Italy 1939 The 100th Anniversary of Italian Railroads

• Edition : "Centenario delle ferrovie italiane"
• Issue Date : 15 December 1939
• Watermark: Italy No. 1 (crown)
• Catalogue numbers : Michel: No. 620 + 621 + 622; Yvert & Tellier: No. 429 + 430 + 431; Scott: No. 410 + 411 + 412
• Postal validity : 15-12-1939 to 31-10-1940
• Nominal value : 20 Cent. (Centesimi); 50 Cent. (Centesimi); 1.25 Lire
• Colors : red (20 C.); violet (50 C.); blue (1.25 L.)
• Designed by : C. Cametti
• Printed by : "IPS Officina carte valore", Rome ("IPS" = "Instituto Poligrafico di Stato")
• Print Process : rotogravure
• Perforations : comb perforation, K 14
• Print Run:

- 10,000,000 in sheets à 60 stamps (20 C.)

- 15,000,000 in sheets à 60 stamps (50 C.)

- 3,000,000 in sheets à 60 stamps (1.25 L.)

Michel No. 620

Michel No. 621

Michel No. 622

The stamp motive shows each

a) the first Italian railway train (locomotive "Vesuvio" of the engeneer Armand Bayard de la Vingtrie (wood burning engine)) on the first railway track of Italy between Naples and Granatello di Portici (Region Campania) at the first journey on the 15-12-1839 (left train), and

b) a train with an electrical locomotive of the type FS E.626 (probably) in streamlined pod of the 1930s (right train).