Portugal Stamps
Definitives of 1853-1870
Portugal stamps first appeared in 1853, and all of them picture the portrait of the reigning monarch. During the seventeen year period, between 1853 and 1870, there were three different Portuguese monarchs, with two of them having their reigns cut short by unexpected tragedies. A brief biography of each of them appears in the third column of this page.
All of the definitive Portuguese postage stamps of this period are
typographed and embossed on unwatermarked paper, with the typographed
frame of each stamp being printed in various colors, and the embossed areas of each stamp being in white.
Images of the major Scott catalog varieties are shown on this page. I
wish to apologize for the quality of the images of the early Portugal
stamps that are used here. It was impossible to find images of nice mint condition
examples of each of them on the internet, and even finding images of
acceptable used condition examples of all the stamps was extremely
difficult.
A Word of Warning!
Reprints and forgeries exist of most of the classical definitive postage stamps of Portugal. When considering the purchase of any
higher priced stamps that are being offered as originals, one should
only purchase stamps that have been properly authenticated or that are represented as being authentic by dealers that are experienced in Portuguese philately.
Please see the Scott catalog or other Portugal specialized catalogs for descriptions of all the reprints.
The four definitive Portugal stamps shown above were issued in 1853. They are all imperforate, and they all have the embossed profile of Queen Maria II.
With the exception of the 25 Reis denomination in used condition, authentic examples of all of these stamps are rare.
The Scott catalog details are as follows:
- 005 R. (1853 - Sc. #1) - Reddish Brown, Orange Brown.
- 025 R. (1853 - Sc. #2) - Blue, Greenish Blue.
- 050 R. (1853 - Sc. #3) - Deep Yellow Green, Blue Green, Green.
- 100 R. (1853 - Sc. #4) - Lilac.
The five major-type definitive Portugal stamps shown above were issued between 1855 and 1858. They are all imperforate, and they all have the embossed profile of King Pedro V.
The Scott catalog details, for examples showing straight hair, are as follows:
- 005 R. (1855 - Straight Hair - Sc. #5) - Red Brown.
- 025 R. (1855 - Straight Hair - Sc. #6) - Blue (two types).
- 050 R. (1855 - Straight Hair - Sc. #7) - Green.
- 100 R. (1855 - Straight Hair - Sc. #8) - Lilac.
The Scott catalog details, for examples showing curled hair, are as follows:
- 005 R. (1856 - Curled Hair - Sc. #9) - Brown, Yellow Brown, Red Brown, Rose Brown, Bister Brown, Gray Brown, Dark Brown.
- 025 R. (1856 - Curled Hair - Sc. #10) - Blue (two types).
- 025 R. (1858 - Curled Hair - Sc. #11) - Rose.
The five definitive Portugal stamps shown above were issued between 1862 and 1864. They are all imperforate, and they all have the embossed profile of King Luis I.
The Scott catalog details are as follows:
- 005 R. (1862 - Sc. #12) - Brown (two types).
- 010 R. (1862 - Sc. #13) - Orange.
- 025 R. (1862 - Sc. #14) - Rose.
- 050 R. (1862 - Sc. #15) - Yellow Green.
- 100 R. (1864 - Sc. #16) - Lilac.
The eight definitive Portugal stamps shown above were issued between 1866 and 1867. These brand new designs are all imperforate, and they all have the embossed profile of King Luis I.
The Scott catalog details are as follows:
- 005 R. (1866 - Sc. #17) - Black.
- 010 R. (1866 - Sc. #18) - Yellow.
- 020 R. (1866 - Sc. #19) - Bister.
- 025 R. (1867 - Sc. #20) - Rose.
- 050 R. (1866 - Sc. #21) - Green.
- 080 R. (1866 - Sc. #22) - Orange.
- 100 R. (1867 - Sc. #23) - Dark Lilac.
- 120 R. (1866 - Sc. #24) - Blue.
Portugal began perforating sheets of postage stamps in 1867. As with
many other countries, including the United States, old habits were hard
to break though. Postal clerks continued to cut the panes of stamps
apart using scissors, resulting in stamps with mutilated or missing
perforations!
Perforated stamps of the following issue, with trimmed or missing perforations,
are to be expected. Stamps with complete perforations on all sides are
actually much scarcer.
The nine perforated, definitive Portugal stamps shown above were issued between 1867 and 1870. These stamps are all perforated 12 1/2, and they have the embossed profile of King Luis I.
The Scott catalog details are as follows:
- 005 R. (1867 - Sc. #25) - Black.
- 010 R. (1867 - Sc. #26) - Yellow.
- 020 R. (1869 - Sc. #27) - Bister.
- 025 R. (1867 - Sc. #28) - Rose.
- 050 R. (1868 - Sc. #29) - Green.
- 080 R. (1869 - Sc. #30) - Orange.
- 100 R. (1869 - Sc. #31) - Lilac.
- 120 R. (1867 - Sc. #32) - Blue.
- 240 R. (1870 - Sc. #33) - Pale Violet.
eBay Auction and Store Links
Portugal Postage Stamps
The following links feature category-focused affiliated seller listings on various eBay sites worldwide. They may enable visitors to shop
for and to buy specific items for the
particular collecting subject they've just read about.
The
affiliated eBay seller auction lots provided by eBay,
Inc. are not the responsibility of the management of this
website. On high priced material, make sure the lots you are buying are properly authenticated.
Remember
that the lots on European eBay sites are priced in EUROS. Shipping
charges may be more, and the lots may take longer to arrive. Also, make
sure the foreign seller ships to your country, before bidding on or
buying his lot.
Return to Portugal Stamps from
Definitives of 1853-1870
Queen Maria II of Portugal
Painting: John Simpson c. 1837
Maria da Gloria Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga of the House of Braganza (Lived: 1819-1853, Reigned: 1826-1828 and 1834-1853) ascended to the Portuguese throne as Queen Maria II.
She is the only European monarch to be born outside Europe, having been born in Rio de Janeiro (in Portuguese territory) to Emperor Pedro I of Brazil (Lived: 1798-1834, Reigned: 1822-1831), the future King Pedro IV (Reigned: 1826) of Portugal.
Maria was nicknamed "the Good Mother" for her kindness and child bearing prowess. In 1836, she married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Lived: 1816-1885, Regent: 1853-1855), who became the King Consort of Portugal. She gave birth to eleven children, of which only six lived beyond childhood. During the birth of her eleventh child, on November 15, 1853, Queen Maria II died, and the newborn prince, Infante Eugenio, died a few hours later.
King Pedro V of Portugal
Painting c. 1860
The sixteen-year-old Pedro de Alcantara Maria Fernando Miguel Rafael Gonzaga Xavier Joao Antonio Leopoldo Víctor Francisco de Assis Julio Amelio (Lived: 1837-1861, Reigned: 1853-1861) ascended to the Portuguese throne, upon the death of his mother, as King Pedro V.
Pedro V was a conscientious and hard-working monarch that was highly regarded by the Portuguese people. Much of his short reign was spent on efforts to modernize the Portuguese state and its infrastructure. His popularity soared, when during the cholera outbreak of 1853-1856, he visited hospitals, handing out gifts and comforting the sick.
The twenty-four-year-old king, along with two of his brothers and other members of the royal family, died of cholera in 1861.
King Luis I of Portugal
The twenty-three-year-old Luis Filipe Maria Fernando Pedro de Alcantara Antonio Miguel Rafael
Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis Joao Augusto Julio Valfando (Lived: 1838-1889, Reigned: 1861-1889) ascended to the Portuguese throne, upon the death of his brother, as King Luis I.
Luis I was a cultured individual, but he had no skills in political leadership. His domestic reign was rather ineffective, as Portugal began to lag behind the other kingdoms of Europe in education, political stability, technology, and economic progress.
Luis I was mostly a man of science, with a passion for oceanography. He funded research expeditions to gather specimens from the oceans of the World, and he was responsible for the establishment of one of the World's first aquariums.