French Oceanic Settlements

The first stamps used in French Oceania were the general navigation and commerce issues of the French colonies from 1862. The first stamps issued for specific use in French Oceania were Tahiti issues of 1882 to 1893. General issues of the French colonies designated Établissements de l’Oceanie appeared in 1892. The first definitives appeared in 1913 – a set of pictorials. In 1934 the first stamps inscribed Éts Français de l’Oceanie appeared. During WWII, stamps were issued by the Vichy regime between 1941 and 1944 – even though French Oceania had joined the Free French in 1940. As these were never put to use in French Oceania, only mint issues are cataloged. The Free French issued stamps for French Oceania from 1941. French Oceania also joined in a number of the ‘Grands Series', of the French colonies. The issues of French Oceania were superseded by the stamps of French Polynesia in 1958. [source: StampWorldHistory]