Art. 2.--Ce timbre-poste est vendu 15 centimes. La différence entre le prix de vente et le valeur d'affranchissement, déduction faite de la remise réglementaire de 1p. 100, sera versée à la Commission institutée par le décret du 8 août, 1914, au ministère de la Guerre, sous l'autorité du service de santé militaire et avec le concours des Sociétés formant la Croix-Rouge française. Art. 3.--Par mesure transitoire et en attendant l'impression du nouveau timbre, le public aura à sa disposition des timbres-poste ordinaires à 10 centimes, portant en surcharge le signe de la Croix-Rouge et le chiffre 5. Art. 4.--Le ministre du Commerce et le ministre des Finances sont chargés, chacun en ce qui le concerne, de l'execution du présent décret. Fait à Paris, le 11 août, 1914. R. POINCARE. Par le Président de la République: _Le Ministre du Commerce, de l'Industrie, des Postes et des Télégraphes_, GASTON THOMSON, _Le Ministre des Finances_, J. NOULENS. [Illustration: 150 151 152] As indicated in the decree, the first stamp (_Fig._ 150) was only of provisional character, the ordinary French 10 centimes stamp being surcharged "+ 5c", and selling for 15 centimes, two-thirds representing the postage, and one-third the Red Cross contribution. This was issued on August 18, 1914, and in all 600,000 were printed before the definite Red Cross stamp (_Fig._ 151) was issued on September 10. The Principality of Monaco has also issued a similarly overprinted stamp for the French Red Cross (_Fig._ 152), and yet another of this class of stamp has been issued for the French Protectorate in Morocco (_Fig._ 153). [Illustration: 153 154] Special postcards have been furnished to the French troops and there is a special postcard for the use of the public in writing to soldiers. They are decorated with the flags of the Allies in colours, and the first kind, "Modèle A," bear instructions to the effect that "This card must be handed to the Quartermaster. It must bear no indication of the place of sending nor any information relating to military operations, past or future. Otherwise it will not be forwarded." On "Modèle B" (_Fig._ 154), for the use of the public, it is stated that "if it is to be forwarded immediately the card shall contain _personal news_ only." Messrs. Alfred Smith & Sons report the existence of an unofficial imitation of "Modèle B" sold in the streets of Paris. It differs from the genuine variety in the following details: (i) The flags are misplaced so that the French flag leans over to the right, instead of being vertical; (ii) The red and blue colours are shaded with black lines only, instead of white and black lines; (iii) The ruled line at the back is plain, instead of being composed of square dots.