Saint George Silver Medal, 31.1g

The life of St. George

The Christian tradition attributes a number of miraculous acts to the saint - the Biblical tales state that God extended his protection to him during his torture, that he was healed and resurrected multiple times during the torment, and that he himself performed miracles, inspiring a number of the emperor's own loyalists to convert to Christianity.

Saint George and the Dragon

The image of Saint George slaying a dragon armed only with a lance and his own faith in God is not biblical, but mythological. The most common version of the story speaks of a city plagued by a dragon over the course of years. At first the locals would pacify the beast by sacrificing livestock, but once they ran out, they resorted to human sacrifices. When the king's daughter's time came, they sent her to the lake in which it resided, clad in the finest wedding gown. As she was waiting for the dragon to surface, Saint George happened to walk by. She tried to send him away so that he would not suffer the same fate, but the holy warrior stayed by her side in wait. As soon as the monster appeared from the depths, Saint George made the sign of the cross and struck the creature with his lance, wounding it, then bound it with the princess' girdle and dragged it to the city so that the people would witness the miracle with their own eyes. Awed, they all accepted Christianity as their faith.

The events of this legend were first attributed to Saint George in the 11th century, but its roots likely predate Christianity - there are analogous stories dating back to Ancient Greece, most famously the story of Perseus and Andromeda. It has even been associated with other Christian saints. The iconography itself - the warrior saint on horseback - is the successor to the image of the Thracian horseman, a motif commonly used in Rome, Ancient Greece, and, of course, Thrace. Other Christian saints depicted this way include Saint Theodore Tiron, Saint Demetrius and Saint Mina. The Christian interpretation of this legend is that it allegorizes the saint's defeat over the Devil, often depicted as a serpent, and later - as a dragon.

This legend is what earned him the titles The Victorious and The Triumphant, widely used in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Feasts and veneration

In Bulgaria, this saint's feast is celebrated on May 6 - St. George's Day, which doubles as the Bulgarian Armed Forces Day. Saint George is the patron saint of soldiers, shepherds and farmers.

In the Bulgarian cultural calendar, the year is divided into two halves - summer and winter. Saint George's Day marks the beginning of summer. In some regions, this day surpasses even Easter in its significance. The centerpiece of the customs practiced in its honour is a feast of roast lamb, accompanied by singing and dancing, religious rites and rituals performed to bring good health and abundance throughout the year.

In 1880, Knyaz Alexander I Batenberg gave Saint George's Day its other meaning - Bulgarian Armed Forces Day. Today this holiday is celebrated with military parades and demonstrations all over the country.

The saint is also venerated in the Islamic world as a prophet and patron of monotheistic religions.

We dedicated this program to the saints thousands of Christians turn to with prayers of good health and protection, aid and spiritual guidance. It will consist of 12 medal collections dedicated to 12 holy men and women central to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Each motif will be struck to proof matt-gloss quality onto two medals made of the finest gold and silver.

The number 12 itself is steeped in symbolic meaning - it bears significance in every corner of the world and in more than one religion or culture. That is how many months there are in a year according to most calendars. Its significance is especially pronounced in the Christian Bible. There are twelve holy apostles in the New Testament - chosen confidants and students of Jesus Christ, who were the ones to spread his gospel. The days between the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany are also twelve. Eastern Orthodox Christianity observes twelve Great Feasts - each dedicated to a pivotal moment in the life of Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary, second in significance only to Easter.

The reverse design shared by the medals in this collection draws inspiration from the gilded iconostasis from the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Rila Monastery - a composition of richly ornamented woodcarvings depicting floral ornaments, stylised animals and angels. This iconostasis was made between 1839 and 1844 by the master woodcarver Atanas Teladur, founder of the woodcarving movement of the Samokov Art School.

The iconostasis holds a place of high importance in interior church architecture - it represents the divide between Heaven and Earth. It acts as a partition between the altar, to which only members of the clergy have access, and the congregation. It is also the frame upon which the majority of the church icons are hung. The Orthodox churches of Bulgaria, particularly the ones from the National Revival Period, are known for their intricate hand-carved wooden iconostasеs, each steeped in Christian symbolism and local folk motifs.

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Orders received by 3 p.m. on working days and chosen payment method cash on delivery or credit card are processed and shipped on the same day. Orders received after 3 p.m. or during the weekend, are processed and despatched on the next working day.

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You can also get your order from the Bulmint showroom in Plovdiv at 24 Otets Paisiy Str. or in Sofia аt 1 Oborishte Str.

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