STAMP ISSUES RELATED TO ICAO (1945-1977)

Gabon : 20^th Anniversary of ICAO

Issue date: 19/05/1967
	Airlines and flight paths/runways; ICAO emblem. The name of the designer (DURRENS) is printed vertically on the right-side.
	Imperforates (with and without margin).
	Stamp autographed by the Designer Claude Durrens.
Trial Colour Strips:
De luxe proof/trial sheet:
Signed Artist Die Proofs - Embossed seal of PTT printers (at the left bottom) – Signed by the Designer Claude Durrens. Note that Durrens appears on the plate proofs, imperforates, de luxe and perforates, but not on the die (see white vertical rectangle on the right of the stamp, without the Designer’s name). About 28 signed die proofs exist. Die Proof in Blue.
Die Proof in Blue Grey.
Die Proof in Red.
Die Proof in Pink.
Die Proof in Brown.
First Day Cover with control number (issue limited to 3,000). Five errors in de design of ICAO’s emblem: In the circles, the horizontal axis of the emblem is missing. The representation of continents differs from the official emblem (see the official emblem here-below). The inmost circle of the emblem (the smallest) is missing; the emblem should have five concentric circles divided into octants, with the exception of the inner circle. The three lower axes should reach the exterior circle. The circles have an oval shape. See correct emblem hereafter.
Maximum card (recto and verso) “Sous le ciel de Paris” by Michel Hamel. Douglas DC-8-30 registered F-BJUV of UTA (Union de Transports Aériens) airline. Owned previously by Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux (TAI), this aircraft was delivered to UTA in October 1963.
Background: ICAO provided instructions to the Contracting States to commemorate its 20^th anniversary on 7 December 1964, corresponding to the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, in Chicago. This country still calculated the 20^th anniversary on the basis of the constitution of the new permanent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on 4 April 1947; this is considered as an error. This stamp and cancel on the cover show an error: "de l'" is missing in the French name of the Organization, which should be written Organisation de l’aviation civile internationale, as per Article 43 of the Chicago Convention which reads as follows: ”Il est institué par la présente Convention une organisation qui portera le nom d'Organisation de l'aviation civile internationale.” Gabon became an ICAO member on 17 February 1962, thus bringing the membership of ICAO to 92.