Portugal Ceres Postage Stamp, Claret

Portugal · 1912 · 2½c

This definitive stamp features a portrait of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility, and motherly relationships. The design, created by Constantino de Sobral Fernandes, was part of the first series issued by the First Portuguese Republic, symbolizing a break from the previous monarchical issues. The allegorical figure of Ceres represented the nation's reliance on agriculture and its hopes for prosperity.

Issued shortly after the 1910 revolution that established the First Portuguese Republic, the Ceres series replaced stamps bearing the portrait of the deposed King Manuel II. This design became an iconic and long-running symbol of the new republic.