Portugal Ceres Issue, 2½ Centavos Orange

Portugal · 1912 · 2½c

This definitive stamp features an allegorical depiction of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain, and fertility. She is shown holding a sickle and a sheaf of wheat, symbolizing Portugal's agricultural heritage. The design, created by Constantino de Sobral Fernandes, was part of the first series issued by the Portuguese Republic.

Issued shortly after the 1910 revolution that established the First Portuguese Republic, the Ceres series replaced stamps bearing the image of the deposed monarchy, marking a new political era for the nation.