Tribute to philately.

• Position: UN Postal Administration issues commemorative stamps

On 14 October 1997, the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) issued a set of six commemorative stamps and a souvenir card on the theme "Tribute to Philately".

Each stamp portrays a stamp within a stamp. The original 1986 stamps on the theme "Philately - The International Hobby" are reproduced in their entirety on the newly adapted stamps. They were designed by Robert Stein (United Nations), who incorporated the 1986 stamps, which had been created by Ingalill Axelsson (Sweden) and engraved by Czeslaw Slania (Sweden).

Even before there were United Nations stamps, collectors were avidly following the work of the new Organization. Many different commemorative covers were made for the founding conference of the United Nations in San Francisco in June 1945. English philatelists successfully urged the Royal Mail to use special slogan cancels around London publicizing the first United Nations General Assembly. These same collectors soon began saving mail from the United Nations franked with meters using the UN emblem.

Just over 50 years ago, a stamp collector wash head of the Argentine delegation to the United Nations and was elected President of the General Assembly. This man, Mr. Jose Arce, submitted the draft resolution which was instrumental in the creating of the UNPA and the issuance of the first UN stamps in 1951.

Mr. Arce envisaged three purposes for UN stamps. First, they would symbolize the progress of nations in granting an international organization the right to issue stamps...