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On March 12, 1940, the first anniversary of the Coronation of Pope Pius XII, the first regular issue depicting the new Pontiff was placed on sale. The five values of the series depicted his coat-of-arms on the five centesimo stamp and a likeness of Pius XII on the 1, 1.25, 2, and 2.75 lire stamps. This set was issued to replace the corresponding values of the definitives of 1933, portraying the deceased Pontiff, Pius XI and his coat-of-arms.
 
The reigning Pope first entered this world on March 2, 1876, in Ponte, a suburb of the City of Rome. He was baptized Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli. His education started in a public school attended by nuns. Even in his early youth he wore simple black clothing to look as much like a priest as possible. He started his service to God about the age of ten, when he offered his services as an altar boy to serve the priest faithfully at daybreak to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 
After attending preparatory school, young Eugenio attended the Capranica Seminary to start his training for the priesthood. Due to his bad health he could not endure the hardship of community life and at the end of a year was forced to leave the seminary. Because he possessed a brilliant mind and exceptional qualities that the services of the Church needed, he was granted the rare privilege of living at home and attending the Pontifical Gregorian University to complete his studies for the priesthood. 
A boyhood wish was fulfilled in 1899. Eugenio Pacelli at the age of 24 became Father Pacelli, and celebrated his first Mass in the Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella at the tomb of St. Philip Neri, Apostle of Rome. 
His role of parish priest was not to endure for long. He was appointed to the Secretariat of State as an apprentice and substitute professor of law at the Roman Seminary. A short time later Father Pacelli was appointed to the Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs as the titular professor of Canon Law. At the beginning of the Pontificate of Benedict XV, the now Monsignor Pacelli was appointed Secretary of the Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs. 
On April 23, 1917, Benedict XV consecrated Mons. Pacelli as Archbishop of Sardia and appointed him as Papal Nuncio to Bavaria. During his tour as Nuncio, he did all he could to aid Pope Benedict's urgings for peace but his pleas fell on deaf ears. 
For his excellent record as a diplomat, Archbishop Pacelli was named as the first Papal Nuncio to the new German Republic in 1925. While serving as Nuncio in Berlin he concluded concordats with two of the German States, Prussia and Bavaria and had started similar negotiations with Wurttemberg and Baden. 
In 1929, Archbishop Pacelli was called to Rome to receive the Red Hat of the Cardinal. His title was bestowed upon him in the Basilica of Saints John and Paul in Rome. 
In 1930, Cardinal Gasparri resigned as Secretary of State and Pope Pius XI appointed Cardinal Pacelli to this important post. A month after his appointment as Secretary of State, Cardinal Pacelli was made the archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica to fill the vacancy left by the death of the former archpriest, Cardinal Merry del Val. The last of his important roles before being elected Pope Pius XII was bestowed upon him in 1934, Cardinal Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber. On March 2, 1939, Cardinal Pacelli was elected to succeed Pius XI and he was solemnly coronated ten days later as Pope Pius XII, 261st successor of St. Peter. 
On March 5, 1945, a set of ten stamps was released to replace the ordinary set then in use. In reality, it was simply an enlarged set of this issue with the two special delivery stamps showing the Vatican City State bearing new values to conform to the new postal rates:
 
			 			 			 			 			 			 			 			 <center>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/91.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/92.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/93.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/94.jpg'> 
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/95.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/96.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/97.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/98.jpg'> 
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/E5.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/E6.jpg'> 
Second Pope Pius XII Issue Scott 91-98, E5-E6 (1945)
</center>
 
On January 9, 1946, this new enlarged set was surcharged with new values to conform with the increased postal rates:
 
			 			 			 			 			 			 			 			 <center>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/102.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/103.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/104.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/105.jpg'> 
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/106.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/107.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/108.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/109.jpg'> 
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/E7.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/E8.jpg'> 
Surcharged Second Pope Pius XII Issue Scott 102-109, E7-E8 (1946)
</center>

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