Sheet CEF Year of Norman Abbeys Bernay St Pierre/Dives Philately

AFW - Antique France Worldwide

Description

This philatelic souvenir sheet issued by CEF honors the "Year of the Norman Abbeys" with a particular focus on Bernay and Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives. The sheet features a careful composition, with an explanatory text on the left detailing the history and architecture of the Norman abbeys, typed in black on an off-white background. The title, "Year of the Norman Abbeys," is clearly legible at the top left of the sheet.

On the right side, two color photographs illustrate the buildings: at the top, an exterior view of Bernay Abbey under a blue sky, and at the bottom, an interior view of St Pierre/Dives Abbey, highlighting the structure of the Romanesque vaults. In the bottom right corner, a predominantly green 1.00 franc postage stamp, showing an architectural detail, is canceled with a first day cover postmark "Année des Abbayes Normandes."

The sheet is inserted in an original CEF plastic sleeve, punched with holes for a binder, with the mention "N° 505 du catalogue CEF" visible on the top edge. The printed text specifies a limited edition of 33,800 copies, of which 13,500 are on silk (material not confirmed for this copy, no indication in keywords). In the bottom left corner, the copy number "14295" is printed in black.

The finishes of the sheet are clean, with discreet gold framing on the edges. No defects, creases, or stains are visible on the exposed side. The ensemble is typical of CEF philatelic productions, renowned for the quality of its thematic and historical presentations.

Condition

Used item sold as is. The visible side is in excellent condition, with no noticeable wear, or alteration of text or images.

Did you know? CEF (Courrier d’Entreprise à Faciale) souvenir sheets are highly prized for their enhancement of French postal and cultural history. The "first day" postmark guarantees that the stamp was canceled on its official issue day, which gives the item particular documentary and philatelic value.

AFW Reassurance

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Keywords: philatelic souvenir sheet, CEF, Year of the Norman Abbeys, Bernay, St Pierre/Dives, first day stamp, cancellation, philately document, CEF sleeve, limited edition, religious architecture, abbey, French FDC