Scott No: 804-805
Serial number: C108
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: November 29, 1964
Denomination: 18 fen
Designer: Liu Shuoren
Size of stamps: 26.5*36mm
Perforation: 11
Sheet composition: 50(5*10)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

C108 "Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Liberation of Albania" commemorative stamps were issued on November 29, 1964. The set consists of 2 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Liu Shuoren, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 26.5 mm × 36 mm, perforation gauge 11, 50 stamps per sheet, with a total face value of 0.18 yuan for the set; circulations: 6 million copies for the 8-fen China-Albania Friendship and 2 million copies for the 10-fen Victory Belongs to Albania.

Theme of the Set

On November 29, 1944, Albania achieved liberation through the anti-fascist armed struggle and established a people's regime. By 1964, the twentieth anniversary of liberation arrived. At the time China and Albania maintained friendly relations, and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued this set on the anniversary day to celebrate the victory of Albania's anti-fascist struggle, display Albania's achievements in consolidating its regime and carrying out national construction under the leadership of the Party of Labour, and express the Chinese people's friendship and support for the Albanian people.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

China-Albania Friendship

At the top of the design hang side by side the national flag of Albania and the national flag of the People's Republic of China; the two flags are adjacent, symbolizing the unity and friendship of the peoples of the two countries. Below the flags are decorative layers of evergreen foliage dotted with red berries; the evergreen implies lasting friendship. In the middle of the stamp are printed the stamp title and the years "1944–1964," with a simple, lively composition that directly expresses the theme of China-Albania friendship.

Victory Belongs to Albania

With a red background, the main subject is the portrait of Enver Hoxha, with the Albanian national flag beside the portrait. The design is likewise marked "1944–1964," symbolizing that the Albanian people, under the leadership of the Party of Labour, defend the fruits of the revolution, persist in building the motherland, "hold the rifle in one hand and the pick in the other," and guard the fruits of national independence and liberation.

Artistic Design Features

The set uniformly adopts a vertical format, and the two stamps have a clear division of labor: the first uses the two national flags to symbolize friendship between the countries, and the second uses a figure portrait to express Albania's own revolution and construction—one external and one internal, complementing each other. The style is the typical 1960s poster style for international themes, with dignified, intense colors and a red keynote highlighting the revolutionary theme, and a clean composition without superfluous complicated scenery.