Long ago explorers made large claims for the homeland. Sometimes the nation can’t hold on and the people are disappointed. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
Todays stamp harks back to a time of great advances and adventure. However it was issued in a time of austerity and humiliation. That does detract and the fact that the stamp just continued long after the anniversary with many overprints representing changes just makes it come across as sad.
The stamp today is issue CD23, a 25 Reis stamp issued by the Kingdom of Portugal in 1898 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the voyage of Vasco da Gama. There are many denominations of this stamp and it was also issued in many of the colonies of Portugal. There were also later overprints that reflected the overthrow of the monarchy and a change in currency. This is the original version and according to the Scott Catalog is worth 50 cents used.
Vasco da Gama sailed in 1498 and was the first person to make it around the world, proving the earth is round. Along the way there were many stops and claims were made on the land on behalf of Portugal. Among the stops were in Angola on the west African southern coast and Mozambique on the east African southern coast. The claim was understood at the time to include all the land between the two outposts though Portuguese activity centered in the coastal trading posts.
In 1890, British empire builder Cecil Rhodes was colonizing and minerally exploiting the areas north of the British colonies in South Africa. There was also thought of connecting Egypt and South Africa by railroad. The British desires conflicted with traditional ally Portugal’s long standing claims. It is worth noting that neither side seems to be paying any attention to the views of the native population.
An ultimatum was issued demanding Portugal give up it’s claims to modern day Zambia and Malawi. Given the marginal military capabilities of Portugal and its chronic lack of funds, King Carlos I felt he had no choice. He gave in to Great Britain. This made the government appear weak and feckless and greatly strengthened Republican forces in Portugal. In 1908 King Carlos I and the crown prince were assassinated while riding in an open carriage. After a short regency of Carlos younger son Manuel II the monarchy was overthrown in 1910.
Interestingly there is a side note to the end of the monarchy in Portugal. A female child was born in 1907 out of wedlock in Spain with King Carlos listed as the farther on the Baptismal record. The tradition at the time was that the Church would only put the name of an unmarried father on the record at his request, not merely at the request of the mother. The girl, Maria Pia her whole life claimed to be the daughter of Carlos and thereby the Queen of Portugal if the Monarchy is restored. She claimed that the year before his death the King decreed that she was to be treated as a full child of him and in the Royal succession. Maria Pia had no evidence of this and the King did not have the power to make such a decree. Maria Pia fashioned herself as the HRH Duchess of Burganza and lived a jet set life of a writer and a journalist. Her three marriages to commoners, including one to someone 45 years her junior, would not be allowed if she were truly royal. Her many court cases went nowhere as her proof was suspect having been issued 30 years later after the original records destroyed.
She later adopted an adult Italian businessman named Rosario Poidimani. She also issued a modification of the 1837 Portugal Royal Succession law to allow her claim to the Portuguese throne to pass to him. He also now calls himself HRH the Duke of Burganza. He was arrested and convicted of selling fake Portuguese diplomatic passports that he claimed he was within his rights to do as the head of Portugal.
Well my drink is empty and so I will open the conversation in the below comment section. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.