On the occasion of the issue of the two stamps, collected in a sheet, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, Patron of the Order, the Poste Magistrali counter located inside the Magistral Palace in Rome, with public entrance from Via delle Carrozze 79, will use a special postmark on June 23 2023.

The postmark, created by Giancarlo Federico, reproduces the Baptism of Jesus from the painting of the same name dated 1782 and kept at the rectory church of San Giovanni Battista in Chiaramonte Gulfi (Ragusa), formerly the commendal church of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The painting, inspired by Caravaggio’s style, had been commissioned in Malta by Commendatore Fra’ Giovanni Battista Tomasi, future Grand Master of the Order, who donated it to the church.
The postmark is completed by the inscriptions “SOVRANO MILITARE ORDINE DI MALTA”, “POSTE MAGISTRALI” and “GIORNO DI EMISSIONE”, “SAN GIOVANNI BATTISTA PATRONO DELL’ORDINE” and the date “23.VI.2023.”

Items for reposting, individually franked by the sender with stamps belonging to the relevant set, must reach the Poste Magistrali office by 23 August 2023. A suitable self-addressed envelope, bearing the Order of Malta stamps corresponding to the ordinary (Posta4) or priority (Posta1) postal rate in force in Italy, must be enclosed for the postmarked items to be returned under cover. For any return by registered mail, please contact Poste Magistrali in advance.

Items to be returned uncovered must reach Poste Magistrali by 7 July 2023 and must be individually marked as “Corrispondenza filatelica” (Philatelic correspondence) on the address side in indelible ink. Should this indication be missing, it will be applied by Poste Magistrali.