Classic Errors Of France From The "Lafayette" Collection

1849-1850 Ceres Issue

1. 10c yellowish bistre tête-bêche unused pair

2. 10c brownish bistre tête-bêche unused strip

3. 10c brownish bistre tête-bêche on cover to USA

4. 10c greenish bistre tête-bêche on cover

5. 15c green tête-bêche on cover front

6. 20c black tête-bêche unused block of 30

7. 20c blue on yellow tête-bêche unused block of 10

8. 20c deep blue tête-bêche unused block of 6

9. 20c blue on bluish tête-bêche unused pair

10. 25c blue tête-bêche unused pair

11. 25c blue tête-bêche on cover

12. 40c orange retouched 4's unused in strip

13. 40c orange reprint with retouched 4's unused in strip

14. 1f carmine tête-bêche unused pair

15. 1f carmine tête-bêche block on cover to Russia

16. 1f carmine brown tête-bêche unused pair

17. 1f carmine brown tête-bêche "barbiche" variety on cover

18. 1f vivid vermilion tête-bêche unused block

19. 1f vermilion tern "Etrusque" tête-bêche used strip

20. 1f vermilion "Vervelle" tête-bêche unused block

21. 1f brownish red tête-bêche pair on cover to India

1853-1871 Empire Issues

1. 20c blue imperforate tête-bêche unused block of 30

2. 80c carmine tête-bêche unused pair

3. 80c rose tête-bêche unused pair

4. 1f carmine tête-bêche unused block of six

5. 1f carmine tête-bêche strip on cover to Uruguay

6. 1f carmine reprint tête-bêche unused block of nine

7. 5f gray shades, denomination omitted two used examples

1871 General Colonies Issue

1. 10c bistre tête-bêche unused pair

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For additional information see the article "Classic Errors Of France" (an Adobe PDF file)

The items linked above represent the highlights of the "Lafayette" collection of the classic stamps of France. This material was exhibited in BELGICA '99 as well as in New York in 1996. The ANPHILEX catalog termed the exhibit "the greatest ever formed of France" and it would be hard to disagree. The collector's goal was to acquire examples of every known classic era error of France in unused condition, as well as on cover where they exist. This entailed the acquisition of all of the eight unique items in the field. The largest reported multiples and finest known examples were sought. The success of the collection is in the actual completion of the task in a fashion never before accomplished and almost certainly never to be surpassed in the future.

I am honored to be able to present this collection on the internet. I hope to reach a larger audience than is possible through other forms of exhibiting.

Richard Frajola, February, 2003