STAMPS IN THE VIEWFINDER

This page is dedicated to my stamps or their cancellation on which I have a doubt concerning their precise identification. Your comments are welcome if you have interesting information.

A/ Stamps which issue can't be clearly defined

A-1: Stamp Y&T #3, Sc. #3, Ceres black, imperforate, 20 centimes. Year of issue: 1849

Problematic: purchased from a seller as being a make-ready ("mise en train") but specialised Yvert & Tellier catalogue indiques that none make-ready was find for this 1st issue.

Proposed solutions: 1/ A very rare make-ready of the 1st issue ; 2/ An essay from the so-called issue of the siege of Paris (1870).

B/ Unidentified cancellation

B-1: Stamp Y&T #22, Sc. #26, Napoleon blue, perforate, 20 centimes. Year of issue: 1862

Problematic: cancellation (MOUDA ?)

Supposed date of cancellation: 1871 or 1877

Proposed solutions: 1/ Private cancellation ; 2/ Cancelled abroad but not matching with known one ; 

3/ Fake

B-2: Stamp Y&T #3, Sc. #3, Ceres black, imperforate, 20 centimes. Year of issue: 1849

Problematic: cancellation unknown of misaligned & different sized dots + paper with too much impurity, slightly too thick.

Supposed date of cancellation: unknown

Proposed solution: 1/ forgery with fake cancellation, lithography instead of typography.

B-3: Stamp Y&T #4, Sc. #4, Ceres blue, imperforate, 25 centimes. Year of issue: 1850

Problematic: grid cancellation with alveolus

Supposed date of cancellation: 1850-52

Proposed solutions:

1/ Characteristic grid of Châteauroux, but only known on black Ceres Y&T #3, Sc. #3 + used at the beginning of 1849 well before the issue of this stamp. Perhaps a late use such as New Year's Day where the large flow of mail to be processed requires a reinforcement of personnel who are equipped with old or makeshift cancellation "tools". 

2/ Worn normal grid + a lot of ink, which leaves a grid imprint with rounded corners.

B-4: Stamp Y&T #17, Ceres green, imperforate French general colonies, 5c. Year of issue: 1872

Problematic: Italian postmarks (RACCOMANDATO) used for registered mail (right, an example on Italian cover).

Supposed date of cancellation: 1872-76

Proposed solution: 1/ A stamp, among other surely, used on registered mail from a French colony to Italia and cancelled in post office on arrival (double RACCOMANDATO). Blue cancellation with lozenge of dots used at departure of the French colony is visible.