Page 21 - Delcampe Collections classiques EN-006

Stamps

However, for the booklet of vignettes (fig.3) as well as for the final booklets, they
did manage to print the covers on one of their presses in the correct format, after
rectifying the mistakes. Indeed, there is no longer any tread on the back. This then
allowed them for the first time to make the said booklets using the special machine
purchased for this purpose.
This first rotary booklet from 1929, listed as 199 C48 in the Yvert and Tellier ca-
talogue, is not uncommon today. Some 50,000 of such booklets are said to have
been printed. The stamps were of course of a new type, since a cylinder had to be
made especially for them: it is type IV, recognisable in particular due to the absence
of shadow under the R of REPUBLIQUE.
But why did they choose to produce such an unattractive booklet at the end of 1928
with no advertising on the cover or on the stamp margins? While for the previous
five years all the booklets issued had been provided with advertising, arousing great
public interest?
The first reason is that Carlos Courmont had the exclusive rights to this adverti-
sing, and was certainly in no hurry to acquire the necessary modern, though expen-
sive, equipment. This was borne out by the fact that until early 1931, he continued
to supply the workshop with his flat-printed covers for the booklets of the same
stamp, type II B. Consequently, these would coexist for two years with the rota-
ry booklets, before permanently making
way for them.
The second reason is that the workshop
most likely thought of this first attempt
as a sort of trial run, intended to iron out
teething troubles and make the required
adjustments for the new machine as-
sembling the booklets, as well as to learn
more about this technique which had yet
to be evaluated and made reliable.
We also know of a few defective booklets
that showed that not everything was per-
fect, as in this fragment:

(To be continued, some rather surprising
discussions between Maison Courmont and Fig.6 C
Maurice Digeaux, a trader and great specia-
list in booklets of the period).
With thanks to the members of the A.C.C.P. who kindly provided us with images from their collections. Pic-
tures of the workshop from the Newsletter of the French Post Office Department from 1934 - BNF website
For more information: A.C.C.P website http://www.accp-asso.com/
or contact the Chairman Jacky Girard, 157 avenue de Saint-Augustin - 11100 Narbonne, France

Delcampe Magazine 21