T5201

Christmas Wreath

St. Nicolas, Lucia & Father Christmas

Global Forever Stamp

Collins Cover Announcement 

Evergreen Wreath

International High-Value Christmas Stamp

This attractive one dollar, fifteen cent circular-shaped stamp is intended for international seasonal mail. It is designated as a global forever U.S. stamp and should be very collectible as it is the first of its kind.

To build on the international theme, I decided to show three old world Christmas figures in my individually hand painted cachet. To the left is Saint Nicholas holding a staff and a small symbolic evergreen tree. To the right is Father Christmas with his familiar pack of toys slung over his shoulder. A sprig of holly adorns his fur-lined hat. Both of these traditional Christmas figures have appeared before on Collins covers.

Making her first appearance on a Collins cachet is St. Lucia (Saint Lucy) who ushers in the Christmas season in several European countries. In Scandinavia, Saint Lucia appears as a young woman wearing a crown of candles and bearing sweets. In Sweden, for example, the eldest daughter wakes early on December 13  and, wearing her Lucia outfit of white robe, red sash, and candle-crown, awakens her family singing, Santa Lucia and serving them saffron St. Lucia buns and coffee, thus officially beginning the Christmas season.

The modern tradition in Sweden, started in 1927, finds most cities and schools selecting a Lucia_ From those girls, regional Lucias are selected, and finally a national Lucia is elected from the regional winners. All of the chosen Lucias visit nursing homes, shopping malls, and churches during the Christmas season singing and handing_ out gingemut cookies.

This is a personal favorites of all my Christmas cachets as it captures the traditional spirit of the season,. I'm happy to offer my individually water colored cover featuring Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and the Swedish Lucia in her candle crown offering sweet saffron buns. International high-value circular Christmas Wreath stamp. Collins T5201 at $16.00