On October 11, 1979, the Vatican issued seven stamps commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Lateran Pact, which created the Vatican City State. The Vatican and the government of Italy concluded the pact in 1929.
A scroll with the dates "1929-1979" appears across the top of each stamp. "POSTE VATICANE" and the value appear across the bottom of each stamp. The lowest value depicts the Vatican City State, and the other six stamps depict the popes who reigned between the state's creation in 1929 and the release of the issue, along with each pope's coat of arms.
The 70-lire value depicts Pope Pius XI (1922-1939). He was instrumental in writing the Lateran Pact and was the pope when the document was ratified in 1929. The stamps are horizontal, measuring 40 x 30 mm and have a 14 x 13 1/4 perforation. Issued by Polygraphic Institute and Mint of the Italian State in sheets of forty, they are on white glossy paper in multicolor printing in photogravure. The complete series was 1,200,000.
