2137) Vasco Da Gama, Portugal: "The Age of Discovery" Escudo Banknote Series which was replaced by the Euro on 28.02.2002: A 5000 Escudo Banknote issued by the Banka de Portugal featuring Vasco da Gama: Date of Banknote issue: 12.09.1996:
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 5 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 5000 Escudo Banknote:
The Banco de Portugal started issuing these 5000 Portuguese Escudo banknotes on 12.09.1996 and they were withdrawn from circulation in 2002.
The 5000 Escudos Banknote depicts Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese sea-farer/explorer who discovered the sea-route to India.
Vasco da Gama:
He was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea.
His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link Europe and Asia by an ocean route, connecting the Atlantic and the Indian oceans and therefore, the West and the Orient.
This is widely considered a milestone in world history, as it marked the beginning of a sea-based phase of global multiculturalism.
Da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India opened the way for an age of global imperialism and enabled the Portuguese to establish a long-lasting colonial empire along the way from Africa to Asia.
The violence and hostage taking employed by da Gama and those who followed also assigned a brutal reputation to the Portuguese among India's indigenous kingdoms that would set the pattern for western colonialism in the "Age of Exploration".
Traveling the ocean route allowed the Portuguese to avoid sailing across the highly disputed Mediterranean and traversing the dangerous Arabian Peninsula. The sum of the distances covered in the outward and return voyages made this expedition the longest ocean voyage ever made until then.
After decades of sailors trying to reach the Indies, with thousands of lives and dozens of vessels lost in shipwrecks and attacks, da Gama landed in Calicut on 20 May 1498.
Unopposed access to the Indian spice routes boosted the economy of the Portuguese Empire, which was previously based along northern and coastal West Africa.
The main spices at first obtained from Southeast Asia were pepper and cinnamon, but soon included other products, all new to Europe.
Portugal maintained a commercial monopoly of these commodities for several decades. It was not until a century later that other European powers, first the Dutch Republic and England, later France and Denmark, were able to challenge Portugal's monopoly and naval supremacy in the Cape Route.
Da Gama led two of the Portuguese India Armadas, the first and the fourth. The latter was the largest and departed for India four years after his return from the first one.
For his contributions, da Gama was ennobled as the Count of Vidigueira in 1519 and in 1524 da Gama was appointed Governor of India, with the title of "Viceroy".
He remains a leading figure in the history of exploration. The Portuguese national epic poem, "Os Lusíadas", was written in his honour by Luís de Camões.
In March 2016 thousands of artifacts and nautical remains were recovered from the wreck of the ship Esmeralda, one of da Gama's armada, found off the coast of Oman.
The Banknote:
On the Back of the 5000 Escudo Banknote is depicted a sailing ship, Compass Card and a map.
The colour of this Banknote was Deep Olive-green and Brown-violet. The Banknote had a watermark featuring Vasco da Gama.
(The above Banknote is from the collection of my friend Jayant Biswas. Post researched and 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"Thank you for sharing this interesting information."
Thank you so much, Khanna sahab for visiting the post.
DeleteVinod Khurana has commented:
ReplyDelete"Interesting article."
Thank you, Vinodji.
DeleteVikram Bhatnagar has commented:
ReplyDelete"This Vasco chap was "led" to India by a rich Indian merchant who had several ships more than double Vasco's ships and, was a regular seafarer and trader between India and Africa!"
Very interesting tit-bit Vikram. Thanks.
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