CEF Europa 1986 bat philately sheet, bat first day cover, Frank

AFW - Antique France Worldwide

Description

This CEF Europa 1986 sheet features a colorful illustration highlighting a bat (lesser horseshoe bat) in flight against a pink and purple sky background, accompanied by a black bat silhouette. The illustration, signed by Pierrette Lambert, occupies the left side of the sheet and stands out for its fine details and vibrant colors. On the right, two postage stamps are affixed: one featuring a bat (face value 2.20 F) with a First Day cancel "Europa Strasbourg" dated 1986, and the other also illustrating a bat in flight (face value 3.20 F), both related to the theme "Nature Protection".

The sheet is organized with a careful layout: the illustration occupies the left half, while the right part brings together the stamps and philatelic cancellations, as well as the title "EUROPA 1986". The texts printed at the bottom describe in detail the "Nature Protection" theme chosen for this Europa issue, highlighting the genet and the lesser horseshoe bat, two European mammals.

The round "Conseil de l'Europe Strasbourg" cancel and the "Paris" First Day cancel add a prized philatelic dimension, emphasizing the authenticity of this First Day Cover (FDC). The whole presents a matte finish, with contrasting colors and a black frame that enhances the main illustration.

The sheet is titled on the left with the mention "CEF", indicating that it is a creation of Éditions CEF, known for their commemorative philatelic documents. The text printed at the bottom of the sheet, perfectly legible, provides historical and naturalistic information about the two animals depicted.

The visible side shows no apparent defects, no stains, tears or major signs of wear. The edges and colors appear well preserved in the provided photograph.

Condition

Used item, sold as is. The image shows a clean presentation, with no visible defects on the front.

Did you know? CEF (Courrier d'Entreprises Françaises) sheets are known for accompanying major French philatelic issues since the 1960s, offering artistic illustrations and First Day cancels that make them sought-after supports for presenting and enhancing commemorative stamps.

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Keywords: first day sheet, FDC Europa, bat stamp, CEF envelope, French philately, Pierrette Lambert, bat stamp, Europa 1986, nature protection, genet, philatelic document, First Day Cover