I found in the book of Björn Landström, Sailing Ships on page 115 a drawing that shows us a Venetian war galley as made after a greatly damaged model and painting in the Doge’s Palace in Venice. The Sierra Leone stamp is also designed after this drawing or the model. The only different is that in the drawing that the oars are out of the water and on the stamp in the water.
It shows us a war galley from the mid 16th century.
The tent, the lantern, and long flagstaff on the after-castle were to survive until the last days of the galleys.
Above the gun on the foredeck is a short fighting deck.
The galley was presumably rowed by 240 men at 48 oars.
The galley did have a length between 27 – 55 metres.
Guinea-Bissau 1988 800p sg1058, scott?
Sierra Leone 2008 2800Le sg?, scott?
Bulgaria 1975 10s sg 2440, scott?
Source: Sailing Ships