New Caledonia & French Oceania. Military Mail During the Era of the French Colonial Group Type

Transcription

1 New Caledonia & French Oceania Military Mail During the Era of the French Colonial Group Type 1

2 Military Concession Rate Concession rate of 15c per 15 g in lieu of 25c overseas rate to France and the French Community In effect until January 1, 1899 when the French Community rate was lowered to 15c Required a manuscript endorsement and signature of unit commander or unit cachet to validate the concession rate Both NCE and OCN had military datestamps 2

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4 Why is Military Mail Seen From New Caledonia? Beginning in the 1860 s New Caledonia became a penal colony for the incarceration of French criminals After the Paris Commune of April-May 1871, a workers revolt against the establishment centered in Paris, surviving Communards were transported to prisons in New Caledonia New Caledonia housed the major French penal colonies 4

5 Earliest Recorded Group Type Letter From New Caledonia Group Type stamps shipped from France to all Colonies in late November 1892 Earliest recorded usages are generally during the first few months of 1893 Letter posted Noumea on January 17, 1893 Sent to Le Chef d Escadron Delauney, a key military official in the Colony Delauney was interested in philately 5

6 Local Rate of 15c 6

7 CORR.D ARMEES NOUMEA Characteristics: Bar of A in ARMEES slants to left CORR centered on dashes A of NOUMEA centered under a dash 7

8 Noumea - Label 8

9 Noumea - Label 9

10 Noumea 3 x 5c Ligne T CDA 10

11 Noumea Ligne T 11

12 Noumea - Cachet GENDARMERIE NOUVELLE CALEDONIE 12

13 Noumea - Cachet REGIMENT DU MARCHE L T COLONEL NOUVELLE CALEDONIE 13

14 Noumea - Cachet GENIE NOUVELLE CALEDONIE (Engineering Unit) 14

15 Noumea Letter Card 15

16 Noumea 2 x 15c 16

17 Noumea - Registered 17

18 Noumea Registed Late Use of the Octagonal Datestamp CORR. D. ARM. NOUMEA, 9 JUIL 97 Collection of Alain Millet 18

19 Military Mail From Small Villages The small villages did not have military datestamps The volume of military mail did not warrant such Military mail was processed with the regular village datestamps Validation and endorsement required for concession rate Noumea military datestamp used for transit 19

20 Koné Stationery 20

21 Oubatché

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23 What Happened Here? Part of an established correspondence to Nevers Earlier cover has Nevers arrival Datestamps Oubatché: 23 Janv?? Noumea: 28 Janv 98 Ligne T: 25 Dec 98 Bordeaux: 28 Janv 99 Blaye: 28 Janv 99 No Nevers arrival What is going on here? Explain this cover. 23

24 Solution to the Conundrum The dates on the back make absolutely no sense It appears that the cover was delivered to the Bordeaux area a year later In fact, this cover is a beautiful partnering of two different military covers that left New Caledonia at different times Caveat emptor! 24

25 Military Franchise Mail Military franchise mail was reserved for troops engaged in combat Units so-engaged were authorized for full franchise i.e. no charge for mail Standard validation was required Franchise mail from New Caledonia not seen as troops were not engaged in significant combat Military franchise letter from Indochinese forces in Siam to New Caledonia 25

26 POSTE DE PACKNAM SIAM TO NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA

27 Franchise Militaire Stamps In 1901 it was decided that each regular soldier was entitled to two free letters per month Existing French 15c stamps were overprinted F.M. for this service Soldiers were given two stamps per month Stamps could only be used on single weight letters Second weight level and registration had to be prepaid with regular postage stamps 27

28 Noumea Franchise Militaire 28

29 Houailou Franchise Militaire 29

30 Port Vila, New Hebrides Franchise Militaire Collection of Alain Millet 30

31 Port Vila, New Hebrides Franchise Militaire 31

32 CORR. D. ARMEES PAPEETE 32

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34 CORR. D. ARMEES PAPEETE 15c Military concession rate in lieu of 25c overseas rate Based on 15c postal stationery envelope Posted Papeete 15 August 1894 Finest example recorded 34

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36 Registered Military Concession Rate Concession rate of 15c + 25c registration = 40c rate Single use of Oceania 40c Group Type stamp very rare on cover Posted Papeete 14 November 1895 Only recorded example 36

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38 Triple Weight Registered Military Concession Rate Rate = 70c = 3 x 15c postage (30 45 g) + 25c registration Based on 25c postal stationery envelope Posted Papeete March 14, 1898 to Philippeville, Algeria Only recorded example 38

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40 Registered Military Concession Rate of 40c From the Small Village of Taiohae Posted Taiohae on 24 February 1895 Manuscript endorsement and signature at lower left Mixed franking of 1893 provisional issue with Group Type Papeete transit March 2, 1895 (use of 1893 date as there was a problem with availability of 5 Three examples recorded 40

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