Transcontinental Aviation - 5 franc

Transcontinental Aviation - 5 franc

Year
1941
Face Value
5
Mint Value
-
Used Value
-
Print Run
-
Themes
Military

Catalogs References

Michel
FR-SO 197
Yvert & Tellier
FR-SO PA3
Stanley Gibbons
FR-SO 297

Technical Details

Colors
Brown red
Size
40 x 25 mm
Perforation
14½ x 14
Printing
Photogravure
This vibrant airmail (Poste Aérienne) issue represents a critical turning point in wartime history, bearing the explicit "FRANCE LIBRE" endorsement alongside the symbolic Cross of Lorraine emblazoned on a protective shield. The central graphic showcases a heavy four-engine propeller transport aircraft cruising through the skies over a stylized, repeating wave pattern that signifies the oceanic supply routes surrounding Djibouti. Historically, this issue documents the realignment of the strategic port with the Free French forces during the Second World War. The stamp was utilized by the administrative forces to validate long-distance military and civil air communications, underscoring the territory's vital role as a geopolitical and logistical crossroads in the Western Indian Ocean.