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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

FRENCH MOROCCO

Return To Catalogue - French Morocco, miscellaneous - France - Tanger (french post office)

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There were two French post offices in Morocco prior to 1914; in Fez and Tanger. Before the issue of its own stamps, normal stamps of France were used. The large number cancel 5106 was used in Tanger. There exist some local postal services in Morocco, they are listed in Volume 2.

1891 Stamps of France surcharged in "CENTIMOS" or "PESETAS"

  "5 CENTIMOS" on 5 c green (2 shades of green)
  "10 CENTIMOS" on 10 c black
  "20 CENTIMOS" on 20 c red on green
  "25 CENTIMOS" on 25 c black
  "50 CENTIMOS" on 50 c red
  "1 PESETA" on 1 Fr green
  "2 PESETAS" on 2 Fr brown on blue

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

A misprint "10 CENTIMOS" on 25 c exists (even postally used specimens?):

10 c on 25 c misprint

A postcard in the same design:

"5 CENTIMOS" (red) on 5 c green; a similar postcard "10 CENTIMOS" (red) on 10 c black also exists. A 25 c on 25 c black should also exist.

Forged surcharge:

(This surcharge "10 CENTIMOS" is a forged one!)

Very dubious overprint....

1893 Postage due stamps of France overprinted "TIMBRE POSTE" in red

Used on letter with "TANGER 1E/6 FEVR 93 MAROC" cancel.

  5 c black
  10 c black

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The forger Fournier made forgeries of these overprints. In his 1914 pricelist, he offers both stamps for 4 Swiss Francs. He used the following forged cancel: "TANGER 5 FEV 93 MAROC":

Forged Fournier cancel. All genuine cancels I have seen have "FEVR" and not "FEV".

Forged "TIMBRE POSTE" overprint (bottom left, here listed under 'Tunis').

10 c stamp pasted on a piece of paper with a much broader overprint, most likely a forgery? It does have a "TANGER ?E/8 FEVR 93" cancel.

Forgery, the basic stamp is also forged.

Forged overprint on a genuine French postage due stamp. The stamp was already used as a postage due stamp as can be seen from the triangular due cancel.

Another forgery

A forgery with a totally different "Timbre Poste" overprint (and no bar)

1902 Stamps as french types, with inscription "MAROC" and surcharged in "CENTIMOS"

So called "Blanc" type 
  '1 CENTIMO' (red) on 1 c grey
  '2 CENTIMOS' on 2 c brown
  '3 CENTIMOS' on 3 c orange
  '4 CENTIMOS' on 4 c brown
  '5 CENTIMOS' on 5 c green

So called "Mouchon" type  

  '10 CENTIMOS' on 10 c red
  '20 CENTIMOS' on 20 c brown
  '25 CENTIMOS' on 25 c blue
  '35 CENTIMOS' on 35 c violet
  
So called "Merson" type

  '50 CENTIMOS' on 50 c brown and grey
  '1 PESETA' on 1 F red and green
  '2 PESETAS' on 2 F violet and yellow

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1903 Postage due stamps overprinted "P.P" (Port Paye), used as postage stamps

  '5 CENTIMOS' (red) on 5 c blue
  '10 CENTIMOS' (red) on 10 c brown

These stamps are extremely rare and were only used on 10 October 1903. They were never cancelled. The second and third stamp shown above could be forgeries.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Forgeries:

I've been told these are forgeries, I have no further information

The forger Fournier made forgeries of these overprints. In his 1914 pricelist, he offers both stamps for 4 Swiss Francs. An image of the forged "P.P." overprint can be found on page 154 of Ragatz version of the Fournier Album:

"P.P." forgery from the Fournier Album (reduced size)

Stamp with only a "P.P." overprint, most likely a forgery.

1911 Stamps as french types, inscription "MAROC", surcharged with value and arabic text

  '1' (red) on 1 c grey
  '2' (blue) on 2 c brown
  '3' (blue) on 3 c red
  '5' (red) on 5 c green

  '10' (blue) on 10 c red
  '15' (blue) on 15 c orange
  '20' (blue) on 20 c brown
  '25' (red) on 25 c blue
  '35' (red) on 35 c violet

  
  '40' (blue) on 40 c red and blue
  '50' (red) on 50 c brown and grey
  '1' (blue) on 1 F red and green

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Red cross issue, surcharged with red cross and value

  5 c (red) on 10 c (blue) on 10 c red

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1914 Red cross issue of France, overprinted "MAROC" and arabic text

  10 c red

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1918 Stamps as french types, inscription "MAROC", overprinted "PROTECTORAT FRANCAIS" and value and arabic text

  '1' (red) on 1 c grey
  '2' (blue) on 2 c brown
  '3' (blue) on 3 c red
  '5' (red) on 5 c green

  '10' (blue) on 10 c red
  '15' (blue) on 15 c orange
  '20' (blue) on 20 c brown
  '25' on 25 c blue
  '25' (blue) on 25 c brown
  '30' (blue) on 30 c brown 
  '35' (red) on 35 c violet

  '40' (blue) on 40 c red and blue
  '50' (red) on 50 c brown and grey
  '1' (blue) on 1 F red and green
  '2' on 2 F lilac and yellow
  '5' on 5 F blue and yellow

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Some very rare stamps (RR) exist with "PROTECTORAT FRANCAIS" overprint, but without the surcharge. The values 5 c, 10 c, 15 c, 25 c blue, 25 c brown, 40 c and 2 F exist:

Surcharged with red cross and value (1917)

(Reduced size, with white space for the red cross)

  '+5c' on 10 on 10 c red
  '+5c' on 5 c green
  '+5c' on 10 c red (with white space for the red overprint)

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Specialists distinguish some rare local red cross overprints (also inverted).

1917 Various monuments in different cities

  1 c black (Rabat)
  2 c lilac (Rabat)
  3 c brown (Rabat)
  5 c green (Fez)
  10 c red (Fez)
  15 c black (Fez)
  20 c brown (Chelia)
  25 c blue (Chelia)
  30 c violet (Chelia)
  35 c orange (Marakesh)
  40 c blue (Marakesh)
  45 c green (Marakesh)
  50 c brown (Meknes)
  1 F blue (Meknes)
  2 F brown (Volubilis)
  5 F green (Volubilis)
  10 F brown (Volubilis)

From 1923 onwards more stamps in these and similar designs were issued, examples:

More stamps of Morocco (Sherifien Post and local issues) can be found on Cd 2.

French Morocco, miscellaneous (postage due, parcel post stamps, airmail stamps, fiscal stamps)

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer