France : Railways : Poster Stamps, Vignettes, Cinderellas

This article is your author's personal selection of non-postal railway-related stamps / vignettes / cinderellas of France. In order to keep the article to a manageable size, the listing is limited specifically to stamps that show either a train (or rolling stock), or a tram. Tracks, bridges, viaducts etc. alone are NOT included. Aerial views can qualify, but only if there is clearly a train or some rolling stock visible. Stamps issued by railway companies are not included unless they meet the content criteria outlined above.

A few of the stamps listed are 'on the margins' in terms of verifiable content. Supporting evidence for the presence of a train or tram is sometimes sought from old postcards.

The article is also date-limited. The first example is from 1897 and the article only extends in the main up until the late 1940s or early 1950s, although a few later items receive a brief mention. French Railway Parcel Post stamps existed throughout this same period but, as they are listed in many mainstream catalogues, they are excluded here. In any case, I hold that railway letter and parcel stamps belong much closer to the mainstream of philately than vignettes and cinderellas.

An article of this nature can never be complete and I regularly find new examples to add. I do not often price stamps in articles but have done so here IN EUROS, based on my experience of the frequency with which I see them, and their desirability. Note that stamps on a highly sought-after theme, such as railways, often command a much higher price than, say, less popular designs from the same set. Single stamps from long 'sets' can be very hard to acquire on their own, which also may add a premium to their market value.

The prices are a guide only; many of them are never offered sufficiently often even for a broad concensus about valuation to be established. Generally, condition is much less a critical factor with Cinderella stamps and, before rejecting stamps of this nature over their condition, it is worth reflecting first on when another one might next cross your path. Gum is usually of lesser interest to collectors in this field and stamps with no gum, hinged or never hinged often carry much the same value. Even small visual faults will often not affect the value greatly.

These non-postal stamps / vignettes / cinderellas may have private cancellations and sometimes pick up an incidental postal cancellation, usually when they have been applied on an envelope in a position contrary to regulations. Any 'used' stamp generally rates the same as the mint. Only one check-box is provided for each stamp.

With regard to colours in this article, I list those colours that I have seen or those which I am confident exist - or would expect to exist based on other stamps seen from the same series. Good hunting; cinderellas are entertaining and, unlike postage stamps, there are still many surprise finds to unearth, sometimes requiring no more than putting a magnifying glass where no one has put a magnifying glass before!

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Vignettes for provincial towns and cities : Alphabetical :

Due to the number of vignettes produced for them, two cities, Paris and Lyon, have their own sections below the main listing.
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Angoulême, (Charente) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

The source of the image for the stamp seems either to be a painting or a drawing, presumably one commissioned by the company. It was apparently used for the company letterhead as well as the vignette. The advertising postcard view shown, again produced from a drawing, appears to be an updated view from a similar orientation. Road vehicles have progressed and, assuming the drawing is faithful, the trees along the highway behind the factory have perhaps 10-15 years of additional growth.

Angoulême : La Brasserie (in grey-green) [ . ] € 6.50
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Bethune, (Pas-de-Calais) : Syndicat d'initiative : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

A vignette produced by the Béthune Syndicat d'Initiative, showing the power station and a steam loco hauling a coal train along the river bank.

Béthune : Centrale et Rivage (power station & river bank) [ . ] € 11.50
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Bordeaux, (Gironde) : 1897 Expo : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Spotted online was a group of two Brown stamps, one a Yellowish Chestnut, the other a Deep Brown. Only the former appears on the main scan.

By 1897, both tram and rail tracks ran alongside Les Quais at this point, as can be seen in the partial postcard view above. The building at the top centre of this scan is the one in the detail scan of the claret stamp. The artist has provided only a couple of sets of tracks and, though it is unclear, the view appears to show several tramcars.

Bordeaux 1897 Les Quais (Exposition Internationale) in GREEN [ . ] € 3.50
- ditto - in BLUE [ . ] € 3.50
- ditto - in PALE CLARET [ . ] € 3.50
- ditto - in YELLOW-CHESTNUT [ . ] € 3.50
- ditto - in DEEP BROWN [ . ] € 3.50
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Bordeaux, (Gironde) : 1907 Souvenir Philatelique

In 1907, the engraver Léopold Yon produced some ' philatelic souvenir' stamps in two sizes. I am not sure that I have seen all of them. There is a small, quite well-drawn, tramcar on the extreme right of the bridge (smallest scan above).
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Bordeaux Souvenir in RED, Size 63x41 mms, Coat-of-Arms design [ . ] € 8.50
Bordeaux Souvenir in RED, Size 45x29 mms, Coat-of-Arms design [ . ] € 1.50

Bordeaux Souvenir in RED, Size 45x29 mms, Léopold Yon design [ . ] € 7.00
Bordeaux Souvenir in BLUE, Size 45x29 mms, Léopold Yon design [ . ] € 8.50

Bordeaux Souvenir in BLUE, Size 63x41 mms, Coat-of-Arms design [ . ] € 11.00
Bordeaux Souvenir in BLUE, Size 45x29 mms, Coat-of-Arms design [ . ] € 2.50

Bordeaux Souvenir in BLUE & BROWNISH-RED, Size 63x41 mms, Léopold Yon design [ . ] € 18.00

Bordeaux Souvenir in BLUE & YELLOW-BROWN, Size 63x41 mms, Coat-of-Arms design [ . ] € 16.00

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Bordeaux : Gare d'Orléans : Probable Trams and Trains

Although the detail is tiny, there would be rolling stock around the station (foreground centre) and no doubt one or two trams in this photographic aerial view. I have not seen this stamp in person for sight of the greater detail that is ideally needed.

Bordeaux : La Garonne & Gare d'Orléans [ . ] € 3.00
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Bruay(-la-Buissiàre)(Pas-de-Calais) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Bruay : Mine / Fosse No.7 : Railway Trucks [ . ] € 13.00
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Dunkerque / Malo-les-Bains(Nord) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

I have seen this listed as showing a tramcar in Malo-les-Bains. However, close examination suggests that no tramcar is present, unless drawn proportionately too small and with very poor definition (at the far end of the street). For those who have a different interpretation, I have listed and priced it. It certainly shows tram tracks and is an elegant poster stamp.

Dunkerque : Malo-les-Bains : doubtful Electric Tramcar (in the background) [ . ] € 14.00
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Fellering (Haut-Rhin) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Club Vosgien series : See also the Club Vosgien stamp for Strasbourg.

Foot of a 10-stamp pane in Deep Indigo; Deep Greyish-Blue and Deep Olive-Green singles shown alongside.

Detail taken from the postcard view, which is clearly the source of this stamp.

The booklets are numbered. SERIE IIb contains Fellering on the second pane (bottom left) of a 5-pane (50 stamp) booklet. I know of at least four colours for the stamps in Booklet IIb; all 50 stamps in any one booklet are the same colour..
Pricing: Full booklets can often be acquired at modest prices but my pricing for single stamps and panes reflects the difficulty of acquiring only the stamp or pane you want.

Fellering : Station and Trains : in DEEP INDIGO [ . ] € 4.00
- In a booklet pane of 10 different vignettes [ . ] € 9.00

Fellering : Station and Trains : in DEEP GREYISH-BLUE [ . ] € 4.00
- In a booklet pane of 10 different vignettes [ . ] € 9.00

Fellering : Station and Trains : In OLIVE-GREEN [ . ] € 4.00
- In a booklet pane of 10 different vignettes [ . ] € 9.00

Fellering : Station and Trains : In DEEP REDDISH-BROWN [ . ] € 4.00
- In a booklet pane of 10 different vignettes [ . ] € 9.00

There are numerous views in this Club Vosgien series of vignettes including one of Strasbourg, with a tram, shown further down.
The vignettes were sold in booklets with 4 or 5 panes, each of 10 views, all different. At least two series of views were produced, the contents of each series being entirely different, so the number of different views in the various series runs into three figures and some, perhaps all, of them were produced in more than one colour.

Summary of Booklets seen - with indication of presence (or not) of stamps for Fellering or Strasbourg :
This is a work in progess : The stamp location, viz. pane number in Booklet, is given, where known.):

Séries Ref.	Cover Colour	Stamp Colour	Fellering?	Fell'g Pane #	Strasbourg?	Strasb. Pane #
Ia	Rose	Deep Red-Brown	NO	-	NO	-
Ia	Rose	Deep Blue	NO	-	NO	-
Ia	Rose	Deep Green	NO	-	NO	-
Ib	Greyish	Deep Red-Brown	NO	-	NO	-
Ib	Yellow	Deep Blue	NO	-	NO	-
Ib	Yellow	Deep Grey-Green	NO	-	NO	-
IIa	Pale Bluish-Grey	Deep Red-Brown	NO	-	NO	-
IIa	Green	Deep Blue	NO	-	NO	-
IIb	Pinkish-Orange	Deep Red-Brown	YES	Pane 2	NO	-
IIb	Pinkish-Orange	Deep Blue	YES	Pane 2	NO	-
IIb	Pinkish-Orange	Deep Grey-Green	YES	Pane 2	NO	-

The booklet listing is probably incomplete. In at least some of the booklets, one of the interleaf pages carries an advertisement for summer Coach Trips provided by the Chemins de Fer d'Alsace et de Lorraine.

I have only ever found one example of the Strasbourg stamp in the style of this series, a single stamp. None of the booklets I have seen contain it, which is mysterious and suggests its production may have followed a different path.

Take me to the Strasbourg 'Club Vosgien' listing below

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Joinville-le-Pont (Val-de-Marne) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

International Express, as shown on the imprint at the foot of the vignette, produced a large number of photo-based images of France, several of which are shown in this article. There could be a few more I have yet to discover, both for design and colour.

The postcard shows a double-decker railway carriage under the awning to the right of the main building and several postcard views appear to show a carriage there. Double-decker carriages were at one time a regular feature of trains on this line. The detail on the stamp is not good but it probably shows a double-decker carriage as well.

Joinville-le-Pont : Gare & Double-Decker Carriage : in GREY-GREEN [ . ] € 3.00

I think it likely this view can also be found in Red-brown. [ . ]
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Le Havre (Seine Maritime) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

A further example of an International Express vignette, this design showing railway flat-bed wagons laden with logs.

Le Havre : Railway Wagons at the Port in GREY-GREEN [ . ] € 7.50
- ditto - in RED-BROWN [ . ] € 7.50
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Le Mans (Sarthe) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

The Pont en X in Le Mans was an X-shaped bridge which carried both electric city trams and steam trams of the département-wide tramway network. These two systems shared a diamond crossover on the bridge above the middle of the River Sarthe, an extraordinary and unique arrangement. Part of the Pont en X is shown on the cinderella stamps below, with a steam tram crossing it.

This section has been copied from my article on La Sarthe and its tramways. That article lists the revenue stamps of 1901 and then the cinderellas of 1911, whereas this article only covers the 1911 cinderellas. The link to the Sarthe article can be found via the 'Index Page to Railway Articles' on this website or directly here - the link leads to the Revenue section which precedes the cinderellas on that page (opens in a new tab).

Note: The Sarthe article will typically be updated more frequently than this webpage.

1911 : Publicity (poster) Stamps for the Esperanto Congress in Le Mans

The City authorities supported the Esperanto Congress of 1911 and apparently provided access to a printing plate from the 1901 Municipal Revenue stamp design, showing the steam tram on the 'Pont en X'. Other than the replacement of the revenue face value with a star and the letters G.E.S. (always printed in Green in a separate operation), the centre of each vignette / cinderella / poster stamp for the Esperanto Congress is identical to that of the revenue stamp design.

These vignettes appear in three colours, green, blue or red, two of which (blue and red) are found on a range of coloured papers. The green, however, was only printed on ivory-coloured paper and it is much more plentiful than all the others, as well as providing us with the sharpest image. All were printed on gummed paper.

There are two types, border inscription in French (left stamp above), and in Esperanto (as in the pair). I have yet to establish the sheet format, having only seen the one pair, horizontal and in Esperanto, as shown above. Study of other examples suggest, but not conclusively, that the sheets may have been arranged with the left half of the sheet in French and the right half in Esperanto. If so, se-tenant pairs in different languages should exist. Equally, it may be that there were separate sheets produced in the two languages.

Check-boxes are provided for both languages but, without knowing the sheet format, I cannot be sure that both language versions exist in all combinations of colours. I have marked the check-boxes either Fr (French) or Esp (Esperanto) and have made the check-boxes bold only where I have seen that colour in that language. Prices given apply to either language version.

I list here separately what may be considered the 'standard' printing - in Green on Ivory Paper:

1911 Esperanto in Green / ivory . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 2.00

With regard to all the other colour combinations, I am having to compare vignettes in my hands with those that I have seen online, which are the product of other scanners, always an unreliable source for comparing shades. The list is likely to be incomplete and may possibly include one or two that are not new colours at all, but simply 'scanner variants'. Paper colours are notoriously difficult for scanners to pick up truly.

1911 Esperanto in Blue / yellow . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 6.00
1911 Esperanto in Blue / salmon . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 6.00
1911 Esperanto in Blue / lilac-rose (sometimes very pale) . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 4.50
1911 Esperanto in Blue / dark drab . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 4.50
1911 Esperanto in Blue / bluish-green . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 8.00
1911 Esperanto in Blue / pale grey (with slight bluish or greenish tinge) . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 6.00

1911 Esperanto in Red / yellow . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 4.50
1911 Esperanto in Red / salmon . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 8.00
1911 Esperanto in Red / deep rose . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 8.00 only seen on web
1911 Esperanto in Red / pale rose . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 5.00
1911 Esperanto in Red / drab . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 6.00
1911 Esperanto in Red / pale green . [ Fr ] . [ Esp ] € 4.50
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Lens(Pas-de-Calais) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Lens : La Gare (the new station built after WWI) & Steam Loco (inset) [ . ] € 13.00
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Les Sables d'Olonne (Vendée) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

There are numerous postcard views very similar to the seafront scene on these stamps.

Les Sables d'Olonne : Tramcar : in PALE BLUE [ . ] € 3.50
- ditto - in GREEN [ . ] € 3.50
- ditto - in LILAC [ . ] € 3.50
- ditto - in RED-BROWN [ . ] € 3.50
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Lille (Nord) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Lille 1920:

Lille 1920 Expo : Steam Train [ . ] € 5.00
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Lille 1933:

These Tram stamps were printed se-tenant with the Arch design, the sheet arrangement producing both horizontal and vertical se-tenant pairs of the two designs. I have seen significantly fewer of the brown stamps and have priced accordingly. A further influence on pricing is the fact that the tram design will be in much greater demand than the arch design and the low additional value for a se-tenant pair reflects this.

Normal stamps are on quite thick, white paper. Proofs that I have handled are imperforate and on thin, coloured paper.

'Normal' Stamps on thickish WHITE paper (with gum):
Lille 1933 : Electric Tram in BLUE : Perf [ . ] € 6.50
- ditto - horizontal se-tenant pair : Perf [ . ] € 8.50
- ditto - vertical se-tenant pair : Perf [ . ] € 8.50
- ditto - Block/4 : Perf [ . ] € 19.00

Lille 1933 : Electric Tram in BLUE : IMPERF [ . ] € 8.00
- ditto - horizontal se-tenant pair : Imperf [ . ] € 10.00
- ditto - vertical se-tenant pair : Imperf [ . ] € 10.00
- ditto - Block/4 : Imperf [ . ] € 22.00
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Lille 1933 : Electric Tram in BROWN : Perf [ . ] € 7.50
- ditto - horizontal se-tenant pair : Perf [ . ] € 10.00
- ditto - vertical se-tenant pair : Perf [ . ] € 10.00
- ditto - Block/4 : Perf [ . ] € 22.00

Lille 1933 : Electric Tram BROWN : IMPERF [ . ] € 10.00
- ditto - horizontal se-tenant pair : Imperf [ . ] € 12.50
- ditto - vertical se-tenant pair : Imperf [ . ] € 12.50
- ditto - Block/4 : Imperf [ . ] € 28.00
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Imperforate Proofs: I have only seen the two single proof stamps shown below. but the second designs should logically also exist for both papers and are listed on that basis, even where I have not seen them.

Imperforate Proofs on Thin Paper (without gum):
Proof in Blue / yellowish : Single stamp (tram) [ . ] € 18.00
- ditto - se-tenant pair [ . ] € 26.00

Proof in Brown / deep rose : Single stamp (tram) [ . ] € 20.00
- ditto - se-tenant pair [ . ] € 28.00
The price differences for the proofs are based solely on how eye-catching the colours appear, rather than being based on any assessment of relative scarcity.

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Luchon(Haute-Garonne) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Luchon : Chemin de Fer de Superbagnères : Electric mountain railway [ . ] € 12.00
Based on other stamps seen in the same general style, this stamp is quite likely to exist in several colours, for example Deep Brown and Deep Bluish-Green.

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Marseille (Bouches du Rhône) : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).
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Marseille : Vignettes Croix Rouge : Charity Labels :

These were produced in sheets/20 different views, arranged 5 x 4, gummed. They exist in two colours, Blue and Brown, in both cases with the Red Cross and bottom inscription in Red. Those shown all include a tram or trams. The brown stamps seem distinctly scarcer than those in blue.

(i) In Blue (and Red) :
Croix Rouge : Row 1,2 : La Poste [ . ] € 4.00
Croix Rouge : Row 1,4 : La Cannebière [ . ] € 4.00
Croix Rouge : Row 2,4 : Place Castellane [ . ] € 4.00
Croix Rouge : Row 3,3 : Le Prado [ . ] € 4.00
. . . . Croix Rouge : Sheet/20 in Blue : [ . ] € 52.00

(i) In Brown (and Red) :
Croix Rouge : Row 1,2 : La Poste [ . ] € 7.00
Croix Rouge : Row 1,4 : La Cannebière [ . ] € 7.00
Croix Rouge : Row 2,4 : Place Castellane [ . ] € 7.00
Croix Rouge : Row 3,3 : Le Prado [ . ] € 7.00
. . . . Croix Rouge : Sheet/20 in Brown : [ . ] € 90.00

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Marseille : Basilica 'Notre Dame de la Garde' / The Lifts (84 metres) :

Printed in booklets of 20 different stamps.

Notre Dame de la Garde : Les Ascenseurs [ . ] € 3.50
- ditto - in booklet (or pane) of 20 stamps [ . ] € 15.00
These vignettes are frequently found affixed to postcards of Marseille.

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Marseille : Docks Vinicoles Méditerranéens / Transit du Vin :

I have assumed both stamps shown exist in these two single colours.

Railway Truck & Barrels : in BLUE [ . ] € 14.00
- ditto - in BROWN [ . ] € 14.00

Railway Trucks & Cranes : in BLUE [ . ] € 16.00
- ditto - in BROWN [ . ] € 16.00
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Montluçon (Allier) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Montluçon : Les Usines Saint Jacques & steam train. A misperforated stamp is also illustrated. The detail scan shows clearly the train reflected in the waters of the river.

Montluçon : 1928 : Steam Locomotive & Trucks [ . ] € 2.50

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Montpellier(Hérault) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

There are other wine-related vignettes in the same style, probably printed in composite sheets.

Montpellier : Station Uvale : Top of an electric tram [ . ]
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Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

The final scan is from the 1999 Charles Kiddle Introduction to Collecting Railways on Poster Stamps. Whilst the margins are clearly different, the design area for the two types appear to be much the same, but the last two lines of text are different. The smaller stamp gives June 1927, whilst the larger one has, I think, the correct dates of July 9-25. I have only handled the larger stamps, which are commoner than the small ones. For the present, I only list the 'June' stamps in the one colour that I have seen but other colours may well exist.

LARGE FORMAT stamps :
Nancy 1927 : Expo : Steam Train on Viaduct : PURPLE [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in DARKISH BLUE [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in TURQUOISE [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in GREEN [ . ] € 3.00

- ditto - in YELLOW-ORANGE [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in RED [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in DEEP REDDISH-BROWN [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in DULL CLARET [ . ] € 3.00

SMALL FORMAT stamps :
Nancy 1927 : Expo : Steam Train on Viaduct : PURPLE [ . ] € 10.00
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Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

The perforating on these stamps is quite frequently of a poor quality

Nantes : Expo 1904 : Railway Truck in the Port : in VIOLET [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in BLUE [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in GREEN [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in ORANGE [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in RED [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in BROWNISH-PURPLE [ . ] € 3.00
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Reims (Marne) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Two views showing wartime damage to Reims Cathedral, the first clearly showing a tram, the second stamp very unclear. The image in the same place may simply be a building but the angular nature of the lower part of that area gives the appearance of a tram turning towards us.

Reims : Cathedral : Electric Tram (vertical) [ . ] € 7.00

Reims : Cathedral : Electric Tram? (horizontal) [ . ] € 5.50

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Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Sheet/12 Vignettes, promoting the Foire / Expo of Rennes, all I suspect taken from postcard views.

The two (partial) postcard views (above and below) shown here were the source for the two tram-related stamps.

Rennes : c.1935 : Hôtel de Ville (Row 3,2) : Two Tramcars : in BLUE [ . ] € 4.50
- ditto - in GREEN [ . ] € 4.50
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Rennes : c.1935 : Le Palais de Justice (Row 2,3) : Tramcar : in BLUE [ . ] € 4.50
- ditto - in GREEN [ . ] € 4.50
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Roanne(Loire) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

There are numerous postcard views taken from around this vantage point in the port, although I have not tracked down the original for this stamp. A rather more interesting, earlier, postcard view is shown.

Roanne : Le Port in Brown [ . ] € 4.50
- - ditto - - in Booklet pane/6 [ . ] € 17.00 The booklet has a blue cover; contains one pane.
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Roubaix (Nord) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

I do not have a full list of colour combinations for the stamps in this design. The list below is just a draft, based on snippets of information - and almost certainly with errors. Other similar designs, without railway interest, exist in colours in which the railway design may not have been printed. Those I KNOW to exist are marked 'confirmed'.

Roubaix 1911 Expo with Steam Locomotive :
Frame : BLACK . . . Centre : BLUE [ . ] € 9.00 - Confirmed
Frame : BLUE . . . . Centre : DEEP RED-BROWN [ . ] € 11.00
Frame : BLUE . . . . Centre : BLACK [ . ] € 11.00 - Confirmed

Frame : RED-BROWN . . Centre : TURQUOISE [ . ] € 11.00 - Confirmed
Frame : RED . . . Centre : GREYISH-BROWN [ . ] € 9.00 - Confirmed
Frame : RED . . . Centre : BLACK [ . ] € 11.00
Frame : RED . . . Centre : GREY [ . ] € 11.00
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Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

St Dizier : 1930 : Steam Train [ . ] € 5.50
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Savoie - Aiguille du Dru (Savoie) :
Click here for a map with this mountain at its centre; it is located just west of the Aiguille Verte (map opens in a new tab).

I do not include cable-cars but a few railway collectors include them in their collection. As the sheets/20 include the cable-car design, I have included a scan for this design and added a second, blue, check-box for them with their own pricing.

The train design is in Position 2,2 of the sheet in this orientation.

I am unsure of the number of colours used, but know of five, as listed below.

Savoie : Mountain Train : in GREEN [ . ] € 8.00 . . . . Cable-Car [ . ] € 2.00
- ditto - in DARK TERRACOTTA [ . ] € 8.00 . . . . Cable-Car [ . ] € 2.00
- ditto - in DEEP PURPLE [ . ] € 8.00 . . . . Cable-Car [ . ] € 2.00
- ditto - in DEEP BROWN [ . ] € 8.00 . . . . Cable-Car [ . ] € 2.00
- ditto - in BLUE [ . ] € 8.00 . . . . Cable-Car [ . ] € 2.00
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Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin): French Administration : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Club Vosgien series : See also the Club Vosgien stamp for Fellering.

Strasbourg : Place Kleber : Design 1 :

Strasbourg : Club Vosgien : Place Kléber : Trams : in Deep Bluish-Grey [ . ] € 4.00
- In a booklet pane of 10 different vignettes [ . ] € 9.00

This design may exist in chestnut-brown. The notes in relation to the 'Fellering' vignette, higher up, apply here. The table of booklet contents shown under Fellering is not repeated here.

Take me to the Fellering 'Club Vosgien' listing above

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Strasbourg : Place Kleber : Design 2 :


The original postcard view that was copied to produce the vignette with the trams.

Left stamp : Trams. The right-hand stamp above shows tracks but is outside the scope of this article.

Strasbourg : Place Kléber : Trams : in Brown [ . ] € 4.00
- ditto - In a sheet of 12 different vignettes [ . ] € 18.00
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Strasbourg / Straßburg in Elsaß (German Administration)

The detail scan appears to show a steam tram, hand-coloured in the image, probably belonging to the company.

Straßburg (in Elsaß) : Schott & Mülfahrt Factory : Steam Tram [ . ] € 24.00
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Due to the screen used in the printing process, I cannot show the detail on the vignette more clearly. However, it is taken from this exact postcard view, as evidenced by the location of the tram and passers-by.

Straßburg : Justizpalast & Neue St Peterskirche : Electric Tram [ . ] € 16.00
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A promotional postcard produced for the Louvre department store and a detail from a normal commercial card showing a tramcar of the period turning at the corner of the store.

Straßburg : Grandes Galeries 'Louvre' : Electric Tram [ . ] € 22.00

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Toulouse(Haute-Garonne) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Detail scan below:


Another 'Express a Cherbourg' issue vignette, again from a postcard view and again with very poor definition. There are many postcard views of this scene; I found one which is very similar and which shows a horse-tram at the same location. Although the vignette probably dates from the 1920s, the view used for it was clearly from the era of the postcard shown above.

Toulouse : Pont sur la Garonne : Horse Tram - in Deep Green [ . ] € 3.00
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Paris (Paris, formerly Département de la Seine) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

I know of two designs of railway-related vignette for the great 'Paris Exposition Universelle' of 1900.

Paris Exposition 1900 : Design 1 : Steam Train & Winged Wheel :
The left scan shows the six designs in this series. The right scan is for the study of the blue and green shades encountered.

The two loose stamps are in Deep Olive-Green and Deep Blue. The block/6 (part shown) on the right is in a slightly greenish blue, whilst the left block is a duller, greener version of the right block/6. In my opinion, there was probably a progressive range of shades when the blue ink was changed for green (or vice-versa) without proper cleaning between print-runs by the printer. One could limit the listing to just two colours but I have chosen to list three colours: Deep Blue; Dull Greenish-Blue; Deep Olive-Green.
The locomotive appears American in design, but then it is a 'Universal' exhibition.

Paris Expo 1900 'Panorama' design:
Steam Locomotive & Winged Wheel in RED-ORANGE [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in block/6 [ . ] € 10.00

Steam Locomotive & Winged Wheel in CHESTNUT-BROWN [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in block/6 [ . ] € 10.00

Steam Locomotive & Winged Wheel in DEEP BLUE [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in block/6 [ . ] € 10.00

Steam Locomotive & Winged Wheel in DULL GREENISH-BLUE [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in block/6 [ . ] € 10.00

Steam Locomotive & Winged Wheel in DEEP OLIVE-GREEN [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in block/6 [ . ] € 10.00

Steam Locomotive & Winged Wheel in BLACK [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in block/6 [ . ] € 10.00

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Paris Exposition 1900 : Design 2 : Steam Train & woman with cornucopia :

Woman with cornucopia & Steam Locomotive in CARMINE RED [ . ] € 14.00
- ditto - in BROWNISH ORANGE-RED [ . ] € 14.00
- ditto - in ORANGE tending towards VERMILION [ . ] € 14.00
- ditto - in ORANGE-CHESTNUT [ . ] € 14.00
- ditto - in CHESTNUT [ . ] € 14.00

Woman with cornucopia & Steam Locomotive in PLUM [ . ] € 14.00
- ditto - in BLACKISH-VIOLET [ . ] € 14.00
- ditto - in DARK BLUE [ . ] € 14.00
- ditto - in DEEP GREY-GREEN [ . ] € 14.00
- ditto - in TURQUOISE-GREEN [ . ] € 14.00

Woman with cornucopia & Steam Locomotive : MULTICOLOURED [ . ] € 18.00

The final stamp shown above, in intense black, is one that I have only seen online, and only once. It could be a deep violet rendered black by a scanner or it could conceivably be a proof. It does not seem to be a regularly issued colour,

? Status ? : Woman with cornucopia & Steam Locomotive in BLACK [ . ] € (open)

Company Overprints on these Vignettes :
These seem to be extremely scarce. I have seen just one example, which, in view of the rarity of company overprints may, I suspect, have been applied privately, perhaps in Germany, rather than by the producers of the vignettes. However, one would need to see more examples for an informed opinion.

Woman with cornucopia & Steam Loco in BLACKISH-VIOLET : KUNSTANSTALT KAUFBEUREN in Gold [ . ] € 60.00

The full overprint text, in Gold, on this stamp reads : KUNSTANSTALT / KAUFBEUREN / im / Deutschen Haus / Deutsches / Buchgewerbe / Gruppe III (Institute of Art, Kaufbeuren, in the German Pavilion, German Book Trade Group III).
Map link (if of interest) : Kaufbeuren, Southern Germany (opens in a new tab, centre of map).

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Paris : 1908 : Concours Lépine : Jeux et Jouets / Games & Toys:

These appear to be uncommon vignettes and I have seen them in three formats:
** Bi-colour on white paper, perforated.
** Single colour on white paper, perforated.
** Single colour on coloured papers, imperforate.

The colours are mostly pastel; the stamps, both perf and imperf, are gummed.

The Perforated Stamps : Bi-colour
Small toy (or model) steam locomotive in PALE ORANGE & BROWN [ . ] € 18.00
- ditto - in PALE GREEN & CHESTNUT-BROWN [ . ] € 18.00
- ditto - in PALE GREEN & BLACK [ . ] € 18.00

The Perforated Stamps : Single Colour
Small toy (or model) steam locomotive in BLUE [ . ] € 15.00
- ditto - in PALE LILAC [ . ] € 15.00
- ditto - in DRAB [ . ] € 15.00
- ditto - in PALE GREEN [ . ] € 15.00
- ditto - in BLOOD-RED [ . ] € 15.00

The Imperforate Stamps : Single Colour
Small toy (or model) steam locomotive in BLUE/green paper [ . ] € 17.00
- ditto - in GREY-BLUE/buff [ . ] € 17.00
- ditto - in DULL BROWN/greenish [ . ] € 17.00
- ditto - in DEEP SCARLET/straw [ . ] € 17.00
- ditto - in DULL BLOOD-RED/greenish [ . ] € 17.00

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Paris : 1914 : 10th Universal Esperanto Congress :

The definition on the stamp is very poor but there was an accompanying official postcard with the same view; it is a little clearer and the tramcar can be picked out from it, see small scans. The superb real photo postcard view from the same era, probably around 1910, shows a similar electric tram on the Pont d'Alma as well as a horse-bus and an old car. The horse-bus destination is clear enough to be read, Gare St Lazare (on Route AH).

Esperanto 1914 : Tramcar on Le Pont d'Alma : Vignette [ . ] € 2.50

Esperanto 1914 : Tramcar on Le Pont d'Alma : Official Postcard [ . ] € 4.50

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Paris : International Philatelic Exhibition 'PEXIP' : 1937 :

All colours exist in tête-bêche pairs. Only one stamp in the sheet/25 (5x5) was inverted, the centre stamp.

Pexip 1937 : Steam Train in PURPLE & BLACK [ . ] € 2.50
- ditto - in a tête-bêche pair [ . ] € 16.00

- ditto - in RED-ORANGE & BLACK [ . ] € 2.50
- ditto - in a tête-bêche pair [ . ] € 16.00

- ditto - in YELLOWISH-BROWN & DEEP BLUE [ . ] € 2.50
- ditto - in a tête-bêche pair [ . ] € 16.00

- ditto - in BLUE & ORANGE [ . ] € 2.50
- ditto - in a tête-bêche pair [ . ] € 16.00
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Lyon (Rhône) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Lyon probably exceeds Paris in the variety of railway-related cinderellas it has engendered. Bridges with trams and trains feature heavily, as do exhibitions and fairs.
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Lyon : 1904 Concours de Tir (Shooting Competition)

The detail scan shows, I believe, Le Pont Morand. There is a tram on the bridge and probably one more behind. The bridge at left (Pont Lafayette?) on the full stamp may well depict a tram as well but the definition is not good enough to be certain.

Lyon : 1904 : Concours de Tir : Trams on Bridge (Blue) [ . ] € 7.50
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Lyon : c.1910 Poster Stamps :

Tram(s) on Pont de la Guillotière in BLUE [ . ] € 3.00
- ditto - in YELLOW-BROWN [ . ] € 3.00 Not seen but expected to exist.

Trams on Pont Lafayette in BLUE [ . ] € 3.00 Not seen but expected to exist.
- ditto - in YELLOW-BROWN [ . ] € 3.00
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Lyon : 1914 Exposition Internationale :



The stamps in the miniature sheets are in slightly different colours to the sheet stamps and are perforated, rather than rouletted. I do not list the miniature sheet stamps as singles.

Lyon : 1914 Expo - Tram on Pont de la Guillotière : in DEEP ULTRAMARINE [ . ] € 1.00
- ditto - in SCARLET [ . ] € 1.00
- ditto - in GREYISH-GREEN [ . ] € 2.50
- ditto - in MAGENTA [ . ] € 2.50

Lyon : 1914 Expo : Miniature Sheet : Tram on Pont de la Guillotière : TEXT in BLUE [ . ] € 6.00

Lyon : 1914 Expo : Miniature Sheet, TEXT in RED [ . ] € 6.00

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Lyon : Touristes! Visitez Lyon!:


The postcard shows a broadly similar view of La Bourse in Lyon.

Lyon : Tourist Propaganda : La Bourse & Tram in GREEN [ . ] € 5.00
- ditto - in BLUE [ . ] € 5.00
I have not seen this particular view in Blue but it seems highly likely that it exists.
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Lyon : 1916 Foire d'Echantillons de Lyon (March 1st-20th):

The scans start (above) with the standard poster stamps for the event, which we have so far found on paper of two different colours. The group of stamps produced for individual participants appear to have been printed on paper of four colours, pale peach, pale greenish-yellow, green, lilac. The listing may safely be assumed to be incomplete.

Other than the standard stamps, which are printed in BROWN, all the stamps that I have seen for particpating companies are printed in BLACK.
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'Standard' Design:
Commerce et Industrie : Brown/pale green [ . ] € 16.00
- ditto - Brown/pale rose [ . ] € 16.00
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Promotional Postcard:

This postcard, produced by the Société Moderne d'Alimentation, reveals what appears to be the original sketch from which the stamps were created. The classical figures on the stamps obscure a second tram. The second scan above is a detail from the back of the card.
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General design for a 'Section' (without Company name):

Note that the stamp above includes the mention Section du Livre. These stamps were presumably provided prior to the fair to all exhibiting companies in the book industry for publicity purposes. Companies sending our books by post seem likely to have had plenty of opportunity to affix these cinderellas to their mail. This is the only 'SECTION' identifier I have seen on these stamps but others may exist.

Commerce et Industrie : Section du Livre : Black/pale peach [ . ] € 21.00
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Publicity Stamps produced for Individual Participants. (arranged alphabetically)

Business : Not discovered.

Commerce et Industrie : Company A. ARLIN - LYON : Black/pale green [ . ] € 25.00
- ditto - Black/pale yellow [ . ] € 25.00

Business : Postcard Editors.

Commerce et Industrie : Company BAISSE & GOUTTAGNY - LYON : Black/pale yellow [ . ] € 25.00
- ditto - Black/lilac [ . ] € 25.00

Business : Office Stationers?

Commerce et Industrie : Company PAPETERIE A. BORDET & Cie. - LYON : Black/pale peach [ . ] € 25.00
- ditto - Black/pale yellow [ . ] € 25.00

Business : Suppliers of Printing Materials; also Photoengravers.

Commerce et Industrie : Company B. DELAYE & M. BLONDET - LYON : Black/pale peach [ . ] € 25.00
- ditto - Black/pale green [ . ] € 25.00
- ditto - Black/pale lilac [ . ] € 25.00

Business : Motor Manufacturers, notably of lorries from 1913 including for the war effort. Post-WWI expansion into maintenance of railway rolling stock (P.L.M. Rly) and of railway-owned buses.

Commerce et Industrie : Company BARRON VIALLE & Cie. - LYON : Black/pale peach [ . ] € 32.00

Business : Manufacturers of Biscuits and Luxury Wafers.

Commerce et Industrie : Company BISCUITS VIGNALS & Cie. - LYON : Black/pale peach [ . ] € 25.00
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Companies noted as advertising on postcards prepared for the fair:
T Robatel J Buffaud et Cie.
Societe moderne d'alimenation
Appareils industriels B. Bottet / Tuyaux des Fonderies de Bayard

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Lyon : 1931 : Exposition Philatélique :

Sheetlets in two different settings but note particularly the different stamp designs in the bottom right corner of the sheets. I am unclear whether either sheet exists in the reversed colours. I have seen a note that proofs exist, but without further detail.

Sheetlet/4 : Steam Train : (ship on S-E corner stamp) : in BROWN [ . ] € 15.00

Sheetlet/4 : As above but top right stamp inverted (BROWN) [ . ] € 45.00

Sheetlet/4 : Steam Train : (seascape on S-E corner stamp) : in BLUE [ . ] € 21.00
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Lyon : 1935 : Exposition du Monde en Miniature :

Lyon : 'Miniature' Expo : Steam Locomotive in GREEN (Perf) [ . ] € 25.00
- ditto - in RED (Perf) [ . ] € 25.00
The scan also shows the Green stamp imperforate. However, it is not large enough to prove it is not a perforated stamp with perfs trimmed off and I therefore do not currently list imperforate stamps in this design (or the design immediately below).

Lyon : 'Miniature' Expo : Small Steam Train and Factory in GREEN (Perf) [ . ] € 23.00
- ditto - in RED (Perf) [ . ] € 23.00

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Lyon : 1937 : Première Exposition de Propagande Philatélique :

Lyon : 1937 : Miniature Sheet, right stamp with Pegasus & small steam train (in Blue/creamy-white paper) [ . ] € 16.00

Lyon : 1937 : Miniature Sheet, right stamp with Pegasus & small steam train (in Blue/pale buff paper) [ . ] € 14.00
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Left : Post Office 40c postal stationery card 'repiquée' (privately overprinted on front with the train vignette and on the back with an image of the miniature sheet). The Sports d'Hiver label, by contrast, is an adhesive.
Right : An official envelope with the train vignette printed on the front. The back is blank.

Lyon : 1937 : Postal Stationery CARD, as described immediately above. [ . ] € 20.00

Lyon : 1937 : Organizers' Envelope with printed vignette [ . ] € 18.00

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Non-Geographic Vignettes.

This section is for the rest of the railway-related vignettes of France in the period being covered. There is no logical order to them; I have ordered them as follows:

S.N.C.F : Publicity Vignettes, but only those showing a train
S.N.C.F. : Other
Other French Railway Company Vignettes
Vignettes of Les Cheminots Philatélistes
Other (including Trades Union dues, coupons etc)

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SNCF Forerunner : Chemins de Fer de l'Etat, sometimes known as Ouest-Etat.

This was an administrative name for the commercially unsuccessful (failed) railways that had been acquired by the State from the late 19th century onwards, of which the most notable was the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest. On the nationalization of the railways, the Chemins de Fer de l'Etat was absorbed into the S.N.C.F., formed in 1938.

Chemins de Fer de l'Etat : Train du Poisson (May-June 1930) [ . ] € 4.50

The stamp seems to have been produced by the Ministry for the Merchant Marine; the apparently very limited dates for this 'fish' train are something of a mystery but, as the detail below, from a postcard, shows, it was a bespoke Fish Train.

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S.N.C.F. : Publicity Vignettes :

SNCF : Brown : Automotrice Bugati [ . ] € 3.00
SNCF : Brown : Locomotive Type 241.000 [ . ] € 3.00
SNCF : Brown : Buffet Bar [ . ] € 3.00

SNCF : Brown : Voiture à Etages [ . ] € 3.00
SNCF : Brown : Locomotive Aérodynamique [ . ] € 3.00

SNCF : Brown : Locomotive Electrique [ . ] € 3.00
SNCF : Brown : Autorail réversible [ . ] € 3.00
SNCF : Brown : Couchette 3e Classe [ . ] € 3.00

SNCF : Brown : Autorail Bugati [ . ] € 3.00
SNCF : Brown : Machines à Voyageurs Pacifique [ . ] € 3.00

The SNCF produced a large number of poster stamps with views of France as an encouragement to travel. However, I have yet to see one which has railway content within the scope of this article.
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S.N.C.F. : Other :
S.N.C.F. : Ration Stamps : For Railway Workers? :

SNCF : Sud-Est : Ration Stamp : 1 Ration of Soap : Steam Locomotive [ . ] € ? (scarce)

SNCF : Sud-Est : Ration Stamp : 100 gms of Canned Meat : Steam Locomotive [ . ] € ? (scarce)

I have no information on these stamps and suspect stamps for other rationed products may exist. I do not know whether they are wartime (possibly Vichy Government, if so) or post-war, nor whether such stamps were only produced for the South-East region of the SNCF.
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Other Railway Companies' Stamps :
Chemin de Fer du Nord (CF du Nord) : Centenary (1846-1946) :

Chemin de Fer du Nord : Imperforate stamp (on normal paper, with gum) [ . ] € 4.00

Chemin de Fer du Nord : Imperforate presentation sheet on thick ungummed paper, wmk'd [ . ] € 35.00

These stamps appear to have been produced by, or in association with, the Cheminots Philatélistes.

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Paris - Lyon - Marseille Railway (P.L.M.) : Wartime Patriotic :

Apologies for poor quality scans.

P.L.M.: Pro Patria, Perforated [ . ] € 11.50
P.L.M.: Pro Patria, Imperforate sheetlet [ . ] € 18.00

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Compagnie Paris à Orléans (P.O.) : 1900-1950 :

Compagnie P.O. 1900 - 1950 : Electric Trains [ . ] € 4.50

I was suspicious of the electric locomotive representing 1900 on this stamp, but it seems it is correct. Google AI:
The Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans (PO) acquired its first electric locomotives in 1900. These pioneering boxcab/steeplecab units (numbered E.1 to E.8, later class BB E.1) were built in collaboration with General Electric to haul passenger trains into the newly constructed underground Gare d'Orsay terminal for the 1900 Paris World Fair.
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Czechoslovakian State Railways promotional vignette (in French):

A vignette which exists in several languages, aimed at tourists and foreign visitors to Czechosloakia, this one in French and probably circulated in France, north-west Switzerland and francophone Belgium. The label promotes discounted rail travel and urges you to enquire at your travel agency.

Czechoslovakia :'Take advantage of Rail Discounts of 50%-60%' [ . ] € 3.50
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Les Cheminots Philatélistes :

Les Cheminots Philatélistes is still active (in 2026) and has been responsible for a small number of vignettes but a very large number of covers and special cancels on a railway theme for at least 75 years.

On the stamp, the front doors of their head office appear as a steam locomotive (detail scan). I have found images online of this building but none with such a front entrance, so this may be artistic licence - or maybe a short-lived front door? Also shown, solely for interest, is a detail from a front cover of one of their contributions' booklets in which to affix quarterly payment stamps for a retirement fund. (This booklet contained just two stamps in a non-thematic design).

Fédération des Cheminots Retraités 'Participation' Stamp 10 Fr in Sepia-Brown [ . ]

For more information about the organization, their national website is here, but there are also regional associations with their own websites.

Although, for example, they produced vignettes in booklets for subjects such as their retirement homes for railwaymen, I know of only four vignettes produced by the association showing locomotives and/or rolling stock. These are mostly found on commemorative covers; mint examples are quite scarce; used stamps (off cover) about half these values.

4th Expo Philatélique, 1947 : Diesel Train in GREEN [ . ] € 11.00
- ditto - in RED [ . ] € 11.00

Esperanto / Philatelic Expo, 1948 : Steam Locomotive in BLUE [ . ] € 9.00
- ditto - in PURPLE [ . ] € 9.00

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Other (including Trades Union dues, coupons etc) :

I have chosen to list small individual businesses here, rather than in the geographical section, along with broadly-based associations.
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Edouard BERCK

Edouard Berck was a Paris-based stamp dealer and philateic expert who produced this stamp based on the well-known French 50Fr stamp of 1936. The face value is neatly replaced with his business address. The stamps were printed in perforated sheets/25 (5x5) with, at bottom right, 'coin daté' 13-4-45. Other dates may exist but that seems quite unlikely. The background burelage extends a few millimetres onto the sheet border all round.

He also produced a sheet with the stamp imperforate on brownish paper that is slightly thicker than the paper for the perforated stamps; it is shown here with added adhesive.
There is also a printing of the vignette on a larger sheet, this being printed on thin white card.
Additionally, there was a sunken die proof in the smaller size on thin white card.

All these 'deluxe'-type sheets have the inscription that is visible here on two of them; it is concealed on the brownish card by the added adhesive.

Edouard Berck : Train on Viaduct : Perforated stamp [ . ] € 4.50

Edouard Berck : Train on Viaduct : Sheet on brownish card (imperf) : Medium Size, stamp central [ . ] € 14.00
- ditto - Large Size, stamp towards the top [ . ] € 18.00

Edouard Berck : Train on Viaduct : Sunken Die Proof (imperf) [ . ] € 24.00

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ESSOR : Huile d'Auto (Motor Oil)

It's the 'motor oil which greases the best' (well, obviously!) and, if you put it in your car, it seems that it flies. Delivering a box from a great height is 100 years ahead of its time; carrier companies' drones are only just catching up!

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J. O. C. : Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne

J.O.C. : Created in Belgium, this association spread to France in 1927. It is for young people up to the age of 30 and is run by the youths themselves, a mouthpiece on behalf of young Christian workers promoting values such as family, friendship, collectivism and a deeper understanding of society. It is supported, and its basic tenets underpinned, by the Catholic church. It would appear that it has, or had, a newspaper promoting its aims and the vignette was apparently sold at 10c.

Vignette attached to a postcard posted at Roubaix 30/04/1931. In the side panels are industrial scenes with, at right, a railway truck below a crane.

J.O.C. : Christian Working Youth : in Green (denominated 0,10) : Railway Truck [ . ] € 6.50

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Congrès de Paris : Une Séance

The left and right frames of this vignette are identical to those of the stamp above. I do not know whether both this stamp and the stamp above exist in each other's colours or, indeed, some further colours.
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Congrès de Paris : Une Séance: in Purple (denominated 0,10) : Railway Truck [ . ] € 6.50

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NANCY : Philatelist's Shop (Remy?)

For the genesis of this Nancy stamp, we need to look at an earlier 'Leipzig' label, part of which I saw attached to a postcard - with the top half of the stamp missing. This prompted a search which led to the ' thestampforumboards.net ' page showing the full Hugo Krötzsch vignette. It is reproduced at right above. Link here to the thestampforumboards (opens in a new tab).

It would seem that the shop in Nancy liked the idea of a publicity label along the lines of the Reklamemarke produced for the 1897 Leipzig stamp exhibition and they created something similar, albeit much more crudely drawn - and now promoting French stamps.
Geo-historical note : Nancy remained French when Germany annexed Alsace-Lorraine in 1871. It lay about 20 kms from the 1871 border. That former border today is the boundary between the départements of Meurthe et Moselle and Moselle.

Nancy : Philatelist : 25 Rue Stanislas : Steam Train [ . ] € 6.50

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SIMILI-CUIR SIMPLEX ALSATIA :

Alsace : Simili-Cuir (faux leather) Simplex Alsatia : Steam Train, Cow etc [ . ] € 7.00

The text is in French for a skin treatment product and I assume therefore that this is a French company's product. 'Alsatia' is Latin for Alsace, the use of Latin perhaps in an attempt to appeal to both French and German speakers' equally?

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Indicateur et Guide 'Le Disque':

Indicateur et Guide (timetable & guide) 'Le Disque': Steam Train [ . ] € 6.00

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World War I Military Unit Stamp :

I have not researched military units to ascertain that these vignettes are French.

Chemin de Fer de Campagne : 10e Section : Pro Patria 1914-15-16 Steam Train [ . ] € 26.00
Other WWI stamps I have seen, but from Germany, re-issued stamps like this each year, so there is a possibility that it also exists, for example, just with 1914, just with 1914-15 or similar date variants.

Compagnie Technique de Chemin de Fer de Campagne : Steam Locomotive [ . ] € 12.50

Trains Sanitaires : Perf : Steam-hauled Hospital Train [ . ] € 7.50
- ditto - Imperf [ . ] € 12.00

G.V.C. : Gardes de Voies de Communications - Distant Steam Train : Perf [ . ] € 5.50
- ditto - Imperf [ . ] € 6.00
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G.V.C. : 1914-1916 : Réseau de l'Est : Soldier on bridge with train below [ . ] € 3.00

G.V.C. : Soldier & rear of train (stamp separation by minute roulette) [ . ] € 4.00
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Vignette Croix Rouge : La Génie (Chemins de Fer) - Military Engineers (railways) [ . ] € 3.50
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Steam Train and dates 1914 1916 (shades) [ . ] € 3.00
The origin of this vignette is unclear and may perhaps have a connection with Ottoman Turkey?

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Contribution Stamps & some curiosities :

The items below are simply scanned as I have insufficient information to list them in a useful manner.

Note that the two 1949 vignettes are printed on different coloured papers. I am not sure but suspect that FRCF may stand for Fédération (Générale) des Retraités des Chemins de Fer, which would presumably identify these stamps as payment receipts for an annual membership fee (for retired railwaymen / railwaywomen).

Discount stamps and perhaps reservation fee stamps(?), probably French in origin. .

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I close with a small selection of lesser-known or curious later cinderellas, an eclectic pot pourri:

1964 : Lottery Vignette, a curiosity.

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Calais(Pas-de-Calais) : : Click here for a map with this location at its centre, (opens in a new tab).

Somewhat off-track admittedly - but a railway-owned passenger transport vehicle. The Hovercraft (aéroglisseur) service to Calais was first introduced on Cross-Channel services in 1968 and was a joint operation of British Rail and the S.N.C.F.

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1978 : A booklet of 10 railway-related vignettes; uncommon.

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Vignettes for the 5th, 6th & 7th Foire des Collectionneurs (Parisis), each with a strange 'locomotive foot'.

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P O S T S C R I P T . . . . . . . P O S T S C R I P T . . . . . . . P O S T S C R I P T

Whilst readily acknowledging that I will have omitted a significant number of designs that are as yet unknown to me, it is nevertheless worth reflecting just how few trains and trams turn up in French cinderellas in the first half of the 20th century. Why might this be?

First, it is a question of subject matter and the fascinations of the age. The train was about 70 years old by 1900, the urban tram often already 15-30 years old. Vignettes for publicity only took off in the early years of the 20th century, the so-called Belle Epoque, with tourist-inspired cinderellas following on behind. By then, trains and trams were part of the everyday life, relatively mundane and almost un-noticed, unless you lived in a rural backwater just celebrating the first train or tram in your small town or village.

So, what was new? In Western Europe and the USA, so much seemed fresh and new in the peirod leading up to the Great War. Artistic and engineering genius flourished in an age full of confidence. The motor car and motor racing was modern and exhilirating and, most awe-inspriring of all, the aeroplane caught the imagination of everyone. The number of aircraft vignettes in this period dwarfs railways.

There was also the advent of Art Nouveau with its form more suited to fashion and cultural elegance than the more earthly views beyond one's window. After the war, we have the Art Deco influence, which was certainly embraced in France, notably for the 1924 Paris Olympics - but it led to little railway art there of note. By contrast, Art Deco produced iconic railway poster art of lasting fame in Britain and America.

A quick glance through this article will show that, amongst the vignettes shown, many trams, in particular, are incidental or simply accidental features in the image. Why did I stop the main listing around the 1950s? Essentially because much railway content after that date is driven either by nostalgia or else by commercialism that is not aiming to promote any advertised product beyond the sale of the vignettes themselves.

There is nothing wrong with that but, in the main, these stamps do not speak to me - and this article is a rather personal choice about things that (with the odd exception) do speak to me. It is unlikely that, if you choose to collect similar vignettes, you will want to set your parameters where I set mine. Put your own stamp on your collection - and good hunting.

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Post 1950 - a selection