Unusual United Nations Topical Cover

 Unusual United Nations Covers

        Besides United Nations First Day Cover there are many cover produced by foreign countries that are members of the United Nations. Many of the covers are used to remember anniversaries of United Nations events of the organization and also by organizations within the U.N. i.e. UNICEF, FAO, UNESCO and others. Be sure to look through the mixed cover boxes of dealers at the next show that you attend. Most dealers just throw this type of cover in the “Bargain” boxes.

 

Shown above is a very attractive and unusual cover which was carried from Paris, France to London, England. This was during a postal strike in England so the cover was carried by hovercraft to London. Please note the rectangular rubber stamp on the cover. It was then sent to the United States by air where it was posted with a U.S. 33 cent stamp at Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia. The entire trip took from February 9-18, 1971.

 Another First Day Cover that was produced by the United Arab Republic with U.A.R. semi-postal issues to commemorate United Nations Day and UNICEF on October 24, 1959. This type of cover from many foreign countries can form a supplementary collection for the United Nations. 

You will be pleased at all of the interesting covers that you can find for special United Nations events and anniversaries.

Good Collecting!

United Nations & Show Covers

                An interesting area to collect and appreciate are covers which are produced at Stamp Shows or Exhibitions where the United Nations has a actual presence. This would mean that they have a booth and sell UN Stamps and provide information about them.  In some cases, there may also be a meeting of the UN Specialty Societies held during the show. 

                   Two of the most well known and popular shows are ones held in the larger cities. Compex and Interpex are among these. Interpex was held in the New York City area and always had a presence of the UNPA because it was located there. At every show of this size, there is usually a First Day Cover Society and a special envelope with cachet are used for the show only.  Shown here is an early Interpex cover. This Interpex cover also has a red cancel placed on the cover at the show. 

                  Shown below are two covers from Compex which was held in Chicago, Illinois. These covers show that the location was the Lasalle Hotel located in downtown Chicago. These covers are from the years 1962 and 1964 respectively. The location and venue for Compex was later changed to a location more closely located to the O'Hare Airport. Circumstances have changed and the Compex show is not longer being held. It was held I believe until the mid 2000's . 

                These covers make a nice specialty area for collection and you can pick your favorite city. They are available most of the time on Ebay and are very reasonable in price. Be sure to sort through the large boxes of covers at your next stamp show and you may find a couple of them probably for "a buck a cover".

Good Collecting

United Nations & South Moluccas

Sometimes you may find a stamp that relates to the United Nations and is from a country which you have not heard about or don't know where it exists. The stamps shown below show the U.N. emblem and the New York office building and appear to be from the Rupublik Maluku Selatan.  They are in the archipelago of Indonesia and did not produce any valid postage stamps.  Shown below is a set of stamp which were produced by a New York  stamp dealer, Henry Stolow (1901-1971). They were also produced in an imperforate format. These issues have never been listed in any catalogs.

 

You may find these stamps in “junk” boxes or in 1950’s collections. They make a nice addition to a collection but don’t spend too much to obtain them.

        Good Collecting

 

 

 

 United Nations Topical Issues

      One area that can be forgotten as a U.N. collector is the very interesting and extensive area of U.N. topicals that can be found in most all of the countries in the world. Any country that has become a member of the United Nations has issued stamps related to the United Nations. These issues were issued to identify the following:

• U.N. Anniversary Dates
• United Nations Day
• World Health Organization
• UNESCO
• And other special causes identified by the U.N.

You can collect individual stamps and also First Day and Event Covers. An example of a cover from Korea that recognizes the 10th Anniversary of Joining the U.N. is shown here. 

Shown above the cover is the insert that was enclosed in the cover.  The insert has an image of the stamp and some information about the issue. 

I purchased a large lot of this type of cover from an auction recently and will be sharing some of the additional "finds" in future blogs. 

Good Collecting

 U.N. First Day Covers used for Christmas

        United Nations Covers were occasionaly used for additional purposes than showing the issuance of a stamp issue. Below is shown a very attractive cover which was produced and used by the J.H. Stolow company of New York City. This company was a prominent stamp dealer and auction house in the city.  The contents have been removed so iit is not possible to the exact nature of them. It may have just been a holiday greeting.  From the address of the cover it may have been the company who produced the auction catalogs for Stolow. 

        It would be interesting to know how many companies have used United Nations First Day Covers for the same purpose of holiday greetings or marketing efforts. 

Issue Announcement Folders & Courier FDC Covers

      Frequently I am lucky enough to be offered Announcement publications  of United Nations Stamp issues. These can come in various forms but have a lot more information about the specific issue than available in the stamp  catalogs. This information can provide much needed information about the issue and its purpose and details about the individual stamps. I was able to obtain a folder about the issuance of a stamp issue which celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the World Weather Watch. The folder contains an informative history and purpose for their activities and examples of the results of their satellite activities. Shown is the cover and the description of the 25 cent New York stamp.

I find that this brochure can be added to an album page in the same manner as a cover. Therefore, it can be removed for reading.

This issue can also be seen on a WFUNA FDC which is a very attractive one. The cover has the 3 U.N. Location issues (NY, Geneva, Vienna) on the same cover and cancelled with the FDC cancel from each location. This is accomplished by first cancelling the cover in Geneva and then sending to Vienna on the same day for the cancel. They are then sent to NewYork  within a grace period to receive the cancel there. These covers are called "Courier" covers. They are an excellent way to have a complete cover with all the stamp issues and First Day cancels. Cover is shown here. 

The "Courier" covers are an excellent way to have a complete cover with issue and cancels.  I really enjoy collecting them.

 A Great Way to Learn More about U.N. Philately

        My plan for the blog is to post information that is unusual and facts about U.N. Philately that is not normally found in the publications such as Linn's Stamp News, American Philatelist, and others. I will be writing information that I find interesting and perhaps unique to my collecting activity. I frequently write articles for various publications on this subject. 

        However, if you want to gain a much broader picture of the entire area of United Nations Philately, I suggest that you visit the website of the United Nations Philatelists Inc. This specialized society for collectors and students of U.N. Philately has been in existence since 1972.  Check out the website of the United Nations Philatelists, Inc. United Nations Philatelists Incorporated - Welcome to the United Nations Philatelists Inc. (unpi.com) 

It is my intent with this blog to present different facts about U.N. Philately. It is much more than filling spaces in an album. Hopefully if you follow my comments and blog, you will see how rewarding this endeavor can be and the enjoyment that it can produce. 

I will be happy to receive your comments and try to answer any questions you may have. I will try hard to get answers for you.

Good Collecting