What Are French Colony Stamps?

Hi Everyone,
Someone in a stamp group mentioned they collect French Colonies. I am not quite sure what they are. I think they are from different countries, but how are they all associated? Were they all under France and are the stamp all old?

I did look in the Scott Catalog, and I see the countries, but I don't understand how they fall under the French Colonies category.

Is Reunion a French Colony? It's listed between France and the French Colonies.

What is interesting to me... is I love these stamps. I like to way they look, the odd animals, cultural, people carrying things, people in boats, etc.. Sorry, I am not really good at explaning, but I love these stamps, and am curious. Can someone give me a list of French Colonies and how they are related please?

Thank you,
SueStamps

And maybe some pictures of a couple good examples please? I am curious to see what they look like myself. I only very casually collect/accumulate world wide so I think it would be interesting to see! Thank you in advance.

Reunion is an overseas department of France, which would be something akin to a "state" of France. It is more than a colony. Think of it like Hawaii as a state of the U.S. (An imperfect analogy, but close enough.)

Reunion is in the Eurozone, for instance. The other overseas departments currently are Mayotte, Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana.

As for what has been a colony, and is now independent, or is now an overseas department, or is now just absorbed into something else, that would become quite an involved list. Maybe this could be the thread that starts such a list?

To further confuse things, catalogues generally have a separate list for "French Colonies" issues, which were stamps printed for use in various colonies around the world that didn't have their own stamps at the time.

Scott lists some of the French colonies right after the France listings. But as Cjd says, to make things more confusing, some of the colonies have their own listings. Often these stamps will have RF on them signifying that they are colonies of the Republic of France.

And yes, let's see some pictures!

Former French colonies offer some of the most beautiful examples of engraved stamps in my opinion.
Normally designed and engraved by experienced French teams but with the exotic subjects of the Caribbean, Africa or Asia.
The earliest examples are specifically for the colonies, then re-used early France items, then slightly modified or with overprints before having their own unique items printed.

I don't have a Scott catalog handy, but I believe that the introduction includes lists of British, French, and Portugal colonies.

It sounds much to confusing to me.

French Colonies is a very broad collecting area. To attempt to answer your original question, SueStamps, there are many different political entities that are categorized as French Colonies for stamp collecting purposes.

Some are former French colonies that are now independent countries. Some are now parts of other pre-existing states. Some were French-occupied territories that eventually returned to non-occupied status. Some are still French overseas departments, territories, region, or collectives!

It's not my collecting area, so I can't speak for the accuracy of this list, but I found this somewhere on the Internet.

French Africa
Afars and Issas
Alexandria
Algeria
Anjouan
Benin
Cameroun
Chad
Comoro Islands
Dahomey
Diego-Suarez
Ethiopia
Fexxan
French Congo
French Equatorial Africa
French Guinea
French Morocco
French Sudan
French West Africa
Gabon
Ghadamas
Great Comoro
Ivory Coast
Madagascar
Majunga
Mauritania
Mayotte
Middle Congo
Moheli
Morocco (Sherifan Post)
Niger
Nossi Be
Obock
Port Said
Reunion
St Marie de Madagascar
Senegal
Senegambia & Niger
Somali Coast
Tangier
Togo
Tunisia
Ubangi-Shari
Upper Senegal & Niger
Upper Volta
Zanzibar

French Americas
Grench Guiana
Guadeloupe
Inini
Martinique
St Pierre et Miguelon

French Asia
Annam & Tongking
Cambodia
Canton
China
China (Indo-China)
Chungking
Cochin China
French Indian Settlements
Hoihow
Indo-China
Kwangchow
Laos
Mengtsz
Pakhoi
Yunnanfu

French Europe
French Andorra
Baden Germany (French Zone)
Hungary (Arad)
Memel
Rhineland-Palatinate (Fr. Occ.)
Saar (Fr. Occ.)
Wurttemberg

French Middle East
Alaouites
Alexandretta
Castellorizo
Cavalla
Cilicia
Crete
Dedeagh
Free French Forces Levant
Jerusalem
Latakia
Lebanon
Levant
Port Lagos
Rouad Island
Syria
Vathy

French Pacific
French Oceanic Settlements
French Polynesia
Fr. Sthn & Antarctic Territories
New Caledonia
New Hebrides
Tahiti
Wallis & Futuna Islands

Belgian Africa
Belgian Congo
Ruanda-Urundi


Makes me glad I collect German colonies instead of French -- only 13 to worry about.

Collecting french colonies can be complicated but less so than british colonies... That list is even longer.

Some examples of "French Colonies" covers

Some older issues of Saint Pierre and Miquelon with the old France stamps with 'Colonies' as part of the design. Stamps similar to these, but overprinted with the different colony names, would be used around the world in the different colonies.

Quite distinctive designs. They grow on you. After a while you can tell a French Colonies stamp from other world stamps.

The first scan with more 'similar design' stamps in the middle row.



A colourfu journey around the world with a French point of view.
French West Africa (occidental as opposed to oriental, West vs East), French Oceania (Pacific Islands like Tahiti) and French Somalia.


An old approval card. Sometimes the term 'French Colonies' covers whatever the stamp dealer wishes it to cover.

Some super SPM stamps there! Puzzler.

There were also Postage Due stamps (Stamp Tax = Timbre Taxe) that were 'similar design' and overprinted for each colony as needed.

Some St Pierre et Miquelon:


From Wikipedia:

Another New Caledonia cover showing stamps with designs that were used by other French Colonies (a common feature for certain FC issues)

Thanks Rod!

These are all old scans (stamps gone now) so I apologize I cannot get better scans for them.

Now these are what I started thinking of when I read the topic here. Similar design again, St Pierre and Miquelon again, but colourful, classic, and I know I have scans of others from different colonies from the same series. Wish I had them now to study and enjoy. Live and learn.