On June 22, 1936, Vatican City issued a set of eight horizontal stamps in recognition of the 1936 International Catholic Press Conference, held in Rome. The set includes four designs, each design repeated on two stamps.
The 25-cent (yellow-green) and 80-cent (red-brown) values include a vignette of St. John Bosco (1815-1888), patron of editors and publishers and founder of the order of St. Francis de Sales (the Salesians).
Each stamp includes the inscription Poste Vaticane at the top and ESPOSIZIONE MONDIALE DELLA STAMPA CATHOLICA, 1936, (International Catholic Press Conference), which appears at the bottom of the stamp. Except for the "doves and bells" issue, the postal value appears near the top of the stamp. On the "doves and bells" issue, "CENT" is placed near the top and the numerical value is placed near the bottom. St. John Bosco and St. Francis de Sales are identified by an inscription on the two stamps honoring them.
Corrado Mezzana designed this set. The stamps carry no watermark and measure 2.5 cm x 4 cm and are perforated 14 x 14. The Italian State Printing Works, Rome, produced the stamps by photogravure. Approximately 200,000 sets were issued. The stamps remained on sale until May 31, 1943.
References:
"Vatikanstaat," in Michel Europa Katalog, band 3, Südeuropa, Unterschleißheim, Germany: Schwanberger Verlag GMBH, 2008.
"Vatican City," in Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue, part 8, Italy and Switzerland, 7th edition. Stanley Gibbons Ltd: Ringwood, Hampshire, England, 2010.
"Vatican City," in Scott Standard Stamp Catalogue, volume 6, Sidney, Ohio: Scott Publishing Company, 2006.
"St. Francis de Sales" and "St. John Bosco," in David Hugh Farmer, Oxford Dictionary of Saints, 5th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
