Emblems -- Lee's Illustrated Stamp Listopedia

	Chrysanthemum. Every Japanese stamp after the first and up until the end of World War II bore a 16-petalled chrysanthemum, crest of the imperial family. Japan stamps bearing a different number of petals are forgeries. Changes in Japanese Postage Stamps
	Finland Lion. After Finland declared itself an independent republic in 1917, architect and artist Eliel Saarinen designed its first stamps, which featured the national coat of arms -- a lion rampant trampling a Russian sabre. Finnish Coat of Arms The Roaring Lions of Finland Saarinen Definitives, 1917-1930
	Fleur-de-lis and Trefoil. Two emblems familiar to topical collectors of scouts on stamps. Long the symbol of French Royalty, the fleur-de-lis ( "flower of the lily") was incorporated by Baden-Powell into the Boy Scout emblem as pointing the "right way to go". The trefoil ("three leaf") is the symbol of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. About the Fleur-de-lis Symbol General Scouting Knowledge Girl Guide & Scout World Trefoil Symbolic Emblem Ties to Scouting	Images courtesy of Keith Larson
	Marianne. Marianne, allegorical symbol of the French Republic has appeared on the stamps of France in many forms since 1900. The French Marianne Issues
	Posthorn. The coiled posthorn was sounded in Europe to announce the arrival and departure of mail coaches. The Norway posthorn definitive set debuted in 1872 and has been in continuous use ever since -- a philatelic world record. Key to Norwegian Posthorn Stamps
	Royal Cypher. The monogram of the reigning monarch, e.g. Elizabeth II Regina, is found on stamps of the British Commonwealth. Royal Emblems
	Tughra. Until the Ottoman Empire ended in 1920, many stamps of Turkey included the tughra or calligraphic sign of the ruling Sultan. This 1916 stamp is marked with the tughra of Sultan Mohammed V. Lexicon of Turkish Philately, Tughra Ottoman Sultan's Flags
	Two-headed Eagle. An emblem of Russia since the 15th century, the double eagle is common on early Russian stamps. Its bizarre anatomy has prompted modern Russians to irreverently refer to the symbol as the "Chernobyl Chicken." Russian Coat of Arms
	Universal Postal Union Symbol. International organizations are a popular subject for commemorative issues, and the emblems of the Red Cross, Olympics, Girl Scouts and others can be found on the stamps of many nations. This example commemorates the Universal Postal Union. Universal Postal Union

See also
Bee Symbols on Stamps	Article from Bees on Stamps site (Dutch).
Flags of the World	Web site devoted to vexillology, the study of flags.
Heraldica	Web site devoted to heraldry, the study of coats of arms.
Heritage Post Interactive -- Symbols	National symbols of Canada on postage stamps.
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Bibliography
Kloetzel, James E. Scott 1999 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, Sidney, OH: Scott Publishing Co., 1998.
Mackay, James A. The Dictionary of Stamps in Color, New York: Macmillan, 1973.
Melville, Fred J. Stamp Collecting for Fun & Profit, New York: Bell Publishing Co., 1961.
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