Sovereign Military Hospitaller
Order of St John of Jerusalem of
Rhodes and of Malta

Christmas (2022)

   

On sale Yes
Face value Complete set 4,85 € ; Souvenir sheet 3,10 €
Stamp description

the three stamps bear details of the Polyptych in the Arezzo Pieve by Pietro Lorenzetti, dated 1320. Specifically: the € 1.20 stamp represents the Madonna and Child, placed in the centre of the main register of the painting; the € 1.25 stamp represents St. John the Baptist, again placed in the main register, in a lateral position; the € 2.40 stamp represents the Annunciation, central scene of the upper register. The inscriptions on each stamp are “SOVRANO MILITARE ORDINE DI MALTA” and “POSTE MAGISTRALI”, the coat of arms of the Order’s activities and the face value, respectively € 1.20, € 1.25 and € 2.40.

The entire surface of the souvenir sheet shows the Polyptych of the Pieve. The central bottom part, where the Madonna and Child is represented, is perforated to constitute the stamp. Inside it has the words “SOVRANO MILITARE ORDINE DI MALTA” and “POSTE MAGISTRALI”, the coat of arms of the Order’s activities and the face value € 3.10.  On the top left there is a three-line inscription “SOVRANO MILITARE ORDINE DI MALTA POSTE MAGISTRALI” flanked by the Order of Malta’s coat of arms. In correspondence to it, on the right side, is the inscription “NATALE 2022”. Immediately under the Polyptych is the legend on two lines “PIETRO LORENZETTI, POLITTICO, 1320 AREZZO, CHIESA DI SANTA MARIA DELLA PIEVE”.

Date of issue 7 December 2022.
Face values € 1,20, € 1,25, € 2,40 (set) and € 3,10 (souvenir sheet).
Size 30 x 40 mm and 40 x 30 mm (set) and 30 x 40 (souvenir sheet).
Perforation 13 x 13 ¼ and 13 ¼ x 13 (souvenir sheet) and 13 ¼ x 13 (souvenir sheet).
Souvenir sheet size 110 x 110 mm.
Print run five thousand complete sets and three thousand numbered souvenir sheets.
Stamp sheet sixteen stamps.
Printed by Cartor Security Printing, La Loupe, Francia, in offset.