Currency Today : Morocco 02

In 2009, the company that prints and mints the banknotes, coins and security papers in Morocco, known as Dar As-Sikkah (in Rabat), celebrated its 25th anniversary.

A special banknote was put into cirulation, with a face value of 25 dirhams.
It was printed on -only- 4.2 million copies (of which 200,000 for exclusively for collectors).
On a population of over 36 million, only 1/8 of the population was able to get such a note.

25 dirham - 2012

This not is a hybrid note, made of paper, but with a polymere imprint on the top, and a mixed printed windown on the bottom of the note.

On the reverse side, the 25th anniversary of Dar As-Sikkah is celebrated with some coins and printed matter.

25 dirham - 2012 - reverse side

In 2019, another commemorative notes was issued.
This time as a completely polymere note (the first and only polymere note in Morocco so far).

With a face value of 20 dirhams, the note has the same value as the lowest banknote denomination still in circulation

2019 - 20 dirham
commemorative note

In 2019, King Mohammed VI, celebrated his 20th anniversary on the throne.
The 'modern' printing technique and the image of a modern bridge and high speed train symbolize the way Morocco is entering the future.

2019 commemorative 20 dirham note

The see-through window is in an octagonal window, with an image of the king in the centre.
When put against a dark background, the the image apears positive. When put against a white background, the image becomes negative.

positive image

 

image in negative

Non of these notes are found in circulation, but are still legal tender. 

to becontinued...

Currency Today : Morocco 01

In the north of Africa, closest to the European borders, we find a country that has been ruled by the Alawi dynasty. Head of state has always been a sultan, until 1957, where Mohammed V adopted the title of 'king'. Since then, only the closest male relative to the line of Mohammed V, inherits the throne.

With the transition from Sultanate to Kingdom in 1957, the story of the banknotes start.

On the commemorative banknote of 50 dirhams (2009), the 3 rulers that reigned the country so far are depicted. 

In the front, the current king Mohammed VI (since 1999) - behind him is his father, King Hassan II. (1961-1999) and in the back, the first 'king' Mohammed V, father of Hassan II, grandfather of Mohammed VI.

In the security thread, the 3 heads are also present:

In a previous issue, in 2002, a 100 dirham note also depicts the 3 consecutive kings, on the highest denomination, the 200 dirham only depicts Mohammed VI, with his father Hassan II.

 

2002 issue Morocco

2002 issue Morocco back

Behind the kings on the 100 dirham banknote, the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V (in Rabat) is depicted.  On the 200 banknote, the King Hassan II mosque (in Casablanca) is depicted.

The above notes are still legal tender (in 2026), but have nearly completely dissapeared from circulation.

to be continued... 

Theme : Esperanto 13ba - Neutral Moresnet 2

continued from : Neutral Moresnet 1

The issued stamps of Moresnet exist perforated and non perforated.
They were issued gummed and without gum. 
The stamps were never postally used, but they exist with several cancels  'Ausser Cours (gesetzt)' = taken out of circulation or 'Kelmis Moresnet', in various colours.
 

Neutral Moresnet 1 Pf - 1886

 

Neutral Moresnet 50 Pf - 1886

Stamps are bilingual German - French and issued in German 'Pfennig' values (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20 and 50 Pfennig).

A 10 pfennig black stamp, with a lion and a german eagle, is a fantasy issue by the Belgian dealer and collector J.B. Moens. 

A second attempt for full independence occurred in 1906, when Molly met the Esperanto movement through Gustave Roy. The growing Esperanto movement was the inspiration for both men, to use Esperanto as 'national' language, an idea that was welcomed by the population of Moresnet.
Esperanto was introduced in the local schools, a national anthem was created and the to-be-founded country would  be "Amikejo" (Esperanto for friend(ship) place).
Esperanto founder L. Zamenhof gave his permission, and the next Esperanto World Congress would be held in Kelmis in Moresnet.
As the international congress in the end was not held in the area, the enthousiasm dropped, and also the more 'german-minded' mayor blocked further development of the first Esperanto-state.
Also the nearby German rulers saw the idea of an independent state as a threat, and preferred an annexation with Prussia.

map of Neutral Moresnet and suggested flag

In 1914, with the outbreak of the first World War, Belgium and Moresnet came under German authority.
And as German lost the war, Moresnet was again detached from the Prussian (now German) influence.
The new world order after the war, decided that there was no place for an ambiguous country within Europe, and by the time the area celebrated it's centenary, Neutral Moresnet became part of Belgium. 

Sign in honour of Gustave Roy and the Esperanto movement

There is a documentary on Neutral Moresnet on youtube.
It is in Dutch, French, German and Esperanto, the documentary was published in 1991, and speaks about the mine, the country, through current city officials and someone (Mr. Peter Zimmer) who was 18 when the country was dissolved. A gem !

Youtube link 

Theme : Esperanto 13a - Neutral Moresnet 1

When Napoleon's army lost against the 6th coalition in Russia in 1812 and in Leipzig in 1813, Europe had become a battlefield from Portugal to the Russian border. The whole continent was a patchwork of smaller and larger kingdoms, free states, and areas by force annexed to the french empire.
Under the leadership of the Austrian diplomat Klemens Werner Lothar von Metternich, a series of meetings with the 'old rulers' of Europe were organized, in the hope to recreate a more stable and peaceful Europe.

von Metternich in 1815

But despite of Napoleon's exile, Europe was devided.
Nationalists in Germany wanted the unification of a strong Germany, and the Italians, divided into many independent states, wanted the same. Smaller nations like the Czechs, for example, wanted more rights within the monarchy. And everybody wanted a constitution, human rights, and other novelties, things that threatened peace and order in Metternich’s opinion.

The congress of Vienna, resulted in the restoration of the French royal house of the Bourbons, where Louis XVIII was placed on the throne again.  The House of Orange got the 'Netherlands', the area that covers the current countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Also most of the German kingdoms were restored.

In the area between two kingdoms, there was a small area that was split into a western part, with the village of Moresnet in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and an eastern part 'Neu-Moresnet' in the Kingdom of Prussia. In the middle however, a zinc mine was claimed by both sides.  As both kingdoms disputed this area, but yet another war was not an option, the area became 'neutral' (Neutral Moresnet). Technically speaking, the area was not 'independent', it had no ruler on it's own, and was not recognized as a country on it's own. It can be considered as a kind of condominium.
But since both royal houses did not intervene in what happened in the 3.4 km² area, Neutral Moresnet became a playground for both countries.

The 256 inhabitants of the area, but the zinc mine in particular,  were ruled by a Dutch and a Prussian commissioner. Around the area, 60 numbered border stones were placed. This created a point were from 1830, after the independence of Belgium, 4 'countries' came together. The only place in the world were 4 borders had one common point.

current 3-country point (BE - NL - DE)

Because of the complex situation, the area of Neutral Moresnet became a tax haven, a shelter for men who wanted to escape military service in one of the countries, a place were gambling and casinos flourished, and the zinc mine brought wealth.

By 1886, the sentiment of becoming independent was nourished by the German doctor Wilhelm Molly, who started a committee for independence. Dr Molly was the company's medic.
When the zinc mine was becoming less profitable, Molly founded the Verkehrs Anhalt Moresnet. A company that issued stamps in October of that year. And indirect way to claim 'independence' and a new way to create funds for the area.

Napoleonic laws that were in use - von Metternich was not progressive when it came to new rules and oppinions - forbid the exploitaition of postal services by a non-governmental organization. 
Yet, a set of 8 stamps were issued in two variations: perforated and imperforated.

Imperforated set of Moresnet stamps 1886

 More than a century later, the Moresnet stamps are among the most sought stamps.

 to be continued... 

Album pages common designs - 3a French colonial series

When France was invaded in the second World War, the unocupied part came under command of Philippe Pétain. He was a french general, who earned his merits in the first WW.
Working with the nazi regime, and thus facilitating it's cruelties, divided the French.

General and Marchal Ph. Pétain

Pétain represented the French government from 1940 till 1944.
Most stamps issued in that period, therefore bare the image of Pétain.

Also in the colonies, people were divided. Some colonies used the stamps, as they recognized Petains position, others supported General De Gaule, who led the Free French from the south of France. 
Lots of the issued stamps of 1941, and the later issued overprints of 1944, never came to sale in the colonies.
All series consist of 2 stamps, baring the face of Pétain in the top corner.
The images are local views off the colonies, so they are actually no 'common designs', but they are part of one serie, and the overprint of 1944 is identical on all stamps.

This issue was prepared for :
- French Equatorial Africa

- Cameroun

- Ivory Coast

- Côte des Somalis (Djibouti)

- Dahomey (Benin)

- Guadeloupe

- French Guinea

- French Guiana

- Inini (overprint on French Guiana)

- French India

- Indochine - both with Pétain as with RF overprint

- Indochine - Kouang Tcheou

- Madagascar

- Martinique

- Mauritania

- Niger

- New Caledonia

- Wallis and Futuna (overprint on New Caledonia)

- Senegal

- French Sudan

- Saint Pierre and Miquelon

- Réunion

- French Polynesia

- Togo

As many of these issues never made it to the post offices, they will not be found postally used.

The overprint in 1944, was to fund the works in the colonies, also here, most of the issues were never brought to sale.

Each set has two type of overprints:
on the lowest value, there was a surcharge, the higher value had an overprint with a new value and a supplemental surcharge.

type I : surcharge

type II : overprint and surcharge

If you want the set complete, you can look for the emission of French India, where the face value on both stamps is missing.

error French India - without face value

I also made an album with all of the above issues: it can be downloaded here.

At the end of the war, Pétain was found guilty of collaboration, and although sentenced to death, due to his age, he was imprisoned in 1944. 
He died in 1951. Uptil now, he is both admired as despised by the French, and a perfect example of the 'hero-to-zero' story.

Good luck in compiling the full set. 

Theme : Zodiac signs 24 d

In this post, I present the last 3 issues in the series of 12 Zodiac sheet/stamps from Liechtenstein. 

For the 2019 issue, we see the Year of the Ox.

2019 - Year of the Ox sheet

Again we see a different design in sheet and individual stamp.

2019 - Year of the Ox

 The second last sheet and stamp are dedicated to the Year of the Tiger, and was issued in 2020.

Here again, the choice for two different designs was made.

2020 - Year of the Tiger

Finally, in 2021, the series ended in this style, with a sheet for the Year of the Rabbit.

2021 - final issue - Year of the Rabbit

The design of the stamp, is different from the image of the sheet, and in 2021, the price of the individual stamp went from € 2 to € 2.30.

2021 - Year of the Rabbit

With this emission, the circle of 12 zodiac animals was completed. In the following years, new stamps were issued, but not in the same style.
As this new set started in 2022, it will take until 2033 to complete all 12 issues.
That will be topic in the future I guess.