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Auction: 18054 - The 'Hermione' Collection of France, 1849-1950
Lot: 811

France
1928 "Ile de France" Issue
10fr. on 90c. red, surcharge inverted, vertical pair additionally featuring the spaced surcharge at top, and consequently being a se-tenant multiple, centred to right as this stamp is found with inverted surcharge, both stamps mint lightly hinged. Only 50 stamps with this variety were printed, of which only five have the wide spacing. An absolutely extraordinary piece featuring the two varieties occurring in this stamp -only five examples are known with the inverted spaced surcharge, in this instance it is further enhanced by being part of a se-tenant pair-; not only one of the greatest gems of post-classic France, but also one of the greatest rarities of worldwide airmails. Calves certificate (1987), signed Serrane, Sanabria and A. Diena. Spink Maury 3var; the quotations are €20,000 for the inverted surcharge and €75,000 for the inverted spaced surcharge, not being registered as a se-tenant pair yet; €20,000. Photo

Saving time in mail delivery has always been a concern, and the transatlantic postal relations are no exception to the rule. One of the most remarkable philatelic adventures of the airmails is undoubtedly that of the surcharged stamps known as "Ile de France".
The idea was that of launching a seaplane from the edge of the "Ile de France" ocean liner, when the ship approached its transatlantic destination, in order to gain various hours which would mean one day in the mail delivery.
The PTT Administration published, on 4 August 1928, a note in which the surcharges on the stamps to be affixed to letters carried by this service were specified. Thus, for letters, postcards and unenclosed parcels up to 10 grams, the sender had to pay a surcharge of 10 francs, and then 5 francs in fractions of 5 grams for mail weighing more than 10 grams.
On 16 August 1828, the postman on the "Ile de France", Jules Cohen, after his arrival to New York, went to the consulate of France to meet Maxime Mongendre, French Consul, to whom he communicated "(...) the complete usage, during the journey from Le Havre to New York, of all 10 francs stamps". Jules Cohen, having specified that he still had postage stamps of 90 centimes and 1.50 francs, was authorized by the consul to surcharge these stamps with 10 francs each. The French Printing and Publishing Co. was then the printer which applied the surcharge on 1,000 stamps of 1.50 francs and 3,000 stamps of 90c., on the same day.
The surcharge was applied typographically on panes of 50 stamps. It should be noted that the surcharge in the penultimate row presented a wider spacing between the base of the figures and the bars, this being 8 mm instead of the 6 mm which were the norm for the other stamps.
A block of 50 examples of the 10fr. on 90c. "Berthelot" was applied inverted, so there are only 5 possibilities to find this extraordinary pair featuring the inverted surcharge and including one with wide spacing.


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Sold for
€55,000