French Colonies Help Needed

I recently picked up a few of the first surcharge issue from French POs in Port Said (1921-1923), SG138-SG150. In amongst these is a variety of the 15 millièmes surcharge on 50 centimes brown and lavender 'Merson' which is not listed in my edition of the Stanley Gibbons 'NE Africa' catalogue, showing a 13 mm bar below the value. As a result, the spacing between the surcharge value and "millièmes" also increases from 3 mm to 5.5 mm and the surchare value itself changes its relative position to the lettering underneath. The regular stamp is illustrated below, along with the variety.

Is it a listed variety, a printer's quad left in by error, or a forgery? I don't have a copy of Yvert or Michel so can anyone with better knowledge and resources help me with this?

Tim

Get back to the family!

Your first stamp is Yvert 45. The second is, I think, Yvert 45a, "trait en dessous de 15", which my daughter tells me means "line beneath the 15". The first stamp is actually priced at €75, the second at €60.

All the best.

Geoff

Tim,

I know this is not the catalogue that you mentioned, but Scott also recognizes the Bar variety. Scott 52 without the bar is listed at $85 USD and Scott 52a with the bar is listed at $50 USD (2015 Catalogue).

Hobsun

Geoff, Hobsun, thanks very much for your help. This is what happens when I drift away from my "comfort zone" of British Colonial Africa: I get horribly lost... :-)