On June 14, 1983, Vatican City issued a series of four stamps to commemorate the fifth centenary of the Italian Renaissance painter Raphael Sanzio. The stamps depict four allegories painted by Raphael on the vault of the Stanza della Segnatura (Room of the Segnatura) at the Vatican. The denominations and subjects are as follows:
50-lire -- Theology
400-lire -- Poetry
500-lire -- Justice
1,200-lire -- Philosophy
Valerio Puliti engraved the illustrations. The stamps, vertical in format, measure 30 x 40 mm and have a perforation of 13 1/4 x 14. Along the top of each stamp appears the inscription RAFFAELLO SANZIO 1483-1983. At the lower right appears the denomination. The Italian State Polygraphic Institute and Mint printed the series on white chalky paper in multicolored recess in sheets of twenty. 1,000,000 complete series were printed.
