Vatican City, Jan 26, 2010 / 08:52 am
The Holy See's Philatelic and Numismatic Office, otherwise known as the Stamp and Coin Office, announced on Tuesday that it will "overprint" a stamp as a fundraiser for Haitian earthquake survivors. The initiative is expected to bring in proceeds of over $210,000.
A stamp commemorating the 1,500th anniversary of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces already planned to be printed and released by the Vatican, will be sold for a higher price than was initially set as a "special initiative in favor of the population of Haiti," according to a communiqué from the Holy See's Press Office.
The 900,000 stamps will be sold at 20 Euro cents over its 65 cent postal value. The price of the stamp will thus be "overprinted" to 85 Euro cents.
The subject of the stamp, Our Lady of Graces Sanctuary, is located in the mountains about 40 miles west of Vatican City.