Mikael Agricola

Miniature stamp sheet

This year marks the 450th anniversary of the death of Bishop Mikael Agricola (1510-1557), a reformer of the Finnish church and the "father of Finnish literature". Finland Post issued a miniature stamp sheet with two stamps to commemorate the jubilee year of Agricola on 7 March 2007.

Literature

One of the stamps on the Mikael Agricola miniature sheet shows the first publication of Finnish literature, Agricola's Abckiria (ABC Book, probably from 1543). The book was both an ABC and a catechism: it contains letters and numerals and gives instructions for how to read them, in addition to which it included the Ten Commandments, the Apostolic Creed, the Lord's Prayer and others. No complete copies of the first edition have survived.

Preacher

The subject of the other postage stamp on the miniature sheet is a drawing of a preacher from Agricola's 1544 translation of the Book of Prayers. The miniature stamp sheet also bears an illustration of Agricola's signature from his letter to the King of Sweden as well as the curlicue insignia for the Agricola jubilee. The insignia was designed by Mari Mero. The theme for the jubilee year is "Your Voice, Your Language".

First day cover

The first day cover produced for the miniature sheet bears a woodcut of Wittenberg in Agricola's time. Agricola studied theology and ancient languages in Wittenberg as a student of Martti Luther and Philipp Melanchthon 1536-39. The subject of the first day cover is a seal showing a farmer, which Agricola had made for himself in Wittenberg. The miniature sheet was designed by T'imo Berry.

Postage stamps in detail

Issue: Finland, 7 March 2007
Stamp design: Timo Berry
Printing: 4-colour offset by Joh. Enschede Stamps, the Netherlands
Stamp sizes: 32.8 x 35.5 and 35.5 x 35.5 mm, miniature sheet: 140 x 80 mm
Perforation: 13.5 x 13.5