United Nations Postal Usage

Has anyone ever seen a valid used piece of postal stationery from the United Nations? I have seen a lot of ones sent with FD cancellations, from all 3 of the bureaus, but cannot recall any
ever sent with return imprinted United NAtions agency corner cards.
United Nations stamp usage is very similar. It sort of hints that UN issues stamps for collectors and the monitary gain they produce, more than actual need. I have, however, seen machine metered envelopes.
If anyone actually has seen and or have a valid non-philatelic one, please post scan. Thanks.

Many, many years ago I looked forward to buying UN stamps at the UN at face value (school class trip). I didn't buy any, they were all put up in cute packets and priced above face. Many used UN I have seen were purchased as discount postage and used for mailings through the UN.

I have a UN collection which I quite like, I think the stamps, for the most part are quite well designed and printed. But of course it is a mint, mostly unhinged collection.
I do have a Vario page full of used UN stamps. I assume they are postally used, they have no gum, but one never knows.
However I do have these two, on piece, which I'm sure went through the postal system, for whatever reason.

I have a bunch of postal used United Nations, New York headquarters covers and some postal stationery, cards and stamped envelopes. However, the majority are sent by stamp dealers, few other forms of New York businesses and a few sent by stamp collectors. The only other type of postal used covers I have from the U.N. are from the UN Postal Administration for stamp shipments, delay notifications and the like. I haven't seen much in terms of inter-agency/inter-governmental mailings using the U.N. stamps aside from some meter covers sent to the U.N. International Atomic Agency in Geneva.

Is this the sort of thing you're talking about?




I seen to have been "lucky" enough to get 125 of these thins in the last boxlot I bought...




(Sorry for the terrible photos, I'm lazy and tired...)

I think I have one "Offices" POSTAL CARD (Non-first day cover) postally used from Switzerland -- it is the only one I have seen. I'm sorry, I can't scan it for you. I'm getting ready for knee replacement surgery tomorrow AM and I don't have the time to go looking through my boxes for the item. I also have a few "Swiss Offices covers" with stamps -- all UN Sweden military force usage, from the same correspondence.

I found this in my "to soak" pile, when I read this thread. The from: says danbury and the to: is Kenmore stamps. So it wasn't mailed from any UN office. Interesting, no!!

I believe the 125 envelopes were used to send notices and ordering instructions for new UN stamp issues 20 to 30+ years ago. Everybody and his brother was on the mailing list.

raywrio: I can see your example is from Nutmeg, another stamp auctioneer. It seems the majority of the uses for U.N. stamps is for the mailing of stamps, first day covers or information (auction catalogues, new stamp notifications, etc.) about stamps. Aside from a few additional tourist pieces, actually use by non-philatelic related U.N. officials seems to be very uncommon to rare.

Battlestamps,

Dealers can use UN postage as regular postage?

I think they have to mail it from the U.N. Postal facilities in New York City, but yes. A lot of dealers in the NYC area and surrounding area were using the U.N. to mail a lot of material - stamps, sales list, auction catalogues, etc. Dealers could get the mint stamps at a small fraction of face. I've heard the U.N. has put limits on mail volume not long ago, but someone else here might know more.

Found these postally used UN stamps and thought I would add it to this thread. I was surprised to even get this in the mail. A lot of times they just direct you to their website.

Any SCDFer who wants GPU (Genuinely Postally Used) UN stamps or stationery can send them to me for posting from the UN.

I you hurry, you can send Easter cards to your whole Xmas cards list!

No reasonable favor refused.

The first time, anyway ...

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

I placed an order for the UNs recent FOOD and OWL issues, and they mailed them to me franked with one food stamp and a nice flower as well (another of my topicals). Thought I'd share the markings from the envelope, front and back, along with the stamps from a catalog they mailed me last week.

Now, I am NOT a big fan of the UN or their usual flavor of stamps. But I like the smaller cover!

I have been reading around here about valid usage of UN stamps. Does anyone know if other countries take more advantage of their UN stamps?

They have placed a limit on what you can mail - I think the limit is 5 pieces of mail par day.