Saturday, 30 May 2020

1374) Ancient Postal Routes, Portugal: EUROPA 2020 Theme: "CTT or Correios de Portugal" (Portuguese Post) has bought out three Postage stamps of the values of 0.86 Euro each on the theme: Date of Stamp set issue: 25.05.2020:

1374) Ancient Postal Routes, Portugal: EUROPA 2020 Theme: "CTT or Correios de Portugal" (Portuguese Post) has bought out three  Postage stamps of the values of 0.86 Euro each on the theme: Date of Stamp set issue: 25.05.2020:


The EUROPA 2020 theme for all European postal Administrations/Enterprises affiliated to PostEurop is "Ancient Postal Routes." 

"CTT" or "Correios de Portugal" (Portuguese Post) has brought out stamps in the denomination of 0.86 Euro under the EUROPA 2020 initiative.


In the days when messengers were at the service of royal households, noblemen, archbishops, abbots or other princes of the church - missives were transported by foot or on horseback, then by stagecoach and later by train or aboard ships on longer journeys. A combination of these modes of transport was often be used.

For example, if King Joao III wanted to send an important message to Henry VIII, pursuing his policy of advancing relationships between Portugal and England - the letter from the Portuguese court to England would normally be delivered in person by a trusted emissary from the royal household, who would travel by ship from Lisbon to London with his horse on board. On arrival, he would ride for the rest of the journey to the Palace of Whitehall (Westminster), where the King and the English court were based between 1530 and 1638.

For the postal service to evolve using the stagecoach, it was first necessary to build passable roads or tracks. For many years, until the advent of the railway (the first rain in Portugal ran in 1856), the transportation of letters or parcels moved hand in hand with the construction of roads.

From Lisbon to Porto, by road, the journey took 34 hours and used 23 relay stations. By train (from 06/1864 there was a train link between Lisbon and Gaia), the same journey took 14 hours.

Beyond the fundamental Lisbon-Porto Axis (which included Caldas da Rainha, Condeixa, Leiria, Coimbra, etc), letters and parcels were transported by muleteers or carriers who waited for the "post" at locations on the main axis and took to the road (when there was one), with their "pack", caravans of mules that carried both letters and provisions to the hinterland towns such as Braga, Guarda and Viseu.

The mid-19th Century saw the spread of private stagecoach services that linked towns in the interior of the country. One of the first was "Companhia de Viacao Portuense" ("Porto Transport Company") with routes to Braga and Guimaraes from 1860.

The Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira had their own specific post transportation issues. The use of maritime transport to send correspondence to the islands had been previewed by old special charters pre-dating the creation of the firstMaster of Posts.

It was only in 1921, that King Joao VI specially created the maritime postal service for the Azores and Madeira.

In the interior of the various islands, the circulation of letters and parcels was ensured by private or municipal services that hired couriers or muleteers, as was the case on Portugal mainland. Due to the very uneven terrain and the lack of roads, a boat was often used as the simplest way to move around the islands. 

By 1871, the Azoresislands were linked by ships from the "Empresa Insulana de Navegacao" ("Island Navigation Company"), which also carried the post. This company had a contract with the Portuguese Government and its ships visited Lisbon regularly.

From 1918, and due to its geo-strategic position in the middle of the North altantic, the Azores archipelago was frequently used as a stopover point or operational base for various seaplane flights that had the goal of securing the crossing between North America and the British Isles.  However, regular air services to the mainland and to Madeira (including the transportation of post) started only in 1937.

In 1756, the Port of Funchal was established by a Royal Charter from King Jose I, but it was only from 1878 that the "Empresa Insulana de Navegacao" started visiting the island of Madeira regularly and transporting post, under another government contract that remained in force till 1914.

The Stamps:


A Miniature Sheet (MS) containing the two Stamps each of the value of 0.86 Euros.


A First Day Cover (FDC) depicting at left the inkpots, a quill pen a seal and a written letter. The bell is used to summon a messenger to carry the letter to the postal service. The FDC is titled "Rotas do Correio Antigo" (meaning "Ancient Postal Routes") and bears the EUROPA logo.

At top right are affixed three stamps of 0.86 Euros each cancelled with a special Handstamp/Postmark. The date of Cancellation is - "25.05.2020".


The First Day Cover (FDC) with a Miniature Sheet affixed thereto.



A single stamp of 0.86 Euro.



A special folder with detailed description of the Ancient Postal Routes.



A Maxi Card which has all three - the stamp, picture and cancellation on one face only.


The Technical Details:

Stamp set issue date: 25.05.2020

Designer: Helder Soares

Printer: bpost Philately & Stamps Printing

Process: Offset

Stamp Size(s): 40.0 mm x 30.6 mm

Stamp value(s): 0.86 Euro









Links to posts on "Ancient Postal Routes" on this Blog, the theme of PostEurop "EUROPA-2020":








16) "Ancient Postal Routes - Within and Outside Europe", Iceland: Two Postage Stamps issued by "Islandpostur" (Iceland Post) in the denominations of ISK 3150: Date of Stamps issue: 07.05.2020

17) "Ancient Postal Routes - the Old Road Majstorska Cesta", Croatia: A Se-tenant of two Stamps of the values of 8.60 HRK issued by Croatian Post: Date of stamp issue: 08.05.2020

18) "Ancient Postal Routes - Historical Postal Routes Thurn & Taxis", Austria" Stamp issue date: 06.05.2020

19) Ancient Postal Routes, Netherlands: Theme of 2020-Europa Stamps: PostNL has issued a 6-Stamp Sheet featuring Ancient Postal Routes followed by Von Thurn und Taxis Postal Services during the 17th to 19th Centuries: Date of Stamp Sheet issue: 11.05.2020

20) Ancient Postal Routes - 2 historic spots on "Tartu-Voru Road" Estonia: EUROPA 2020 theme: "Omniva" (previously "Eesti Post) - Estonian Post - has issued stamps of the value of 1.90 Euro each, featuring two historic stops on the old Tartu-Varu Road: Date of Stamps issue: 14.05.2020

21) "Ancient Postal Routes - from the times of the Imperial roman Empire", Spain: Correos (Spanish Post) has issued a Premium Sheet of six stamps of the value of "B" Tariff each: Date of Stamp issued: 14.05.2020

22) Ancient Postal Routes, Malta: Europa 2020 theme: Malta Post has issued two postage stamps of the values of 0.59 Euro and 2.00 Euro as part of the PostEurop's campaign this year: Date of Stamps issue: 09.05.2020

23) Ancient Postal Routes - the Mounted Messenger and the Stage Coach", Liechtenstein: EUROPA 2020 Theme: Liechtensteinsche Post has issued two stamps of the value of CHF 1.50 each on the theme of Ancient Postal Routes: Date of Stamp set issue: 02.03.2020

24) "Ancient Postal Routes - Via di Zenta", Montenegro: EUROPA 2020 Theme: "Posta Cern Gore (Montenegro Post) has issued a postage stamp of 0.95 Euro: Stamp issue date: 09.03.2020

25) Ancient Postal Routes - Mail Ships "Prince Maximilian" & "Archiduco Ludovico" - 19th Century ", Greece: Hellenic Post (Greek Post) has issued two postage stamps in the denominations of 2.00 Euro and 4.50 Euro depicting the two maritime Postal Ships: Date ofStamp set issue: 08.05.2020

26) Ancient Postal Routes, Portugal: EUROPA 2020 Theme: CTT or CORREIOS de Portugal" (Portuguese Post) has brought out three Postage stamps of the values of 0.86 Euro each on the theme: Stamp set issue date: 25.05.2020


Interesting links to posts on Portugal and Spanish Coins and postage stamps on this blog:








9) "Nacional Museo del Prado", Spain: Celebrating the Bicentenary milestone (1819-2019): Commemorative Silver Coins of 30 Euros issued by Fabrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre - Casa Real de la Moneda on 20.11.2019: Coins minted by the Madrid Mint



For more interesting posts on Coins and stamps of Portugal, please visit the following links:







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