Italy to Brazil
July 16, 1911
This picture post card was sent from Rome.
It was franked with a complete set of the stamps issued May 1 to commemorate the
50th anniversary of the union of Italian states to form the Kingdom of Italy (Scott 119-122).
The 32c total certainly was an overpayment for the postcard rate to Brazil.
Scott notes that these stamps were sold at a premium over face value.
Used copies are valued more than mint copies.
Values of used copies are listed in italics
indicating that not much data is available to support pricing.
There are four squared circle cancels.
The destination was Curitiba, the capital of the state of Parana.
Curitiba is about 330 km southwest of Sao Paulo
and less than 100 km inland from the Atlantic coast.
The addressee was the German consul.
There are no transit or receiving marks.
The illustration shows the dedication of the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II
on June 11, 1911, just a month before this card was sent.
Construction had begun in 1885.
A hand pencilled note may indicate that 500,000 people were present for the dedication.
This flamboyant monument often attracts criticism for its sharp contrast with the rest of Rome.
The card appears to have been printed by the rotogravure
process which portrays photos in shades of brown.