Skip to main content
Smithsonian main website

Search

Donate

EnglishEnglish
EnglishEnglishArabicArabicChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Simplified)FilipinoFilipinoFrenchFrenchGermanGermanHebrewHebrewHindiHindiItalianItalianJapaneseJapaneseKoreanKoreanPortuguesePortugueseRussianRussianSpanishSpanishSwahiliSwahili
Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
  • Visit
    Visit
    • Location and Directions
    • Calendar of Events
    • Public Programs
    • Tours and Itineraries
    • Museum Highlights
    • Museum Shop
    • Virtual Tour
    • Virtual Self-Guides
    • Information Desk
    • Reviews
    • Accessibility
    • Alerts
    Plan a Visit

    TEMPORARILY CLOSED
    Open every day (except December 25)
    10:00 am to 5:30 pm

    Admission is always free!

    2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
    Washington, DC 20002

    street map of Postal museum

    Learn more
  • Exhibitions
    Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Virtual Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
    The museum's Atrium
  • Learn & Explore
    Learn & Explore
    • For Researchers
    • For Educators
    • Topical Reference Pages
    • Research Articles
    • Stamp Collecting
    • Social Media
    • Activities
    Front windows showing stamp images at night
  • Collections
    Collections
    • Search the Collection
    • Collection History
    • Collection Plan
    • Collection Projects
    • Object Donations
    • Object Loans
    • Digital Asset Collections
    • Rights and Reproductions
    • Preservation
    • Object Spotlight
    People in front of log post office building
  • About
    About
    • Support the Museum
    • History of the Museum
    • Celebrating 175 Years of the Smithsonian Institution
    • FAQs
    • Host an Event
    • Museum Councils
    • Philatelic Achievement Awards
    • Volunteering
    • Internships
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • Smithsonian Affiliations
    • Press
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Site Map
    Historic Lobby
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Collections
  • Search the Collection
  • 3 lire Basilica of St. Clement single
Click to view social media share links

3 lire Basilica of St. Clement single

Object Details

Description
Vatican City issued a set of twelve stamps on March 7, 1949, featuring images of Roman basilicas. The set includes the interior or exterior of eleven basilicas, most dating to the 4th century; one stamp depicts Pope Pius XII. This set is considered one of Vatican City's most beautiful and architecturally significant issues.
The 3-lire (deep violet) stamp shows the interior of the Basilica of St. Clement, dedicated to the fourth pope (ca. 92-99).
The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 8-lire stamps are vertical in design; the other issues are horizontal. The 100-lire stamp is perforated 14 x 14. All other stamps are issued in two different perforation measurements, 14 x 13.5 and 13.5 x 14. The vertical stamps measure 3 x 4 cm. The horizontal stamps measure 4 x 3 cm. All issues are watermarked with the Crossed Keys of St. Peter. All designs are inscribed with Poste Vaticane, the name of the basilica, and the postal value.
Corrado Mezzana designed the set, with engraving by M. Canfarini. The 100-lire value was printed by recess printing; the other stamps were printed by photogravure. A total of 300,000 sets were printed. The stamps were withdrawn August 31, 1957.
References:
Vatikanstaat," in Michel Europa Katalog, band 3, Südeuropa, Unterschleißheim, Germany: Schwanberger Verlag GMBH, 2008.
"Vatican City," in Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue, part 8, Italy and Switzerland, 7th edition, Ringwood, Hampshire, England: Stanley Gibbons, Ltd., 2010.
"Vatican City," in Scott Standard Stamp Catalogue, volume 6, Sidney, Ohio: Scott Publishing Company, 2006.
Filippo Coarelli, Rome and Environs: An Archaeological Guide, translated by James J. Clauss and Daniel P. Harmon, Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 2007.
David Hugh Farmer, Oxford Dictionary of Saints, 5th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
March 7, 1949
Object number
2008.2009.118
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 123
Topic
International Stamps & Mail
Record ID
npm_2008.2009.118
Usage
Not determined
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm850fdb11d-f9b3-4e21-9abc-c49f719559cc
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Plan a Visit

TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Open every day (except December 25)
10:00 am to 5:30 pm

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

street map of Postal museum

Learn more
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Press
  • Site Map
  • e-News
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Flickr

Have you signed up for our monthly e-newsletter?

Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

Back to Top