

Yes, without the label it's a minimum value stamp.

Ryan