Now his patronage of sailors is based on fact, because whilst sailing as a passenger to Jerusalem, a sudden storm whipped up, almost destroying his ship, but he remained calm, and also calmed the seas. And it is not just sailors that he protects, but fishermen and travellers.
The fisherman link is unusual, because it is claimed that he was a fisherman himself, before becoming a Bishop. This links rather well to St. Peter, and to St. Andrew, who as you may remember, were fisherman before becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. And Aberdeen Cathedral is St. Andrew`s Cathedral, which is yet another reason for that link.
However, some people go further and say that St. Nicholas` family were businessmen, whose interests included a fleet of fishing boats.
Now this set has a huge write up in our original Wills reference books parts I and II, but it is not until the five parts were combined in a single hardback volume that it was revealed that it was issued in stages, courtesy of the dates of issue that were printed in Wills` Works Magazine" in the late autumn of 1936. These stages were "Naval and Military" (coming first in 1895), "Soldiers" (1895 as well), "Kaffirs, etc" (1896) and "Cavalry" (1897).
By the way both sets are lithographed in full colour.
The data runs over four pages, but most importantly, this set was originally written up as part of "Soldiers of the World", which had to be changed because there was "a proportion of Naval subjects". This suggests to me that the set was titled from the first few cards that were seen, which were all Soldiers, and then Sailors appeared, and then it was realised that quite a few were Sailors, at least a fifth.
In actual fact another facet of this title was debated subsequently, and there must have been still a trace of ill feeling when the first Wills book was printed, for it adds "It will be noted the subjects in these sets, with the exception of Great Britain, concern European powers, consequently it is wrong to say "Of the World".
I am not sure if it was originally recorded, in the 1930s, as yet another part of the main "Soldiers of the World Set", but I might find that out when my indexing has finished and I start to glean the earliest of the magazines for information to add to the cards of the day and the newsletter cards.
Anyway the description of the set is printed as follows :
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS.
Series of fifty. Size 2-5/8 ins x 1-3/8 ins. Unnumbered.
Printed by Jonas Wolf & Co. Issued 1895.
FRONTS. Printed in full colour.
A. No frame lines round subjects.
B. Grey frame lines round subjects
BACKS. Star and Circle ornamental design, with "Ld." in the circle.
A. Printed in grey.
B. Printed in blue.
There then follows a list of the titles, in alphabetical order, by country, starting with Austria, and within each country in alphabetical order by the soldier`s name
By the time of our original World Tobacco Issues Index it appears as :
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS (A). Sm. Unnd. (50) See W/13
A. Grey scroll back.
B. Blue scroll back.
It is slightly altered in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, and appears as
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS (A). Sm. Unnd. (50) See W/13
A. Grey scroll back, no frameline on front.
B. Blue scroll back, with frameline on front.