Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira made first European contact with the Solomon Islands in 1568, sailing from Callao under Spanish commission in search of the legendary southern continent and — more practically — gold. He named the archipelago for King Solomon's mines, a designation built entirely on speculation. He never found the gold, failed to establish a permanent settlement, and died on his second expedition in 1595 before reaching the islands again.
This issue is part of a broader Solomon Islands commemorative program from the early 1990s honoring explorers connected to the nation's colonial encounter.
Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira made first European contact with the Solomon Islands in 1568, sailing from Callao under Spanish commission in search of the legendary southern continent and — more practically — gold. He named the archipelago for King Solomon's mines, a designation built entirely on speculation. He never found the gold, failed to establish a permanent settlement, and died on his second expedition in 1595 before reaching the islands again.
This issue is part of a broader Solomon Islands commemorative program from the early 1990s honoring explorers connected to the nation's colonial encounter.