|
Colonial Stamps under the Petain Regime The fall of France
in 1940 and the subsequent drift into the Axis sphere of influence split the country
decisively. Marshal Petain instituted a semi-fascist regime with the slogan ó
Travail, Patrie, Familleâ as opposed to ó Liberte, Egalite, Fraterniteâ,
being the national slogan. As the powers of the Free French organisation
increased, the Vichy regime felt it necessary to create the illusion of a reborn
powerful country with a colonial empire. Its power base in the colonies was tenuous
at the outset and soon was exstinguished as the colonies rallied to the Free French
authority. One way of enforcing this illusion of power was through the issuance
of stamps for the various colonies. St. Pierre and Miquelon were no exception
. Stamps were produced for use in these islands, although the authority of the
mainland government had been superceded. They were placed on sale in France but
never reached the colony. 
Most of us who are collectors have seen these stamps ,
which are quite common, in the average St. Pierre and Miquelon collection, but
always , of course , in an unused state. Following the end of the war an enterprising
visitor to the islands thought to create some used versions of these stamps. I
illustrate the results. You will note that the stamps had been affixed to envelopes
and cancelled at Ile aux Marins and also at Miquelon. Perhaps the postal
authorities in those two small locations weren´t particularly aware of the circumstances
surrounding the issue of the stamps and allowed the collector to have the local
postmark applied to his covers. Certainly I doubt that he would have been successful
in obtaining a postmark at the main office in St. Pierre. Of course the covers
never went through the mail system , they were handed back to the collector on
a favour basis. I have not , as yet, seen any other used versions of these stamps,
but they certainly add a little bit of flavour to a collection of St. Pierre and
Miquelon covers.
 
Return to Philatelic articles by David Allen
St Pierre et Miquelon
D. Allen
|
