Nestle / Cailler Jeux Antiques Stamps Set and Checklist

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Nestle / Cailler Jeux Antiques Stamps
Year	c1920
Size	1 1/2″ x 2 1/4″
Images	Color
Type	Food/Stamps
Number in Set	12

Nestle / Cailler Jeux Antiques Stamps Set Overview

These intriguing cards were offered in Nestle products in France. Like some other releases, many series’ make up the overall set. These are called stamps but are more like album cards. They are thin and could be affixed into books but are a little different from the traditional postage stamps we know of today.

In all, Nestle created numerous series’ of stamps in the 1920s and 1930s, and while most picture non-sports subjects, some sports series’ were included. This issue was a sports series. They are believed to be printed around 1920 but I have not been able to confirm a definitive date for them as of yet. Offered in France, the text on them is printed in French.

While I have listed them as a Nestle series, they are actually referred to often as a Cailler Chocolates issue, originating in France and being used by other candy companies as well.

The stamps are titled Jeux Antiques, meaning Ancient Games. The best way to describe them is as an early series depicting Olympic-type games and sports.

The cards/stamps featured full color cartoon images of athletes participating in a number of sports. The most popular ones to American collectors are generally the ones featuring boxing and wrestling. Other sports include track and field events as well as gladiator style of competitions.

The stamps were designed to be affixed into albums and, as expected, some were. Today, you will find these stamps sometimes with the original backs if they were not mounted into the books or ones that were will often have residue or even the album pages stuck to them. Like some other international issues, these were less traditional cards that were much thinner than most gum and candy issues here. They are paper thin and similar to the 1932 Sanella/Astra margarine multi-sport set, but smaller.