850 lire Galileo in Center of Solar System single
On May 31, 1994, Vatican City issued a series of stamps devoted to the theme adopted for Europa 1994, "Europe and the Discoveries."
Professor Giovanni Contri designed the stamps. In the upper right comer appear the Papal Tiara and Crossed Keys. At the right appears the word EUROPA, and along the bottom appear CITTA DEL VATICANO and the value. The 850-lire value depicts white orbital rings with stars, scientific instruments, and a portrait of Galileo Galilei, symbolizing the progress of research.
The stamps are horizontal in format, measure 40.50 x 30.45 mm, and have a perforation of 13 3/4 x 13 1/4. Joh. Enschede of the Netherlands printed 600,000 complete series
on white chalky paper using the offset process. The stamps were issued in sheets of twenty.
Crimando, Thomas I. "New Issues: Europe and the Discoveries." Vatican Notes 43, no.16 (July 1994): 1, 4.
Glossary
