French Colonies General Issues, Allegory of Commerce and Navigation (Sage Type)

French Colonies · 1881 · 25c

This stamp features the 'Sage' design, an allegory representing Commerce and Navigation. The central figure depicts Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, seated with a caduceus, alongside a figure representing France, symbolizing the nation's global trade and maritime reach.

This definitive series, known as the Sage or 'Peace and Commerce' type, was used across the French colonial empire from the late 19th century, overprinted for specific territories or used as general issues.