The World United Against Malaria

The U.N. 4 cent issue for the eradication of malaria

 

Synopsis

 

Historical Background:

On October 21st, 1960, at the 26th Session of the World Health Organization, it was discussed that the under funded “Malaria Eradication Special Account” needed another way to finance the program. The proposal was made for the issuing of postage stamps world-wide in order to help fund the “global program for the eradication of malaria” and increase world-wide publicity and education about the fight against malaria. The hope was that the participating governments would contribute stamps or a percentage of the proceeds of the sales of the stamps to the program. The campaign ultimately failed due to the impossibility of eradicating the insect and disease. Today, 1-2 million people still die a year from malaria. On March 30th, 1962, the United Nations issued a 4 cent issue for the eradication of malaria. This issue was designed by Rashid-ud Din. There were two printings due to the numerous issues with the first printing run.

 

Scope:

This exhibit presents the story of the U.N. 4 cent issue for the eradication of malaria through essays, proofs, plate varieties, EFOs, FDCs, and then followed by commercial covers.

Material Availability:

Although the stamp was issued in 1962, finding commercial covers is difficult. The reason for this is that many dealers do not have the time to go through “recent” covers as the profit does not warrant their efforts. Finding ordinary FDCs is easy but finding the elusive FDC is not an easy task. Through the Internet and auctions, I have purchased 15 large malaria collections in order to pull out the best items. This exhibit is the result of 12 years of scouring the earth to find these better items.

 

Original Research:

There are some U.N. catalogs (Gaines,Terins, Lindner)  that list 5-15 EFOs for this issue. And of those, only one has noted two errors on the same stamp. I have expanded on this and have started to document individual stamps with two errors and a variety on the same stamp. These newly discovered and now documented combination EFOs are included in this exhibit.

 

There is no mention in the three catalogs of any “yellow shift” errors and I have included a handful of these newly discovered and now documented in the exhibit.

 

I have scanned, at high resolution, 30+ full sheets of the first and second printing of this issue in order to determine which panes contain which varieties and their plate positions. This is not discussed in any other catalog.  All of this research is not currently online yet as it is ongoing and will take time to fully document but many new discoveries have been found. I have discovered a few new varieties such as the “Line between legs” and the “Mangled snake” varieties which are not mentioned in any other catalogs.

 

I am in the process of writing articles for “The Journal” for the UNPI with results of the plating of this issue and creating a “roadmap” of which panes have which varieties. And an article on the yellow color shifts along with other finds.

 

Research also includes the study of hundreds of W.H.O. Resolution documents online at http://www.who.int/en/ and other documents not online but discovered through personal correspondence with the W.H.O. in Geneva. These documents chronicle the state of the campaign from its conception through its completion. Data tracking the countries participating, monies and stamps promised by these countries and actually delivered by these countries, and dates of issue (many incorrect) are in these documents.

 

Highlights include but not limited to:

  • Approved Die Proof in issued color (1 of 5 as noted in the UNPA Archives sale).
  • Unique Artist Drawing by Ole Hamann.
  • Unique Artist Drawing by Kurt Plowitz.
  • Unique Color Comparison Drawing by Rashid-ud Din.
  • Unique Photographic essay of rejected design by Rashid-ud Din.
  • Block of 6 with “double” maroon impression (ex Terins).
  • Block of 4 with “double” maroon impression and maroon shifted to the right and with the position 38 “point between LE and MONDE” (previously unrecorded stamp with 2 errors and variety).
  • Previously unrecorded “Line between legs” variety.
  • 3 Previously unrecorded “yellow shifted left/right/up” errors.
  • Previously unrecorded 2nd “Ink Spot on Snake” varieties (as a pair)
    (only one has been mentioned in the catalogs)
  • Block of 6 with the “Damaged snake”
  • FDC with “Gold” ink cancellation (only one that author has seen or heard of).


 The World United Against Malaria

The U.N. 4 cent issue for the eradication of malaria


References

 

http://www.malariastamps.com/

(Larry Fillion, 1998-2007) My full collection of 5000+ malaria items.

 

http://www.malariastamps.com/Catalog_UnitedNations_4c.asp

(Larry Fillion, 1998-2007) Page with some of the varieties.

 

http://www.malariastamps.com/UnitedNations_102_103_Proofs.asp

All proofs and essays for the U.N. 4 and 11 cent malaria issues.

 

http://www.malariastamps.com/UnitedNations_SignedFDCs.asp

12 FDCs from my collection which have the designer’s signature.
(Largest known collection of such covers)

 

http://www.malariastamps.com/UnitedNations_FDCs.asp

Page with about 100 FDCs from my full collection of around 350 FDCs.

 

http://www.malariastamps.com/MMPI.asp

Miasma Philatelist, 1979-1986, 21 Journals online in PDF format

 

(Lindner) U.N. Philatelic and Numismatic Catalog and Handbook, 6th Edition

 

(Gaines) United Nations Philately, 1980 R&D Publications

 

(Terins) United Nations Specialized Catalog, First Edition

 

http://www.malariastamps.com/References.asp

Complete list of 20+ references for the full website.

 

World Health Organization Resolutions (located at http://www.who.int/en/)

EB26/29, EB27/24, EB28/17, EB29/45, EB30/11, EB31/39, EB34/19,

C.L.6.1961, A15/AFL/19, A16/AFL/13, WHA8.30, WHA15.47, WHA16.18