FCPS-LogoIn 1949, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the first French postage stamp, a group of British philatelists set up a pioneering  specialist  philatelic society devoted to the study of the stamps of France and the then French Empire. From small beginnings, the France and Colonies Philatelic Society now unites over 250 collectors in Britain and overseas in the many and varied delights of the stamps and postal history of la Francophonie.

The Society provides an extensive programme of meetings in several locations, holds an annual Philatelic Weekend, publishes a well regarded and authoritative Journal and series of monographs as well as several more extensive specialist philatelic books, operates a magazine circuit, two thriving exchange packets and three postal Auctions a year. It is a friendly and informal group to which non-members are welcome to attend any of our meetings.

  FUTURE EVENTS  

THE NORTHERN GROUP meeting will go ahead on 13 April 2024 – at Ravenfield Parish Hall, Birch Wood Drive, Ravenfield, Rotherham S65 4PT. Contact Roger Clapham, Tel: 01709 527673. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details. Other meeting dates - 21 July and 26 October 2024.

Regretably THE WESSEX AND LONDON GROUP MEETINGS are in abeyance for the foreseeable future. Zoom meetings are planned later in the year.

SPRING AUCTION

The catalogue and images for the Spring Auction dated 18 May 2024 are promoted on the Auction page. The catalogue has 6+ pages of full colour images.

ZOOM MEETINGS 

The first meeting for 2024 was held on 13 February with a splendid display based on one single stamp - 50c Jeanne d'Arc issue of 1929 by Mick Bister
Everything associated with Jeanne d’Arc was covered and a full presentation of the philately it inspired. The stamp production, booklet and postal usage were all included. The display concluded with the Jeanne d’Arc procession in Orléans and is available to view here.

All Zoom meetings are available to view here  

All meetings have been a great success and it is hoped to carry on with either single presentations or as a Show & Tell.
Contact either This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Chris Hitchen if you would like to participate
. Presentations will start at 2:30 PM London time and the room will be open at 2:15 PM. Any further information please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

  JOURNAL 304 

The APRIL Journal and SPRING Auction Catalogue will be dispatched or sent digitally before Easter.
Articles include:

Obituary - Steve Ellis (Mick Bister)         
Obituary - Bob Larg (Chris Hitchen)
Development of Airmail Services in Réunion - The Bateau – Avion Period, 1932 – 1939 (Peter RA Kelly)     
The 12F Antoine-Augustin Parmentier (with an introduction to the designer and engraver Henry Cheffer) (Edwin Voerman)     
Marianne de Muller Part 6a: the 20 franc issue (YT 1011B) – Sheet, coil and stationery printings (Mick Bister) Precursors of the French postal card - Part 3: The German occupation stamps (Frans Jorissen)     
There’s No Business Like Show Business – Connections on French Stamps - Part 6 (David Parmley) 
Postal Markings of Le Havre (Keith Smith) 
Why I collect what I collect Beginnings (David Prendy) 
Shorter Items - including Questions and Answers                                                       
•  Discovering post boxes in ‘La France Profonde’ (John Morton)            
•  A letter from Chad to China (Paul Grigg)
•  Marianne de l’Avenir (Richard Broadhurst)
•  Chambre des Députés (Jan Gane) 
•  ‘"The ‘POSTELEC’ experiment 1985 to 1987 (Paul Watkins) 
•  Mauritania, modern varieties (Michael Round) 
Bookshelf
•  Yvert & Tellier ‘Timbres de France’ Catalogue 2024 (Reviewed by Richard Broadhurst) 
•  Stanley Gibbons Catalogue, ‘France’ (Reviewed by Richard Broadhurst)     
New-issue listings from Gibbons Stamp Monthly: December 2023 - March 2024 (Michael Round) 
Books Noted (Maurice Tyler)  
List of Recently Published Articles (Maurice Tyler)
A superb item from the Spring Auction

A selection of images from Journal 304 are illustrated above in the slider. 

THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to to Journal WE ARE ALWAYS IN NEED OF ARTICLES, large or small, if you have something of interest please consider sending it for inclusion in a later edition. Type your text in Word, add any images, scanned at 300dpi as separate jpeg attachments and email them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 ZOOM MEETINGS 

Those members interested in joining please advise Chris Hitchen by email  to let him know whether you would simply wish to view displays or whether you would be able to give a display as well. Those without a webcam can of course still view the displays but will not be seen by others.

Information on Zoom meetings will only be sent to those who express an interest, however the programme will be advertised on the website. Read more

Subject to sufficient offers we will run another Show and Tell meeting with the participation of anyone who cares to join. Here’s our idea for how it will work:
•  1. Scan a stamp, several stamps, cover or several covers or any other item philatelically related to France or its colonies. Save each item as a separate JPG file. (That is important. PDFs don’t work as well.)

•  2. Prepare a short description that will explain why you like the items you scanned – technical details, design quality, postal rates and routes, markings, social history of the writer or recipient, or anything else you would talk about if you were given five minutes to explain this to a group. Be sure it is obvious which part of your description applies to which JPG file.

•  3  Send that description as a Word document or just put it in an email along with the JPGs to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Mick will then put together a PowerPoint presentation with everyone’s scans and at least a portion of your written description. When we hold the Zoom meeting, you will be able to speak to the group about your “stuff” when it appears in the PowerPoint show.

There will be no indication of ownership in the PowerPoint file, so don’t let that limit you when you make your selection. The more of us who participate, the better it will be, of course.

The website will always have the latest information so members will need to consult that regularly to see what is going on. When things improve then Convenors will arrange meetings as soon as practical. It may well not be feasible to advise these in the Journal in advance. Details of convenors is herePlease consider using the FORUM in the meantime - perhaps share your latest acquisitions or any query or comment you may have. If you have not registered as a member, please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your preferred password and a Username will be provided.

JOIN OUR PHILATELIC FORUM 
You can join our Forum without being a member of the Society - just contact the Website Manager with your name and preferred password and you will be supplied with a username - you don't have to be a member!.

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Please note: The information displayed in these pages is copyright. The images used are used with permission from the owners’ of the material. Permission for the use of any material within these pages must be sought from the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.and must be quoted in references.

News

STOP PRESS... STOP PRESS...

THE NORTHERN GROUP meeting will go ahead on 13 April 2024 – at Ravenfield Parish Hall, Birch Wood Drive, Ravenfield, Rotherham S65 4PT. Contact Roger Clapham, Tel: 01709 527673. Email for more details. Other meeting dates - 21 July and 26 October 2024.

SPRING AUCTION
The catalogue and images for the Spring Auction dated 18 May 2024 are promoted on the Auction page. The catalogue has 6+ pages of full colour images.

A NOTE FOR YOUR DIARY
Annual Philatelic Weekend 6-8 March 2025. Accommodation rates will be unchanged from 2024. Full details will be provided when available, in the interim please contact David Parmley either by telephone on 07464 926250 or email if you have any queries.