History of Gibraltar

Stamps

On the 1

st

January 1886 the Colonial Government of Gibraltar assumed control of its Postal Services. As an interim measure, Bermuda plates were overprinted with ‘Gibraltar ’ using different colours. These were replaced by Gibraltar ’ s own design in December of that same year.

Gibraltar's stamps were used with peseta values from 1889 to 1898 since trade was carried out in this currency. Stamp designs were rather stereotyped until 1931 when, at the Governor ’ s request, Captain Garrood, Gibraltar ’ s Crown Surveyor and Engineer, produced the first pictorial Definitive.

The first commemorative issue was in 1935. The release of such issues were confined up to 1966 to Crown Agents 'Omnibus' issues and marked events of international interest. Since 1966 subjects of a predominantly local flavour have been chosen though international events are also featured.

Today Gibraltar continues to adopt a conservative stamp issuing policy thus maintaining its high reputation amongst the philatelic fraternity. Current stamp issues range from seven to eight commemorative issues a year together with a change of definitive issue every five or six

years.

Coins

All of Gibraltar

’ s coins have been struck by the Pobjoy Mint in Sutton, Surrey since 1988. Before this time, only Sterling coins were in circulation. In 1991, the Government introduced three legal tender ECU coins. Limited edition coins can be purchased at the General Post Office on Main Street.

Neanderthal Man

But for a quirk of fate Neanderthal Man - the best known of the primitives - may well have been called Gibraltar Man as it was in a cave in Gibraltar that the first remains of Homo Neanderthalensis was found.

Neanderthal Man lived in the caves around Gibraltar between 120,000 and 60,000 years ago. It was in Forbes ’ Quarry Cave at the northern end of Gibraltar in 1848 that an almost entire female skull was found.The significance of this find was not realised until 16 years later when Fuhlrott discovered another skull in the Neanderthal Valley near Düsseldorf in Germany. It was only later, after

this new species had become known as Neanderthal Man, that the Gibraltar skull’ s characteristics identified it as being of the same species.

In the meantime the circumstances of the Gibraltar find had been forgotten and the skull taken to Britain for further study.

It is now on display in the British Museum in England along with subsequent discoveries.

Well over 100 Neanderthals have been uncovered worldwide including a child’ s skull found in Forbes ’ Quarry Cave in 1926.

Gorham ’ s Cave, on the south side of the Rock has been the site of numerous archeological expeditions and many implements of bone, flint and other materials related to the Neanderthals have been uncovered.

Replicas of the skulls, and finds from Gorham ’ s Cave are on display in the Gibraltar Museum. Pillars of Hercules

Mons Calpe

The Romans christened Gibraltar ‘Mons Calpe ’ in reference to the numerous caves permeating the Rock. They had a base at Carteia, which had been a Phoenician colony west of Gibraltar and they left evidence of their presence here.

Both Greek and Roman mythology tell the tale of the Labours of Hercules, which had him opening a waterway by splitting apart what is now Europe and Africa and creating the Straits of Gibraltar. Hence Mons Calpe is one of the Pillars of Hercules with the other being Mons Abyla, a hill east of Ceuta.

The Gibraltar flag (flanked by the Union Jack and EU flags) is red and white with the Gibraltar Coat of Arms in the centre.

The Roman name lives on, most notably in the coat of arms of Gibraltar which was presented to the people of Gibraltar by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand in the early 1500’ s. Much later the official Royal college of Heralds added the words Montis Insignis Calpe in the scroll at the base of the shield on the coat of arms.

Moorish and Spanish Dominion

The Muslim invasion of Europe began in the Bay of Gibraltar where theVisigoths sided with Muslims by lending their ships to the Berber Chief, Tarik Ibn Zeyad. Tarik conquered Gibraltar in 711, naming it “Jebel Tarik” (Tarik’ s mountain), from which Gibraltar is derived.

Gibraltar continued under Moorish dominion for 700 years, but in the early 14th century, it was taken by Spain for 24 years. In 1462 Spain re-captured the Rock.

Coat of Arms

The Gibraltar Coat of Arms was granted to the people of Gibraltar in 1502 during the Spanish occupation of the Rock (1462-1704). It is said that when the Gibraltarians asked their

monarch for a Coat of Arms, Queen Isabella, passing the time at Santa Fe during the Spanish siege of Granada designed and embroidered the banner. She used fine golden thread stitched carefully onto a square of bright red damask.

The emblem incorporates a three turreted castle, representing the fortress of Gibraltar, from which hung a large golden key.

The key represents the Crown ’ s belief that Gibraltar was the key to the Spanish territories after all, it was through Gibraltar that the Moors had entered and subsequently conquered a large part of Spain.

Above the emblem sits a crown, representing the Spanish monarchy, and a golden wreath encloses the design.

At the surrender of Gibraltar to the Anglo-Dutch force in 1704, the Spanish residents fled. Many of them settled just a few miles away in San Roque where they are still

know as “the citizens of Gibraltar in San Roque. ” They took with them the coat of arms which now hangs in San Roque ’ s Town Hall.

The flag that now flies over Gibraltar has changed little from the original. The crown of Spain has gone and the background is now one-third red and two-thirds white. The castle and the key remain unaltered. To the British the key has come to symbolise Gibraltar ’ s role as the ‘Key to the

Mediterranean. ’

British ‘in perpetuity’

Gibraltar remained a Spanish possession from 1462 until 1704 when it fell to a combined AngloDutch Force. The Treaty of Utrecht (1713) ceded Gibraltar to the

‘Crown of Great Britain ’ in perpetuity, but Gibraltar continued to be subject to bloody conflict with Spain, and in 1782, work began on the Great Siege Tunnels.

The Battle of Trafalgar was fought close to Gibraltar in 1805.

20th century

During World War II Gibraltar was home to naval fleet Force H and was the focal point from where General Eisenhower masterminded the North African landings in 1942.

Spain attempted to revive her claim to Gibraltar during the Franco era. This conflict resulted in the closure of the border between Spain and Gibraltar in 1969 and it remained closed for 13 years and was fully opened in 1985 (to vehicles).