Issued in 1955, this Venezuelan airmail stamp commemorates the Cuatricentenario (400th anniversary) of Valencia del Rey, one of the country’s earliest colonial cities founded in 1555. Printed by the American Bank Note Company in a vivid red hue, the design features the city’s historic coat of arms—two crowned eagles holding a shield—symbolizing royal authority. The industrial imagery below represents modern progress and urban development. With a face value of 0.50 bolívar, this issue bridges Venezuela’s colonial legacy and mid-20th-century modernization.