1932 (June 4), ‘ACCIDENT DE MER’ handstamp on cover from
Constantine to Paris, originating in Constantine, Algeria, with
stamp(s)
1932 (June 4), ‘ACCIDENT DE MER’ handstamp on cover from
Constantine to Paris, originating in Constantine, Algeria, with
stamp(s) washed off in transit, bearing black handstamp with red
underlining reading "ACCIDENT DE MER" at lower right, applied in
Marseille; a scarce and intriguing maritime disaster cover.
Although little is known about the incident, it likely occurred
between 4 and 6 June 1932 on the Algeria–France mail route. No
mailboat loss was officially recorded by the French postal
ministry, but evidence suggests a fire aboard a vessel was
extinguished by flooding the hold—one recorded cover shows burn
damage, while others, including this example, exhibit varying
degrees of water damage.
