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French Stamps

Issues of 1876-1900

Type:  Sage

Definitive French stamps, featuring a brand new design, were issued between 1876 and 1900.

This new design, officially known as the Peace and Commerce Issue, features allegorical images of "Peace" and "Commerce" holding hands above a World globe.  In the center of the stamp is a white rectangle containing the value.  The inscriptions read "POSTE" at the top and "REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" at the bottom.

French stamp collectors, however, prefer to refer to certain stamp issues by the designer's name, rather than the particular motif.  In the case of these stamps, the designer was Jules-Auguste Sage, whose name is located in the small imprint at the extreme lower left corner of the design.  Thus, philatelists today refer to these as the Type Sage Issues.

There are two major types of these French stamps, and they will be presented and described in the subheadings below.  Otherwise, the designs are all exactly the same, except for the denomination numerals and paper tints.


Type 1

"INV" under the "B" of "REPUBLIQUE"


The twelve type-Sage French stamps shown above were issued between 1876 and 1878.  They are typographed, perforated 14 x 13 1/2, and they are all Type 1.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

  • 01 C.  (1876 - Y&T #61, Sc. #64) - Green on Greenish.
  • 02 C.  (1876 - Y&T #62, Sc. #65) - Green on Greenish.
  • 04 C.  (1876 - Y&T #63, Sc. #66) - Green on Greenish.
  • 05 C.  (1876 - Y&T #64, Sc. #67) - Green on Greenish.
  • 10 C.  (1876 - Y&T #65, Sc. #68) - Green on Greenish.
  • 15 C.  (1876 - Y&T #66, Sc. #69) - Gray Lilac on Grayish.
  • 20 C.  (1876 - Y&T #67, Sc. #70) - Red Brown on Straw.
  • 25 C.  (1876 - Y&T #68, Sc. #72) - Ultramarine on Bluish.
  • 30 C.  (1876 - Y&T #69, Sc. #73) - Brown on Yellowish.
  • 40 C.  (1878 - Y&T #70, Sc. #74) - Red on Straw.
  • 75 C.  (1876 - Y&T #71, Sc. #75) - Carmine on Rose.
  • 01 F.  (1876 - Y&T #72, Sc. #76) - Bronze Green on Straw.


Type 2

"INV" under the "U" of "REPUBLIQUE"


The eight major-type-Sage French stamps shown above were issued between 1876 and 1877.  They are typographed, perforated 14 x 13 1/2, and they are all Type 2.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

  • 02 C.  (1876 - Y&T #74, Sc. #77) - Green on Greenish.
  • 05 C.  (1876 - Y&T #75, Sc. #78) - Green on Greenish.
  • 10 C.  (1876 - Y&T #76, Sc. #79) - Green on Greenish.
  • 15 C.  (1876 - Y&T #77, Sc. #80) - Gray Lilac on Grayish.
  • 25 C.  (1876 - Y&T #78, Sc. #81) - Ultramarine on Bluish.
  • 25 C.  (1877 - Y&T #79, Sc. #81a) - Blue on Bluish.
  • 30 C.  (1876 - Y&T #80, Sc. #82) - Brown on Yellowish.
  • 75 C.  (1876 - Y&T #81, Sc. #83) - Carmine on Rose.
  • 01 F.  (1876 - Y&T #82, Sc. #84) - Bronze Green on Straw.



The thirteen type-Sage French stamps shown above were issued between 1877 and 1881.  These stamps are all Type 2.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

  • 01 C.  (1877 - Y&T #83, Sc. #86) - Black on Lilac Blue, Black on Grayish Blue.
  • 01 C.  (1880 - Y&T #84, Sc. #87) - Black on Prussian Blue.
  • 02 C.  (1877 - Y&T #85, Sc. #88) - Brown on Straw, Brown on Yellow.
  • 03 C.  (1878 - Y&T #86, Sc. #89) - Yellow on Straw.
  • 03 C.  (1880 - Y&T #87, Sc. #97) - Gray on Grayish.
  • 04 C.  (1877 - Y&T #88, Sc. #90) - Claret on Lavender.
  • 10 C.  (1877 - Y&T #89, Sc. #91) - Black on Lavender.
  • 15 C.  (1876 - Y&T #90, Sc. #92) - Blue, Blue on Bluish.
  • 25 C.  (1878 - Y&T #91, Sc. #93) - Black on Red.
  • 25 C.  (1879 - Y&T #92, Sc. #99) - Yellow on Straw.
  • 35 C.  (1878 - Y&T #93, Sc. #94) - Violet on Yellow.
  • 40 C.  (1881 - Y&T #94, Sc. #95) - Red on Straw.
  • 05 F.  (1877 - Y&T #95, Sc. #96) - Violet on Lavender.



The four type-Sage French stamps shown above were issued between 1884 and 1890.  These stamps are all Type 2.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

  • 20 C.  (1884 - Y&T #96, Sc. #98) - Red on Yellow Green.
  • 25 C.  (1886 - Y&T #97, Sc. #100) - Black on Pale Rose.
  • 50 C.  (1890 - Y&T #98, Sc. #101) - Rose on Rose.
  • 75 C.  (1890 - Y&T #99, Sc. #102) - Deep Violet on Orange, Deep Violet on Yellow.


Type I

"INV" under the "B" of "REPUBLIQUE"


The four type-Sage French stamps shown above were issued between 1898 and 1900.  These stamps are all Type 1.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

  • 05 C.  (1898 - Y&T #102, Sc. #105) - Yellow Green.
  • 10 C.  (1898 - Y&T #103, Sc. #106) - Black on Lavender.
  • 50 C.  (1900 - Y&T #104, Sc. #107) - Carmine on Rose.
  • 02 F.  (1900 - Y&T #105, Sc. #108) - Brown on Azure.


Just about all the Type Sage French stamps issued from 1875 to 1900 exist imperforate and in gutter pairs.  The imperforates are expensive.  The gutter combinations are fairly common.





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Return to French Stamps from
Issues of 1876-1900






SBI!








Jules-Auguste Sage
(1840-1910)


Jules-Auguste Sage was a poet, painter, and a member of the Society of French Artists.  He designed the Peace and Commerce stamps of 1876-1900.

The theme of the design is "commerce and peace uniting and reigning over the world".

SAGE Information Source
"Philatelie Francais"




The 20 C. denomination type-Sage stamp, shown above (Y&T #73, Sc. #71), was printed in Blue, but it was never issued.

As is usually the case, mint condition examples of them did make it into the philatelic marketplace.  In the 2017 Yvert & Tellier catalog, this stamp has a catalog value of €60,000.  They are rarely obtainable.  The example shown above sold in a 2016 Daniel Kelleher Auction for $23,000. 




The 15 C. denomination stamp shown above (Y&T #101, Sc. #103) was issued during April 1892.  This stamp is Type 2, and it is printed on quadrille paper.




The 5 C. denomination stamp in Yellow Green shown above (Y&T #106, Sc. #104) was issued during December 1898.  This stamp is Type 2, and it is printed on ordinary paper.