24 Apr

Stamps and Holography

Dr Hans Bjelkhagen mentioned to us his book “Holography and Philately“, which includes a Portuguese stamp:

“To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the first Portuguese stamp, Portugal issued a souvenir sheet on September 23, 2003 (No. 175) and also to commemorate Francisco de Borja Freire (1790-1869), the designer and engraver of the first Portuguese stamp issued in 1853. Four different souvenir sheets were issued of which one is a stamp with a hologram. The long stamp with the hologram on the souvenir sheet depicts Queen D. Maria II with the Portuguese Mint building in the background. Both Francisco de Borja Freire’s signature and the master tool (a 25 reis coin with the Queen’s profile) for embossing the first stamp are also featured on the sheet. The hologram stripe across the stamp within the souvenir sheet has six CTT Portuguese Post Authority Emblems, with the one on the left side being the first one used and the one on the right side the current symbol. […] The hologram was produced by INETI in Portugal in cooperation with IMPRENSA NACIONAL CASA DA MOEDA (INCM) – the Portuguese National Press and Mint which printed all four souvenir sheets.”