The Ciudad de Toledo is an exhibition ship for promoting sales of exports. She is also one of eight "C "-type vessels owned by several Spanish firms and was ordered from the Cia. Euskalduna de Construccioa of Bilbao by the Empresa Nacional Elcano. The intention was to call her Monasterlo del Paular but while still under construction she was bought by the Cia. Trasmediterranea and launched on September 14, 1954, as the Ciudad de Toledo. She was completed early this year after being fitted out under the direction of the Spanish Ministry of Commerce as a floating "exposition"—or exhibition—ship. The stamp illustrated on this page was designed to commemorate her sailing from Bilbao on August 3 at the beginning of her voyage to Buenos Aires by way of Tangier, Santa Cruz de Teneriffe, San Juan, P.R., Ciudad Trujillo, Dominicana, Havana, Vera Cruz, Cristobal, Cartagena, Barranquilla, La Guaira, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Santos and Montevideo. The ship will return to Barcelona, via Las Palmas and Tangier.
For the purpose of equipping the vessel as an exhibition ship it was necessary to alter the cargo space and accommodation. From the passenger decks down into the holds a series of compartments has been constructed, fitted to house the great variety of exhibits which constitutes what is popularly termed "a shop window of all Spain's products," grouped according to regions. Group 1 or "Operacion M-1" shows the products of Viscaya, Guipuzcoa and Alava; railway and industrial equipment, tools and household goods. Exports from this region in 1949 totalled 19 million pesetas compared with last year's total of 302 million pesetas.
"Operation M-2" comprises the industrial products of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands—car, motor cycle and radio industries. Madrid's trade is covered by a third group (" Operacion M-3 ") and the exports of Valencia by "Operacion M-4." In little over an hour you can see in the ship all the export manufactures of Spain. There is no overcrowding in the limited space. Spanish Government Departments have contributed to the idea, the Aeronautical Ministry (civil and military) has its own stand of flying equipment; modern war material is featured in the "pavilion of the Director General of Industry and Material" while the Ministries of Army and Navy display new prototype equipment from the Spanish Government's arsenals and dockyards The Spanish National Institute of Libraries combines with the printng trade In an attractive display of books, and other general printed matter.
The Generalisimo Franco Foundation has contributed an imposing selection of the work of Spanish artists and sculptors, woodcarvers and master craftsmen. Posters advertising the "Exposicion Flotante Espanola "—the only words appearing on the designs—were the work of Spain's leading commercial artists. The voyage seems bound to promote much interest and goodwill for Spanish manufacturing concerns. Dressed overall this handsome white vessel constitutes an attractive ambassadress. Her dimensions are: 457.2ft. x 62ft. beam for a displacement of 14,540 tons. She is driven by S.E.C.N.-Sulzer oil engines of 7,300 b.h.p., and her service speed is 161/2 knots.
I (E Argyle)am informed that the liner shown on the recently-issued Fernando Poo stamps is the Ciudad de Toledo, of the Cia. Trasmediterranea, built in 1954 at Bilbao. She appeared on a 3p. Spanish stamp commemorating her voyage as an exhibition ship for Spanish products in 1956, when she visited Central and South American ports. The vessel has a deadweight of 8,700 tons with dimensions of 457.2 ft. x 62 ft. x 26 ft. and is propelled by a Sulzer oil engine developing 7,300 b.h.p. and giving a speed of 16 knots.
Gibbons shows the Fernando Poo vessel as OKUME but she looks the same as the Spanish stamp. Any comments?
Spain SG1254 Fernando Poo SG250
Sea Breezes 11/56 and 3/63