Lot of Italian Post Office, Vatican, Romania stamps, cancelled and mint, philately

AFW - Antique France Worldwide

Description

This lot includes a collection of stamps visible on an album page, mainly from the Italian Post Office, the Vatican Post Office, and one from the Romanian Post Office. Several stamps show clear cancellations, while others appear to be unused. The iconographic themes are varied: portraits of Italian historical figures, allegories, religious symbols, floral motifs, and artistic representations. The dominant colours range from blue to red, including purple, green, and orange, with some pastel shades and more vibrant prints for the Vatican and Romanian issues.

The first row features high-denomination Italian stamps (e.g., 100 Lire), illustrating classical and architectural scenes, as well as a Europa stamp on a purple background adorned with a stylized daisy. The following lines present portraits and busts of Italian personalities, female and male effigies, with clearly legible "POSTE ITALIANE" inscriptions. Several stamps also show "ESPRESSO" or face values such as L.25, L.50, L.100.

At the bottom of the page, a series of Vatican "Pastor Gentium MCMLXIX" stamps stands out with their graphic compositions: map of Africa, Christian cross, pontifical portraits, religious scenes. There is also a colourful "POSTA ROMANA 55B" stamp and other Vatican stamps illustrating the Virgin Mary or Christian symbols. The printing and perforations of the stamps indicate issues spread over several decades of the 20th century, mainly between the 1940s and 1970s according to the graphic styles and visible inscriptions.

Most stamps have regular perforations on the visible sides. The cancellations are mostly circular, black, with sometimes partially legible dates. Some stamps are in good visual condition, others show signs of use: slight marks, nicks or slightly blunted corners, which is common for circulated stamps.

The presence of meticulously designed Vatican stamps and a colourful Romanian stamp enriches the collection, offering a visual panorama of South and Central European philately. The religious and historical motifs bear witness to the diversity of themes addressed in official Italian and Vatican issues.

Condition

Used lot, sold as is. Some stamps are cancelled, others appear to be uncirculated. Presence of small traces of use, occasionally blunted corners or album marks. See photo for exact condition of visible sides.

Did you know? The Vatican Post Office has been issuing its own stamps since 1929, which are sought after for their print quality and the variety of their religious and artistic themes. Italian stamps from the 1950s-1970s are renowned for their fine engraving and deep colours, often illustrating prominent figures in Italian history or national symbols.

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Keywords: Italian Post Office stamps, Vatican stamps, cancelled stamps, ph