France postage stamps year 1859-65 (General Issues) Used set

France postage stamps year 1859-65 (General Issues) Used set VF

Additionally, the Eagle Issue (Type Aigle) is among the first France postage stamps designed for use across France’s overseas territories.

Before this release, local colonial post offices relied on prepaid handstamps or cash payments.

To standardize mail, a uniform set of imperforate stamps was issued for all colonies. Additionally, France postage stamps covered regions lacking issues, including Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, French Guiana, Senegal, French India, and Cochinchina.

• Design Motif: Features a crowned imperial eagle inside a circular central medallion, surrounded by the inscription “COLONIES DE L’EMPIRE FRANÇAIS” at the top and “POSTES” with the denomination at the bottom.
• Format: Square shape, typographed, and imperforate.
• Designer / Engraver: Designed by Désiré-Albert Barre.
• Paper Type: Printed on tinted or colored paper stocks (e.g., olive, bluish, yellowish).

The 6 Denominations Issued (1859–1865)

A complete basic set consists of six face values issued progressively between 1859 and 1865:

Value	Primary Color / Paper	Issue Date	Typical Use / Purpose
1c	Bronze-green on greenish paper	Nov 1859	Printed matter, newspapers
5c	Yellow-green on greenish paper	Nov 1859	Visiting cards, local printed items
10c	Bistre / Yellow-brown	Nov 1859	Local single-letter rate
20c	Blue on bluish paper	Nov 1859	Standard domestic/colonial letter rate
40c	Orange / Vermilion on yellowish paper	Nov 1859	Heavier weight or international letters
80c	Rose / Carmine	1865	High-value, express, or registered mail

Identification & Collector Notes

1. Colonial Postmarks: Because these stamps were valid across all territories, used copies are primarily identified and collected based on the postmarks indicating their specific port or colony of origin (e.g., three-letter killer cancels like GPE for Guadeloupe, MQE for Martinique, SNG for Senegal).
2. 1887 Official Reprints: An official reprint set was produced in 1887 for presentation purposes. Reprints generally feature brighter colors, fresh white/yellowish paper, and were issued without gum (whereas original issued stamps originally had gum, though many surviving unused originals have lost it over time).
3. Predecessor to Overprints: The Eagle issue remained the primary colonial stamp until the 1870s, when standard French designs (Ceres and Napoleon III) were issued imperforate for colonial use. Many remaining Eagle sheets were later surcharged locally in territories like Réunion during emergency stamp shortages.