Hausner Gábor szerk.: A Hadtörténeti Múzeum Értesítője = Acta Musei Militaris in Hungaria. 7. (Budapest, 2004)

ÉRTEKEZÉSEK, TANULMÁNYOK - SALLAY GERGELY PÁL: Kitüntetések a világ postabélyegein

Politikai berendezkedésüktől függetlenül külön kategóriát alkotnak az újonnan függetlenné vált államalakulatok, hiszen ott a postabélyegeken ábrázolt új alapítású érdemjelek a fiatal ország eszmeiségét vannak hivatva kifejezni, a nemzeti jelleget hangsúlyozni. Mindezek mellett láthattunk példát Törökország vagy az Egyesült Államok esetében - arra is, hogyan lehet a kitüntetésekkel díszített bélyegeket politikai és érzelmi befolyásolásra felhasználni. MEDALS ON THE POSTAGE STAMPS OF THE WORLD Those that are interested in stamps or simply keep their eyes open, might have observed that poscage stamps issued in various countries of the world often depict civilian and military awards. In the study, the author introduces the topic from the point of view of numismatics. The first of all stamps to display a medal was issued in 1900, by the British colony of Victoria, Australia. The one-penny stamp presented the Victoria Cross, the highestranking British decoration for bravery. During the past 100 years, the idea and practice of portraying orders, decorations and medals have grown increasingly popular in philately, mostly as a result of the growing number of stamp and medal collectors. Subsequent to introducing the first occurrences, the study discusses the topic in three main groups: the stamps of the Soviet Union and socialist countries; monarchies; and republics. It is no mere chance that the author has laid special emphasis on the Soviet Union in the study. With the vast number of stamps that had been issued by the Soviet post in this field, the country stood out from all the other nations of the world. The first stamp series to show and particularly to publicise state decorations were issued in the Soviet Union during the Second World War. In the author's opinion, medals on stamps have a "mission" differing from country to country, depending on the constitutional form. In socialist countries, they used to be political symbols in the first place, communicating state ideology. Somewhat similarly, orders and medals on the stamps of monarchies have represented the might and the favour of the sovereign. In the republics, however, the propaganda function has been less significant, decorations having been depicted on stamps on anniversaries, with the purpose of education and commemoration. Irrespective of the constitutional form, newly established states come under a separate category. Proudly presenting their independent system of decorations on their stamps, they aim at emphasising their national character and expressing their delight in the long desired freedom. When discussing certain stamps, the author specifies the grounds for the issue (for instance anniversaries), and introduces the portrayed medals briefly.