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 25th Anniversary of the Signing of the Lateran Pact Scott 174-175 (1954) The first stamps to commemorate the signing of the Lateran Pacts were issued on February 12, 1954, for the 25th anniversary of the signing. That year, William Wonneberger wrote an extensive review of the first anniversary set issued by Vatican City. In his article, Mr. Wonneberger stated: The Lateran Pact…was signed on February 11th [but went] into effect [at] noon of June 7th. At that time the government of the new state began to function, Swiss Guards took their posts at the new boundaries of the Vatican state and rolled back the bronze doors of the Vatican Palace that had been closed since the fall of Rome in September of 1870. The Pontiff was a Prisoner of the Vatican no longer.The article is listed in the references at the bottom of the page and can be accessed by clicking the article link. The two-stamp set (Scott 174 and 175) shared the same image and showed a portrait of Pope Pius XI on the left-hand side of the stamp and an aerial view of the Vatican on the right. 
 30th Anniversary of the Signing of the Lateran Pact Scott 254-255 (1959) The 30th anniversary of the Pacts was commemorated with another two-stamp set, issued on April 2, 1959 (Scott 254 and 255). The stamps shared the same design and presented a portrait of Pope Pius XI with the simple inscription at the top “PATTI LATERANENSI 1929-1959”. In addition to the stamp issue, and also falling in April of 1959, a major Vatican stamp event was held in New York to celebrate the anniversary as well as the 30th anniversary of the first Vatican City stamps. Sponsored by Francis Cardinal Spellman, the exhibit took place at the Chrysler Building in New York City from April 6-17, 1959. A review of the event can be accessed by clicking on the link in the references below (scroll to the listed pages to see the article). REFERENCES |
