Stamps on Famous People – EUROPA 1980 – Portugal
The Theme for 1980 EUROPA stamps was famous people. 32 Countries of Europe issued 67 stamps. Portugal issued two stamps on 14 Apr 1980 on famous people. The explorers featured on Stamps are
16$ – Serpa Pinto (1846-1900). He was Portuguese explorer of Africa.
60$ – Vasco -De-Gama (1469-1524) .He was the first explorer who navigated from Portugal around Cape of Good Hope to India.
A Sheetlet with two se-tenant pairs is listed.
450th Birth Anniversary of Galileo – FDC San Marino 2014
Galileo Galilei (15 Feb 1564- 8 Jan 1642) was an Italian astronomer,mathematician,physicist,philosopher & professor who made pioneering observations of nature with long lasting implications for the study of Physics. He also constructed a telescope and supported the Copernican theory,which supports a sun centred solar system.
San Marino issued a set of two stamps to mark his 450th Birth Anniversary. Stamps feature Galileo & Viviani and in other stamp a Compass and Telescope is featured.
Europa stamps – Ireland Faroe Islands & Iceland Joint Issue -1994 – Discoveries
Voyages of Saint Brendan – Ireland,The Faroe Islands & Iceland are linked historically by the voyage of Discovery made by Saint Brendan (484-577 AD) hence this joint issue. These voyages are recorded in many medieval manuscripts and in the Icelandic sagas.
Following the fall of Roman empire Irish monasteries had become the chief repositories of religious learning and culture in Europe and Irish monks or saintly sailors began to bring these back to mainland Europe. Many Irish monks also sailed along the coasts of British Isles and Europe and beyond spreading the christian faith and establishing monasteries .These saintly mariners had a knowledge of astronomy to aid their navigation but no charts or compass.
St Brendan was one of these and there are many legends about his voyages. The landing of Irish monks in the Faroe was the first notable geographical discovery of the middle ages and by 795 AD Irsih monks had reached Iceland .In the Brendan legend one of the Faroe Islands is described as the “Island of Sheep “and Iceland as the ” Island of Fire”.
Brendan Discoveries is the theme of three Miniature sheets jointly issued by Faroe Islands ,Iceland & Ireland. A Presentation pack containing all the three miniatures is listed.
