The 1st issue - general introduction


The issuing of the first postage stamps by the Roman States goes back to January 1st 1852, but the study began in 1847.
I reproduce here both the "Edict of Cardinal Antonelli" (November 29th, 1851) than the "Decree of the Ministero of Finanze" (December 19th, 1851) related to the introduction an to the usage of the new "Bolli Franchi"). Both are written in Italian language.

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Edict Cardinal Antonelli: 2 pag.
- Click on the pages to magnifie them -


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Decree Ministero of Finanze: 4 pag. - Click on the pages to magnifie them -

The engraving was made by Doublet and Decoppet and the copper matrixes were prepared by the Rome Coppet foundry. The central subject of the stamps is the same for all the values and represents the Pontifical Emblem with the crossed keys (called "decussate" in Italian) and the Pope crown. All around there are small ornaments and decorations of different type for the different values, all enclosed inside frames of type and shape different for each value. At the top there is the label "FRANCO BOLLO POSTALE", written in half circle for all the values with, at the bottom, the value indication (in letters for the half Baj, in number for all the others). The printing was executed in typography by the "Reverenda Tipografia Apostolica", on colored paper, both by handmade and, later on, machine made paper. The handmade was called "trellis type" for the texture sometimes similar to a fabric ("traliccio" in italian language). The two largest values ( 50 Baj and 1 Scudo) were printed in color on white paper, only machine made.
The stamps were printed in 100 pieces sheets, divided in 4 groups by 25 separated by a cross shape inter-space (Fig. 1). The 50 Baj and 1 Soldo value were instead printed in 50 pieces sheets (2 groups of 25, one on top of the other and separated by an horizontal inter-space). The half 1, 3, 4, and 8 Baj values are surrounded by a double separating line, continuous the horizontal and broken the vertical one. Only the1 Baj value had two different compositions where the separating lines continuity got inverted (see the value card). In 1858 a value of 20 Baj in yellow color was prepared but it was never issued. It was totally destroyed with the exception of a whole sheet that is now in the Vatican Postal Museum and of one single piece, today in private hands.

Interspace
Fig. 1
: the horizontal interspace


This issue was used for a very long time (up to September 1867) and this let us understand how the paper can appear in thickness and color shades very variable (not to say totally different) being provided by different manufacturers (the biggest was Graziosi from Subiaco paper mill). Even the printing inks were not constant, with typical greasy printing runs, semi-greasy and with grayish ink.
Again for the massive use the printing runs were quite numerous (even more than 50 for the values used the most!), the stereotypes got some breaks, deformations and oxidations that gave incomplete letters, broken frames, bumps, missing parts of drawings and so on.
For the 50 Baj value two different types are usually catalogued: the first one printed with the usual stereotypes and the second one reprinted long time later (1864) with the stereotypes that were fully oxidized: the result was very bad (see the value card).
Between the varieties, besides the already mentioned bumps, missing letters, dots, drawings parts etc., (that more than varieties are indeed printing or stereotypes defects) we find parts with offset, albino printings, front-back (recto-verso) printings, tête-bêche couples (very few samples of the half Baj) and double printings. Sometimes it is possible to find pieces showing parts of watermarks of some paper manufacturer (Pietro Miliani, Canson Frères, Bath - this last one in reality is a manufacturer dry printing, not a watermark) or parts with the so called "stitck watermark" (see section "Going Deep"). In rare cases we can find marks of the typographic spaces between two samples, exactly as it happens in the first Lombardy-Venetia issue (see related "Going Deep").
To be outlined the particular usage of this stamp as split one: in fact often (or, better say, more often than in other States) they were cut in the more diversified dimensions to provide for the lack of several values. In the section "Going Deep" again, I placed some examples.

In summary, the set is composed by the following values (I will list the main color shade groups, following the scheme presented by the "Catalogo Sassone Specializzato", ed. 2001) with the warning that this is just a choice and in fact do exist a great number of printing runs in between and therefore other possible classifications:

Value Color
Distribution
Paper
Half Baj
Gray
Since 1852
Handmade
Half Baj
Violet-gray
SiInce 1864
Machine made
1 Baj
Green gray
Since 1852
Handmade
1 Baj
Deep green
Since 1860
Machine made
1 Baj - 2nd comp. -
Deep green
Since 1864
Machine made
2 Baj
Olive green
Since 1852
Handmade
2 Baj White
Since 1867
Machine made
3 Baj Bistre
Since 1852
Handmade
3 Baj Chrome yellow
Since 1863
Machine made
4 Baj Brown gray
Since 1852
Handmade
4 Baj Yellow
Since 1864
Machine made
5 Baj Pale pink
Since 1852
Handmade
5 Baj Carmine pink
Since 1860
Machine made
6 Baj Gray
Since 1852
Handmade
6 Baj Lilac gray
Since 1864
Machine made
7 Baj Blue
Since 1852
Handmade
8 Baj White
Since 1852
Machine made
50 Baj Blue
Since 1852
Machine made
50 Baj - oxidized - Deep blue
Since 1864
Machine made
1 Scudo
Carmine pink
Since 1852
Machine made

Of the various values it is know the volume printed and the remainders (later on placed in the collectors market), that is the following (for the remainders see "I bolli di Roma SIncele origini alla fine del XIX secolo" of Mario Gallenga, on "Notiziario ASIF" nr. 182 of November 1979):

Value
Quantity
Remainders
Half baj
3.130.000
48.563
1 baj
6.870.000
55.536
2 baj
8.910.000
133.258
3 baj
3.180.000
63.003
4 baj
2.025.000
22.887
5 baj
4.975.000
63.228
6 baj
1.775.000
73.254
7 baj
950.000
1.234
8 baj
2.850.000
25.944
50 baj
50.000
99
50 baj - oxidized -
10.000
-
1 Scudo
50.000
24.355