Alfred Forbin
Encyclopedia
Alfred J. Forbin was a pioneering French stamp dealer
who wrote an all-world catalogue of revenue stamp
s that has never been surpassed.
In 1902, Théodore Champion, his employee and the best man at his wedding, purchased the business from Forbin who afterwards concentrated on fiscal stamps. In 1905 Forbin acquired the fiscal stamp collection of Dr. Legrand.
and served on the committee from 1912 to 1916.
And correspondence reproduced in The Revenue Journal
, shows that Forbin was still dealing in fiscal stamps as late as August 1955. He died in 1956.
Stamp dealer
A stamp dealer is a company or an individual who deals in postage stamps and philatelic products. It also includes individuals who sell postage stamps for day to day use or official stamps for use on court documents.-Stamps on Approval Basis:...
who wrote an all-world catalogue of revenue stamp
Revenue stamp
A revenue stamp, tax stamp or fiscal stamp is a adhesive label used to collect taxes or fees on documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses, firearm registration, and many other things...
s that has never been surpassed.
Stamp dealing
Forbin started as a stamp dealer in 1890 and in 1900 he opened a shop in the Rue Druot in Paris Later he was at 24 Rue de Milan, 80 Rue Saint-Lazare and 35 Rue de Berne.In 1902, Théodore Champion, his employee and the best man at his wedding, purchased the business from Forbin who afterwards concentrated on fiscal stamps. In 1905 Forbin acquired the fiscal stamp collection of Dr. Legrand.
Catalogues
Forbin's Catalogue de Timbres-Fiscaux was the most comprehensive all-world catalogue of revenue stamps produced up to that time and is still regularly referred to by revenue philatelists as no other all-world catalogue has been prepared since Forbin's third edition in 1915. Forbin also started a journal Le Bulletin Fiscaliste in order to keep the catalogue up to date.Organised philately
Forbin was a member, from October 1904, of the Fiscal Philatelic SocietyFiscal Philatelic Society
The Fiscal Philatelic Society was an early twentieth century philatelic society that is seen as a predecessor to today's Cinderella Stamp Club and The Revenue Society...
and served on the committee from 1912 to 1916.
Later life
Letters in the National Archives of Australia show Forbin requesting revenue stamps from the Australian authorities over the period 1925 to 1947 and it seems likely that he would have been in contact with other governments as well.And correspondence reproduced in The Revenue Journal
Revenue Society
The Revenue Society was formed in 1990 and is the only international philatelic society which covers revenue stamps of the whole world...
, shows that Forbin was still dealing in fiscal stamps as late as August 1955. He died in 1956.
Selected publications
Forbin's catalogues served the original purpose of stamp catalogues in being retail price lists first and works of reference second. All are in the French language:- Timbres rares, Forbin, Paris, 1895. (A price list)
- Prix-courant de timbres, cartes, enveloppes et bandes postales de A. Forbin, 1898.
- Prix-courant de timbres, cartes, enveloppes et bandes postales de A. Forbin et Co, 4th edition, 1900.
- Catalogue prix-courant de timbres-poste / Catalogue general de timbres-poste, Yvert & TellierYvert et TellierYvert et Tellier is a postage stamp dealer and a philatelic publishing company founded in 1895 in the northern French city of Amiens, where the head office is still located. The logo is a circle divided into a snowflake and a smiling sun...
, Amiens, 1902. - Catalogue de Timbres-Fiscaux, Yvert & Tellier, Amiens. Three editions, 1905, 1909 and 1915. (Third edition reprinted 1980 and 1991)
- Catalogue Prix Courant de tous les Timbre Fiscaux emis dans le monde entire, c.1910.
- Catalogue entente cordiale Colonies Francaises & Anglaises / Prix courant de timbres-poste des Colonies Anglaises et Francaises, Forbin, Paris, 1912.
- Catalogue des Timbres Fiscaux de France et Colonies. Three editions, 1925, 1931 and 1937.
- Les Timbres Fiscaux d'Allemagne Part 1 Timbres jusqu'en 1939, 1955.