Friday, February 3, 2023

French cancels - 01 a Paris numbered stars (étoiles chiffrées)

In my introduction to this theme, I gave a brief list of types of cancels, used in France between 1852 and 1876.
(see : https://rainbowstampsandcoins.blogspot.com/2023/02/french-cancels-00-introduction.html

In this and the following posts, I will go backwards, step by step, starting with the 'least' variations.
This means, the more I will post, the more possible variations of cancels will appear.

Starting with the most 'limited' number of variations, we go to Paris in the late 19th century.

In 1863, a lot changed in the French postal system.
The districts in Paris that were using diamond shaped cancels with several letters (in roman and sans sérif (bâton) fonts), changed their cancels to star-shaped cancels with a number.
Outside Paris the cancels that were using diamond shapêd cancels with 'small' numbers, changed to diamond shaped cancels with 'large' numbers. (see later posts).

The cancels are known as the 'étoiles chiffrées' - numbered stars. Not to be confused with the 'logsanges chiffrés' - numbered diamonds, that were used mainly outside Paris.

star with number

diamond with (large) numbers

For the small numbers (1 to 40) it is sometimes difficult to see the diffence.

The stars have numbers 1 to 40 (only) - the dots are smaller than the diamonds with large numbers.
The stars have 'large' nubers, so all cancels in small sized numbers are diamonds (petit chiffres).
All 'large' numbers above 40 are diamonds (gros chiffres).
Especially with multiple cancelled stamps - or incomplete stamps, it is sometimes difficult to see which type it is?

star 8 - étoile 8

Star canels without number (étoile muette) are older (1852)

In the same year, the 1st internation post conference was held in Paris too.
This event was topic of a Belgian stamp of 1963 : 

1963 - centenary of 1st post conference in Paris

to be continued...

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