United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) is uniquely
privileged to issue stamps along with postal authorities of host
countries by the Universal Postal Authority (UPU). The other
entities issuing stamps are either a country or a territory. UN
offices that issue stamps are located in New York, Geneva, and
Vienna. The first stamps were issued October 24th, 1951 in New
York and were built around the theme “People’s of the World.”
This and the ones with the theme of “UN Headquarters Building”
and “Peace, Justice, Security” formed the first three issues.
These were all definitive issues and in keeping with the true
United Nations spirit affordable at 1c, 1.5c, and 3c
denominations. The primary purpose was for UN official
correspondence originating from their offices. They can be used
for private correspondence too with the caveats being: - Only
stamps denominated in the host country currency may be used at
that country’s United Nations office. i.e., a stamp denominated
in Swiss Francs cannot be used in the offi