LA POSTE REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE issued on 14 February 1970, a First Day Cover stamp commemorating death centenary of Prosper Mérimée (1803-1870), a notable figure in French literature and history. It carried a face value of 0.40 French Francs.
The engraver of this green-blue stamp was Claude Haley, whereas the designer was Clément Serveau. An Intaglio printing method was used to issue 4,500,000 stamps.
The design featured a portrait of Mérimée, a depiction related to his novella "Carmen", and possibly referencing the Roman amphitheater at Orange, which he helped preserve when he was the inspector of historical monuments in France.
Prosper Mérimée is best known for his 1845 novella Carmen which Bizet adapted into an opera. It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875. Hence, the cachet on this maxim card alludes to Carmen.
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