COVER N. 722 - MONACO

Postmark: Monaco Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies 26.05.2026

Posted on the  26th May;  Received on the 1st June 2026

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Monaco has a fine philatelic tradition. To this day, just like its neighbour, France, Monaco keeps issuing some fine intaglio printed stamps with some regularity, and these most likely than not are a sign of tradition and savoir faire that speaks a lot, in these days of almost one click digital creating, proofing and printing.

Roland, once again, sent me a cover from Monaco, with some very beautiful stamps on it, two of which fit the comment I made above 100 %. Un grand Merci, Roland!

- Prince Albert I of Monaco (1848-1922) was a keen philatelist, but I believe this not to be his main claim to fame. In fact, the thing that he will probably be more readily associated with is oceanic exploration, an activity to which he devoted a large part of his life and resources and which bore tangible fruits in the founding of Monaco's Institut Oceanographique and the Oceanographic museum two well respected institutions that survive to this day.

Some of his ocean exploration journeys were narrated in his book "La Carrière d'un Navigateur"  (A Navigator's Carreer) first published in 1902.

In 1977, the Postal Administration of the Principality issued two sets of nine multicolour  intaglio printed  stamps celebrating the 75th anniversary of the publication of La Carrière d'un navigateur, illustrated with what I would think could be replicas of photographs therein included.

The first set, which included the 0,80 Franc stamp on the top right corner of the cover depicting a navigation scene with Albert on the deck of one of his yachts talking to the man at the helm, was issued on 03MAY1977.

- The 1,70 franc below the  "La Carrière d'un Navigateur" one was issued by Monaco's Office des Timbres on 08NOV1978 and it celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Salvation Army,  (L'armée du Salut) a charitable institution and also a Protestant  Christian Church, founded in London in 1865, by  William and Catherine Booth, whose portraits appear on the foreground of the image illustrating the stamp, while the background is occupied by a Salvation army band  playing. The stamp also included the Salvation Army's crest with the motto “Sang et Feu” (Blood and Fire).

Last but not least,  the cover includes a more recent 1,96 € stamp dated of 20JUN2024, illustrated with a photo of the Facade of the Prince's Palace framed by two bugle playing guards in the foreground.

This particular stamp was Monaco's entry for Sepac's 2024 common issue programme, themed on "Main Tourist Attractions".

Postmark from the Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies, established by Prince Rainier III in 1950, to accommodate the collection started by Albert I, later expanded by Louis II and Rainier III himself.