Columbus Day

Columbus Day

Columbus Day is a holiday in the USA and Spain. The American holiday is observed generally only by banks, the Post Office, and most government offices and schools, on the second Monday in October. It is on the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada. Columbus Day celebrates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean islands, even though the event began a long conflict with the native peoples and between nation states of Europe.

I think the souvenir sheet above explains itself. There is a note about it at the end of the American stamps.

A Brief History

Europeans had improved a great many things during Medieval times, including trade goods such as metals and gems, wool, linen, cotton and even silk.

Technologies of gunpowder artillery and full-rigged ships with good navigation allowed trading in all weather; the urge to explore and chart coastlines melded with commercial hopes of finding a route to "Cathay" (a.k.a. China). Christian religious zeal to convert non-Christians had a part in it too.

Hence many exploratory voyages were initiated, first to go around Africa and into the Indian Ocean, and then westward into the Atlantic.

Columbus greatly underestimated the diameter of Earth, but convinced the Spanish Court that he could reach India by sailing westward for a little over a month. Much longer than that was out of the question because ships of the day could only store water and food for about 30 days.

Columbus is known not to be the first European to reach the Americas, but to be the man who brought the attention of Europe to focus on the New World. And he found the wind circulation patterns in the North Atlantic, allowing westward voyages from Europe using the Trade Winds, and a return using the Westerly winds in the northern latitudes.

USA stamps

In 1892, to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, the USPS issued a set of 16 stamps #230 to #245. The stamps were not issued on Columbus Day, but throughout the year. The following year there was a Columbus Exposition in Chicago from May 1 to October 31, 1893.

Oddly, the sequence as numbered in Scott is not chronological.

The following stamps are just a few of the 1892 issue.

This set was produced by engraved plates, with an arch containing the value in words, as well as numerals at each end of the arch. Each stamp has a title below the central picture, and say at the top corners ‘1492’ and ‘1892’.The higher value ones in the set cost a small fortune.

#230 - 1¢, Columbus in Sight of Land
#231 - 2¢, Landing of Columbus
#233 - 4¢, Fleet of CC (with a killer cancel)

The first two continue the 1892 set.

#234 – 5¢, CC Soliciting Aid of Isabella
#236 - 8¢, CC Restored to Favor
#2616 from 1992, 29¢ face. It shows a portion of US #129 which was issued in 1875 and in the top section the title is “World Columbian Stamp Expo ’92 Chicago May 22-31, 1992.” In the blue reproduction area, it has a caption “Detail of US 1869 Stamp”. The 1875 stamp was a reprint of #118 issued in 1869. They had their Expo well ahead of Columbus Day in October.

This block of 4 stamps was issued in 1992, and each is entitled “First Voyage of Christopher Columbus”, with a secondary title.

#2620 - 29¢, Seeking Queen Isabella’s Support
#2621 - 29¢, Crossing the Atlantic, showing the 3 ships
#2622 - 29¢, Approaching Land
#2623 - 29¢, Coming Ashore

The set was issued in April, instead of on Columbus Day as you'd think.

Souvenir sheets

The following souvenir sheets were issued to commemorate the 4 voyages of Christopher Columbus. Italy, Portugal and Spain issued similar stamps the same year. The set of souvenir sheets was not issued for Columbus Day, but in May of '92.

Each souvenir sheet contained 3 updated versions of the 1892 stamps #230-244 in the first 5 sheets, and #245 on the last one. Where the earlier stamps said 1492 and 1892, these read 1492 and 1992 in the top corners.

These stamps on the souvenir sheets are not in chronological order and not in the same order as the 1892 set either.

The souvenir sheet, #2624, has the title “First Sighting of Land”. The 3 stamps on it are shown a little larger to the right.

#2624a – reproduction of #230, 1¢, CC in sight of Land
#2624b – updated copy of #233, 4¢ Fleet of Columbus
#2624c – redone #241, $1 Isabella Pledging Her Jewels

Below are 4 more of the souvenir sheets in this set, but quite reduced in size to be able to show them together.

The first one, #2625, called “Claiming a New World” has the updates of:

#231 - 2¢ Landing of CC (the day to commemorate, Columbus Day)
#232 - 3¢ Flag Ship of CC
#244 - $4 Isabella and Columbus

Beside it is #2626, entitled “Seeking Royal support” with newer versions of:

#234 - 5¢ Columbus soliciting Aid of Isabella
#239 - 30¢ CC at La Rabida
#240 - 50¢ Recall of CC

The bottom pair has #2627 first, called “Royal Favor Restored” with updates of:

#235 - 6¢ CC Welcomed at Barcelona
#236 - 8¢ CC Restored to Favor
#243 – $3 Columbus Describing Third voyage

Beside that is Sheet #2628, entitled “Reporting Discoveries”, with the newer versions of:

#237 - 10¢ CC Presenting Natives
#238 - 15¢ Columbus Announcing his Discovery
#242 - $2 CC in Chains

The last souvenir sheet, #2629, has the update of the last of the 1892 stamps, #245, the $5 Columbus, flanked by 2 natives. It is the souvenir sheet at the top of this page.

Souvenir sheets with the same designs were also issued in 1992 by Italy, Spain and Portugal. Scott catalog numbers for them are:

Italy - #1883-1888
Spain - #2677-2682
Portugal - #1918-1923

Now on to stamps from other countries. Below is a set from Cuba.

Cuba #2550 -The Santa Maria (20¢), a carrick design with 3 masts was the largest of the 3 ships. The fore and main masts were square rigged, but the stern-most one, the mizzen, was lateen rigged (sloping spar holding the sail)
Cuba #2551 -Pinta (35¢), a caravel design with similar sail set-up, but about half the size of the Santa Maria, could sail close to the wind for excellent handling close to shore.
Cuba #2552 - Nina (50¢), another caravel, shown with only 2 masts and both of them lateen rigged.

From Nicaragua: these 3 stamps were issued in 1982, on the 490th Anniversary of Columbus’ first trip. They could be celebrating Columbus Day.

#1187 – Santa Maria (50c)
#1188 – Pinta (1.50 cor) to match the ship sequence of the Cuban set, the face value is out of order in this set.
#1189 – Nina (1.00 cor). The pictures are almost identical to the Cuban stamps, for all 3 ships

Other Caribbean Islands:

Dominica # ? (not in Scott) - 90¢, issued in 1992 for the 500th Anniversary of the “discovery”. It is entitled “Departure from Europe” and has a logo “500”.
Bahamas #124 – overprint saying “1492 LANDFALL OF COLUMBUS 1942” on #107 (from 1936)
Bahamas #323 – 40¢ face, issued in 1988, it is titled “Columbus Before the Talavera Committee”, and has banners at the top with DISCOVERY OF THE NEW WORLD on the left, and CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS on the right.

Spain issued a set of low value stamps showing the Santa Maria from the stern and one showing the fleet of 3 ships.

#491 - 2¢ in olive
#421 - 5¢ in rose red
#423 - 10¢ in green
#426 - 25¢ triangular stamp of the fleet under full sail, in red

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