Map stamps of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

Abstract

When Mark Honig recently made me aware of the map stamps issued by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, I thought it might be useful to examine how these stamps relate to the Order. The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta is a religious and lay order of the Catholic Church, which can trace its roots to men who founded a hospital in Jerusalem about 1048 to care for pilgrims to the Holy Land. It evolved over the centuries to include armed ground and naval forces charged with protecting Christians and Christian properties in the Holy Land and Mediterranean area. [excerpt]