Concerning U.N. stamps (04/04/04)

Concerning U.N. stamps

The postage stamps and postal stationery of the United Nations do not serve the postal system of a single country, as most stamps do. Instead, U.N. stamps carry mail sent from the offices of an international organization that represents many different countries and billions of people all over the world.

The stamps of the United Nations often feature designs that promote the world causes of peace and justice, international cooperation, environmental and health issues, assistance for developing countries and similar concerns.

Most of today's United Nations stamps are issued in three versions for three different U.N. offices, New York, Geneva (Switzerland) and Vienna (Austria). Stamps for use at the United Nations headquarters in New York City are denominated in U.S.-dollars and cents, and the postage rates correspond with United States rates.

Stamps for use at the U.N. European Office (also known as Palais des Nations) in Geneva, are denominated in Swiss francs and centimes, and are inscribed with the name of the organization in French "Nations Unies."

The third set of stamps is created for use at the U.N. Donaupark Vienna International Center, or the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. These issues are denominated in Euros, and are inscribed in German "Vereinte Nationen."

The stamps of the United Nations cannot be used outside of U.N. offices. Mail bearing a stamp from the New York U.N. office must be deposited into the mail stream at U.N. Headquarters on Manhattan's East Side, not in a U.S. mailbox or a U.S.-post office elsewhere in New York.

Source: Linn's Stamp News, April 17, 2000.

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