Finland 1918 Saarinen Model, Lion Type

Finland · 1918 · 5 Penniä

This definitive stamp features the Finnish coat of arms, a crowned lion rampant holding a sword, standing on a scimitar. The design, known as the Saarinen Model or Lion Type, was created by architect Eliel Saarinen and became a long-running and iconic image for Finnish postage.

Issued shortly after Finland declared independence from Russia in December 1917, this stamp series was a powerful symbol of the new nation's sovereignty and identity during the tumultuous period of the Finnish Civil War.