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Matthew Patay's
Note of the Month
May 2005
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Map and flag images provided by Graphic Maps
This month's featured note
is from the country of the Portugal.
The denomination is 5,000 Escudos and the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money
(SCWPM) Number is P-191e.
The note, now obsolete, is dated 1998. Portual is currently under the Euro monetary system.
(front)
The banknote is deep olive-green and brown violet on underprint.
Vasco da Gama (c. 1469—December 24,
1524), a Portuguese explorer who was the first person to sail directly from
Europe to India is at right.
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The following information
was obtained from:
BBC.CO.UK
Vasco da Gama
(c. 1469—December 24, 1524)
Vasco da Gama was born in about 1460 into
a noble, soldiering family. Little is known of his early life, but in 1492 King
John II of Portugal sent him to the port of Setúbal to seize French ships in
retaliation for French peacetime raids against Portuguese shipping.
His career as an explorer began after his father was chosen to lead an expedition to open the sea route to Asia and to outflank the Muslims, who enjoyed a monopoly of trade with India and other eastern states. Vasco took command when his father died and sailed from Lisbon in July 1497. He arrived at Calicut the following year, via Natal, Mozambique and Mombasa. Initially welcomed by the Zamorin (Hindu ruler) of Calicut, tension gradually mounted and da Gama left at the end of August. They arrived back in Lisbon in September, where he received titles, estates and an annual pension.
Following a massacre of Portuguese expatriates in Calicut by local Hindus, following Muslim incitement, a new fleet was sent to establish Portuguese control. Command was given to da Gama, who set sail in February 1502. On arriving at Calicut, he seized an Arab ship carrying merchandise and hundreds of passengers, including women and children. After taking the cargo, da Gama locked the passengers into the captured ship and set it alight, killing them all.
He then formed an alliance with the ruler of Cannanore, an enemy of the Zamorin, before sailing to Calicut, where he demanded that the Muslims be banished from the port. To underline his demands, he bombarded the port and killed 38 Hindu fishermen who had sailed out to trade with his ships. He then sailed to the port of Cochin and formed an alliance with the local ruler. A brief but victorious battle with Arab ships preceded the fleet's departure home, in February 1503.
On his return home, da Gama was eventually granted further privileges and revenues and continued to advise the King on Indian matters. In 1519, he was created count of Vidigueira and, in 1524, was nominated as Portuguese viceroy in India. Arriving in Goa, he fell ill and died in December 1524.
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(back)
Vasco da Gama with authorities from Calcutta at left. The nau flagship São
Gabriel is at center right.
The following information was obtained from:
Associação Nacional de Cruzeiros
The wind trades in the Atlantic were already known and the Atlantic coast of Africa had been widely explored. An achievement reached by the caravelas. After Vasco da Gama's trip to India the journeys were no longer of exploration and were naturally longer. As a result, ships needed to be better armed and above all the space used for cargo began to play a fundamental role. And so the nau was born, and from the 16th until the 19th century, her overall weight was went from 100/200 tons to well over 900 and more.
In the 16th century the nau had two decks. The first one, run from bow to stern and held the cargo hold, fresh water barrels, food supply hold, ropes, sails and ammunition. The second made-up the bow castle pavement and aft the Captain's chamber. It had three masts and crow's nests on the fore and main. It rigged square sails on the fore and main masts, and a lateen sail on the mizzen to help the ship haul into the wind. The crew ranged from 25 to 30 men. One of the most famous naus was S.Gabriel for taking part on the discovery of the maritime route to India.
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For more information about Portugal visit:
The Government of Portugal Website
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