Marianne des Français series
Encyclopedia
Marianne des Français is a definitive stamp
series issued in France
since 10 January 2005. It was designed by Thierry Lamouche
and engraved by Claude Jumelet.
, allegory
of the French Republic, wearing as usual a tricolor cockade, and the Phrygian cap
. She is depicted as emerging from a plant (see the two leaves on the bottom), smelling the air. Two birds flies in the sky. Doing this picture, Lamouche respected the terms of the national competition : Marianne and the environment.
Lamouche's original project was coloured on a white background. The stamp is white on a one-coloured background to help postmen and users to recognize the different denomination
.
during Summer 2004.
Among these ten, President Jacques Chirac
finally chose Thierry Lamouche
's design. The first day of issue
took place 8 January 2005 in the Palais Bourbon and in each départemental prefecture in the country.
sold with a philatelic diary.
Eleven stamps were issued originally 10 January 2005. They can be used in Metropolitan France
, Guadeloupe
, French Guyana, Martinique
, Réunion
, and overprint
ed for use in Mayotte
and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. But, a letter is known cancelled the 28 December 2004, in the Côtes-d'Armor
.
As soon as 14 January, the red non-denominational stamp for a simple letter was reissued in a large format in profit of the French Red Cross. He cost 20 eurocents more than usual (50 cents in January) to finance a project in Lhokseumawe
, Indonesia
, after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
.
Six new denominations were issued 1 March 2005 because of changes in postal tariffs. The newness was the creation of a European tariff. Before March 2005, a letter for France or the Western Europa cost the same price ; since March 2005, a letter for a country of the European Union
cost 2 cents more (0.55 €).
Definitive stamp
A definitive stamp is a postage stamp, that is part of a regular issue of a country's stamps available for sale by the postal service for an extended period of time...
series issued in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
since 10 January 2005. It was designed by Thierry Lamouche
Thierry Lamouche
Thierry Lamouche is a French illustrator known for the design of the Marianne des Français series, the present French definitive stamp series....
and engraved by Claude Jumelet.
Description
The stamp represents MarianneMarianne
Marianne is a national emblem of France and an allegory of Liberty and Reason. She represents the state and values of France, differently from another French cultural symbol, the "Coq Gaulois" which represents France as a nation and its history, land, culture, and variety of sport disciplines in...
, allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
of the French Republic, wearing as usual a tricolor cockade, and the Phrygian cap
Phrygian cap
The Phrygian cap is a soft conical cap with the top pulled forward, associated in antiquity with the inhabitants of Phrygia, a region of central Anatolia. In the western provinces of the Roman Empire it came to signify freedom and the pursuit of liberty, perhaps through a confusion with the pileus,...
. She is depicted as emerging from a plant (see the two leaves on the bottom), smelling the air. Two birds flies in the sky. Doing this picture, Lamouche respected the terms of the national competition : Marianne and the environment.
Lamouche's original project was coloured on a white background. The stamp is white on a one-coloured background to help postmen and users to recognize the different denomination
Denomination (postage stamp)
:This article deals with the price of a postage stamp. For other meanings of the word 'denomination' see Denomination .In philately, the denomination is the "inscribed value of a stamp"...
.
The competition
Around 50 000 designs were received by the French Post. One hundred were selected by regional juries. Early 2004, people can vote for their most preferred projects. The ten more popular were shown on the front of the Palais BourbonPalais Bourbon
The Palais Bourbon, , a palace located on the left bank of the Seine, across from the Place de la Concorde, Paris , is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government.-History:...
during Summer 2004.
Among these ten, President Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
finally chose Thierry Lamouche
Thierry Lamouche
Thierry Lamouche is a French illustrator known for the design of the Marianne des Français series, the present French definitive stamp series....
's design. The first day of issue
First day of issue
A First Day of Issue Cover or First Day Cover is a postage stamp on a cover, postal card or stamped envelope franked on the first day the issue is authorized for use within the country or territory of the stamp-issuing authority. Sometimes the issue is made from a temporary or permanent foreign or...
took place 8 January 2005 in the Palais Bourbon and in each départemental prefecture in the country.
Postal history
In November 2004, the design was used on a postal stationeryPostal stationery
A piece of postal stationery is a stationery item, such as a stamped envelope, letter sheet, postal card, lettercard, aerogram or wrapper, with an imprinted stamp or inscription indicating that a specific rate of postage or related service has been prepaid...
sold with a philatelic diary.
Eleven stamps were issued originally 10 January 2005. They can be used in Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica...
, Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, French Guyana, Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
, and overprint
Overprint
An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage stamp or banknote after it has been printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative purposes such as accounting but they are also employed in public mail...
ed for use in Mayotte
Mayotte
Mayotte is an overseas department and region of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two. The archipelago is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, namely between northwestern Madagascar and...
and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. But, a letter is known cancelled the 28 December 2004, in the Côtes-d'Armor
Côtes-d'Armor
Côtes-d'Armor is a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France.-History:Côtes-du-Nord was one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Brittany. Its name was changed in 1990 to...
.
As soon as 14 January, the red non-denominational stamp for a simple letter was reissued in a large format in profit of the French Red Cross. He cost 20 eurocents more than usual (50 cents in January) to finance a project in Lhokseumawe
Lhokseumawe
Lhokseumawe is the second largest city in Aceh province, Indonesia. It faces the Malacca Strait, and is surrounded by North Aceh Regency . The city covers an area of 212 square kilometres. According to the 2000 census Lhokseumawe had a population of 188,974 people...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
.
Six new denominations were issued 1 March 2005 because of changes in postal tariffs. The newness was the creation of a European tariff. Before March 2005, a letter for France or the Western Europa cost the same price ; since March 2005, a letter for a country of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
cost 2 cents more (0.55 €).
External links
- Exposition of the project at the National Assembly
- Images on the Phil-ouest site