Portugal Ceres, 1912-1924 Definitive Issue

Portugal · 1912 · 1/4c

This definitive stamp features a portrait of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain, and fertility. The design, created by Constantino de Sobral Fernandes, was the first issued by the Portuguese Republic and remained in use for several decades. The denomination is 1/4 Centavo, printed in a distinctive slate color.

Issued shortly after the 1910 revolution that established the First Portuguese Republic, the Ceres series replaced stamps bearing the image of the deposed monarchy. This design symbolized the new republic's values, emphasizing national prosperity and a break from the royalist past.