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Preview of Stamps Catalogue CD : VOLUME 1

FRANCE CERES TYPE

Return To Catalogue - France, Ceres type (1849-1875), forgeries - France overview

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1849 Ceres (goddess of agriculture), inscription 'Repub Franc', imperforate

1849 issue:

  10 c brown
  15 c green
  20 c black
  25 c blue
  40 c orange
  1 F red

The 20 c and 1 F were issued 1st January 1849 and were the first stamps issued in France. The 40 c was issued 3rd February 1850, the 25 c 1st July 1850, the 15 c 29th July 1850 and finally the 10 c 12th September 1850. The 1 F stamp exists in two different shades; carmin-red and vermillion (the first issued colour, was considered too similar to the 40 c orange stamp, in order to avoid confusion it was replaced by a different shade of dark red in 1849), as well as an unissued orange variety. In 1895, the French stamp dealer Vervelle bought a sheet of the 1 franc orange after it was found with the printer's papers, ever after these stamps are known as Vervelle stamps.

(Left vermillion and right carmin-red, images obrtained from http://www.sandafayre.com )

The 40 c exists in 2 types: with normal '4' and with slanting '4' (rare). An unissued 20 c blue and an essay 25 c (in red) on 20 c exist (extremely rare, since almost the whole stock was destroyed).

(Reprint of an essay; 25 c on 20 c, image obtained from http://www.sandafayre.com )

Reprints exist of all values (including the unissued 20 c blue and essay, but with '25 c' overprint instead of '25'), in lighter colours than the original stamps. Don't confuse the 10 c, 20 c blue and 40 c with the Bordeaux issue of 1870!

The printer included some cliches upside down when printing the plates of the, creating some very rare tete-beche pairs:

(A very rare 10 c tete-beche, image obtained from http://www.sandafayre.com )

The rate for letters up to 7 1/2 grammes was 20 c (to be send anywhere in France or Algeria). Letters weighing 7 1/2 to 15 grammes were to be franked with 40 c and upto 100 grammes with a 1 Frank stamp.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
10 c	RR	RR
15 c	RRR	RRR
20 c	R	**
25 c	RRR	***
40 c	RRR	RR
1 F	RRR	RR	Other shades: RRR

Cancels:

For cancels on the first issues of France click here.

Forgeries:

For forgeries of the Ceres type click here

From 1852 to 1870 stamps with the face of Napoleon III were used, click here for these stamps. Due to the surrender of Napoleon III to the Germans, the 1849 design was re-introduced.

1870 So-called Bordeaux issue, imperforate

  1 c olive
  2 c brown
  4 c grey
  5 c green
  10 c brown
  20 c blue
  30 c brown
  40 c orange
  80 c red

The Bordeaux issue became necessary when Paris was besieged by German troops in 1870. These stamps were printed in Bordeaux and were used in the non-occupied territories.

Other imperforated Ceres stamps exist for the French colonies. The design is slightly different (same design as the perforated Ceres stamps: the motifs at the left and right are different and the shading of the face is also different).

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c	R	R
2 c	RR	RR
4 c	RR	RR
5 c	RR	R
10 c	RR	***
20 c	RR	*	3 types
30 c	RR	R
40 c	RR	***
80 c	RR	RR

1871 Ceres type, perforated

Large value in the lower corners (1871)

  1 c olive
  2 c brown
  4 c grey
  5 c green

Value small (1870-1875, as 1849 issue):

  10 c brown ('Siege de Paris')
  10 c brown on red (2 types, small and large figures of value)
  15 c brown (2 types, small and large figures of value)
  20 c blue ('Siege de Paris')
  25 c blue
  30 c brown
  40 c orange ('Siege de Paris')
  80 c red

These stamps have perforation 14 x 13 1/2.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c	*	*
2 c	**	*
4 c	***	**
5 c	***	c
10 c brown	R	***
10 c brown on red	R	*
15 c	***	vc
20 c	***	c
25 c	***	c
30 c	RR	*
40 c	RR	c
80 c	RR	*

The 10 c brown, 20 c blue and 40 c orange are also known as 'Paris-besieged' (Siège de Paris) issue.

These stamps have been issued imperforated in the french colonies (general issues, not to be confused with the Bordeaux issue!).

Further issues: french colonies, general issues

Souvenir sheet of 1937

(Souvenir sheet for the PEXIP exhibition, Paris 1937)

(10 F stamp of 1949 in a mini-sheet commemorating 100 years of Ceres issue)

Later issued with the head of Ceres

An imitation of the french Ceres stamps was issued in Corrientes (Argentine). The stamps have the head of Ceres, but are printed very poorly in general (and several forgeries exist):

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer

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