Advertising and the Belgian post office : part 3

Abstract

A quick analysis of Belgian "commemorative" or non-definitive stamp issues produces the surprising conclusion that there were very few of them until the 1960s. From 1910 up to the present time there have been regular issues that fall into the category of charity or semi-postal and a very few issues that the Belgian "Catalogue Officiel de Timbres-Poste" (COB) calls "Propaganda". For these issues perhaps the word "Promotional" or "Advertising" would be more appropriate and they include the Belgian Post Office's first foray into advertising. As regards the first such issue, the situation is not clear-cut as the first ever non-definitive issue of 20th February 1894 was for the Antwerp International Exhibition of that year. This issue of 3 stamps was both commemorative and promotional and consisted of 3 stamps of the same design; 5 cents in blue on rose paper, 10 cents carmine on blue paper and 25 cents blue on rose paper. [excerpt]