Portugal Ceres Issue, 10 Centavos Green

Portugal · 1912 · 10c (Centavos)

This stamp is part of the first definitive series of the Portuguese Republic, known as the 'Ceres' issue. The design features a portrait of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, holding a sickle and a sheaf of wheat, symbolizing the nation's agricultural wealth and prosperity. The Art Nouveau style of the design was created by Constantino de Sobral Fernandes and engraved by Arnoldo Faria.

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 series became an enduring symbol of the new republic and was in use for several decades.