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Thursday, 14 October 2021

2075) "Joao Da Nova, Portuguese Sea Explorer, Portugal: "Five Centuries of the Portuguese Presence in the Southern Seas": A set of two stamps issued on him by CTT or Corrieos de Portugal Post (Portuguese Post): Date of Stamps issue: 11.10.2021:

2075) "Joao Da Nova, Portuguese Sea Explorer, Portugal: "Five Centuries of the Portuguese Presence in the Southern Seas": A set of two stamps issued on him by CTT or Corrieos de Portugal Post (Portuguese Post): Date of Stamps issue: 11.10.2021:

About Five Centuries of the Portuguese Presence in the Southern Seas - Remembering João da Nova :

João da Nova was a Galician nobleman who, in the service of the Portuguese crown. 

He twice sailed to East Asia following Vasco da Gama’s route, in 1501 and 1505, and died shortly after the Battle of Hormuz, in 1509, at the age of 49.

Historical accounts emphasise his rivalry with Afonso de Albuquerque (after whom the famous mangoes of Maharashtra India are named "Alphonso"), and on several occasions,  João da Nova is known to have taken positions that opposed the decisions of Albuquerque (who was also the 2nd Viceroy (and 1st Duke of Goa, India). The differences were particularly pronounced in relation to the complicated succession of Francisco de Almeida.

Notwithstanding his quarrels with Albuquerque, João da Nova showed himself to be an excellent officer and sailor, and even his enemies recognised his naval expertise and bravery in combat.

He discovered the islands of Ascension and Saint Helena, in the South Atlantic, and his name is linked to another island in the Mozambique Channel.

Associated with Postal activity:

João da Nova is associated with the postal activity of his time, even though King Manuel I had not yet appointed a Master of the Post at the time of his voyages. 

In fact, in 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral, after taking the diversion that allowed him to officially claim the discovery of Brazil, instead of returning to Portugal continued to India. 

On his return journey, in 1501, in the bay now called Mossel Bay, in South Africa, the commander left a letter inside a boot, hanging from a tree.

In the letter, he described the events of his trip to India, the shipwrecks that occurred and the loss of vessels, particularly that of Bartolomeu Dias, who died when his ship went down. This letter was addressed to the first Portuguese fleet that passed that way, and came to be read by João da Nova, who had left Lisbon on his first journey to India on 5 March 1501, before the arrival in Lisbon of Cabral’s ravaged fleet.

The letter read by João da Nova is thought to have been the first letter to be “posted” at the “Post Office Tree”, conveying details of the voyages of the various fleets on the "Carreira da Índia", or "Indian Run". 

This “Post Office Tree”, more than 500 years old, is still standing today, preserving the memory of the role it once played.

The Stamps:

The two Postage stamps of 0.70 & 0.91 Euro, depict him on one of his journeys of discovery of new lands. The stamps are inscribed "5 seculos da preseca Portuguesa Nos mares Austrais" (meaning "Five Centuries of the Portuguese Presence in the Southern Seas)

The First Day Cover (FDC) has the two postage stamps affixed at top right, cancelled with a special Handstamp/Postmark of Lisbon Post Office - dated "11.10.2021".

A Collectible

Technical details:

Issue Date: 11.10.2021

Illustrator: Luís Taklim

Printer: bpost Philately & Stamps Printing

Process: Offset

Size(s): 40.00 mm x 30.6 mm




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

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







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





6) "The Joker", Portugal: Portugal Post has issued a set of four stamps featuring "The Joker"character of DC Comics, who is an archenemy of the "Batman": Date of Stamp issue: 31.03.2020

7) Portuguese Numismatics (1st Group): A set of four Stamps in the values of N20g, A20g, E20g and 120g issued by CTT Correios (Portuguese Post) in partnership with INCM ("Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda (the "Portuguese Mint & Official Printing Office") depicting coins from various periods of history: Date od Stamp set issue: 22.04.2020











For posts on coins issued under the Eurostar Coin Programme, please visit the following links:


6) Leonardo da Vinci, France: The latest issue from the Monnaie de Paris, France highlights him on the latest Europa Silver Star Coin Programme issued by the Paris Mint: Coin issue date: 03/2019


7) i) "Europa Coin Programme" or the "European Star Programme" or the "Eurostar Programme" ii) Central Bank of Malta issues 50 Euro (Gold) and 10 Euro (Silver) Proof Coins featuring "Architecture and artwork of the Gothic Era" in 05/2020 (which is a part of the wider programme focussing on the ages of Europe: Date of Coins issue: 08.05.2020







4 comments:

  1. Santosh Khanna has commented:
    "Great post. Thanks for sharing this interesting information."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ashok Borate has commented:
    "ग्रेट पोस्ट👌"

    ReplyDelete