Description: This 50-centime provisional definitive postage stamp was issued for use in French Algeria. The design repurposes the classic French definitive layout featuring the left-facing portrait of Louis Pasteur, created by artist Georges Henri Prud'homme. The top border reads "REPVBLIQVE FRANÇAISE", accented by the word "POSTES" down the right side. A vivid red overprint reading "ALGÉRIE" is stamped directly across the upper portion of Pasteur's hair, legally validating the stamp for regional administrative commerce rather than mainland French mailings.
Circa: 1924-1926
Condition: Used - Hinged
Notes:
This stamp represents a foundational piece of Algerian postal history, belonging to the very first provisional issue released after the French postal administration separated Algeria's postal system from the mainland network in 1924. Instead of engineering entirely new designs, the authorities opted to overprint standard sheets of current French definitive issues. This particular postally used copy exhibits a noticeable tearing error on its right-hand margin, which heavily compromises its condition rating but tells a vivid story of fast-paced daily postal usage.