Columbus first reached land on October 12, 1492, landing on one of the Bahama islands. There he was favorably greeted by the natives and set out to explore the surrounding area landing in present day Cuba. Here Columbus’s flag ship, the Santa Maria (depicted on the below 3-cent stamp), ran aground. After creating a temporary settlement on the island for the crew of the Santa Maria, Columbus set sail for Spain promising to return in a few months time.
Spanish explorer Vicente Yañez Pinzón commanded the Niña on Columbus's first voyage and is depicted just to the left of the center of the 2-cent stamp. Vicente was part of a famous maritime family, the Pinzóns on Palos. His family and two others - the Niños, and the Quinteros - were instrumental in furnishing ships and crew for Columbus’s voyage in search of the Indies.
