France 1849 Ceres 1 Franc, First French Issue

France · 1849 · 1 Franc

This stamp features a profile of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, wearing a garland of wheat and grapes. It is part of the first series of postage stamps issued by France, known as the Ceres series. The 1 Franc value, printed in a distinctive vermilion or carmine color, was the highest denomination in the initial 1849 issue.

Issued by the Second Republic of France, the Ceres series marked France's entry into the postal reform movement that began with Great Britain's Penny Black. These stamps replaced the complex system of calculating postage based on distance and weight with a standardized, prepaid system.