The collecting of philatelic items related to the theme of Saint George and the Dragon is a topical closely related to Scouts on Stamps collecting.  Since Baden-Powell made St. George the Patron Saint of the Scouting Movement, this makes it an area that could be added to any Scouts on Stamps collecting when something new is desired to expand the collection.  St. George is also the patron saint of many other groups and countries.

This article is not to be a checklist of what to collect in Saint George but an overview of the philatelic items that could be used in a collection.  This is just to wet your appreciation and you can then carry on from there.  Some items are interesting and some are less seen in the general collecting area.  If you get interested in collecting Saint George, it would be well worth your time to check out the exhibit by Dr. George Loan.  It is one of the best exhibits on the subject and has won many National Exhibiting Medals.  He covers his topic very well and has many wonderful items in his display.

The first area of the stamps and postal stationary items are where Saint George is the central theme of the design.  The area of St. George collecting has well over 1,500 items that could be added to any collection and many more if you looked closer at the design.

At the lower left is a green "Russian Scouts in Exile" 40 cent local post stamp commemorating the 70th anniversary of Russian Scouting.  The Russian Scout badge has St. George Slaying the Dragon.  This local post stamp is tied to the cover with a July 25, 1979 New Pavlovsk, NY Russian Scouts Local Post FDC.

If you look closely, you can see the almost hidden images of St. George on stamps and postal stationary.  To find him, you must look very carefully.  This would be a special study unto itself for an area to collect and possibly exhibit.

Postal history is the second section of possibilities for St. George philatelic collections.  This would include both Scout and non-Scout items.  The first category in this area includes St. George as part of the cancel on the cover or cachet of the envelope.  There are many varieties to collect these and the cachets are endless but great fun.

This Scout cover from West Germany has a cachet in green depicting St George Slaying the Dragon, and inscription for St George, the Patron Saint of Scouting.  Postage is paid with a 10 pf red posthorn meter stamp from Dusseldorf, dated April 22, 1961.

The last part is places named St. George.  This is a very interesting area of postal history, as it covers the whole world.  It is not always easy to find but it is the fun of the hunt that makes it what it is.  You can still write and get mail with the name St. George on it from the towns, cities and villages that bear his name.  This a great way to start collecting and see where it will grow.

SOSSI Journal, Volume 47, Number 4, July/August 1998