Azores - GP Countermark

[Figleaf]

Exceptional illustrations, AZislands. The commercial influence of Spain and Britain is obvious. I am wondering if the Azores wasn't a station on the route from England to India? After all, it's a long way from say Liverpool to Saint Helena if you have no canned food.

Also surprising is the time slice. The earliest coin in this thread is date 1797, the latest 1871.

Peter

[lusomosa]

NOT fron England to India but on the way BACK from India. Not only back to England but to start with to go back to Portygal.
When Columbos found America the Islands of the Azores and the Canaries where brought into a treaty stating that Portugal would not claim possession of the Canaries and Spain would not clain the Azores.
This seemd unnecessary but there was one reason for this Portugueese request : The prevailing winds in that area of the Atlantic are from the West and along the western coast of Africa from the North ( The Azores High pressure ) ( clockwise over the Azores almost all year round ).
This way Portuguese ships could navigate along the african coast on their way south to India, AND on the way back those same ships would proceed to the North-northwest from the Cape Verde islands with side winds on their right and intercept somewhere close to the Azores ( normally to the west of the Azores ) the winds from the west and keeping the 40 degrees latitude, which was easy to determine ( altitude of the sun or stars ) end up somewhere on the Portuguese coast.
The Azores where in that "corridor" needed for the return route and where almost always kept in Portuguese hands.
The English and Dutch on the way to India always navigated to the south between the Azores and Portugal ( due to the winds ) unless there where other interests like piracy or commerce.

LP

[Austrokiwi]

Exceptional illustrations, AZislands. The commercial influence of Spain and Britain is obvious. I am wondering if the Azores wasn't a station on the route from England to India? After all, it's a long way from say Liverpool to Saint Helena if you have no canned food.

Also surprising is the time slice. The earliest coin in this thread is date 1797, the latest 1871.

Peter

In regards to Azores as a stop over on the route to India from the UK: it seems a very reasonable hypothesis.  Prior to the opening of the Suez Canal, the British shipped goods around the cape to Aden, Bombay (Mumbai). In the later part of the 19th century, The brits were supporting their colonisation of African regions including Nigeria, Kenya. Zimbabwe  etc,

[AZislands]

Thanks, my countermark is only 5,5mm which I think is too small.

(By the way - welcome to the forum AZ Islands! - do you collect these countermarks?)

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the reply.
Unfortunately it is a fake counterstamp.
Yes, I collect and study these counterstamps and have already identified about 20 different fakes styles and is the first time I meet one so small.
Usually they are around 8 mm. Can you send me pictures of the other side of the coin and an even bigger picture of counterstamp?

MRod

[AZislands]

... I am wondering if the Azores wasn't a station on the route from England to India?

... Also surprising is the time slice. The earliest coin in this thread is date 1797, the latest 1871.

Peter

The foreign coin is due to the Azores being situated in the axis of the routes to the Americas, Africa and Asia.
Any coin before 1887 may have used to be counterstamped.

MRod