The first special postmark used by the Vatican Post Office was in 1936. It read "Esposizione Vaticana Della Stampe Aprile - Octobre 1936" ("Vatican Exhibition of Prints April - October 1936".) The Bolaffi Roman States Catalog mentions that this postmark was used from April 6, 1936 until October 1936. Covers outside of this date range have been reported to exist.

Another early special postmark was the 25th Anniversary of the Episcopal Consecration of His Holiness Pope Pius XII. Indicated period of use was from February 1942 to May 1943

From 1929 to 1960 I can find no special First Day Cancel. The current cancel lying on the counter seems to have been used. These cancels were of the same general type!- (Fig. 1) a single line circle with half-moons at top and bottom, with the date in the horizontal space between the half-moons, giving (usually in numerals only) the day, the month and the year, and sometimes the hour. These cancels varied in size and other aspects. At the top could be POSTE VATICANE ( early) or CITTA DEL VATICANO, while at the bottom (with POSTE VATICANE) would be a star, or (with CITTA DEL VATICANO) could be either POSTE or POSTA AEREA, In the cancels bearing the legend CITTA DEL VATICANO at the top, there were separation at each side consisting of either asterisks or stars with a varying number of points, or as is usual in the later usage there are different types of Maltese Crosses to isolate the top legend from the bottom.

The usual hand cancel was used on all FDCs in BLACK ink until 1960 with the exceptions that on Sept. 1, 1942, for some reason a grayish blue ink was used, at least on some covers, and on March 12, 1957, when RED ink was used to apply the current cancel to all FDCs seen of the St. Dominic Savio issue.

The first change from the current cancel to a special FD cancel came with the Refugee Year stamps on April 7, 1960, when a truly FD cancel was used for the first time (Fig.2). This cancel consists of a shield at the left containing the general Papal Coat of Arms, while opposite it to the right are four horizontal lines of equal length. with DIE EMISSTONIS in capital letters between the second and third of these lines. Below and to the left of the shield is a single line dating circle without half-moons, in which the CITTA DEL VATICANO at the top is separated from the POSTE at the bottom by Maltese Crosses; and the date is given horizontally in the middle, day, month, year and hour.

For the Works of Mercy regular issue of Novo 8, 1960, a single line dating circle,' without half-moons was used, with no separation marks between the CITTA DEL VATICANO at the top and the POSTE at the bottom. The date is given in the usual place, day, month, year and hour. (Fig. 3).

Vatican then reverted to the use of the usual hand cancel for FDCs until the issuing of the St. Vincent de Paul and 1960 Christmas sets, when a new type of special FDC Cancel was used. This consisted of a similar but smaller single line dating circle as used in containing the same legend but different type of Maltese Crosses. To the right of this circle are four killer lines, two middle lines of the same length, but shorter than the top and bottom lines which extend further to the left. The dating circle was repeated below without the killer lines.

For the St. Meinrad issue of Feb. 28, 1961, a type similar to Fig.2 was used, except that the dating circle which appeared below and a bit to the left of the shield is smaller. For this issue red ink was used. This same type of FD Cancel was used in black ink for the issues of St. Leo I, St. Paul, Osservatore Romano, St. Patrick, 1961 Christmas, 80th Birthday of Pope John XXIII, Malaria, Pauline Jaricot, Vocations, St. Catherine of Siena end the Archeological Congress, as well as for the Air Mail issue of March 3, 1962. (Fig. 8)

On Sept. 30, 1962 the II Vatican Council set saw a new FD Cancel. At the left is a shield containing the general Papal Coat of Arms, while at the right is a four line slogan: IOANNES XXIII P.M./MACNO CUM PATRUM CONCURSU/CONCILIUM OECUMENICUM/VATICANU11 II CELEBRAT. Below this in script is Die Emissions (On the day of issue). Below the shield is a single circle dater similar to the ones used in previous special, but with different style letters and Maltese Crosses.

A similar cancel to Fig. 5, but with a different four line slogan at the right: ECCLESIA IN OEC. COLLECTA CONSIL/UM/ANCELICUM ITERAT CONCENTUM/CLORIA IN ALTISSIMIS DEO/ET IN TERRA PAX HOMINIBUS, below which is the script Die Emissions and a similar dating circle, was used for the FD of the 1962 Christmas issue on Dec. 4, 1962. (Fig.6).

A new type of FD Cancel for the Balzan Medal commemoratives was released on May 8, 1963. The Papal Coat of Arms of Pope John XXIII is at the left, and at the right a three line slogan: PACEM IN TERRIS/COMMENDARE HOMINIBUS/BONAE VOLUNTATIS, with the script Die Emissions below the slogan. Beneath and to the right is a single line dating circle of the type commonly used now with these special cancels.

For the 1963 Interregnum issue the smaller dating circle with the shield, killer bars and Die Omission's was used June 15, 1963.

With the Coronation of Pope Paul VI a new cancel was introduced on Sept. 16, 1963. The Papal Coat of Arms of Pope Paul VI is at the left, while at the right is a two line slogan: CORONA AUREA/SUPER CAPUT EIUS. Below is the single circle dater now common with the special cancels.

Departure to a new type of FD Cancel came on Non.22, 1963, for the Christmas issue of 1963. (Fig. 10). It Is a large single line circle open at the top. Through this opening the general Papal Coat of Arms without shield extends down into the circle. POSTE VATICANE is at the top and DIE EMISSION'S is at the bottom, with separation of two five pointed stars. At lower center is the date, underlined. The circle is 1 5/16 inches across. This same cancellation was used on the same day for the Sts. Cyril and Methodius commemoratives.

The special cancel that appears as as a circle, when used alone, was first used with a four line slogan to its left: PAULUS PP. VI/PRO CHRISTIFIDELIUM UNITATE/ET PRO MUNDT PACIS PERECRINUS/APOSTOLICUS IN TERRA SANCTA, of Jan 4, 1964, on the stamps commemorating Pope Paul's Visit to the Holy Land,

The dating circle part of the above special cancel was used alone on March 10, 1964, for the Nubian Monuments issue, and the World Fair issue on April 22, 1964. It is a single line circle, open at the top. Through this opening the general Papal Coat of arms in a shield extends down into the circle. POSTE VATICANE at the top and DIE EMISSIONIS AT the bottom are separated by Maltese Crosses. The date is under lined (Fig. 12).

This same FD Cancel, Fig. 12, was used on June 16, 1964, for the Michaelangelo issue, with a four line slogan to its left: MICHAELANGELUS/CHRISTIANO AFFLATU PERMOTUS/ ARTE• EXPRESSIT/ROBURE AMPLITUDINEQUE MIRANDAM.

Fig. 12 was used alone for the FDCs of The Red Cross, Nicholas of Cusa and 1964 Christmas stamps.

For the visit of Pope Paul VI to India for the 38th International Eucharistic Congress, Fig. 12 was used in combination with a five line slogan at its left: PAULUS PP. VI/ CHRISTUM ADORATURUS/IN SIGNUM DILECT/ONIS/ERCA MIES POPULOS/AD INDIARUM ADVOLAT ORAS. (Fig. 13).

Fig. 12 was used alone for the Uganda Martyrs issue, March 16, 1965.

The commemoratives of Dante find Fig. 12 used in combination with another slogan cancel to the left in six lines: SUAE GENTTS/IMPERITURA GLORIA/UNITATIS ASSERTOR/ POPULORUM/DIVUS POETA/FIDEM CECINIT DIVINE, May 18, 1965 (Fig.14).

Again this same dating circle was used for the commemoratives of St. Benedict, on July 2, 1965, with a five line slogan at the left: QUI CRUCE LIBRO ARATRO/PACIS UNITATIS CIVILIS CULTUS/EUROPA GENTIBUS FUIT MAGISTER/A PAULO PP. VI/EISDEM PATRONUS CONSTITUITUR. (Fig. 15)

On. Oct. 4, 1965, on the occasion of the commemoratives of Pope Paul's Visit to the United Nations, Fig. 12 was used at the right with a four line slogan at the left:. PAULUS VI PM/UT CAUSAE PACIS IN MAX1MO/NATIONUM CONCESSU PATROCINETUR/NEOBORACUM AERO ITINERE PETIT.

Figure 12 was used for all FDCs in 1966 and 1967 with the following exceptions:- For the Polish Millenium Commemoratives, Fig, 12 was again used with a four line slogan at the left: UNIVERSA ECCLESIA GRATULANTE/FIDELISSIMUS POLONIAE POPULUS/ A RECEPTA CHRISTI FIDE/ APUD CZESTOCHOV VIRGINEM CELERRAT.

For the commemoratives of the Martyrdom of Sts. Peter and Paul, Fig. 12 appears at the right with a boxed slogan at the left: ECCLESIARUM PRINCIPES/PACIS TRIUMPHALES DUCES/ET VERA MUNDI LUMINA. Apparently both are hand stamped because the position of the boxed slogan varies in position on different covers.

FDCs of Vatican's firs Air Mail on June 22, 1938, were cancelled by one of the regular type hand cancels, with CITTA DEL VATICANO at the top and POSTA AEREA at the bottom, with the date in the horizontal space between the half-moons. The second issue of air mails, at least the two I have, have the hand cancel with POSTE at the bottom. Ordinarily the common hand cancel with POSTA AEREA at the bottom was used on all air mail FDCs until March 13, when the first type of Die Emissions (Fig. 8) but with the smaller dating circle was used on the Archangel Gabriel stamps.

There is no FDC service at the Vatican P.O. One is lucky sometimes, when ordering new issues from the Vatican P.O. to get FD Cancels on the covers sent to him. Usually FDCs with the special cancels must be obtained from dealers, who present themselves, or through their agents, at the correct window at the Vatican P.O. to secure the special FD Cancellations, as is done most often in the USA, even though the U.S. Post Office furnished FDCs service.

When the special FD Cancels of Vatican were begun in 1960, these were apparently applied at a special table, desk or by machine, according to the type of cancel (hand stamp or machine), when the covers are presented at the designated windows. In a great many instances I have FDCs bearing the ordinary hand cancel of First Day date, which were run through the ordinary desk where commercial mail was being cancelled that day, so one can have on the same page FDCs with special cancels and the ordinary hand cancel.

The first day postmarks between 1970 and 1979 were for the most part original designs for every issue. At few, especially in the 1970 and 1971 years followed the somewhat standard postmark designs often seen in the later 1960's as shown in the postmark on the right below. One interesting postmark design that seemed to foretell what was to come was in the Pentecost by El Greco cover of May 22, 1975 shown below to the left. The postmark design to the left is very much like that of the right the except coat of arms is sunk deeper into the circle.