The first 6 overprinted French "Type Semeuse" stamps
Color and overprint variations
Postal stationery
Many people think that the first Memel (now Klaipėda region, Lithuania) stamps are the Germania overprints because the catalog numbering shows so. Chronologically speaking, it is wrong, those French stamps were the first to be issued for Memel on 7 July 1920 (Germania overprints were issued on 1st August!). There was no definitive issue for Memel during the French administration and used 2 types of French stamp to overprint: "Type Semeuse" which means Sower as you can see on the posted pictures and "Type Merson" named after the designer of that stamp which I will talk about in my future post. Type Semeuse can be divided in 2 kinds, Type Semeuse lignée (ligned) and camée (cameo). They can be easily recognized, lignée (ligned) has a horizon line on the background, and the other is without a line. Most of Memel stamps uses the camée. Memel type Semeuse don't have such high catalog values and can be found pretty easily except the 2 postal stationery. It has a large varieties of colors and overprints which makes the collectors very enjoyable.
However the French didn't think to maintain Memel for a long time.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, they would write
"Mémél"
or
"Mémélle"
They usually translate or adapt any word :-)
Yeah! but surprisingly, most of the names in the Baltic region is not translated to French. I have few French books where they talk about the Napoleon's Russian campaign in 1812. Lot's of Baltic city's names are mentioned but they call them how the Russians or the Poles call. Vilnius is either Vilno or Vilna, Kaunas is Kovno or Kovna and so on. On the contrary, Polish city's names are translated well, Warszawa is Varsovie, Krakow is Cracovie etc. I guess it has to do with history, Poland had French kings even before the Union with Lithuania (House of Anjou, later Henry III of Valois also).
ReplyDeletethanks for share...
ReplyDelete