The French National Assembly approved the issue of the first French postage stamp on 24 August 1848. This stamp symbolised the Second Republic, in the form of a serene Ceres, goddess of the harvest, depicted in profile.
Issue information
This stamp didn’t go on sale until 1 January 1849 in French Post Offices. Soon after, it was replaced by the effigy of Napoleon Bonaparte, reflecting the transition of France from a Republic to an Empire.
As well as celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first French stamp, the exhibition marked another, major historical landmark. During the show the French Post Office issued its last stamp denominated in francs; all further issues would be in euros.
The exhibition was held from 2-11 July 1999. To commemorate the event, New Zealand Post released two miniature sheets and a souvenir cover. One miniature sheet incorporated two of the New Zealand Art - Doris Lusk stamps and the second being part two of the Underwater World stamps. Part one was issued to commemorate Australia ’99 and when combined both these sheets formed a single picture.
Product Listing for Philex France '99
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Miniature Sheet | Mint, used or cancelled 'Doris Lusk' miniature sheet. | $2.20 |
 |
Miniature Sheet | Mint, used or cancelled 'Underwater World' miniature sheet. | $2.40 |
 |
Souvenir Cover | First day cover with souvenir sheet affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $2.70 |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 2 July 1999 |
|---|---|
| Miniature sheets designed by: | Underwater World - Geoffrey Cox, Auckland; New Zealand Art - Doris Lusk - Hamish Thompson, Wellington |
| Printer and process: | Southern Colour Print, Dunedin, by lithography |
| Number of colours: | Four process colours and two special colours. |
| Paper type: | 103 gsm red phosphor coated |
| Period of sale: | These stamps remained on sale until 1 July 2000. |
