Antonib de Ulloa and the Discovery of Platinum: An Opportunity To Connect Science and History through a Postage Stamp

A postage stamp issued in Spain in honor of Antonio de Ulloa, in the context of the third centenary of his birth (1716), is presented. Ulloa, a Spanish naval officer, mathematician, astronomer, and traveler, is commonly credited as the first scientist to describe platinum as a particular metal. Therefore, he had essential importance in the discovery of Pt as an element. This stamp represents an opportunity to connect chemistry concepts (e.g., properties of platinum, nomenclature and symbols of elements, and periodic table), history of science topics (e.g., discovery of platinum and related elements, scientific expeditions, and relevance of science in Spain), and history (e.g., history of Latin America and Spain in the 18th century, biography of Antonio de Ulloa, and historical and cultural links between Spain and the United States).