Indochina, Marshall Petain, Michel Nr. 282-287; Various nominal values of this stamp were issued over a period of almost two years. According to Michel the stamps were issued as follows:
1C = September, 8th, 1942
3C = June 29th, 1943
6C = July 1st, 1942
10C= December 1st, 1943
40C = January 15th, 1943 (blue-green)
40C = April 1st, 1944 (blue)
The general perforation for this set was 11.5 but there are numerous perforation varieties that were issued. The are addressed below.
Here is a mint block of four of the !C stamp in perforation 11.5
Mint 1 C stamp perforated 11.5:11.75 (not yet catalogued). Also not that the first line to the left in the hat is shortened.
Cancelled to order block of four perforated 14:13.75 (not yet catalogued)
Postally used 1 C value perforated 11.5:11.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used 1C value perforated 14
Postall yusuf 1 C stamp perforated 13.75:14 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used 1C stamp perforated 13.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used pair of the 1C value perforated 11.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Block of six 1C stamps (Perf. 11.5) on piece cancelled with the rare octagonal small post office cancel.
1C stamp cancelled on the First Day of Issue
Mint block of four of the 3C value perforated 14:13.75 (not yet catalogued). Note that the bottom left stamp shows a plate error of “wart to the left of Petain’s nose”.
Mint 3C stamp of the 3C value perforated 11.75:13.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Mint 3C stamp of the 3C value perforated 11.5:14 (Not yet catalogued)
Mint pair of the 3C value perforated 11.5:14
Cancelled to order block of four of the 3C value perforated 14:13.75 (not yet catalogued). Note that the 3 white lines in Petain’s hat are barely visible on the two right stamps.
Postally used pair of the 3C stamp perforated 11.5:14. Note that both stamps show the variety of “Petain’s hat has only two instead of three white stripes”.
Postal yusuf 3V value perforated 13.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used 3C stamp perforated 13.75:12 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used 3C stamp perforated 11.75:13.5 (not yet catalogued)
Mint block of four of the 6C value perforated 11.5
Cancelled to order block of four perforated 11.5. Note that the bottom right stamp shows the variety “Petain’s hat has only two instead of three stripes”.
Postally cancelled 6C stamp perforated 11.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used 6C stamp perforated 13.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used stamp with Vientiane, Laos cancel.
6C stamps featuring rare cancels from Banme and the rural cancel of Cai Ven.
6C stamp featuring the First Day Cancel
Mint block of four of the 10C value perforated 11.5. Note that the bottom two stamps only show two instead of three white lines in Petain’s hat.
Mint 10C stamp perforated 11.5:11.75 (Not yet catalogued). Note that there are only two instead of three white lines in Petain’s hat.
Detailed scan of the affected area.
Mint pair of the 10C value perforated 11.5:12 (Not yet catalogued). Note that the right stamp only shows two instead of three white lines in Petain’s hat.
Cancelled to order block of four perforated 11.5
Postally used 10C stamp perforated 11.75 (not yet catalogued)
Postally used 10C stamp perforated 12 (not yet catalogued)
Postally used 10C stamp perforated 12.5:11.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used pair f the 10C stamp perforated 12.5 (Not yet catalogued)
Criminals produced counterfeit stamps of the higher nominals (6C 10C and 40C) to defraud the postal system. Most of these counterfeit stamps were postally used without being recognized. This meant that most samples were thrown away making these counterfeits a scarce item today. Here is a scan that shows the counterfeit on the left and a genuine stamp on the right. The three biggest “tells” are:
Stamp color is olive green instead of green
“S of POSTES slightly slanted to the right” and
“vertical space between the two bars of EF is greater”
Detailed scan of the affected areas:
Mint block of 40C in blue color perforated 11.5
Complete sheet (50) of the 40C Petain stamp in the blue color.
Cancelled to order block of four of the 40C stamp perforated 11.5
Postally used stamp in blue color and perforated 11.75:11.5 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used pair in blue color perforated 11.5:11.25 (Not yet catalogued)
There is also a color variety that has not been reported by the catalogue yet (dark grey blue 31-2-7 according to the Michel Color Guide).
Here is a mint block of four in dark grey blue perforated 11.5
Cancelled to order of the 40C value in dark-grey-blue color and perforated 11.5
Mint stamp in dark-grey-blue color and perforated 11.5:11.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Mint pair in the dark.grey-blue color perforated 11.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used stamp in dark-grey-blue color and perforated 11.5:11.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Postally used pair in the dark-grey-blue color and perforated 11.75 (Not yet catalogued)
Here is a cancelled to order stamp in dark-grey-blue color that purports to carry a First Day Cancel. The cancellation date is January 25th, 1943 while Michel reports the issuing date as January 15th, 1943 for the blue green stamp and April 1st, 1944 for the blue stamp. It is not clear which date is correct. What is clear though os that the dark.grey-blue color variety was issued around the same time as the blue green variety. If you have any insight into this matter please contact the editor using the communication feature of this website.
These stamps were not officially released imperforate however some imperforate specimens have come to market. Here are there imperforate 1C and 6C values.
In order to protect postage stamps from theft large corporations perforated stamps inside the company with a perforation that displayed the initial of the company. By design these stamps should only get to market used once they were sent out by the originating company. Mint stamps are therefore unusual as they could only come to market if they were either purchased or stolen from the company. As a result mint stamps with perfins are very rare. Here are mint blocks of four of the 1C and 3C values showing the “BI” that was used by the Bank of Indochina.
Single franking of the 3C value on a domestic folded letter (printed matter?) sent in June of 1944, during the Japanese Occupation from Cholon to Sadec. A Daguin type propaganda cancel stating “Union and Discipline Necessary Conditions of Unity” was applied on front. Circular Governmental Seal on front.
Multiple franking of the 3C Petain stamp in perforation 13.5 (so far unlisted in Michel) on a domestic letter sent from Saigon to Hanoi in April of 1943. This was under the Japanese occupation, in which domestic mail volume was very low. Hanoi arrival cancels on the reverse.
Mixed franking of the 1C and 6C value paying an overall postage of 7C on a domestic letter sent during the Japanese Occupation from Dong-Choi (small post office) to the SICA Office in Le Thuy in April of 1943. Dong Hoi transit cancel on the reverse.
Mixed franking of the 3C and 6C value paying an overall postage of 9C on a rare domestic printed matter mailing sent in March of 1944 from Qui Hon to Ninh Hoa. Very few domestic printed matter items have survived the ravages of time. Note that the 3C value shows the variety “No white strips in Petain’s hat”
Detailed scan of the affected area.
Mixed franking of the 3C and 6C values (2) within Saigon in what was most likely September, 1946 (the domestic letter tariff increased to 15C on October 5th, 1945).
Rare single franking of the 6C value (Perf. 11.5:14) on a domestic letter sent from Dalat to Hue in January of 1943. Hue arrival cancel on the reverse.
Mixed franking of the 6C Petain and 4C Pavie stamp paying an overall postage of 10C on a domestic letter sent during the Japanese Occupation from Transit Vinh to Mocay in July of 1944. Mocay arrival cancel on the reverse.
Mixed franking of the 6C Petain and 4C Pavie stamp paying an overall postage of 10C on a domestic letter (full contents preserved) sent during the Japanese Occupation from Baixau (small post office) to Cholon in August of 1944. Machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Single franking of the 6C value on a domestic letter on an adversity envelope sent to Phnom Penh during the Japanese Occupation in 1943. Faint transit/arrival cancel on the reverse.
Mixed franking of the 6C Petain value (6) together with the 2C Domestic Scenes II (2) paying an overall postage of 34C on a domestic letter sent from Long Xuyen to Saigon in January of 1943. This was during the Japanese Occupation but the letter was apparently not censored. Note that two of the 6C stamps on front show the variety “Petain’s hat only shows two instead of three white lines”.
A postal stationary of the 6C was also produced equivalent to the domestic letter rate up to 10g in weight (Tariff from April 16th, 1942). Here is theming version of this rare stationary.
Postal stationary of the 6C value sent from Bao Lac (small post office) to Hanoi in May of 1943. This was during the Japanese Occupation but the letter was apparently not censored. Cao Bang transit and Hanoi arrival cancel on the reverse.
Postal stationary of the 6C value sent from Annan to Le Thuy in 1943. This was during the Japanese Occupation but the letter was apparently not censored.
Postal stationary of the 6C value sent from Thai Dinh (small post office) to “Ingenieur Chef du Services de Mines” in Hanoi in August of 1943. This post was held by the well known philatelist Jacques Dessrousseaux. The letter was sent during the Japanese Occupation but the letter was apparently not censored. Hanoi arrival cancel on the reverse. Ex Dessrousseaux.
Mixed franking of the 1C Seafarer stamp together with stamps from the Petain and Domestic Scences II sets paying an overall postage of 15C on a domestic air mail letter sent from Soc Trang to Saigon in January of 1944.
Mixed franking of the 40C Petain stamp (blue-green) together with the 5C Grandiere stamp in brown color paying an overall postage of 45C on a domestic letter sent from Cholon to Saigon in January of 1945. The letter was addressed to “Chef de la Inspection General de Mines” in Hanoi in August of 1943. This post was held by the well known philatelist Jacques Dessrousseaux. Saigon arrival cancel on the reverse. Ex Dessrousseaux.
Registration Nr. 090370
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