CEF Montségur Castle perforated souvenir sheet, Durrens illustration

AFW - Antique France Worldwide

Illustrated philatelic sheet issued by the CEF, dedicated to Montségur Castle. The main side of this sheet features an artistic reproduction of the ruined castle, created by Claude Durrens, 1st Grand Prix de Rome for engraving, who also designed the associated stamp. The illustration highlights the medieval structure of the site, with partially collapsed stone walls, under a cloudy sky with bluish and gray hues.

The sheet includes a postage stamp depicting a view of the castle, canceled with a first-day postmark bearing the inscription "Château de Montségur 09 Lavelanet". To the right, a printed text details the monument's history, its architectural characteristics, and its role in Cathar history. The title "Château de Montségur" is calligraphed in the upper right, in a black gothic font.

In the left margin, several technical details are printed, including the catalog number (N°737 of the CEF catalog), print run indications (35,800 copies, including 13,500 on silk, 20,300 offset), as well as CEF legal mentions. The individual number "960" appears at the bottom left of the sheet. The sheet has three perforations on the left side for filing.

The overall composition combines illustration, historical text, and philatelic elements, typical of CEF commemorative sheets. The dominant colors are white, black, gray, brown tones for the ruins, and some touches of green for the vegetation.

The visual condition observed in the photo is good: no tears or apparent stains on the presented side. The prints are clear, the stamp and postmark are clearly visible. No mention of a handwritten signature or major defect is perceptible in this image.

Condition: Used item, sold as is, as shown in the photo.

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Keywords: philatelic sheet, CEF, Château de Montségur, canceled stamp, Durrens illustration, Cathar history, philately France, first day, philatelic document, CEF issue, medieval ruins, commemorative sheet