Text

<center>Stamps issued to commemorate the 80th birthday of Pope John XXIII (1961): 
Coat of Arms of the Roncalli Family (Scott 317) 
Church at Sotto il Monte (Scott 318) 
Santa Maria in Monte Santo, Rome (Scott 319) 
Church of Santo Carlo al Corso, Rome (Scott 320) 
Alter, St. Peter's, Rome (Scott 321) 
Pope John XXIII (Scott 322) 
</center>
 			 
The 80th birthday of Pope John XXIII was commemorated by the issuance, on November 25 (1961) of the set of six stamps shown above.
 
The Roncalli family coat of arms is shown on the 10L stamp and a likeness of the Pope on the 115L stamp. The other values show the scenes of Pope John’s baptism (25L); his ordination (30L); his episcopal consecration (40L) and his coronation in St. Peter’s Basilica (70L).
 
The stamps bearing the likeness of Pope John and of his family coat of arms were designed by Piero Grassellini, and the remaining stamps of the set were designed by Edmondo Pizzi.
 
SOURCE: the information above was first published in Vatican Notes, Volume X, Number 3, November-December, 1961, page 1, "Vatican City Philatelic News", (author anonymous)
 
Given the passage of time since the release of this stamp set over 60 years ago, we can view this issue in the context of future Vatican City stamp releases. This turned out to be the first time that a set of stamps had been issued to celebrate the birthday of a pope, a practice that would become commonplace with future popes. The 80th birthdays of Pope Paul VI (Scott 630-631), Pope John Paul II (Scott 1153-1155), Pope Benedict XVI (Scott 1347-1349) and Pope Francis (Scott 1636) were each commemorated. In addition, the 90th birthday of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was also honored (Scott 1650). 
			 <center>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/630.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/631.jpg'> 
80th Birthday of Pope Paul VI Scott 630-631 (1978)</center>
 
<center>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1153.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1154.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1155.jpg'> 
80th Birthday of Pope John Paul II Scott 1153-1155 (2000)</center>
 
<center>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1347.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1348.jpg'>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1349.jpg'> 
80th Birthday of Pope Benedict XVI Scott 1347-1349 (2007)</center>
 
<center>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1636.jpg'> 
80th Birthday of Pope Francis Scott 1636 (2016)</center>
 
<center>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1650.jpg'> 
90th Birthday of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Scott 1650 (2017)</center>
 
REFERENCE: Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstampsorg, Stamp Database Search
 
80th Birthday of Pope John XXIII Issue:

Update A Postal Database Record