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On March 20, 1997, Vatican City issued a new series of ten definitive stamps featuring Papal Carriages and Automobiles. The stamps are horizontal, measuring 39.23 x 28.56 mm, and have a perforation of 12 x 11 ¾. They were printed by Helio Courvisier S.A. of Switzerland in rotogravure and offset, and were issued in sheets of 20. At the top of each stamp are the value, the words CITTA DEL VATICANO, and the Papal Tiara and Crossed Keys. The stamps feature reproductions of Papal carriages and automobiles from the Vatican Museums collection:
 
<center>50 lire: Carrozza da Viaggio 
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1028.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>100 lire: Graham Paige 
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1029.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>300 lire: Berlina di Gala 
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1030.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>500 lire: Citroen Lictoria VI 
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1031.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>750 lire: Berlina di Gran Gala 
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1032.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>850 lire: Mercedes Benz 
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1033.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>1000 lire: Berlina di Mezza Gala 
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1034.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>1250 lire: Mercedes Benz 300 SEL 
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1035.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>2000 lire: Carozza da Viaggio 
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1036.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>4000 lire: Fiat Campagnola 
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1037.jpg'>
 </center>
 
A booklet was also issued, containing four each of the 100, 300, 500, and 750 lire values:
 
<center>100 lire: Graham Paige (booklet page) 
<img height='425' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1029a.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>300 lire: Berlina di Gala (booklet page) 
<img height='425' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1030a.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>500 lire: Citroen Lictoria VI (booklet page) 
<img height='425' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1031a.jpg'>
</center>
 
<center>750 lire: Berlina di Gran Gala (booklet page) 
<img height='425' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1032a.jpg'>
</center>
 
A special historical section in the Vatican Museums houses a collection of Papal carriages and automobiles. These include both finely ornamented and elegantly simple carriages which were used by popes on both state and private occasions during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. With time, these majestic, gilded carriages were replaced by automobiles and transformed into museum pieces.
 
This article, written by Thomas I. Crimando, originally appeared in Vatican Notes, Volume 46, Number 3, page 1, 1997. It has been lightly edited to include images of the stamps and booklet pages for this release.
 
REFERENCES: 
<li>Thomas I.Crimando, Vatican Notes, Volume 46, Issue 3, page 1, 1997, <a href='https://vaticanstamps.org/vaticannotes/idisplay2.php?p=275-01&r=0'>Papal Carriages And Automobiles</a> 
<li>UFN, March 20, 1997, <a href='https://vaticanstamps.org/UFN/images/1997-2-01-1.jpg'>Papal Carriages and Automobiles</a>

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