Thread by @MahoundParadise

1) Thread on postage stamps commemorating the Battle of Lepanto:

#1, Spain, 1938, two souvenir sheets featuring "Don Juan" and the battle.

Scott #'s: B108M, B108N.
Current Value (mint, never hinged): $77.50.
(An imperforate set also exists with a value of $1,000.)

2) #Stamps #philately #CollectStamps
@amateurstamps @APS_stamps @The_RPSL @PaloAlbums @CollectsStamps @LinnsStampNews

3) During the Spanish Civil War, both sides issued postage stamps. As one might expect, they usually commemorated things dear to the hearts of each. Remembering Lepanto was obviously meant to inspire the Nationalist troops. A few months later, Madrid fell and the war was over.

4) #2, Spain, 1971, three stamps featuring the Battle, Don Juan and the banner of the Holy League, issued on October 7th, the 400th anniversary of the victory.

The art and design are far superior to the 1938 set.

Scott #'s: 1690-92.
Current Value (mint, never hinged): $1.75.

5) Don John or "Don Juan".

6) The Banner of the Holy League was flown by Don John on his flagship. It was given to Toledo Cathedral in 1616 by Philip III of Spain and currently resides in the Museum of Santa Cruz.

@AEHarrod

7) #3, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 1971, stamp commemorating the 400th anniversary.

This is arguably a bit of a cheat, since stamps issued by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (as opposed to the country of Malta) are not recognized by some catalogs, including Scott.

8) But stamps of the SMOM are recognized by the French catalog Yvert et Tellier and the Italian catalog Unificato. The Order has issued 2,000 stamps since 1966, mostly for collecting purposes, obviously. But you can actually send a letter with them from its headquarters in Rome.

9) #4, Monaco, 1972, stamp commemorating the battle.

For some reason this was officially issued on Jan. 18, 1972, a few months after the anniversary date.

Scott #: 824.
Current Value (mint, never hinged): $0.65.

10) We have to wait another twelve years for the next stamp featuring Lepanto. You won't believe which country issued it. Yes, it's a "real" country with a population in the tens of millions. You can have 100 guesses.

11) So, in 1984, a certain Asian republic became only the third country or territory in history to issue a Lepanto stamp. That country was...wait for it...North Korea.

#5, North Korea, 1984, Don John and Lepanto.

Scott #: 2441h.
Current Value (mint, never hinged): see below.

12) That they would issue such a stamp is actually not that strange, as, beginning in the 1970's North Korea had been more and more supplementing its usual stamp fare - communist propaganda and local subjects of pride or interest - with stamps on "European" topics.

13) "Don John of Austria's 'Battle of Lepanto'" was actually one of nine stamps on a souvenir sheet, which in turn was one of nine such sheets covering "Historic European Rulers." Current value of all 81 stamps on 9 mint, never hinged sheets: $125.00.

14) Obviously, these stamps were created and sold solely to generate hard currency through sales to foreign stamp dealers, clubs and collectors. The too perfect "postal cancellation" on the stamp is a fake - printed at the same time as the stamp itself.

15) Why does this count (at least sort of) as a "real" stamp? Because, and in fairness to the DPRK, the practice of generating such stamps (inc. fake cancellations) had been going on since at least the 50s, utilized by communist, third-world and smaller countries and territories.

16) Scott and other catalogs have long tried to draw a line on these, looking for evidence that at least few of the stamps of the issues in question were actually used for postage. One would think that there would be little evidence with this and other similar issues. But still.

17) #6, Paraguay, 1980, "La batalla de lepanto"-part of a strip of 7 stamps in the "Ship Series."

Apologies. I was thinking this was 1989. It was actually 1980, so it beat out North Korea's effort by 4 yrs.

Scott #: 1972.
Current Value (mint, never hinged) for the strip: $4.75.

18) #7, Lesotho, 1992, Mickey Mouse as "conqueror of Lepanto," - part of a series done for the International Stamp Exhibition - "Granada 92" - featuring Walt Disney characters in traditional Spanish costumes.

Scott #: 898
Current Value (mint, never hinged): $1.25.

19) Obviously, we've come a long way from those inspirational and very Catholic Francoist stamps, haven't we?

20) Apologies, but the next is also a cartoon, drawn by a child, at that. It's the third set from Spain, but, this time, post-Francoist Spain.

#8, Spain, 2001, Lepanto.

Scott #: 3121i.
Current Value (mint, never hinged): $5.25 for a sheet including twelve different stamps.

21) This and the eleven other stamps on the sheet of twelve were I believe drawn by students as part of a contest to illustrate, in cartoon form, important events in Spanish history. The silly, cringing Turk is not very PC, of course. But what is the meaning of that severed arm?

22) I assume the artist was referring to the optimistic response that one Ottoman gave to the defeat of the Muslim fleet. Grand Vizier Sokullu Mehmed Pasa told the Venetian ambassador that the loss was not so bad, especially considering that the Turks had recently taken Cyprus:

23) "We took from you a land [Cyprus] where you can build a kingdom, thus cutting off one of your arms. [Whereas] you defeated our fleet which meant nothing more than shaving our beard. A missing arm cannot be replaced but a shaved beard grows thicker."

24) This is a "wise Muslim" quote worthy of Alec Guinness. However, see @cinziaspina77's alternative explanation of the artist's intention - on a reply to the above tweet. I think it's better and probably the correct one.

25) Finally we have:

#9, Italy, 2021, Naval Battle of Lepanto.

Scott #: no number has as yet been assigned.
Current Value: I assume the face-value of this self-adhesive stamp.

Perhaps other countries will also commemorate the battle on its 450th anniversary. Sierra Leone?

26) I say, Sierra Leone because that little country has created and sold 10,000 different stamps in the last few decades, on every topic under the sun. It's simply the most guilty of many modern stamp issuers, currently pumping out sticky squares of paper for gullible collectors.

27) So how to sum things up? The lack of serious Lepanto stamps is perhaps surprising from a philatelic point of view. It's definitely depressing from the point of view of a Catholic or just anyone interested in history. Note the absence of anything from Austria or Vatican City.

28) But the Spanish stamps from 1938 and 1971 still thrill. Thank you, General Franco, for your service. And, yes, for those stamps. I hated you when I was ten (before I even knew you) because I had so damned many of that 1954-56 series featuring your face. Apologies and RIP.