Volume 56, No. 6 www.vaticanphilately.org May–June 2008 ALSO: SOCIETY ELECTIONS AND AWARDS ◆ MORE PHILATELIC EPHEMERA ◆ THE 1989 BIRDS ISSUE GardensGardens && MedallionsMedallions 75th75th AnniversaryAnniversary RetrospectiveRetrospective GREG PIROZZI —
[email protected] This year marks the 75th anniversary of the now classic series of eighteen definitive stamps issued on May 31, 1933 by the Vatican City. Featuring views of Vatican landmarks and a portrait of Pope Pius XI, the colloquial name appended to the series by Italian collectors—giardini e medaglioni, or gardens and medallions—refers to the series’ subject matter and design format. The series was in use for a long time, spanning the pre– and post–WWII rate periods, making it particularly interesting and complex from the standpoint of postal history. In a series of three articles, I will review the technical characteristics and known varieties of each value of this issue and then illustrate significant usages, rates and destinations. I begin in this issue with the nine low values of the series (Scott #19-27), denomi- nated in centesimi and printed in a small vertical format. Subsequent installments will examine the midrange lire-denominated values (Scott #28 -31) and a final part will cover the high values and the express stamps (Scott #32-34, E3-4). All of the stamps were engraved and printed in two colors (with the exception of the 5 centesimi value printed in scarlet only) by the newly formed Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato (State Printing Works) in Rome. Interestingly, al- though the bicolor values were printed in sepa- rate passes for the frame and vignette, no invert errors are known to exist.