In 1938, France issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring René Descartes (1596-1650), the famous French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist.
Here are the key details about this French Descartes stamp:
The Stamp:
- It was issued as a single commemorative stamp on March 15, 1938.
- The denomination was 70 centimes + 10 centimes (semi-postal with surtax).
- The stamp was engraved and printed using the intaglio (recess) printing method.
- Scott catalog number: B70
Design:
- The stamp featured an engraved portrait of René Descartes based on a historical painting.
- Descartes was shown in 17th-century dress with long hair and a mustache.
- The inscription read “RENÉ DESCARTES 1596-1650” along with “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE.”
- The design was elegant and classical, befitting the scholarly subject matter.
Significance:
- This stamp honored one of France’s greatest intellectual figures and the “father of modern philosophy.”
- Descartes was famous for his philosophical method of systematic doubt and the statement “Cogito ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am).
- He also made significant contributions to mathematics, particularly analytical geometry.
- The surtax helped fund various charitable or cultural causes.
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