The up-to-date coat of arms was reinstated by a Decree of the Mayor of Moscow in 1993, on the model of the first official coat of arms of the capital of 1781. In 1995 and 2003, it was reapproved by the laws of the city of Moscow.
The coat of arms of Moscow has the form of a quadrangular dark red heraldic shield with rounded lower corners and pointed at the tip. It depicts Saint George the Conqueror in a silver armor suit and a blue robe on a silver horse. The horseman slays the black dragon with a golden spear.
The image was based on the theme of the Miracle of St. George about the Serpent, which was often used in Ancient Russia on seals, coins, princely and royal symbols. The first record of the coat of arms dates back to the 4th-5th centuries AD.
In the 14th-15th centuries, the image of the Dragon Slayer horseman acquired special popularity in Russia and symbolized a fighter against foreign invaders, as well as a people's defender. Saint George was the patron saint of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky of Moscow. Since the time of Dmitry Donskoy, the Saint has been the patron saint and the sponsor of the city of Moscow.
The postage stamp provides an image of the up-to-date coat of arms of the capital and the new face value of 100 rubles; the margins of the block feature coats of arms of 1730, 1781, 1883 and 1924 and the overprint text: “875 лет” (875 Years).
Design Artists: A. Moskovets (block) and M. Miloradova (overprint).
Face value: 100 rubles.
Block size: 90×90 mm, stamp size in the block: 45×45 mm
Quantity: 20 thousand blocks.
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