French Sudan Navigation and Commerce Allegory

French Sudan · 1894 · 1c

This stamp features the 'Navigation and Commerce' allegory, a common design used across French colonies during this period. The design, created by Louis-Eugène Mouchon, depicts two female figures representing navigation and commerce, symbolizing the economic activities of the French colonial empire. The country name 'SOUDAN FRANÇAIS' is overprinted on the base stamp.

Issued in 1894, this was the first postage stamp specifically for French Sudan, a vast territory in West Africa. It marks the establishment of a formal postal system under French colonial administration.