Malta:SEPAC - Historical Maps of Malta

MaltaPost participated in a SEPAC philatelic issue, themed "Historical Maps" with a set of four stamps issued on 28 May 2021.

Issue Description
The Malta issue features a set of four stamps reproducing historical maps of the Maltese Islands by different cartographers.

Stamps
The € 0.20 stamp features a map drawn by a Dutch cartographer Johannes Jansonnius. This was first published in Amsterdam in c 1650 and bears the title INSVLAE MELITAE Vulgo MALTE Nova et accurata Descriptio within a highly decorative cartouche. It also shows the arms of the Order of Saint John and an inset plan of Valletta.

The € 0.50 stamp features a map by Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi an Italian printer and cartographer, published in Rome in 1686. The title of this map appears within a scroll at the top centre and it reads ISOLA DI MALTA GOZZO COMINO E COMINOTTO. The map of Malta is in the upper half of the sheet, while a large plan of the harbour area, within a very elaborate and theatrical setting, is in the lower half of the sheet.

The € 0.63 stamp portrays a map by a French cartographer Bernard Antoine Jaillot and published in 1734. This French map is titled CARTE PARTICULIERE DES ISLES / DE MALTE du Goze et du Cuming. The title is found within a panel at the top left corner. This map has detailed place names and shows the road network, aqueducts, and the various towns and villages of Malta and Gozo. It has a large inset on the top right corner showing the Grand Harbour with the magnificent fortifications of Valletta and the Three Cities.

The € 1.25 stamp bears a map by a German cartographer Georg Matthaus Seutter the Elder published in c 1725. This German map is titled MELITE vulgo MALTA cum vicinis GOZA, quae olim GAULOS, et COMINO insulis. It shows two vignettes one depicting a galleon and another the Grand Master of the Order of Saint John. An inset plan of Valletta and its harbours and the Order's emblem and the coat of arms of the Grand Masters appear along the bottom.

Sheets
Each of the two full sheets with formatted margins contains 10 stamps (2 x 5) (one design).

SEPAC Series
Other Issues under the SEPAC theme include: