The stamp issued by Cuba gives the SAN PEDRO ALCÁNTARA, there were 2 ships in the Spanish Navy which carried this name, and I am not sure which one is depict. Watercraft Philately give that the first is depict, which could be right.
Built as a 4th Rate three decker ship-of-the-line of caoba wood on the Royal Shipyard in Havana for the Spanish Navy.
1771 Launched under the name SAN PEDRO ALCÁNTARA (1).
Armament 68 guns.
She was designed by Gautier a British naval constructor, and built by Ignacio Mullan.
1771 Completed.
She could reach a good speed and acceptable maneuverability under canvas.
March 1774 under command of Capt. Pedro Colarte she reached a position of 61 degree South in the Antarctic.
When the Independence War with the USA ended by Great Britain in 1783, also the blockade against South American ports was lifted.
Large quantities of cargo were waiting in the warehouses of those ports to be shifted to Spain.
And as normal in those times, the most valuable cargo was transported by warships.
1784 The SAN PEDRO ALCÁNTARA loaded in Peru, 600 tons of copper, 153 tons of silver and 4 tons of gold; also she carried a collection of ancient ceramics of the Chimu culture.
The silver came mostly in 8 reales coins.
The ship, what could load about 400 tons was heavily overloaded with this cargo, but at that time there were no rules for overloading, she set sail under command of Capt. D. Manuel de Eguia around Cape Horn bound for Spain.
After sailing, by the working of the ship she started leaking, and the crew constantly had to man the pumps.
She made a call at Rio de Janeiro for repair, and early 1786 she left Rio for the last part of her journey to Spain.
At 10.30 pm of 2 February during a dark night she hit the rocks of the Papoa Peninsula in Peniche, Portugal. At that time there was a light wind and the ship under full sail hit the rocks with a speed of about 6 knots, and the collision was so severe that she broke immediately up the waterline, and the underwater part by the weight of the cargo sank, the upperpart of the ship with mast and rigging drifted for a while. 128 people drowned under which 17 Indians, political prisoners, 270 survivors made it to the rocks.
When the King of Spain heard of the stranding he send a representative to the site of the stranding, and after a large salvage operation of three years, most of the cargo was salvaged.
The SAN PEDRO ALCÁNTARA (II) was also built as a wooden 4th Rate ship-of-the-line on the Royal Shipyard in Havana for the Spanish Navy, after plans made by Romero Landa
1788 Launched .
Armament 64 guns.
She was one of the Ildefonsinos Class.
1788 In service.
She took not part in any battle, and not much of her early history is known by my.
1813 She arrived at Cadiz with the frigate DIANA from Veracruz and Havana.
17 February 1815 she left under command of Don Francisco Salazar Cadiz as flagship of Don Pascual Enrille and a fleet of 18 warships and 42 transports, the transport had on board 500 officers and 10.000 troops under command of Marshal Pablo Morillo, for an expedition to Venezuela.
After she arrived at Margarita Island, Venezuela, and a garrison left behind, Morello and his troops proceeded to Cumana on the mainland of Venezuela, most of the squadron sailed to Coche Island, but the SAN PEDRO ALCÁNTARA stayed behind off Margarita at anchor.
At 04.00 pm there was a great confusion on the SAN PEDRO ALCÁNTARA, she was on fire, and many crews jumped overboard and were swimming to a few gunboats nearby.
The vessels nearby lowered there boats and about 70 officers and 400 men were rescued in the two trips the boats made.
Then there was a huge explosion, and parts of the ship and body parts were scattered around, the next day it was assumed that two officers and 60 men had lost there live in the explosion.
The SAN PEDRO ALCÁNTARA carried a large amount of money to pay the troops and navy crews, altogether it is believed around 1.100.000 peso, an arsenal of army pistols and swords, 8.000 lockers full of clothing, and gunpowder, supplies and all the luggage of the commanders and officers of the troops.
There were later a few salvage operations to recover the cash, and most has been found by American divers.
Cuba 1996 75c sg 4076, scott 3745
Source: Ships of the line of the Spanish Navy (1714-1825) prepared by C de Saint Hubert.
http://nuevaprensa.info/content/view/706/2/