Show your stamps of Martinique

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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Why is this lady smiling?  Did she just win the "Best Crazy Hat" contest?  Did her husband just come home with all of his pay check for a change?*  Did she find out she was going to be pictured on a postage stamp?  Regardless, Martinique is famous for it's happy, friendly people.
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 67
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Between 1908 and 1930, Martinique issued thirty typography stamps (Scott 62-100) bearing three images:  This Martinique Woman, a Girl Bearing Pineapple in a Cane Field, and a View of Fort-de-France.  These stamp are printed on non-watermarked paper and all are perforated 14x13-1/2.  Their denomination range from one-centimes to five-francs.  This carmine and brown ten-centimes stamp was one of the first.
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Martinique is an island in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea.  Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. One of the Windward Islands, it is directly north of St. Lucia, northwest of Barbados, and south of Dominica.  (If you picture the eastern Caribbean with a semi-circle arc bulging into the Atlantic, Martinique will be at the three o'clock position.)
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

*  I hate stereotyping, but will sacrifice if it produces a smile.

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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Put de lime in de coconut . . . I'm pretty sure a shot or two of rum is usually included.
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 93
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This dull blue and brown one-franc stamp depicts the Girl with Pineapples in a Cane Field.   One can image in 1909 that she was a pleasant sight toting those succulent pineapples for a short "fruit break" to the workers chopping sugar cane.
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Historically Martinique's economy relied on agriculture.   Beginning this century tourism has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of their foreign exchange.  All most all of their sugarcane today is used for the production of rum.
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 89
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Locals call this a view of "Foyal", and they call themselves "Foyalais."  Creole is the second language of Martinique (after French).  We English speakers call the picture on this 75-centimes slate and brown stamp a View of Fort-de-France.  Originally this port was named "Fort Saint Louis" in 1673 when it was built.  After it was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1669 it was called "Fort-Royal."   During the French Revolution it was temporarily named "Fort-La-Republique."  Eventually, sometime during the 19th century they got around to calling it "Fort-de-France."
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

[cbavier]

The Pineapple gal probably was smiling because she was thinking. Gonna make a Fruit Cake.

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 161
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Between 1933 and 1940, Martinique issued a new series of forty regular stamps (Scottt 133-172).  Again, they used three basic designs:  A view of the village of Basse-Pointe, the Government Palace located at Fort-de-France, and two Martinique Women.  All stamps are photogravure, perforated 13-1/2, and printed on unwatermarked paper.  The denomination of these forty stamps range from one-centime to 20-francs.  This light ultramarine 1.40-franc stamp was issued in 1940 and depicts the village of Basse-Pointe.
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Martinique owes its name to Christopher Columbus, who sighted the island in 1493 and finally landed on 15 June 1502. The island was then called "Jouanacaëra-Matinino", which came from a mythical island described by the Tainos of Hispaniola. According to historian Sydney Daney, the island was called "Jouanacaëra" by the Caribs, which would mean "the island of iguanas". After Columbus' initial discovery, the name then evolved into Madinina ("Island of Flowers"), Madiana, and Matinite. When Columbus returned to the island in 1502, he rechristened the island as Martinica. Finally, through the influence of the neighboring island of Dominica (La Dominique), it came to be known as Martinique.
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 162
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This deep blue 1.50-franc stamp was issued in 1933 and depicts the Government Palace at Fort-de-France.
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On May 8, 1902, Mont Pelée erupted and completely destroyed the then capital of Martinique, St. Pierre, killing 30,000 people. The only survivor in the town, Auguste Cyparis, was saved by the thick walls of his prison cell.  Shortly thereafter the capital shifted to Fort-de-France, where it remains today.
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 167
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Although this blue 2.25-franc stamp was issued in 1939 it is the same design as the orange 20-centimes issued in 1933. It is, of course, two Martinique women.
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Of the forty regular issue stamps, between 1933 and 1940, 12 are of these two women.  There are 13 Basse-Pointe design stamps and the Government Palace is represented by 15 stamps.  These three designs were also issued in five denominations by the Vichy Government during World War II and were never placed on sale in Martinique.  Also, five of the forty stamps were surcharged in 1945 (Scott 190-195).
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The island of iguanas was originally occupied by Arawaks, then by Caribs. The Carib people had migrated from the mainland to the islands about 1200 CE, according to carbon dating of artifacts.   Then along came Columbus.  But the Spanish mainly disregarded the island of flowers.  But the French came sniffing.
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There was a period when the Caribs ousted the French and the English overruled the Caribs and the French decided to give it another go.  This time they rounded up all their trouble makers in the homeland (French Huguenots) and provided them with land deeds.  Those that didn't get deeds go indentured servitude instead.  Since these same fellers caused problems at home in France they thought they could do the same in their new land.  They refused all Catholic influence force upon them.  Nearly all of them escaped to the British American Colonies or back to other European countries.  That left mostly Caribs and their rather snazzy fashion styles (as depicted on the above stamp).
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

NOTE:  The above history of Martinique had been extremely shortened, condensed, consolidated, and tremendously simplified.

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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A dragon, a Buddha shrine, Shinto goddess, and African tribal masks and totem -- just what do these have to do with a Caribbean island? 
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 185
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April 15, 1937 was the kick-off of the Paris International and Colonial Arts Exposition.  As such, Martinique (along with 23 French administered territories and countries) issued six engraved common design stamps (Scott 180-185).  These stamps, perforated 13 and unwatermarked, range in denomination from 20-centimes through 1.50-francs.  The 20 and 30-centimes stamps represent resources of the colonies.  The 40-centimes champions overseas commerce and the 50-centimes the exposition building.  The allegory of France and her empire is shown on the 90-centimes stamp.  This ultramarine 1.50-franc stamp represents the cultural treasures of the colonies.
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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MARINIQUE -- SCOTT 187
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France participated in the New York World's Fair and as such 24 of it's oversea departments and administered territories issued a common design stamp on 10 May 1939.  Martinique issued two engraved stamps with the same design (Scott 186 and 187) in a 1.25-franc and 2.25-franc denomination.  Both are perforated 12-1/2x12 and unwatermarked.
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At a quick glance it's very easy to confuse these New York World's Fair stamp with those of the Paris International Colonial Arts Exhibition issues.
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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I made reference to this Government Palace located in Fort-de-France stamp earlier in this thread. Do you see the difference? Do you know the significance of this stamp?
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 189B
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This stamp was issued in 1942-44 by the Vichy government in France. Chances are that this black on orange paper 15-centimes stamp never came close to Martinique.  Four other Martinique stamps along with this one were issued by the Vichy government (Scott 189A-189E).  There is a three-centimes, a 30-centimes, a 50-centimes, and a 1.50-franc stamp.  All issued on unwatermarked paper and having a perforation of 13-1/2.  They are easily identified from the 1933-44 stamps with the same design by the lack of "RF" in the upper left tablet.
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The Vichy government, if you are unfamiliar with the term, was the government of France after Germany defeated and occupied it at the beginning of World War II; Vichy, the capital, is a small city in central France. The Vichy government was essentially a puppet of the Germans.
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee 

[Butterfly]

Great info and interesting stamps. Thanks for sharing.

Must admit I was too busy staring at the ladies the first time around to really take in much of the info.

[Admin Bear]

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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Yes siree. I reckon Martinique, the island of flowers, is mighty proud of their females. At least they like placing them on their stamps.
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 219
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The very last series of stamps issued by Martinique before assuming the stamp issuance of the Republic of France are the 17 engraved stamp set (Scott 217-233) making their debut 2 June 1947.  Three of these stamps bear the likeness of this young gal (identified by Scott as "Martinique Girl.")  She is on the ten-centimes red brown, the deep blue 30-centimes, and this olive brown 50-centimes.  All the stamps in this last series are unwatermarked and perforated 13.
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Martinique gave up being a French colony and became an integral part of the Republic of France on January 1, 1947.  They have the same status as any of the departments in France.  This is almost identical as Hawaii having been a territory and now a full-fledge state in the United States of America.  Mail from Martinique now bears the postage of France.
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 222
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Of the 17 engraved stamps (Scott 217-233) in the last series issued by Martinique on June 2, 1947, three of them share this image of "Cliffs."  They are the dark green 60-centimes, the red brown one-franc, and this purple 1.50-franc.
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The northern coastline of Martinique is characterized by steep cliffs; farther south, however, the cliffs become lower. There are two large bays—Fort-de-France (the capital) and Marin—on the western coast. Coral reefs, headlands, and coves line the eastern coast.  The island of iguanas is about 50 miles (80 km) long and reaches a maximum width of 22 miles (35 km). Among the smallest of the French overseas territories, Martinique has one of the highest population densities in the Antilles.  Nevertheless, the island enjoys one of the higher standards of living in the Caribbean, partly due to a wage scale linked to that of metropolitan France.
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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Now here is a job that I would hate. I'll tell you why. But first, info about this stamp.
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 225
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Three denominations of the final 2 June 1947 set of 17 engraved stamps (Scott 217-233) depict this scene of gathering sugar cane.  It was issued in the two-franc (blue green), the 2.50-franc (black brown), and this deep blue three-franc denomination.  Yes, they are all unwatermarked and it is true that they all are perforated 13.
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Do you know what can be found on the island of iguanas?  Rat-tailed vipers, that's what.  And do you know where they like to hide?  You got it, sugar cane fields.  Martinique has plenty of those slithery, deadly critters.  At one time during the 19th century the mongoose* was introduced in the hope of eliminating the deadly rat-tailed viper, but the plan was unsuccessful. Tsk.
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Luckily, rat-tail vipers are not the only critter making the flower islands it's home.  Also found in Martinique are manicons (a kind of opossum), wild rabbits, wild pigeons, turtledoves, and ortolans, which are small birds that are often netted and fattened as a table delicacy.
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

* I was going to leave out the word "the" and just use mongeese, but I don't think that is the correct spelling of the plural.  (In fact, I don't think there is even a plural for the word mongoose.)

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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MARTINIQUE -- SCOTT 227
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I've mentioned this big guy once before in this thread.  Remember?  This is the engraved stamp design of Pelée Mountain.  On May 8, 1902, Mont Pelée erupted and completely destroyed the then capital of Martinique, St. Pierre, killing 30,000 people. The only survivor in the town, Auguste Cyparis, was saved by the thick walls of his prison cell.  Okay, you remember now.  This design is used on three denominations of the last 17 regular issue stamps (Scott 217-233) by Martinique on June 2, 1947.
They are the dark brown four-franc, this dark green five-franc, and the lilac rose six-franc.
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The mountainous relief of Martinique takes the form of three principal massifs. These are our active volcano, Mount Pelée, which rises to 4,583 feet (1,397 metres), to the north; the Carbet Mountains, of which Lacroix Peak reaches 3,923 feet (1,195 metres), in the centre; and Mount Vauclin, rising to 1,654 feet (504 metres), in the south.
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Alas, I do not have any of the last two designs of the 2 June 1947 issue:  Tropical fruit on the ten, 15, and 20-franc; nor the Mountains view on the 25 and 40-franc stamps.  Show'm if you gottem.
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

ps.  I sure would like to see what other folks have in regards to the stamps of Martinique. 

[stampfan]

Great stamps and very interesting.

[sforgca]

Came across this thread and it was very bare of images so here are a few additions
I did not collect Martinique and these were in an estate collection

The 1937 Paris Exhibition




Sc 180


Sc182


Sc184


Sc185