AI Appraisal Estimate

This is a horizontal rectangular postage stamp issued by the French postal administration in Andorra. The stamp features a scenic landscape of Lake Engolasters (Lac d’Engolasters) situated at an altitude of 1600 meters. The design depicts a mountain lake surrounded by a lush green evergreen forest and rolling blue mountain ridges in the background. The color palette consists of various shades of blue, turquoise, forest green, and tan. At the top, the text reads 'ANDORRE' and 'POSTES', with the denomination '0,90' (0.90 French Francs) in a dark blue font in the upper right. The bottom text identifies the location as 'ENCAMP LAC D’ENGOLASTERS'. The stamp is framed by a white border with standard decorative perforations around the edges. It is presented inside a black protective stamp mount on a gridded album page. Below the stamp, handwritten or typed catalog information indicates the date range 1961-71 and references 'Yvert 163A'. The condition appears excellent with clean perforations and sharp color saturation, suggesting a well-preserved philatelic specimen. The printing technique is likely photogravure or recess-printing, common for the period, demonstrating fine detail in the mountain textures and treeline.

I have examined the digital image of the Andorra (French Administration) postage stamp depicted, specifically the 0.90 franc denomination featuring Lac d'Engolasters. Based on the inscription and design, this is Scott catalog #172 (Yvert catalog #185 or similar variations depending on the specific year printing, though the user note mentions Yvert 163A, which usually refers to the 1961 series). This specific design was part of a definitive pictorial series released between 1961 and 1971. Condition-wise, the stamp appears to be Mint Never Hinged (MNH) or Mint Hinged (MH), housed in a protective mount. The centering is decent, though perhaps slightly favoring the top margin. The colors—vibrant turquoise and forest greens—remain sharp and do not show signs of fading or oxidation. The perforations appear intact on all four sides. Regarding value, this is a relatively common modern definitive stamp. While French Andorra stamps are popular among collectors of French area philately and topical landscape collectors, they were produced in significant quantities. Catalog value for a Mint Never Hinged example is modest, typically listing for a few dollars, but actual market retail prices are often lower. It is essentially a minimum-value item for a dealer, often found in complete sets rather than sold individually. It is important to note that without physical inspection, I cannot confirm the condition of the gum on the reverse (whether it is truly unmounted/never hinged), nor can I detect micro-flaws like thins or creases. Authentication is generally not required for low-value modern stamps, but standard philatelic tools (watermark fluid, UV light) would finalize the assessment.