FRANCE
Personalised stamps: Montimbreàmoi, ID timbre, Service labels, Postal stationary	Date(s) of issue: 29 October 2007->

After having experimented with several formats of perosnalised stamps and/or personalised labels attached to stamps for 7 years, La Poste introduced a new format of true personalised stamps on 29 October 2007. The stamps were marketed to the general public as well as to companies and organisations. La Poste itself also quite early started issuing various pre-personalised stamps outside of the official stamp programme.

The standard catalogues, naturally, only list the basic types without regard to the personalisable central area, but also on the basic types there are little information of dates of issue and possible combinations.

In this article, we try to list the various possible combinations. We have used information from several sources, but owe special thanks to the Philapostel website.

Type 1: MonTimbreàMoi

Two basic designs:

• H - Horizontal, with couloured frames in lower and right margins
• V - Vertical, with coloured frames in left and lower margins

10 different frame colours:

a - Grey	b - Orange	c - Pink	d - Gold	e - Brown
f - Red	g - Dark blue	h - Green	i - Blue

Security text:

The frames are composed with white security text "MonTimbraMoi" in a continuous pattern.

Service denominations*: (first known use stated below denomination)

Sale formats:

• Sheets of 10 stamps (October 2007)
• Sheets of 30 stamps (October 2007)
• Collector (booklet) of 10 stamps (2008)

Control numbers:

An order reference number was printed on each stamp (at least in the early days).

Type 2: ID timbre

From 2008, a separate website for companies and organisations offered personalised stamps under the brand ID timbres [Identity stamps].

Two basic designs:

• H - Horizontal, with couloured frames in lower and right margins
• V - Vertical, with coloured frames in left and lower margins

Frame colours:

We have only seen these stamps with grey frames.

a - Grey

Security text:

The frames are composed with white security text "Philaposte" in a continuous pattern.

Service denominations*: (first known use stated below denomination)

The service denominations have been printed in different typefaces (if you have more information on this point, please let us know).

Sale formats:

• Sheets of 30 stamps (October 2008)
• Collector (booklet) of 10 stamps (2008)
• Booklet with 4 stamps (8 March 2010)
• Sheetlet/Booklet with 8 stamps (8 March 2010)

Type 3: Service stamps

La Poste has issued a number of pre-personalised stamps for their own mailings. Most of them have been either of type 1 or type 2.

We have, however also seen stamps in special formats, such as this advertising stamps, made for a mailing in 2010.

Type 4: Postal stationary

Personalised postal stationary has been offered to professional users of La Poste with stamp indicia of Type 2 / ID timbres. La Poste itself also use mass mailers imprinted with personalised stamp indicia.

If you have corrections or addendae to this list, please send an e-mail to checklists@catstamps.org.

List compiled by Geir Arveng.
Latest update of this page: 27 February, 2024