Here in 2021, special postage stamps probably seem at least a little quaint. While we likely send and receive all kinds of packages, those usually involve purchasing individual postage for each package, not using stamps. Letters and postcards aren’t as common as they once were—making the tiny postal artwork that can appear on both seem all the more special.
Few motorcycle OEMs have lived long enough to get a special centennial postage stamp—but Moto Guzzi’s done it in 2021. The Mandello del Lario company has been celebrating its 100th anniversary all year long, with everything from the introduction of the V100 Mandello to a coffee table book to a full factory complex redesign.
It’s not just Moto Guzzi doing the celebrating, though. Poste Italiane, the Italian postal authority, just issued a special commemorative series of goodies to celebrate the Italian icon’s rare achievement. There’s a very cool postage stamp, as well as postcards, an illustrated bulletin, and some philatelic folders for collectors.
If you live in Italy, you’ll be able to obtain first day of issue cancellations on your Moto Guzzi stamps from the Mandello del Lario post office, as well as at the Spazio Filatelia Genova. All special Moto Guzzi philatelic materials are available online via the Poste Italiane website, or else at post offices in the country which have philatelic counters.
The postage stamp features a drawing of the 1921 Moto Guzzi Normale on the left, as well as the 2021 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone on the right. The background is largely dominated by a drawing of a Guzzi V-twin picked out in gold. There’s a Moto Guzzi eagle at the top of the design, along with a plaque that reads “Moto Guzzi 100: 1921 – 2021.” The lower-left corner reads “Italia,” and the lower-right corner shows postal zone B Zona 1.
It’s a cool and special design for a cool and special company, and is sure to be appreciated by Guzzisti everywhere. Felice anniversario, Moto Guzzi!
Sources: Poste Italiane, Motociclismo.IT