Catalog
2 Francs
| Issuer | Government of Madagascar and Dependencies |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 2 Francs |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse consists of a 2-franc Madagascar postage stamp affixed to a cardboard backing, issued as emergency currency during World War I. The stamp bears an engraved vignette of a Malagasy transport scene with figures carrying a palanquin before a hillside town, framed by a decorative guilloche border with the letters 'R' and 'F' at upper corners. The denomination '2f.' appears in a panel at lower left within the stamp design. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Venty sy kirobo 2 francs |
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| Comments |
France's wartime coin shortages hit its colonies hard, and Madagascar's response in 1916 was pragmatic to the point of improvisation: actual postage stamps were glued onto printed cardboard backing to create emergency fractional currency. The 2 Franc denomination was achieved by affixing a pair of 1 Franc stamps. These were not stamped facsimiles — they were genuine postal issues mounted directly onto the card.
Separation of the stamp from its backing, or evidence of moisture damage to the adhesive bond, is the primary condition concern with this type. The cardboard stock was thin and absorbed humidity readily in Madagascar's climate.