THE TRANSATLANTIC AIR CRUISE COMMANDED BY GEN. ITALO BALBO

Rome, they left from Orbetello on 1 July 1933, with stops in Amsterdam - Londonderry - Reykjavik - Cartwrigt - Shediac - Montreal - Chicago and New York where they arrived on 12 August.
The group was formed by 25 seaplanes S.I.A.I. Marchetti S. 55 X with a crew of 115 men; only 23 seaplanes completed the whole route of 19,935 km in formation. In the different stops the Cruise aroused great interest and the Italian aviators were welcomed warmly in Chicago and in New York.
To recall the event and to frank mail leaving from Rome, specific postage stamps, whose shape was uncommon at the time, generally called “Triptych”, were prepared; they were printed in two face values and in sheets of 20 stamps. Each copy was overprinted with the initials of the commander of the seaplane, thus obtaining 20 postage stamps which are different as to type.
The initials are I-BALB, I-BORG, I-PELL, I-LONG, I-DINI, I-MIGL, I-ROVI, I-TEUC, I-QUES, I-GIOR, I-RECA, I-BIAN, I-ARAM, I-BISE, I-LEON, I-VERC, I-NAPO, I-RANI, I-CALO and I-NANN. The total printing amounted to 200,000 examples each type, corresponding to 10,000 sheets; therefore, in origin, there were only 10,000 copies each overprint type, in the two face values.

They are still considered as the best production in the world to recall such an important event (and it was 1933!)

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offered with absolute guarantee certificate]

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