2136) Pedro Álvares Cabral, Portugal: "The Age of Discovery" Escudo Banknote Series which was replaced by the Euro on 28.02.2002: A 1000 Escudo Banknote issued by the Banka de Portugal featuring Cabral: Date of Banknote issue: 15.04.1996:
The Portuguese Escudo was the currency of Portugal prior to the introduction of the Euro on 1 January 1999 and the removal of the Escudo from circulation on 28 February 2002. The Escudo was subdivided into 100 Centavos. The word escudo derives from the scutum shield.
Between 1917 and 1925, the Casa da Moeda (meaning "House of Money" in Portuguese) issued notes for 5, 10 and 20 Centavos.
Between 1913 and 1922, the Banco de Portugal introduced notes for 50 Centavos, 1$, 2$50, 5$, 10$, 20$, 50$, 100$, 500$ and 1,000$.
In 1920, Fifty-centavo and 1$ notes ceased production followed by 2$50, 5$ and 10$ in 1925 and 1926.
In 1942, 5,000$ Banknotes were introduced.
The last 20$ and 50$ notes were printed dated 1978 and 1980, respectively, with 100$ notes being replaced by coins in 1989, the same year that the 10,000$ note was introduced.
The last Escudo Series of Banknotes:
The Banco de Portugal issued Portuguese Escudo banknotes in 6 different denominations, including this 1000 Portuguese Escudos Banknote (Pedro Alvarez Cabral). They were part of the Portuguese Escudo banknotes series. (1995-2000) and featured Portuguese Seafarers and Explorers".
This Series of Banknotes was called the "Age of Discovery", with historical figures highlighted on each note for their great accomplishments.
The final banknote series featured João de Barros (500 Escudo), Pedro Álvares Cabral (1000 Escudo), Bartolomeu Dias (2000 Escudo), Vasco da Gama (5000 Escudo), and Henry the Navigator (10000 Escudo).
These Escudos are truly beautiful, and provide an insight into the history of Portugal with a sense of Portuguese pride and patriotism as they celebrated these great explorers who brought back prosperity, education, and goods to the citizens of Portugal.
Banknotes in circulation at the time of the changeover to the Euro were: 500$ (€2.49), 1,000$ (€4.99), 2,000$ (€9.98), 5,000$ (€24.94) and 10,000$ (€49.88)
Exchange of the last series of Escudo Banknotes with Euros by the Central Bank - Banco de Portugal - has continued ever since, with the last date for such exchange being 28.02.2022)
About the Age of Discovery:
The "Age of Discovery (or the "Age of Exploration") is an informal and loosely defined term for the early modern period, largely overlapping with the "Age of Sail", approximately from the 15th century to the 18th century in European history, in which seafaring Europeans explored regions across the globe, most of which were already inhabited. More recently some scholars call it the "Contact Period" (or "Age of European expansion)".
The extensive overseas exploration, led by the Portuguese, emerged as a powerful factor in European culture, most notably the European encounter and colonization of the Americas. It also marks an increased adoption of colonialism as a government policy in several European states, as such it is sometimes synonymous with the First wave of European colonization.
European exploration outside the Mediterranean started with the maritime expeditions of Portugal to the Canary Islands in 1336.
The Portuguese invention of the caravel, which was maneuverable and able to undertake ocean voyages, was essential to European maritime exploration.
Shortly after, the Portuguese discoveries of the Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira and Azores, claimed for the Portuguese crown in 1419 and 1427 respectively, then the coast of West Africa after 1434 until the establishment of the sea route to India in 1498 by Vasco da Gama.
The Crown of Castile (Spain) sponsored the transatlantic voyages of Christopher Columbus to the Americas between 1492 and 1504, and the first circumnavigation of the globe between 1519 and 1522 by the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan (completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano).
These discoveries led to numerous naval expeditions across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans, and land expeditions in the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia that continued into the late 19th century, followed by the exploration of the polar regions in the 20th century.
The 1000 Escudo Banknote:
The Banco de Portugal started issuing these 1000 Portuguese Escudo banknotes on 15.04.1996 and they were withdrawn from circulation in 2002.
The 1000 Escudos Banknote depicts Pedro Alvarez Cabral, a Portuguese explorer who discovered Brazil among other notable achievements/explorations.
About Pedro Alvarez Cabral: (1467 - 1520):
Pedro Álvares Cabral (1467 - 1520) was a Portuguese nobleman, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the European discoverer of Brazil.
In 1500, Cabral conducted the first substantial exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal.
He came from a minor noble family and received a good education.
He was appointed to head an expedition to India in 1500, following Vasco da Gama's newly-opened route around Africa.
The undertaking had the aim of returning with valuable spices and of establishing trade relations in India -bypassing the monopoly on the spice trade then in the hands of Arab, Turkish and Italian merchants.
Although the previous expedition of Vasco da Gama to India, on its sea route, had recorded signs of land west of the southern Atlantic Ocean (in 1497), Cabral led the first known expedition to have touched four continents: Europe, Africa, America, and Asia.
His fleet of 13 ships sailed far into the western Atlantic Ocean, and made landfall in 04/1500 on what he initially assumed to be a large island. As the new land was within the Portuguese sphere according to the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, Cabral claimed it for the Portuguese Crown.
He explored the coast, realizing that the large land mass was probably a continent, and dispatched a ship to notify King Manuel I of the new territory.
The continent was South America, and the land he had claimed for Portugal later came to be known as Brazil.
The fleet re-provisioned and then turned eastward to resume the journey to India.
A storm in the southern Atlantic caused the loss of several ships, and the six remaining ships eventually rendezvoused in the Mozambique Channel before proceeding to Calicut in India.
Cabral was originally successful in negotiating trading rights, but Arab merchants saw Portugal's venture as a threat to their monopoly and stirred up an attack by both Muslims and Hindus on the Portuguese entrepôt.
The Portuguese sustained many casualties and their facilities were destroyed. Cabral retaliated by looting and burning the Arab fleet and then bombarded the city.
From Calicut the expedition sailed to the Kingdom of Cochin, another Indian city-state, where Cabral befriended its ruler and loaded his ships with coveted spices before returning to Europe. Despite the loss of human lives and ships, Cabral's voyage was deemed a success upon his return to Portugal.
The extraordinary profits resulting from the sale of the spices bolstered the Portuguese Crown's finances and helped lay the foundation of a Portuguese Empire that would stretch from the Americas to the Far East.
Cabral was later passed over, possibly as a result of a quarrel with Manuel I, when a new fleet was assembled to establish a more robust presence in India.
Having lost favor with the King, he retired to a private life of which few records survive.
His accomplishments slipped mostly into obscurity for more than 300 years.
Decades after Brazil's independence from Portugal in the 19th century, Cabral's reputation was rehabilitated by Emperor Pedro II of Brazil.
Although Cabral was overshadowed by contemporary explorers, historians consider him to be a major figure of the Age of Discovery.
On the Front of the 1000 Escudo Banknote was depicted an image of Pedro Alvarez Cabral, facing left.
On the Back of the 1000 Escudo Banknote is depicted one of Cabral's sailing ships, animals of Brazil.
The colour of this Banknote was predominantly Purple and Brown. The Banknote had a watermark featuring Pedro Alvarez Cabral
(The above Banknote is from the collection of my friend Jayant Biswas. Banknote scanned and post written by Rajeev Prasad)
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
12) The New Silk Road: A Joint issue of a two stamp set of 1.50 Euros each by Spain (Correos Post) and China: Stamps issue date: 01.07.2019
13) Charming Towns, Spain : For the past five years, Correos (Spanish Post) has issued Stamps and Postcards on four beautiful Spanish villages as old-fashioned accordion-style postcards: Date of PostCards/Stamp set issue: 30.03.2020
14) "International LGBTQ Pride Day", Spain: The LGBTQ Pride Day Flag (Rainbow Flag) depicted on the first ever stamp issued: Date of Stamp issued: 15.06.2020
15) "Card Games", Spain: Correos Espana (Spanish Post) has issued a Stamp Sheet of 3.80 Euros representing the four suits (Swords, Pentacles, Cups & Wands) in a Tarot Deck, as the Origins of Card Games: Date of Stamp Sheet issue: 02.07.2020
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
12) "Linha Do Douro" ("The Douro Line (Train)", Portugal:12th Coin in the Ibero-American Coin Series titled "Historic Trains" brought out by the "Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda" (INCM): Date of issue: 06/2020
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
Santosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very interesting. Thanks for sharing this informative post."
Thank you so much Khanna sahab.
Delete