Italian Maxi Card with St. George & the Dragon

The borders of this maximum card didn't scan, but the painting & stamp appear fine. This is an Italian se-tenant honoring Vitorre Carpaccio issued in 1976. The stamps are monochrome, one with St. George, the other the dragon.

St. George and the Dragon maxi-card

This is a very colorful Maximum Card featuring St. George and the Dragon from Bulgaria. It is also part of the Europa 97 issue.

New St. George and the Dragon cover

This is a new cover (issued in 2007) and new to my collection. It features one of the UK "Smiler" stamps issued for England and features a St. George and the Dragon cachet. If anyone is interested, this cover (as well as number of others) can be purchased here.

St. George & the Dragon

Here's a cover from the United Kingdom with a nice St. George & the Dragon cachet.

St. George & the Dragon Maxi Card

Here's a very nice maximum card from Belgium - if I'm reading the postmark correctly, it is from 1944. That certainly would fit - St. George defeating the dragon/Allies defeating the axis was a common theme in World War II.

St. George & the Dragon

So far I've covered some stamps and covers celebrating the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Of course, stories and legends about dragons (and related stamps) go well beyond that. Dragons are a common theme in a number of Asian cultures - not just in China, but Japan, Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere.

In Western lore, one of the most famous stories is that of St. George & the Dragon. St. George is also traditionally the patron saint of England (though that status has changed in recent times). Nonetheless, St. George & the Dragon appear (or have appeared) on British sovereign coins, currency and postage stamps, including: