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1935 New Zealand Post Office stamp demonitization notice

La démonétisation des timbres-poste et des timbres fiscaux est le processus par lequel les timbres sont rendus invalides.

La démonétisation des timbres est un événement peu commun, car elle implique souvent l'échange des timbres démonétisés contre des timbres valables par l'opérateur postal ou l'État et provoque l'opposition de certains philatélistes ou négociants en timbres, alors que l'opération n'apporte pas de bénéfice.

La démonétisation coïncide le plus souvent avec des bouleversements majeurs du système postal, tels qu'un transfert d'un pays à un autre, un changement de devises, la décimalisation, ou un changement de gouvernement.

Le processus d'échange de millions ou de milliards de timbres entre les mains du public, ainsi que celui d'échange de stock des bureaux de poste, est généralement compliqué et difficile, et suscite de l’intérêt chez les spécialistes de l'histoire postale.

Le processus comporte généralement deux parties ; tout d'abord, l'échange de timbres inutilisés contre de nouveaux de valeur équivalente : cela se produit normalement dans les bureaux de poste, les clients apportant leurs anciens timbres.

La deuxième partie est le traitement du courrier affranchi. Les lettres affranchies avec des timbres en cours de démonétisation restent valables pendant une durée déterminée et fixée à l'avance. À l'issue de cette période, les envois affranchis à l'aide de timbres démonétises sont considérés comme non affranchis ou affranchis de façon irrégulière et traités comme tels selon la législation du pays. Dans beaucoup de cas, les enveloppes sont grevées d'une taxe postale ou retournées à leur expéditeur.

Zone Euro[modifier | modifier le code]

Dans le Zone euro, certains pays ont démonétisé les timbres émis avant le changement de monnaie, d'autres ne l'ont pas fait.

Les pays dans lesquels les timbres pré-euro sont toujours valables sont la Belgique, la France, l'Italie et Saint-Marin. Les timbres en francs émis par La Poste pour les principautés d'Andorre et de Monaco, ainsi que pour certains Territoire d'outre-mer faisant partie de la Zone euro (Mayotte, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, et les Terres australes et antarctiques françaises) ont toujours pouvoir d'affranchissement dans ces territoires.

Andorre[modifier | modifier le code]

Correos n'accepte plus les envois affranchis en Peseta depuis 2002.

Dans les bureaux de poste français, les timbres en franc sont toujours utilisables.

Allemagne[modifier | modifier le code]

En Allemagne, les timbres en Deutsche Mark ont été démonétisés le 1er juillet 2002.

Autriche[modifier | modifier le code]

L'Autriche a démonétisé les timbres en Schilling le 1er juillet 2002.

Espagne[modifier | modifier le code]

En Espagne, les timbres émis en Peseta ne peuvent plus servir pour affranchir des courriers depuis 2002. Il est toujours possible de les échanger contre des timbres en euro jusqu'au 31 décembre 2020.

Finlande[modifier | modifier le code]

La Finlande a démonétisé les timbres exprimés en Mark le 31 janvier 2011.

Irlande[modifier | modifier le code]

Les timbres libellés en livre irlandaise ont été démonétisés le 31 décembre 2002.

Italie[modifier | modifier le code]

Tous les timbres émis après le 20 mars 1967 sont toujours valables.

Malte[modifier | modifier le code]

À Malte, les timbres en Livre maltaise ont été démonétisés en 2008.

Pays-Bas[modifier | modifier le code]

Les timbres émis en Florin ont été démonétisés le 1er novembre 2013.

Portugal[modifier | modifier le code]

Les timbres en Escudo ont été démonétisés en 2002. L'État portugais édicte régulièrement des décrets pour démonétiser des timbres. Actuellement, seuls les timbres émis après 2010 ont pouvoir d'affranchissement.

Saint Marin[modifier | modifier le code]

Les timbres en Lire sont toujours valables dans l'enclave.

Vatican[modifier | modifier le code]

Les timbres en Lire ont été démonétisés en 2008

Australia[modifier | modifier le code]

The six self-governing Australian colonies that formed the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901 operated their own postal service and issued their own stamps. Under section 51(v) of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution 1900, “postal, telegraphic, telephonic, and other like services” became a Commonwealth responsibility.

The Commonwealth's Postmaster-General's Department became effective on 1 March 1901 (this agency would be disaggregated on 1 July 1975 in part into the Australian Postal Commission trading as Australia Post). All then-current colony stamps which continued on sale became de facto Commonwealth stamps. Some of these stamps continued to be used for some time following the introduction in 1913 of the Commonwealth's uniform postage stamp series. These stamps continued to be valid for postage until 1968.

Hong Kong[modifier | modifier le code]

In Hong Kong postage stamps have been demonetized only once, which happened because of the 1997 handover. The postage stamps from before 1997 bear the portrait of the King/Queen of the United Kingdom (who at the time of handover was Queen Elizabeth II). Although there was already a series of politically neutral stamps issued (which did not bear the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II nor the words "Hong Kong, China", which appear on today's Hong Kong stamps) during the period of handover, Hongkong Post decided to let the old stamps bearing the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II be used for a few more years after the handover since there were some old stamps in the hands of Hong Kong people. Hong Kong people can also exchange those old stamps for new ones if they desire. After the transition period, those old stamps bearing the portrait of the King/Queen of the United Kingdom were declared invalid and hence demonetized. The politically neutral stamps were not demonetized however. All stamps issued now bear the word "Hong Kong, China", as required by Basic Law. As a side note, the Hong Kong dollar coins/notes that bear the portrait of the King/Queen of the United Kingdom were never demonetized, however they will not be recirculated when the banks receive them, primarily because of their old age rather than sovereignty issue.

Poland[modifier | modifier le code]

The country of Poland has a very recent example of demonetization involving the stamp issues of 1990 to 1994. During this period of time, the face values of stamps due to hyperinflation gradually changed the face values to thousands of złoty. Commemorative stamp issues from 1995 to 1997 are also demonetized now as are certain selected issues as announced by the Polish Post Office.

When a newer stamp issue is demonetized a date is announced; however, if a postal patron in a small town has not been notified of the demonetization or a postal patron does not visit their local Post Office often, then Polish Post Office will accept their obsolete stamps for letter franking well after the demonetization date.

United Kingdom[modifier | modifier le code]

In the United Kingdom, earlier issues have been demonetized on several occasions. The first when stamps issued during the reigns of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII (issued 1840 to 1911) were declaredModèle:When no longer valid for postage. The second, early in 1970, when the stamps issued during the reigns of King George V, King Edward VIII and King George VI (issued 1911 to 1952) ceased to be valid and the third some months after the introduction in 1971 of decimal currency, when all stamps with pre-decimalization values were demonetized. Queen Elizabeth II £1 value stamps issued prior to 1971 are identifiable by design but remain valid for postage.

United States[modifier | modifier le code]

United States postage stamps have been demonetized only twice. The first time was in 1851, when the 5-cent and 10-cent stamps of the 1847 issue were declared invalid as of July 1 by the Act of March 3, 1851 reducing the normal letter rate from five to three cents. A few dozen covers are known that carry 1847 stamps after the demonetization date; as stamp usage was then still optional (it would not be made mandatory until 1855), the demonetization seems to have had relatively little impact.

The second, more serious, demonetization was prompted by the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. Southern post offices held substantial U.S. assets in the form of their stamp stocks, and the Confederates could theoretically have brought in some income by selling those stamps to private individuals in the North. Although in April 1861 John H. Reagan, postmaster of the CSA, ordered the offices in his charge to return their stamps to Washington D.C., few seem to have done so, and by June 1861 U.S. postmaster-general Montgomery Blair ordered the severance of postal ties and the production of new stamps. In August the stamps of the U.S. 1861 issue began to be distributed throughout the Union, along with orders that postmasters should offer to exchange old stamps for new for a period of six days after giving "public notice through the newspapers and otherwise". After the six-day period was over, that post office was not to recognize the old stamps as paying postage. In addition, postmasters were to accept letters with old stamps from other post offices until set dates, ranging from September 10 in the East, to November 1 from letters arriving from the Far West. (Later the periods were extended for an additional two months.) The process stretched over some months; the large cities in the East were exchanging stamps in the third week of August, while some small remote offices did not start until November. General confusion, combined with exhaustion of the new stamps at some post offices, led to some instances of the old stamps still being accepted on letters after demonetization, although surviving covers are rare.

The U.S. stamps of 1861, and all issued since then, continue to be valid on mail.[1][2]

References[modifier | modifier le code]

  1. Lester Brookman, The Nineteenth Century Postage Stamps of the United States, pp. 90–91, 202-204
  2. Richard B. Graham, "U.S. stamp demonetizations of 1851, 1861", Linn's Stamp News, June 17, 1996

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