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seen the 1p. pearl-grey, the 2p. blue, the 5p. red, and the 25p. orange, as well as the
10 paras green, the 20p. orange-yellow, and the brown 25 piastres chiffre-taxe…9

The author went on to describe a display of “French timbres de dimension…

worked off under M. Poitevin’s direction in his stamp atelier,” which “depict the

arms of the French empire on a shield, upon the imperial mantle, surmounted by a

crown.” These are the 1864 “Dimension” revenue stamps for document tax based

on size of document,10 assigned numbers 9-14 in Forbin’s Catalogue de Timbres-

Fiscaux11 (Figure 2). Then he described “intended French telegram stamps” that

“are very similar in type to the old adhesive dimension labels [the 1862 Dimension

stamps, Forbin nos. 1-8]: representing a crowned eagle holding

a thunderbolt, within a coloured oval.” In the upper corners are

bees. These appear to be the telegraph stamps issued the following

year (Figure 3). Finally, the author concluded “We imagine these

stamps have been modified on the primitive die, and multiplied

by the method of M. Duloz.” (Emphasis supplied.) One or both of

these revenues may be the French “commercial labels” displayed

in Duloz’ case as examples of his work. And what about the four

“French empire stamps, blue lilac, orange, and carmine”? Could

those be the French Colonies stamps of 1859–1865 (Scott no. 1-6; Figure 2. French
Figure 4)? Blue, orange and carmine are the colors of the higher Dimension rev-
values, but I do not know of any in lilac. Did Duloz engrave enue 1864.

those also? I don’t know, but it is clear that the Turkish second

design stamp was not the only stamp that Duloz engraved.

Although the Ottoman stamp has long been known as the

Duloz issue after its engraver, his given name or names have

been elusive. His name is not provided in Passer or in Pulko or

any other philatelic reference I have consulted. I had searched

extensively on the web, in old philatelic catalogues and articles

and have asked other philatelists, but I had been unable to

identify Mr. Duloz. In January 2012 I lamented in The Levant that

the new book on Max Plantinga’s magnificent Duloz collection Figure 3. French tele-

“does not answer a question that has nagged me for years – what graph stamp of 1868.

was Duloz’ first name?”12 Surely, someone so important in the

history of Turkish philately should be better known.

Recently, I tried again. One Google search turned up a snippet

view of a 1926 journal Printing, discussing a method of using

mercury to make a printing surface by “P.E.S. Duloz, a French

inventor, who had an English patent No. 447, or 1860.” A quick

email to the British Patent Office inquiring about patent no. 447

led me to the British Library, where Steve van Dulken kindly sent

me a weblink to the London Gazette of May 15, 1860. There on

page 1842 appeared the following summary of

patent 447:
Pierre Edelestan Stanislas Dulos, of No. 60,

Boulevart [sic] Strasbourg, Paris, Metallic Plates

Engraver, has given the like notice in respect of

the invention of “improved process for engrav-

ing metallic surfaces either in relief or sunk

lines, applicable to copper plate presses, and to Figure 4. French Colonies stamps of
ordinary printing presses.”12
1859–65.

100 March–April 2015 Collectors Club Philatelist Vol. 94 No. 2