'San Martin' stamp

The 51c stamp issued in September as one of the five-stamp set on folk festivals has been labelled "San Martin". In the write-up published in the Official Bulletin of the Philatelic Bureau it was stated that the picture portrayed on this stamp was...

The 51c stamp issued in September as one of the five-stamp set on folk festivals has been labelled "San Martin". In the write-up published in the Official Bulletin of the Philatelic Bureau it was stated that the picture portrayed on this stamp was taken from a lithograph by Michele Bellanti "showing children with St Martin's Bag full of goodies such as nuts, a!monds and figs." This does not seem to be correct.

Michele Bellanti, the artist who produced this lithograph in 1844, gave it the following title: "Patty Venders (sic) playing at Morra." The three youths depicted are selling pies, probably the popular Maltese qassatat. This has nothing to do with nuts, almonds and figs, and it has no connection with the feast of St Martin, as 'patty' is sold in Malta all the year round. The game of morra was also popular in Malta, as in Sicily, in former times, and it is in no way related to the feast of San Martin.

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