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BATTLE of MARBELLA, September 6, 1736
In 1989, the Order of Malta issued its second series, dedicated to naval battles. The 4scudi stamp depicts the Battle of Marbella, according to the inscription on the stamp.
In the early 18th century, the Knights of St. John significantly strengthened their navy. The Maltese naval victories over superior enemy forces are well-known.
The navy of the Order of Malta (Knights Hospitaller) left its mark on the maritime history of the Mediterranean, participating in centuries of battles against the Ottoman Empire and Barbary pirates, defending Christianity. Among the most famous battles were the Battle of Lepanto (1571), clashes in the Mediterranean, and the capture of Algerian ships in 1736.
A squadron of three ships from Algiers was attacked by the frigate «San Vincenzo» on September 6, 1736. It was commanded by Commander F. Gastone Fabiano Laparelli. One of the Algerian ships, the «Chiulac», was captured in Marbella harbor by Commander G.C. Tommasi.
Evidence of these naval battles can be found in paintings and watercolors that visualize these events, often based on written reports and pamphlets circulating throughout Europe. Famous naval battles, such as Marbella, were depicted in oils and watercolors, as exemplified by the collection of late 18th-century watercolors held in the Malta Research Centre's collection at HMML.
The stamp's design is based on a watercolor. This watercolor was likely commissioned by a French knight of the Order of St. John during a visit to Malta. The collection of maritime art, including depictions of the naval battles at Marbella, bears witness to the Order's mission to protect the seas. At the same time, it became a memento of Malta, acquired during visits to the Order's central monastery. Whether in the form of reports, pamphlets, or works of art, these accounts of the naval battles of the Spanish and the Order of St. John popularized the constant need for protection for seafarers, as the Mediterranean was always peopled by friends and foes, both under sail and above the sirens of the deep.
Sovereign Order of Malta (SVMO) 1989; 4scudi.
Source: https://hmml.org/stories/series-travel- ... 0pamphlets.

BATTLE of MALAGA, November 6–8, 1736
The 6 scudi stamp depicts the capture of three Algerian ships in the waters off Malaga by a squadron of the Order's ships, under the command of Lieutenant General Fra Bartolomeo Tommasi, in November 1736.
In the early 18th century, Aragonese, Catalan, and Castilian merchants frequently traded with Maltese merchants along established routes, while the Spanish navy patrolled North Africa and protected established presidios (garrison posts) along the coast to fend off Barbary pirates. The Spanish navy collaborated with other maritime allies, such as the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Their fleets often sailed together to protect European merchants and travelers from the piracy of the Ottoman Empire and North Africa.
Several years later, squadrons of the Order of St. John sailed west to Spain to patrol the coast against Barbary pirates, continuing an earlier conflict with Algeria.
In 1736, the Knights of Malta, under the command of Lieutenant General Bartolomeo Tomassi, achieved a significant naval victory against Algerian corsairs off the coast of Malaga (November 6–8). The Maltese squadron, which included the ships Sant'Antonio, San Giovanni, and San Vincenzo Ferreri, captured two Algerian frigates—the 36-gun frigate Demi-Lune and the 34-gun frigate L'Arangi. Leadership: The Order's squadron was commanded by Lieutenant General Bartolomeo Tomassi aboard the Sant'Antonio.
Records: Accounts of this victory were published in 1736 in Naples and Florence. Furthermore, historical records indicate that the Order's fleet participated in actions related to the war against the Turks between 1736 and 1739. For over two centuries, the ships of the Knights of Malta patrolled the Mediterranean as naval convoys to protect against Turkish corsairs. The Order rightly became known as the "maritime shield of Europe."
Sovereign Order of Malta (SVMO) 1989; 6 scudi.
Source:https://hmml.org/stories/series-travel- ... 0pamphlets and other sites.