Italy

New 1950 entry – New sub-class of Parallel Issue

by Richard Zimmermann

Through Fabio Bonacina and Enzo Cafaro (Italy) , a request came from a reader of Vaccari News to re-qualify the following Italian and San Marino stamps:

The Italian stamp and the San Marino (RSM) stamps have been issued on the same date of April 12, 1950. The Italian stamp is a specific stamp for the 28th Fiera di Milano (Trade fair), while the RSM stamps are definitive stamps overprinted with the Fiera di Milano reference. The definitive RSM stamps were also issued on April 12, 1950. Such stamps are usually not considered as joint issues, because no specific stamp was issued at this occasion by RSM. From the general rules, overprinted stamps are just considered as Non-accepted [N], in this case, subclass overprinted [OP] (which are reported in the catalogue).

However, there is an exception, when the overprint is combined with a change of color. In others words, and also in this particular case, these three RSM stamps have been specially printed for the Fair and overprinting appears only on stamps with a different color. As such they have to be considered as joint. In the same way, during this 1950’s period, France produced also a series of overprinted Tunisia and Algerian stamps with different colors, which were considered as Territorial issues [TD]. There was no such a territorial/colonial relationship between RSM and Italy, and stamps do have a different design. Parallel issue [P] would be the best definition. This seems to be the first encountered case and it needs the creation of a new sub-class of Parallel issues that will be called [P3]. It corresponds to Commemorative stamps issued on the same day, with a different design, in which at least one country is using overprinted stamps, but those stamps do not exist as non-overprinted standard stamps.

Standard San Marino stamps with the same design show respectively the colors, red and brown (5L), violet and black (15L) or blue-green and blue (55L), while the overprinted stamps are respectively green and blue (5L), black and red (15L) or brown and blue (55L) with overprint respectively black (5L), blue (15L) or black (55L). Non-overprinted stamps with these colors do not exist. At the same date of April 12, 1950, Trieste (Zone A) issued the same Italian stamp with overprint “AMG-FTT” in red. Italian stamps were issued at 3,305,000 samples, San Marino at 3×37,411 samples and Trieste stamps at 150,000 samples. Note that the nine non-overprinted San Marino stamps were issued only at 14,033 samples each.

The catalogue Vol 2 will be updated accordingly and the new definition of [P3] will be introduced in Catalogue Vol 1.

Update April 2023

by Richard Zimmermann

Don Birschel (USA) confirmed the existence of the Albania – Kosovo joint issue by providing the first picture of the Albania souvenir sheet. Unfortunately, so far no official information is available from the Albanian side. By exploring further, we found out that a cover looking like a first day and dated April 27, 2023 became also available on eBay. The Kosovo stamp was issued in miniature sheets of 4 on February 17, 2023. Even if this cover does not bear the words ‘First Day’, it could at least confirm that this issue must be considered as Concerted and not Twin [C20230217]. Any additional information is welcome.

Jaap Sarelse (The Netherlands) continues to create mixed FDCs and recently he was able to provide a mixed cover from the [C20221207] Georgia – Italy mixed first day cover and the one involving Armenia and Russia corresponding to the issue [T20220830].

We learned also that in 2024, at the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the UPU, a joint issue will be produced with an identical design (competition is open) and the date of this issue will probably be centered around October 9, 2024. Knowing the number of member countries of the UPU (192 so far), this could become the largest joint issue ever. Call to participant countries was launched.

Still waiting for news from the India – Vietnam joint issue supposed to be released on April 23, 2023 (local fighting sports. We just had access to the design of the Vietnamese stamps. Any additional information is welcome.

Italian Air Force 100th anniversary

by Richard Zimmermann

From Enzo Cafaro (Italy): On March 23, 2023, Italy, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) and the Vatican issued each the same souvenir sheet bearing a single stamp at the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Italian Air Force. The souvenir sheets are showing planes, three-engine Savoia-Marchetti SM82, flying over the town of Rome, more precisely above the Vatican city. The items show also the logo of the anniversary and dates 1923 – 2023. The picture was provided from the SMOM archives.

At the same date, Italy issued also an isolated stamp with the same symbol of the anniversary and a souvenir sheet bearing 6 different stamps showing air force planes. These stamps are different from the common stamps and have not been taken over by the other postal administrations. Therefore, they cannot be considered as part of this joint issue.

Georgia’s diplomatic relations – 30 years

by Richard Zimmermann

Georgia issued already stamps at the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its diplomatic relationship with different countries, first on December 7, 2022 with Azerbaijan, then on December 20, 2022, with Israel.

More recently, we learned from Kenneth Sequeira (Singapore) and Enzo Cafaro (Italy) that Georgia issued also one stamp identical to the Italy stamp itself issued on December 7, 2022. Date of issue of the Georgian stamp is apparently December 27, 2022, leading to a Concerted issue [C]. The only problem here is that despite the fact that the stamps are identical, Italian Post does not consider this issue as joint (???), at least it was not defined originally by an official decree. Fabio Bonacina (Italy) in Vaccari News, tries to give some explanations (https://www.vaccarinews.it/news/Dentello_pure_da_Tbilisi/33994). It is possible that Georgia produced their stamp on the basis of the Italian model once the Italian stamp was released, but up to the point to officially present pictures of both stamps, in a same room, on December 27, in presence of the Italian ambassador. In our case, it is clear that with such a similar design, the stamps must have been created on the basis of at least a limited initial collaboration between both postal administrations. Therefore, we will report this pair in the catalogue and I am sure, collector will be glad to have a funny story to tell behind these two stamps, despite the non-recognition of the joint character by one part. If we discover in a near future, another example of such (unilateral) twin stamps, we will probably have to create a new sub-type in our classification system.

Another astonishing point relates to the illustration. It represents the construction of the cathedral of Bichvinta, based on a design of Father Cristoforo Castelli (1597-1659). Bichvinta (also called Pitsunda) is located in Abkhazia, a territory that is under Russian control since 2008…

Centenary of Mexican Embassy in Rome

by Richard Zimmermann

On June 27, 2022, Mexico issued a stamp celebrating the centenary of the building of the Mexican embassy in Rome, Italy. Such a stamp was not in the program of the Italian philatelic program, but shortly after the release of the Mexican stamp we learned (Source: Fabio Bonacina and Enzo Cafaro, Italy) that the Italian postal administration intended to produce also a stamp related to this topic by end of July 2022. We had to wait very closely to the release of the Italian stamp to discover its design which eventually appeared to be the same. Italy issued its stamp on July 28, 2022.

None of the postal administrations claim a joint character to these stamps. It looks that the Italian administration had to react quickly after they learned about the issuance of the Mexican stamp, probably only during the spring of 2022. Nevertheless, it became obvious that we had to consider this issue as joint for several reasons:

  • The building and the topic are unique to Mexico in Italy
  • The Mexican ambassador participated to this issue confirmed by a text written by him in the presentation package of the Italian stamp. Indirectly, Mexico was involved in the Italian stamp creation discussion
  • The fact that there was an agreement on the image is also a confirmation of the collaboration. The situation would have been more questionable if the designs were different or if one stamp would only give a simple text
  • Slight differences such as appearance of Mexican flag in the Italian stamp are minor modifications that can be considered as the degree of freedom left to the two designers, but both had to work on the same basic picture
  • However,there was a kind of hiccup in the decision to collaborate and absence of agreement on date of issue. The official anniversary is July 2, 2022, so none of the two first day dates (June 27 and July 28). This could be the consequence of last minute decision to collaborate

In summary: this issue will be considered as joint, with the sub type concerted [C20220627] (same design but different dates of issue) and the lack of communication about the joint character is mainly due to the short time left to the two postal administrations to define a common date. Apparently, the Italian postal administration considers a true joint issue only if both stamps are released on the same day and if mixed joint FDCs can be created on this day. These mixed documents will probably exist in the near future, but of private origin.

Don Luigi Orione’s 150th birthday

by Richard Zimmermann

Luigi Orione was born into a poor family at Pontecurone, Italy, 150 years ago, on June 23, 1872. He became priest and founded the catholic religious congregations ‘Sons of Divine Providence’ (1899) and ‘Little Missionary Sisters of Charity’ (1915). He died on March 12, 1940. On October 26, 1980, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II. Nearly 24 years later, he was canonized by that same pope, on May 16, 2004. He is the Patron Saint of the Abandoned.

On May 16, 2022, the postal administrations of Italy, Vatican and Argentina, but also the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, issued each the same stamp showing a portrait painted by Raul Berzosa (born 1979). Each country issued the stamp in miniature sheets of 4 stamps. Only Argentina issued a smaller square size stamp. The painting shows several symbols related to Don Luigi Orione’s life and holiness. He created several missions abroad, including in Argentina (1921), hence the link with this country.

Mixed first day cover became available the first day, but so far do not include Argentina.

Cancellations

by Richard Zimmermann

Kenneth Sequeira (Dubai) and Jaap Sarelse (the Netherlands) reported a few cancellations of previously announced joint issue. The Tajikistan philatelic program shows now the Tajikistan – Kyrgyzstan joint issue crossed out. This issue was initially planned for Quarter 4, 2021, but without more precision regarding the date. At the same time the Kyrgyzstan philatelic office informed us that the issue of the Kyrgyzstan stamps from the Croatia – Kyrgyzstan joint issue is postponed (i.e. probably towards early 2022), but not cancelled. Croatia had issued their stamps as planned on September 22, 2021 (topic: woodpeckers) and (identical) designs of the Kyrgyzstan stamps appeared on the Delcampe web site before being retrieved. At the same time, Ukraine announces three joint issues for 2022 with Italy (150th birthday of Solomiya Krushelnytska), Singapore (topic unknown) and the USA (100th anniversary of the first performance of the Ukrainian carol ‘Shchedryk’ in Carnegie Hall, New York), without more precise date, and no confirmation from the partner country.
The TAAF/Portugal joint issue must also be considered as cancelled. Stamps on the expected topic (Portuguese prersence in the Austral seas by Joao da Nova) were issued by Portugal on October 11, 2021, without any reference to a joint character. There is no more information available on this topic from the French side.