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

40th Anniversary of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA)

WFUNA started and program for United Nations First Day Covers in 1966 and had the cachets produced by famous artists. They also had prints produced and they were sold to help raise money for WFUNA. 

The covers were very well received and helped encourage the collection of First Day Covers. WFUNA was formed 1946 so the 40th anniversary of the organization was in 1986. Four stamps were produced and issued on November 14, 1986 to celebrate the anniversary. Shown below is an Artmaster cacheted envelope with this issue. 

        Shown below is also a Geneva Cachet which is a popular one to have 

       in your collection.

    There have been a total of 188 different cachets produced from 1996 to     1995. The last artist to produce a cachet was Sylvester Stallone, the             actor.

    WFUNA cachets make an excellent subject for a First Day Cover 

    collection but will be something you will be able to perhaps obtain

    completion. You can collect covers with complete sets, singles, and 

    imprint blocks if you desire. 

    Be happy to hear about your collecting activities and your favorite 

    area to collect. 

    Good Collecting!

     

 

                   

 Interesting Cover - A History Lesson

            This cover was produced to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the United Nations on June 26, 1985. It is a combination FDC because it has three other issues on the cover with the upper right stamp which is the issue whose first day of issue was the date above and celebrated the 40th Anniversary. 

The stamp on the upper left was issued in 1952 to mark the 7th anniversary of the United Nations Charter which was signed in the Veteran's War Memorial Building in San Francisco. 

The stamp on the lower left was issued by the United States in San Francisco, CA on April 25, 1945. It recognized the formation of the United Nations on that date. 

The stamp on the lower right is the first definitive issue for the United Nations Postal Administration. It was issued on October 24, 1951.

Although there exist many other anniversaries in the United Nations, this cover certainly tells a story of its own.