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Stamps of Italy

Commemoratives of 1938-1939


The commemorative stamps of Italy, for the period from 1938 to 1939, celebrate the inventor of radio, the proclamation of the new Italian Empire, and Italian railroads.



The three stamps shown above (Sc. #397-99) were issued on January 24, 1938 in honor of Guglielmo Marconi who died in 1937.

The stamp designs are based on a circa 1923 photograph of Marconi.

Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi (1874-1937), the 1st Marquis Marconi, was an Italian inventor and electrical engineer.  He is known for his pioneering work in long distance radio transmission and in radio telegraph, and he is often credited as being the inventor of radioIn 1929, Marconi was raised to the nobility, as a Marquis, by King Victor Emmanuel III.


The Italian "Empire" in 1939


The set of sixteen stamps shown above (Sc. #400-09, #C100-05) were issued on October 28, 1938 to celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Italian Empire by Benito Mussolini.

The designs are as follows:


  • 10 C. - Romulus plowing.
  • 20 C. - Caesar Augustus.
  • 25 C. - Dante Alighieri.
  • 30 C. - Christopher Columbus.
  • 50 C. - Leonardo da Vinci.
  • 75 C. - King Victor Emmanuel II and Garibaldi.
  • 1.25 L. - Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Rome.
  • 1.75 L. - March on Rome.
  • 2.75 L. - Map of Italian East Africa and Crown of Monza.
  • 5 L. - King Victor Emmanuel III

  • 25 C. - King Victor Emmanuel III.
  • 50 C. - Dante Alighieri.
  • 1 L. - Dante Alighieri.
  • 2 L. - Leonardo da Vinci.
  • 3 L. - King Victor Emmanuel III.
  • 5 L. - Leonardo da Vinci.

On January 13, 1936, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini made an announcement to his country.  He asserted Italy's rightful claim to the territories controlled by the ancient Roman Empire.  This announcement was leaked to the World, and of course, most of his European and Mediterranean neighbors were outraged.

As of 1939, Italy's new empire consisted of Italy, a few islands in the Adriatic Sea, Libya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, a pitiful substitute for the empire of Ancient Rome.  The Roman Empire endured for many hundreds of years.  Just over seven years after the declaration of the new Italian Empire, the new empire, as well as the fascist government of Benito Mussolini, would no longer exist.



The three stamps of Italy shown above (Sc. #410-12) were issued on December 15, 1939 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Italian Railroads.

The design of these commemorative stamps features a wood-burning engine and a streamlined electric engine.





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Italy Postage Stamps

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