Henri Moissan CEF Philatelic sheet Famous Men limited edition

AFW - Antique France Worldwide

Description

This illustrated philatelic sheet, from Éditions CEF, honors Henri Moissan in the "Les Hommes Célèbres" (Famous Men) series. The visible side features a drawn portrait of Henri Moissan, a French chemist and Nobel laureate, accompanied by a stylized technical illustration and explanatory text about his life and major discoveries. The sheet includes an official stamp bearing his likeness, postmarked with a first-day cachet dated February 22, 1980, in Paris, directly affixed to the vignette.

The meticulous layout brings together several distinctive elements: on the left, a black and white portrait enhanced with sepia tones, beneath which are the inscriptions "Les Hommes Célèbres" and "Henri Moissan." A schematic illustration of scientific apparatus completes the composition. The biographical text occupies the right side, tracing the main stages of Moissan's career, his research on fluorine, and his advancements in metallurgy.

The integrated stamp, with a face value of 1.80 F + 0.40 F, features Moissan's profile and adopts the graphic style of the sheet. The circular "Premier Jour" (First Day) cancellation is clear and legible, confirming the philatelic authenticity of this issue. The sheet bears the inscription "N°820 du catalogue CEF" on the left border, as well as printing references and a limited edition of 33,800 copies, of which 13,500 are on sheets.

The horizontal format support has three perforations on the left for archiving. The presentation is typical of CEF sheets, with a smooth finish and a black frame around the main illustration. The name of the illustrator René Quillivic, Grand Prix de Rome, is also indicated at the bottom left of the illustration.

This item is intended for philatelists and collectors of historical documents wishing to enrich their collection of illustrated thematic sheets, focusing on science and great French personalities of the 20th century.

Condition

Used item sold as is. The visible side shows very good general preservation, with no apparent defects on the illustrated part. The printing and stamp are clear, and the cancellation is well-marked. Slight signs of use may be present on the white border, typical of archival sheets.

Did you know? Henri Moissan received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1906 for his work on the isolation of fluorine and the development of the electric arc furnace. His invention paved the way for numerous industrial applications, particularly in the metallurgy of special alloys.

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Keywords: philatelic sheet, CEF, Henri Moissan, Les Hommes Célèbres, first day stamp, France stamp, FDC, philately, illustrated document, René Quillivic, limited edition, 1980 cancellation