Red Pen cancelation on the first Belgian Stamps
The name Jean-Baptiste Moens rings a bell for a lot of collectors, he was one of the first stamp dealers in the world. That he also gave his name to a specific piece of Belgian postal history is less known.
A footnote in Belgian postal history.
Jean-Baptiste Moens (1833-1908) has managed to obtain from the former Belgian post services a part of the remaining stock, as, in 1866, the first Belgian stamps from July 1849, the « Epauletten » and their successors from October 1849, the « Medaillons », were taken out of circulation.
Presumably one sheet each of the 10 c and 20 c « Epauletten » and of the 40 c « Medaillons ». In order to avoid postal use of the stamps, they were depreciated by the service involved by means of an horizontal penstroke in red ink in the middle of the stamp.
This penstroke was removed from some of the stamps and they were called « gewassen Moens » (washed Moens). You’re not likely to happen upon in a « Classic Belgium » collection, as they are quite rare. The stamps may be found in three qualities, fresh, with sticker or unstamped without gum. In order to give a price indication : with sticker, the 10 c stamp has a catalogue value of 2000 euro, the 20 c stamp of 2500 euro and the 40 c stamp also around 2500 euro. The stamps without gum cast some 20 % l
More info:
Maandblad Filatelie
Credits: Belgische Officiële Postzegelcatalogus.
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