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| A Different Dish |
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Orange Ile Roy from the
first set of three - it also
came in blue and pink |
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Ile Roy is an island situated in the Saone, 12 kilometres North of Lyon - a key tourist spot that boasted a famous restaurant, on the Northernmost point, called Au Roi de L'lle. In the summer months, the island was a strong tourist site attracting: 'nature lovers seeking peace, anglers, and courting couples'. The proprietor of the restaurant was Pierre Vion, and he noted that the Offshore Scottish Islands were producing publicity stamps or labels - the so-called 'offshore island locals'. As a means of advertising his restaurant, in October 1964 he produced a set of three stamps (100 sets issued) and a card. The design for the first stamp was issued in orange, blue and pink. It carries the name of the restaurant and 'Pierre V, the proprietor.
These stamps have been cata-logued by A. Bourdi,
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| ABOVE: 1964 card advertising the restaurant |
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Past President of the International Society of Collectors of Phantom and Non-Official Stamps (now defunct), in 1975 and 1978 (Catalogue des Timbres de Vile Roy). The 1978 illustrated cata-logue is a price list and we are amused by one paragraph in the preface: 'The prices which are indicated are well below true prices. They are the prices at which we now part with these stamps -which are all of great rar-ity'. The 1978 catalogue was pub-lished as the issues of lie Roy ceased, at the start of 1977 when the restaurant closed down. By then 292 stamps had been issued. |
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| Adapted from Issues |
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The March 1965 issue which was inspired by the 1868
issue, from the Swiss Hotel Post Rigi Scheideck |
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Many of the stamps had designs adapted from actual stamps. In all cases the original design came from a foreign local issue, so Vion avoided upsetting postal authori-ties. For instance, the seventh issue of March 20, 1965 (set of six colours, perf or imperf, 215 sets of each issued) was inspired by the 1868 issue of the Swiss Hotel Post Rigi Scheideck.
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The March 1965 issue which was inspired by the 1868
issue, from the Swiss Hotel Post Rigi Scheideck |
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April 1966 issue depicting a steamer - this was a
plagiarism of the Finnish Steamship Company,
Wanajavesi SS Co. stamp of 1867 |
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On April 9,
1966 another set of six stamps (245 issued, plus a further five more in black, 400 issued, on April 23) depicted a steamer, which was a plagiarism of the Finnish Steamship Company, Wanajavesi SS Co. stamp of 1867. Incidentally, this steamship company was very unusual as it was a lake/river steamship compa-ny providing a service on the net-work of lakes North and South of Tammerfors, Finland. The particu-lar stamp we illustrate for compar-ison is from the third reprint, dis-tinguished by the bowsprit being extended past the rigging line.
To add insult to injury Vion issued a miniature sheet (individu-ally numbered) showing the stamp in black, but stating that the ship was the Pyroscaphe. The sheet was issued to commemo-rate the first successful navigation of the Rhone by the Marquis de Jouffroy d'Abbans in 1871. The ship is supposed to be 46 metres long and five metres wide. In fact the ship is a sea-going paddle steamer that was copied from a book illustration by the local Finnish printer, who specialised in manufacturing wafer seals. |
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