Text

St Nicholas is a 4th century saint, (15 March 270 – 6 December 343). His origins are in the east as Bishop of Myra (in Lycia, SW Turkey). When Myra and its shrine were taken over by Muslim invaders, his relics were transferred in 1087 to Bari, a city in southern Italy in the Apulia region on the Adriatic, an area where there were numerous Greek settlements and an important economic center second only to Naples, as well as a medieval point of embarkation for Holy Land pilgrims. It is after 1087 that St. Nicholas became well known in the Latin west where many legendary acts were attributed to the saint. According to historian David Farmer, he was acclaimed patron of children, sailors, unmarried girls, merchants, pawnbrokers, apothecaries, and perfumers. Over 400 churches were dedicated to St. Nicholas in England alone and cycles of his life appear on the front of Winchester Cathedral, and an ivory crosier head at the Victoria and Albeit Museum (London). Frescoes of St. Nicholas are located in Rome, Haggie Sophia (Constantinople), and St. Mark's in Venice, as well as other locations. David Farmer speculates that "he was probably the most frequently represented saintly bishop for several centuries." St. Nicholas is the source of Santa Claus due to his patronage of children, a legend which appears to have developed in the Netherlands and spread elsewhere. A 16-17th century Russian icon of the saint is used for the €1,15 stamp. It is based upon a set in a Faberge frame located at the saint's tomb in Bari. The stamp is printed in sheets of ten. The stamp's colors are Gold and CMYK, a four-color printing process blending cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black) combinations. This is the first time that CMYK has been referenced as a printing process in UFN's bulletins.

Update A Postal Database Record