A poster advertising the Black Sea route, and therefore dated no earlier than 1880, shows a red stripe wider than the blue stripes. The original refers to this flag as P42.
Griffin 1895 shows Co rather than Cie. Armements Marseillais narrows the red band, makes the small letters still smaller and places IE lower. The flag was used by Nicolas Paquet’s company, Compagnie de Navigation Marocaine and Compagnie de Navigation Arménienne et Marocaine.
Later posters show a red lozenge on a blue field, with CNP for Compagnie de Navigation Paquet.
Rosanoski notes that Larousse Commercial Illustré and Armements Marseillais show the C165 version in connection with C431. Brown and Randier show white dots after the letters on the C165 flag; Brown 1943 and 1951 give black funnel letters. Merchant Ships 1949 uses the C431 flag version and a black centre to the funnel emblem. Armements Marseillais shows equal flag bands on its cover but a broader red band inside. Randier attributes the flag to Compagnie Nicolas Paquet. Al Fisher Jr.’s earlier FOTW image had a broad red band; Ivan Sache replaced it with the C431 version.
Nicolas Paquet founded Compagnie de Navigation Nicolas Paquet Aîné & Cie. in 1860. Shipping apparently operated through Compagnie de Navigation Marocaine, of which he was an equal founder in 1861. That company became Compagnie de Navigation Arménienne et Marocaine in 1874 and Compagnie de Navigation Paquet in 1913. Merchant Ships dates steamship ownership from 1879. Compagnie Française de Navigation was formed as a subsidiary in 1960, followed by Nouvelle Compagnie de Paquebots in 1964. After most ships had been sold, the remaining business was consolidated under the latter in 1969. Paquet entered cruising with Mermoz through Compagnie des Croisieres Paquet, a 1968 joint venture with Chargeurs Réunis. Another FOTW account dates the last ship sale and conversion to a travel agency to 1970.
France, Marseilles.
Keep the explicit scope label independent; no alias or company identity is inferred.