The Soliloquy of a Postage Stamp #03: Fouad Kronfol

I HAVE A SPECIAL TREAT TODAY;ONE OF MY FAVOURITE UNICEF STAMPS

1. When the UN Postal Administration was established in 1951, its first set of ten stamps (definitives) was issued on UN Day, 24 October 1951. The set includes 6 designs: "Peoples of the World"; "UN HQ Building"; Peace, Justice, Security"; "UN Flag"; "UNICEF"; and "World Unity".

The UNICEF stamp designed by S.L.Hartz from the Netherlands shows an adult's hand holding that of a young child. Anticipating its popularity UNPA printed 6 million copies. It was an instant success and remains today one of the most attractive and sought after UN stamps.

2. This First Day Cover (FDC) has a cachet showing the UN Building, information on the UN Charter and other aspects of UN work.

 

3. Another FDC with a cachet that shows The UN emblem/logo and a small design representing the UN Postal Administration.

4. This FDC shows a photo of the UN Security Council meeting.

5. This envelope ,also issued on 24 October 1951, shows both the UNICEF and "The Peoples of the World" stamps. Note the address on the cover is Lake Success where the UN had temporary offices from 1947-1952 while the UN HQ on the East River in NY was being built.

 
6. This post card shows the Economic & Social Council Chamber in the UN building with the UNICEF and the UN Building stamp next to it. The card is post marked 31 July 1953.

 
7. The cover shows the UN Flag and the UNICEF stamps...the latter has a "tag" reading " First UN Issue 1951". The post mark is dated 25 August 1958 and the stamped part reads,"Second UN International Conference on the Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy".

 
8. This envelope has six of the ten stamps from the first UNPA series. including the UNICEF one, with the "tag" reading "First UN Issue 1951". The post mark is dated 1959.

 
9. Interesting ! This cover with 3 UNICEF stamps commemorates Pan American Airways' 100,000th. TransAtlantic Flight between 1939-1962. It was mailed from NY on 2 July 1962 and received (post mark on reverse side) in Frankfurt, Germany on 3 July 1962. Note the stamped part shows the UNICEF logo and "Fifteen Years of Child Care and Protection" representing the 15th Anniversary of UNICEF.

 
10. This cover shows the UNICEF address at the UN in New York and was post marked on 10 December 1965 (UNICEF Anniversary). The stamped part has the UNICEF logo and the inscription, "Nobel Peace Prize".

 
11. This airmail envelope with the cachet showing " First Flight of BOAC VC10 from NY to Antigua", has 3 UNICEF stamps... the 1951 one plus two stamps from the 1966 set issued for the 20th Anniversay of UNICEF. It was post marked 15 December 1967.

 
12. This FDC commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the UN Postal Administration. It has six of the first 1951 stamp set that have all been re-designed as a "stamp within a stamp". The UNICEF 8 Shilling stamp and the others are post marked 24 October 1991 and were issued by the UN HQ in Austria, Vienna. The unusual cachet is a drawing by the well known US cartoonist Al Hirschfield.

13. This post card shows the UN HQ Building in Vienna, Austria with the re-designed UNICEF stamp as a "stamp within a stamp". It was post marked on 25 October 1991.

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