Scott No: 637-638
Serial number: C96
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: November 28, 1962
Denomination: 18 fen
Designer: Lu Tianjiao
Size of stamps: 26.5*36mm
Perforation: 11
Sheet composition: 50(10*5)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

C96 "50th Anniversary of Albania's Independence" commemorative stamps were issued by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications on November 28, 1962. The set consists of 2 stamps, designed by Lu Tianjiao, printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory by photogravure, with gum applied to the back of the entire set. The uniform stamp size is 30 mm × 40 mm, perforation gauge 11.5 × 11, 50 stamps per sheet, layout 10 × 5. The total face value of the set is 0.18 yuan. Circulations: Map of Albania, Monument to Anti-Fascist Fighters, 8 fen, 8 million copies; Albanian National Flag and Children, 10 fen, 3 million copies.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Map of Albania, Monument to Anti-Fascist Fighters

The background color is a steady blue-gray, with the outline of Albania's national territory set behind and the Monument to Anti-Fascist Fighters standing in the foreground. The fighter wears a military uniform, one hand raised high and the other holding a rifle, with a high-spirited posture and a simple, weighty base. On the left side of the design the thematic text is printed vertically, and at the bottom the years 1912–1962 are marked.

Albania is located on the Balkan Peninsula and long suffered hundreds of years of Ottoman Turkish colonial rule; the people's resistance continued through the ages, and the resistance deeds of the national hero Skanderbeg were passed down from generation to generation. On November 28, 1912, Ismail Qemali proclaimed Albania's independence, breaking free from Ottoman rule. During the Second World War, Albania was again occupied by the fascists; the local Communist Party led guerrillas in persisting in arduous mountain guerrilla warfare and finally drove out the invaders, winning national liberation. This stamp links modern independence with the anti-fascist struggle, symbolizing Albania's unyielding tradition of national resistance.

Albanian National Flag and Children

With bright red as the main background color, at the center is Albania's iconic double-headed eagle flag, with a five-pointed star above the eagle. Below the design is the image of a young girl with golden hair, wearing a yellow wreath on her head and a red scarf around her neck, holding yellow and red flowers in both hands, with an innocent expression.

The double-headed eagle is a national symbol handed down over a long history in Albania, which is therefore also called the "Land of the Mountain Eagle." The girl and flowers symbolize new life, hope, and the next generation, implying that the spark of independence is passed down from generation to generation and that the country, after struggle, welcomes peaceful development. In the 1960s China and Albania maintained friendly relations, and this set also expresses China's respect for and support of Albania's history of national independence.

Artistic Design Features

The set uniformly adopts a vertical stamp format, with concise, condensed compositions and a distinctive decorative painting style, without elaborate environmental elaboration, conveying the theme through color blocks and symbols. The two stamps form a contrast: the first is weighty and solemn, looking back on the arduous and long history of armed struggle; the second is passionate and bright, looking toward the nation's future. The color choices are restrained, with blue-gray and bright red forming a strong visual contrast and high recognizability. The photogravure printing is smooth, with large background areas even and clean and outlines clear and crisp.