UN stamps out ahead of Chinese Lunar New Year

The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) has put out a new series of stamps to help celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year next month, which will usher in the "Year of the Pig."

Newly-released UN stamps featuring images for the impending Chinese Lunar New Year. [Photo: UNAP]

The set contains 10 $1.15 stamps. The stamp design depicts the U.N. emblem in blue on a white background. The year "2019" is in the upper-right hand corner. The label shows two symbolic pigs, one in gold and the other in red. Both pigs are decorated with floral and geometric designs, similar to Chinese papercutting styles. The same two pigs are pictured on the selvage for the stamps, and text reading "Chinese Lunar Calendar" and "Celebrating the Year of the Pig 2019" in gold.

Designer Wu Shining illustrated this set of stamps. He is a special designer of China Post and has designed numerous series of New Year's stamps.

This year's stamps are the 10th in the UNPA's Chinese Lunar Calendar series. The "Year of the Pig" is set to begin on February 5, 2019.

The idea of the United Nations issuing its own stamps was first proposed by Argentina in 1947. In 1951, the UN and the United States Postal Service reached an agreement to issue the first set to United Nations stamps priced in US dollars. Since then, the United Nations has also reached agreements with Swiss and Austrian postal authorities to issue stamps in Swiss francs and Austrian shillings.