250 lire Keys of St. Peter and Papal Chamberlain's Insignia single
Object Details
- Description
- Exactly fifty-one days after the release of the Sede Vacante Issue (August 23, 1978), the Vatican Postal Administration issued another Sede Vacante series (October 12, 1978) due to John Paul I's unexpected death.
- The trio utilizes a common design consisting of a stained glass panel that incorporates the Sede Vacante insignia, the umbrella over the crossed keys. The panel's color varies for each value. A black border surrounds the glass panel and extends over the stamps' edge. Across the top of each value appears "SEDE VACANTE SETT. 1978" (Vacant See - September 1978). "POSTE VATICANE" and the value appear in two lines at each stamp's lower left. All of the lettering is white.
- The predominant colors of each stamp are as follows: 120-lire - ultramarine and light green for the background, pale yellow for the insignia and panel frame; 200-lire - light and dark pink for the background, dark yellow for the insignia and frame; and 250-lire - varying shades of blue for the background, light and dark orange for the frame, varying shades of yellow for the insignia.
- The stamps, designed by Italian painter Emidio Vangelli, are vertical in format and measure 25 mm x 40 mm with a 14 x 13 1/4 perforation. State Polygraphic Institute, Rome, printed 1,200,000 complete sets in rotary photogravure on white glossy and distributed them in sheets of fifty.
- Reference:
- Lopreiato, Joseph. "Sede Vacante - September 1978." Vatican Notes 37, no. 4 (January-February 1979): 1-2.
- Data Source
- National Postal Museum
- Date
- October 12, 1978
- Object number
- 1983.0147.19496
- Type
- Postage Stamps
- Medium
- paper; ink (multicolored)
- Place
- VATICAN CITY (independent city state)
- See more items in
- National Postal Museum Collection
- Title
- Scott Catalogue Vatican City 640
- Topic
- International Stamps & Mail
- Record ID
- npm_1983.0147.19496
