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The Feast of the Martyrdom of Ss. Peter and Paul is 29 June 2017 marking the 1,950th anniversary of their martyrdom which occurred approximately in 67 A.D. in Rome. The UFN brochure succinctly recalls the words of Pope Francis that on the faith of these two saints "was founded the Church of Rome, which has always venerated them as Patrons. They proclaimed and witnessed to the Gospel among the people, and with their martyrdom they sealed their mission of faith and charity." Daniela Fusco designed the two stamps incorporating symbolism associated with each saint. The €0,95 stamp features St. Peter which his image framed with two keys at the bottom, one which bears the Holy See's coat of arms and the other which bears an upside-down cross of his martyrdom. An image of a cock recalls Peter's three-time denial of Christ during His Passion. The €1,00 stamp features a profile of St. Paul with symbols of the book and the sword. The book represents St. Paul's letters to Christian communities and the sword recalls both his persecution of Christians before his conversion, and also his martyrdom. It is also suggested that the sword represents "the sword of the spirit," the strength of Faith. The stamps were issued in sheets of ten. It is interesting to observe philatelic trends in comparing the 2017 set of stamps with those issued in 1967 during the 1,900th anniversary of the joint martyrdom. In 1967, Vatican City issued a set of five stamps, a stamp featuring St. Paul, another featuring St. Peter, two stamps featuring the baldachini at St. Peter's Basilica and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and a fifth stamp bearing a glass image of the two saints, from the Vatican Museums. In 1967, Vatican City issued 2,675,700 sets but in 2017, the total issued was 150,000. The stamps displayed below will assist you in recalling the 1967 issue (Scott 448-452) commemorating the 1,900th anniversary of the joint martyrdom. A retrospective about the 1967 issue featured in the 2017 Vatican Notes: Vol 65 Issue 374 can be viewed in the reference section. 
Reference: Ss Peter and Paul - 1,900 Anniversary Retrospective Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1653 - 1654 Date Issued - 04 May 2017 Face Value - €0,95, €1,00 Perforations - 13.66x13.77 Printing Process - Offset Printer - Printex (Malta) Max Printed - 150,000 |
| (Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 65 Issue: 373 Page: 4-6) |
