The United Nations Postal¹ Administration (UNPA) has put out a new series of stamps to help celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year next month, which will usher² in the "Year of the Pig."

 

联合国邮政管理处推出一系列新邮票庆祝中国农历新年。

 

The set contains 10 $1.15 stamps. The stamp design depicts³ the U.N. emblem⁴ in blue on a white background. The year "2019" is in the upper-right hand corner. The label shows two symbolic⁵ 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 illustrated⁶ 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.

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