It took Daniel D’Souza a few trips to Mumbai’s famed ‘chor
bazaar’ and some down the hallowed halls of well known libraries to realise
that Goa’s rich Portuguese-era history was imprinted on many memorabilia
including stamps. What started as a young student’s eager collection of
historical Indian souvenirs in the 1990s has turned into an enviable collection
today. “It was only when I started collecting and during the course of research
did I discover that Portuguese-Goa had a very interesting postal history. I
also realised that it was a herculean task to source and collect these stamps,”
explains Daniel of the foreign minted collection which dates back from 1871 to
as late as 1961. His search took him to fellow-collectors in Mumbai, Goa and
various exhibitions. “It was during this period that I realised there were
stamps related to St Francis Xavier. This opened up a new world for me,”
reveals Daniel.
Over the years, along with postal stamps, miniature sheets,
blocks of four and six strips or entire mint sheets, stationery and postal
stamped covers have built up this collection. Slotted sequentially, Daniel’s
collection is catalogued on the basis of St Francis Xavier’s (SFX) theme.
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The SFX collection commences in 1931 when only six stamps
were issued for the exposition. These feature the monument, signature of SFX,
SFX in a cassock, SFX arrival in Goa, Bom Jesus Basilica and the Tomb. All six
of these have found their way in to Daniel’s collection. The second lot is from
1946 when SXF’s stamps were printed as tribute to the ‘Historical Men of India’
and later in 1948 as part of the ‘Famous Men of India’.
On October 25, 1952, to commemorate the 4th Death Centenary,
only three stamps were issued – that of the statue, the miraculous arm and the
tomb. In addition to these three stamps, Daniel has several postcards as well
as miniature sheets printed during the time. Another collection dates back to
December 4, 1952 when the first philatelic exhibition ‘Exposiciao Filatelica –
Goa 1952’ was held in Goa. Of the 30,000 strips printed with three stamps of
SFX, Daniel possesses four (Servicio postal and SFX profile). A series of
postal covers accompany this section as well.
In the meanwhile, on a mission to complete his historical
postal collection of Portuguese Goa era, particularly of Goa’s saints, Daniel
also simultaneously commenced a collection of Blessed Jose Vaz who will be
canonised in January 2015. Among this philatelic collection is a 1948 stamp of
Padre Jose Vaz listed under the ‘Famous Men of India’ and the 1951
Tri-Centenary birth of Padre Jose Vaz. Of the two stamps printed that year,
Daniel’s collection contains only the one on the ‘Ruins of Sancoale Church’.
Daniel’s way of paying tribute to the saints of Goa has, in
a way, resulted in a documentation of their lives as well.
