2020Franking Labels - Foundling Tokens Santa Casa Da Misericordia de Lisboa (Token of Maria das Dores) - First Day Cover

From the 16th century on, many children were left in the care of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa. Parents would place newborns in the Foundling Wheel, along with identifying marks so that they could later claim them back – these objects were known as the Foundling Tokens. These tokens are mostly composed of a written note, usually on paper, on which the parent, or someone else on the parent’s behalf, noted information considered necessary or useful about the child.