Scott No: 823
Serial number: C111
Values in set: 1
Date of issue: April 22, 1965
Denomination: 8 fen
Designer: Zhang Kerang
Size of stamps: 26.5*36m
Perforation: 11.5*11
Sheet composition: 50(10*5)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

C111 "95th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" commemorative stamp was issued on April 22, 1965. The set consists of 1 stamp, printed by photogravure, designed by Zhang Kerang, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 26.5 mm × 36 mm, perforation gauge 11.5 × 11, 50 stamps per sheet (10 × 5), with a face value of 8 fen, a total face value of 0.08 yuan for the set, and a circulation of 5 million copies.

Theme of the Set

Lenin was a great revolutionary mentor of the proletariat and the founder of Leninism. He led the October Revolution and established the world's first socialist state, profoundly influencing the twentieth-century world proletarian revolution and national liberation movements. Lenin was born in 1870, and 1965 marked the 95th anniversary of his birth. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued this commemorative stamp to honor Lenin's historical achievements and pay tribute to his revolutionary thought.

Stamp Design and Historical Background

The Great Revolutionary Mentor Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

The main subject of the design is a half-length profile portrait of Lenin, based on a classic photograph. Lenin wears a dark suit and tie, with a firm gaze and a high-spirited expression, his right hand clenched in a fist and extended forward. On the left side of the design is set a sharply angular bright red flag form, spreading as if in the wind, setting off the revolutionary theme. Below the stamp are printed the words "95th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin 1870–1965," and at the bottom are placed the inscription "China People's Post" and the stamp's serial designation.

Artistic Design Features

The stamp adopts a vertical composition, with a simple and powerful layout. The figure occupies the main body of the picture, and the red flag form serves as a symbolic background, with clear primary and secondary emphasis. The photogravure printing has soft layers, the portrait's light and shadow transition naturally, the red is bright and weighty, and the figure's expression is vividly depicted. The overall style is dignified and condensed, without superfluous decoration, using the classic combination of portrait and red flag to express the commemoration of the revolutionary mentor.