Virgil Bi-Millenary: Sighting the Coast of Italy

This steel-blue 1.25-lire issue from the same commemorative collection illustrates a triumphant naval moment from the Aeneid (Book III). Repurposed for East Africa with a red "SOMALIA" overprint, the engraving shows a Trojan helmsman or commander standing at the stern of a galley ship, raising a libation cup to the heavens as his crew enthusiastically greets the distant horizon. The lower panel displays the joyous exclamation: "Italiam laeto socii clamore salutant" ("With joyful cry, the comrades greet Italy"), capturing the euphoria of discovery and new beginnings.