Indonesian Women overprinted with new Values

Indochina, Indonesian Women overprinted with new Values, November, 1918, Michel Nr. IND 69-89; The currency used in Indochina and France were not compatible. While Indochina used the Piastre, France used the French Franc. The exchange rate of the two currencies was fixed at 2.5 French Franks to the Piastre in 1898 as can be seen on the overprints below. Due to a devaluation of the Franc towards the end of the First World War (the Piastre increased in value to 4.50 for each French Franc) this created currency speculations between the two currencies which required that the Indochinese stamps denominated in Francs were overprinted with their equivalent Piastre value. Eighteen stamps were overprinted with the fixed exchange rate of 2.5 French Franks to 1 Piastre in 1918 resulting in nominals of 1/10C, 1/5C, 2/5C, 4/5C, 1C, 2C, 3C, 4C, 5C, 6C, 7C, 8C, 9C, 10C, 11C, 12C, 15C, 20C, 40C, 1P and 2P.

M.h. 80C value

Partial sheet of the 1/5C value mint never hinged. The “6” in the second row of the gutter indicates a printing date in 1926.

Here are postally used stamps from the set

Single franking ofd the 4C on 10C “open 4” on a a domestic postcard originating in Loc-Binh.

Multiple franking of the 4C on 10C value (2) paying an overall postage of 8C on a domestic letter sent from Hanoi to Hai Phong in May of 1922. The 4C overprint shows the “closed 4” on the left stamp and the “open 4” on the right stamp. Hanoi arrival cancel on the reverse. Error stamps on postally used cover are rare.

Mixed ranking of the 2C and 4C (2) overprinted stamps paying an overall postage of 10C on an international letter sent from Tha Ninh to France in April of 1921. Saigon transit and French arrival cancels on the reverse.

Mixed franking of the 4C on 10C overprinted postal stationary together with the 6C on 15C stamp paying an overall postage of 10C on a international letter sent from Do-Luong to Paris, France. Vinh and Hai-Phong transit cancels on the reverse.

Mixed franking of the 1C, 2C and 5C (7) as well as the overprinted 6C on 15C stamps paying an overall postage of 46C on a registered international letter sent from Saigon to India in December of 1927. Indian arrival cancels on the reverse.