Theme : Zodiac signs 18

In this post, I show a set of 12 precanceled stamps of France.
Precanceled stamps are mainly definitive stamps with an overprint, issued as 'canceled' before being attached to mail.
They are often offered to companies who need lots of stamps for sending their mailings, and the precanceled stamps are bought in larger quantities by those companies.

Some countries have stamps with city or district names on the overprint (like USA, Belgium, ...)
and were often used on newspaper wrappers (also in Canada, Austria and the UK).

French precanceled stamps (often called : preo's) are overprinted with 'AFFRANCH(issemen)ts POSTES"
The French precanceled stamps are unique, as they were printed in thematic sets, such as beetles, mushrooms, .... and often came in sets of 4 or multiples of 4.
Very convenient if you want to depict 4 seasons, 4 suits of cards, ... or 12 months, 12 zodiac signs,...

For this post of course, I bring the 12 western zodiac signs from the issues 1977-78.

This set was not issued at once, but came in 3 sets of 4.

Gemini - highest value in the set

In the north western corner, we find a symbol for the zodiac sign, the stars on each stamp are put randomly this time.
In the south eastern corner, we find the precancel in black.
These stamps do not exist without the precancel.

Theme : Zodiac signs 17

Hong Kong has a long tradition of zodiac sign stamps.
Most series exists of one specific stamp each year (each series having 12 stamps), but - for commercial reasons - often stamps are also printed in sheetlets.
Hong Kong often issues more then just the single stamp.

In 2012, a set of 12 small stamps were issued, on the western zodiac signs.
Not that common, as mostly Chinese astrology is depicted.
Maybe that is the reason why the set is quite modest.

The design is kept simple and the stamps have no excessive gold or silver overprints, nor is the emission printed on silk.
All stamps have the same value of 1,40 HK$ (16 eurocent or 17 dollarcent).

When we take a closer look at the individual stamp, we see clockwise, from NW corner :
the Chinese name of the sign, the Latin name (here Gemini), the stellar constellation, the year of printing, and finally on the bottom line, Honk Kong, China (in English and Chinese) and the value in Hong Kong Dollars.

This simple set comes in stripes of 6 stamps each.
A nice and inexpensive addition to my collection.