Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

FRANCE Liberation issues (1944-45)

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During the liberation of France (1944-45) many stamps, most of them with the image of Petain, were overprinted with patriotic texts or "R.F" (Republique Francaise). Many of them were issued for philatelic purposes only. The most common ones are those from Bordeaux and Lyon. Since the basic stamps are very common, no doubt forged overprint will exist.

Some examples:

ALENCON

Alençon: if anybody posesses a picture, please contact me!

ANNECY

('Liberation ANNECY 19-8-1944 F.F.I.', reduced size)

ANNEMASSE

18-8-1944 Libération Annemasse F.F.I.

With this '18-8-1944 Liberation Annemasse F.F.I.' overprint I have seen the following Petain stamps of France: 60 c violet, 70 c orange, 80 c green, 1 F red, 1.20 F brown, 1.50 F brown, 2 F green, 2.40 F red, 3 F orange, 4 F blue and 4.50 F green.

AIGURANDE

Aigurande: 'Libre' and cross

AUTUN

Two 1 F Petain stamps of France, one with R.F. 'AUTUN LIBEREE 8-9-44' overprint, the other without overprint

BACCARAT

"BACCARAT LIBRE 1-11-44"

BADONVILLER

(Badonviller "R.F.")

BORDEAUX

"R.F." Bordeaux

Apparenly, two different types of "R.F." overprints were used in Bordeaux. The overprints exist on the Petain stamps in the values: 60 c, 70 c, 80 c, 1 F, 1.20 F, 1.50 F, 2 F, 2.40 F, 3 F, 4 F and 4.50 F.

BRIANCONNAIS

With inscription 'F.F.I. Brianconnais Libere 6-SEPT.-1944' on Petain stamps: 70 c, 80 c, 1 F, 1.20 F, 1.50 F, 2 F, 2.40 F and 3 F.

CANNES

'RF LIBERATION CANNES (A.-M.) 24-VIII-44' on Mercury issue: 10 c blue, 30 c orange, 40 c violet and 50 c blue.

CHABLAIS

With overprint 'Chablais libéré F.F.I. 17-8-1944' I have seen the following Petain stamps of France: 60 c violet, 70 c orange, 80 c green, 1 F red, 1.20 F brown, 1.50 F brown, 4 F blue and 4.50 F green.

CHALONS

Chalons 'R.F.'

DECAZEVILLE

'R F C L B H' Decazeville

EVIAN

Stamps with inscription 'REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE' in an arc with 'F.T.P.' in the centre were issued in Evian. I have seen the values 1.20 F and 1.50 F, both in the color combination blue and red.

GRANDVILLARS

Grandvillars: if anybody posesses a picture, please contact me!

LILLE

(Lille)

Lille: stamps of France with large double cross and RF on top.

LYON

(Lyon or region 'Rhone-Alpes' with overprint 'R.F.')

Lyon: one of the more common stamps issued in this period, "R.F." on common stamps of France; 15 values: 10 c blue, 30 c red, 40 c violet, 50 c blue (all with Mercury) and 60 c violet, 70 c orange, 80 c green, 1 F red, 1F20 brown, 1F50 brown, 2 F green, 2F40 red, 3 F orange, 4 F blue and 4F50 green (all with image of Petain).

MAQUIS FRANCOIS CREUSE

MEASNES

(Cross and '18.11.1944 Libération Delle' and cross + 'LIBRE' of Measnes)

METZ

Arms with 'R.F. METZ DELIVREE' overprinted:
On Iris issue: 80 c green, 1 F blue, 1.20 F violet and 1.50 F orange.
On Mercury issue: 10 c blue, 30 c red, 40 c violet and 50 c blue.

MARSEILLES

'RF GOUVERNEMENT PROVISOIRE', Marseilles

MONTREUIL BELLAY

('RF' Montreuil Bellay)

MONTLUCON

'R.F' overprint with bar below. I've only seen it this overprint on the 1.50 F Petain issue.

NEVERS

(Nevers: 'FRANCE LIBRE' in a rectangle with rounded corners)

NICE

(Nice; 'R.F. NICE 28 Aout 1944 FRONT NATIONAL')

I've seen this overprint on the following Petain stamps: 1.50 F brown and 2 F green.

I've also seen this overprint on the following Mercury stamps: 10 c blue, 30 c orange, 40 c violet and 50 c blue. They seem to have some green overprint at the backside. A misprint exists of the 30 c red with inverted '28 Aout 1944'.

NIORT

Niort: if anybody posesses a picture, please contact me!

POITIERS

('RF' in a box of Poitiers)

SYLVANES LES BAINS

(Cross and 'V': Sylvanes Les Bains)

TOURS

(Tours, 'R.F.' overprint)

FFI envelopes

The French resistance issued some envelopes in Paris during a postal strike in 1944. They were delivered by motorcycles and had a Petain stamp with an Lorraine cross overprint and a label with De Gaulle and "POSTE SPECIALE F.F.I. M.L.N" (F.F.I. = Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur; M.L.N. = Mouvement de Liberation Nationale). The remainders of these envelopes (28000 envelopes) were sold and some overprinted with "PARIS LIBÉRÉ". The address appears to be a coded message, for example : "Credit Agricole de l'Eure" actually ment 'Communications avec l'Etranger'. It appears to me that these envelopes were merely made for stamp collectors.

Zoom-in of the "POSTE SPECIALE FFT MLN" label

See also: http://mfnl.nl/Nieuwsbrief/NB101/NB101PareltjesEng.html

I've seen the following addresses:
Compagnie Location de Terrain (=C.L.T. = Centre de Liaisons Transmissions)
Comptoir Général d'Escompte (=C.G.E. = ?)
Crédit Agricole de l'Eure (=C.A.E. = Communications avec l'Etranger)
Crédit Foncier Lyonnais (=C.F.L. = Corps Francs de la Libération)
Fabrique d'Equipement Militaire (=F.E.M. = Action Feminine)
Fabrique d'Ustensiles Japy Paris (=F.U.J.P. = ?)
Secours Refugiés (=S.R. = Service de Renseignement)
Service Observation Scientifique (=S.O.S. = Service Social)
Société Crédit Départementale (=S.C.D. = Secrétariat du Comité Directeur)
Société Française Pyrotechnie (=S.F.P. = Service des Faux Papiers)
Société Générale (=S.G. = Secrétariat Générale)
Société Nationale d'Aviation (=S.N.A. = ?)
Transports en Communs (=T.C. = )
Transports Routiers Généraux (=T.R.G. = Trésorerie Générale)
J.A.U.
J.F.T.