Interesting Collection Of Allied Occupation Stamps

In breaking down a US stamp album I came across this quite attractive collection of occupation stamps for Italy, France, Germany and Austria. They're a nice looking bunch, but I don't know anything about them. They don't seem to have much value. That's ok. At this point I'm just interested to learn more. Any suggestions on where to go to read up on these? Thanks in advance.

If you are thinking of keeping these, you should get them out of the Crystal Mounts and remount them on new pages.

You can tell they have left brown stripes on the pages. They also have a habit of shrinking and damaging your stamps.

yeah, unfortunately this whole album was weird mounts - some black ones that look lhomemade too. Major pain getting them out and plenty of gum damage.

Don't know why Scott considers the French issues "occupation" stamps - brought by the Allies to accompany the liberation.

Geoff, I'd like to learn more about these. Can you recommend any reading material? I did some Googling but haven't found anything that covers this area well yet.

Try this website: https://alphabetilately.org/AMG.html

Also AMG Collector's Club: http://www.amgcollectors.org

Thank you!

risny - I'm hardly a expert, I'm afraid, but ... The first stamps of the liberation period were issued by the French Committee of National Liberation. This set of five (not to hand at present) was put on sale in Corsica in 1943, and thereafter in southern France as the liberation progressed. From November 1944, they were on sale throughout France and in some Colonies.

In 1944, with the allied landings, more ranges of stamps to replace the issues of the Vichy French State arrived. Those you have were issued on 9 October 1944. They were supposedly prepared on Roosevelt's instruction, designed by WA Roach, engraved by CA Brooks, AW Chistensen, T Wall and JS EDmondson, and printed by lithography by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, DC.



On 15 November 1944, a further series of stamps appeared, lithographed by Imbert in Algiers and designed by Henry Razous (cockerel) and Louis Fernez (Marianne).



On 12 February 1945, a second set of the US-printed stamps, this time with black numerals, was issued. By this time, stamps using previous and new designs were also being produced in France.




During 1944-45,a series of stamps recess-printed in London by De La Rue was issued. These featured Edmond Dulac's design and engraving of Marianne, arrived at after what appear to have been a number of personal interventions by de Gaulle. The precise date of issue is uncertain - Maury suggests that the stamps may first have appeared on 17 May 1944.




In addition, a range of earlier issues was overprinted during the liberation period. Some of these are of doubtful legitimacy.

Bonne chance!

Interesting. That's a lot of changes in just a few months. With Roosevelt and de Gaulle getting involved it definitely adds some interest to the story.

I was going to guess that a foreign army is a foreign army and, therefor, an occupying army, but I very cleverly decided to spare myself the embarrassment and check, first.

From the Hague Convention of 1907, Section III, Article 42:




Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Ah, from the iP home law library. There was, however, no Allied military government in France, unlike Germany, Austria, Italy etc.

Where are these in Scott? I don't see them in my US catalog or in the France section under F?

The first Arc de Triomphe stamps are Scott 475-476H, Gallic Cock and Mariannes are 477-495, the 1945 Mariannes are 504-523, and the Arc de Triomphe with denominations in black are 523A-523J. (These are all from Scott, 2019.) Appreciate your asking the original question plus all the responses.

Thank you. I was expecting them to be in some kind of special section, but I see they are in the regular France category. I've found the Italy stamps in a section after Italy. Starting to get my arms around these. Thanks to the various responders.

'
That the French 'occupation' stamps "are in the regular France category" but "the Italy stamps in a section after Italy" speaks to Geoff's point about there never having been an occupation.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

The French AMG issues used to be in a separate section, like the Italian ones; the two sets were formerly #2N1-2N20.