2007 - Symbols of the Republic

Portuguese National Flag

Symbols of the Republic

The first philathelic issue in honor to Portugal 2010

With the proclamation of the Republic on 5th October 1910, one of the first concerns of the Provisional Government was to select national symbols for the country's new institutions. By decree of 15th October, a commission was appointed, comprising Abel Acácio de Almeida Botelho, Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, João Chagas, José Afonso Pala and António Ladislau Parreira, to present a proposal for the new Portuguese flag. In addition to the flag actually adopted, which maintained the green and red of the flag hoisted by revolutionaries at Rotunda and on warships, there were several other proposals in an intense and at times heated campaign, one of these from the group of Guerra Junqueiro, Braancamp Freire and António Arroio, who proposed maintaining the blue and white of the monarchical flag and replacing the royal crown with symbols of the republican regime. Once officially approved by the Government on 29th November, the national symbols proposed by the commission were submitted to the National Constituent Assembly and endorsed by Decree of 19th June 1911, published in Diário do Governo (official gazette) no. 141: "The National Constituent Assembly decrees: 1. - The Portuguese Flag is vertically divided into two fundamental colours, dark green and scarlet red, with green at the hoist. In the centre, positioned over the border between the two colours will be the national arms, bordered in white and resting on top of a black-highlighted yellow armillary sphere. The dimensions and other details of the flag's design, specialization and decoration are those selected by the commission appointed by decree of 15th October 1910, which is hereby published in Government Diary No. 2. - The national anthem is "A Portuguesa"."
In line with the regulations set out in the Decree of 30th June, published in Official Gazette no. 150, the length of the National Flag is 1.5 times the width, and the colour division is made in such a way that the green occupies 2/5 of the length and the remaining 3/5 are filled by red. Centred vertically is the armillary sphere over which is a white shield with the quinas (blue shields) that according to the Commission perpetuate and confirm the "human miracle of positive bravery, tenacity, diplomacy and audacity that managed to bind the first links of the Portuguese nation's social and political affirmation". The castles printed over the wide scarlet bordure surrounding the white shield are one of the "most vigorous symbols of the national identity and integrity". The rules governing the use of the National Flag were established by Decree-Law no. 150/87 of 30th March.

Presidential Jack

Complementary to the National Flag are other flags for specific uses, most notably the Presidential Standard created in 1930, which is flown over the presidential palace when the head of state is in residence. It derives from the royal standard created by the House of Braganza, on which the national arms were positioned over a field of uniform colour. In the case of the Presidential Standard, this is green, with the national arms positioned over a gold armillary sphere. There is also a pennant version, used on the vehicles that transport the President of the Republic on official visits.
In addition to the national symbols, other types of flag are used, to symbolise other institutions, such as the Assembly of the Republic or the Autonomous Regions of Azores and Madeira under the respective autonomy status enshrined in the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic.

Flag of the Assembly of the Republic

Hoisted for the first time on 3rd January 2007, the Flag of the Assembly of the Republic was created under Resolution no. 73/2006 and approved on 14th December 2006. This flag of the proportions two by three can be described as follows: "silver, with a gold armillary sphere in the centre and positioned over this, the national arms, bordered in green ". There is also a pennant version, used on the vehicle that transports the President of the Assembly of the Republic on official visits.

Flag of the Autonomous Region of the Azores

In line with the respective autonomy process, in Regional Decree no. 4/79 A of 10th April, the Autonomous Region of the Azores approved the Heraldic Symbols of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, the definitive version of which was approved by Regional Regulation Decree no. 12/79 of 12th April. Strongly influenced by the flag of the Liberals, which made the Azores their base in their bid for power, it is rectangular, its length 1.5 times the width; it is vertically divided, 2/5 dark blue and 3/5 white, and in the centre, over the division is a flying golden goshawk in stylized naturalist form beneath a semicircle of nine identical five-pointed gold stars; in the upper corner adjacent to the hoist are the national arms.

Flag of the Autonomous Region of Madeira

Under the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic that grants Madeira regional autonomy status, with its own constitutional status and the right to its own symbols to differentiate it from the remainder of Portuguese territory, the Flag of the Autonomous Region of Madeira was created by decree of the Regional Assembly of 28th July 1978 (Regional Decree no. 30/78/M of 12th September). Rectangular in shape, its height 2/3 the width, it is divided into three vertical strips: the rectangles at the two edges are blue and the middle rectangle is gold; lying over these is the Order of Christ Cross. The blue represents the region's insular nature, and the yellow, its mild climate and sands, which are essential to its prosperity. In turn, the Christ Cross dates back to the discovery of the archipelago by two knights from this Military Order and symbolises its connection with the Portuguese Republic.

Tecnical Data

First day obliterations in:

LISBOA / PORTO / FUNCHAL / PONTA DELGADA

Issue:
2007/10/05

Stamps:
€ 0,30 - 380 000

Souvenir sheet:
With 5 stamps of € 0,30
€ 1,50 - 60 000

Designer: João Machado
Paper: 110 g/m2
Perforation: 13x x "Cruz de Cristo" /"Croix du Christ"/ "Cross of the Knights of Christ"
Size: 40 x 30,6 mm
Printing: offset
Printer: Cartor

Sheets:
with 50 copies

FDC:
C6 - € 0,55
C5 - € 0,74

Brochure:
€ 0,69

Virtual Shop - Symbols of the Republic