Linn's Stamp News (Sydney, Ohio) reports in its Nov 29 edition that
the SMOM has signed a 10-year postal agreement with Italy that takes
effect on January 1, 2005.

Under the agreement, SMOM stamps can be used on mail addressed to
Italy. More importantly, SMOM stamps will be acceptable on mail
addressed to any of the other 50 countries with which the Order has
postal agreements. No longer will the SMOM have to put the mail for
those countries under cover into other envelopes and mail the outbound
SMOM items through the Italian post office to the other states using
Italian stamps - the Italians will "sponsor" SMOM mail, and forward it
open, along with Italian mail to the others.

Italy will accept only unaccountable mail for forwarding - no
registered, insured, VPP or other mail requiring signatures.

The SMOM has issued its own stamps since 1966, but the arrangement it
sought with Italy was first conceived in 1960, so this agreement has
been a long time in coming.

Of greatest consequence, is the requirement for the SMOM to issue
stamps in Euros - the Grani/Scudi denominated stamps can continue to
be issued, but not for use on mail given to Italy for forwarding.
Italy is requiring that the SMOM's postal rates be equal to the
Italnian rates, which is the same arrangement in existence for the
Vatican. In essence, the Euro zone is getting one "country" larger.

The result here is that the status of SMOM stamps will be that of
Bhutan's stamps between 1962 - 1966, when if finally joined the UPU.
Until it joined, it's mail was "sponsored" by India, which inserted
Bhutan's mail into the international mailstream along with its own.

Season's Greetings,

Len Nadybal