As I was working on my Military ANZAC - Part One page I found this 1900 stamp, commemorating New Zealand's involvement in the South African, Second Boer War. My usual source of stamp images didn't have a copy so I went in search of a suitable image. Instead of finding just one I discovered a small collection showing a variety of aspects concerning this stamp.
I began researching the stamp itself and also the war depicted and when both revealed interesting stories so I have decided to create a full page on just this one stamp. First, I will give you some background information on the stamp as I display a series of examples illustrating my comments. Included in this will be some errors and variations etc, Secondly, I will feature a small collection of stamps also depicting the Bore War. Finally, we will look at the war itself and the caused behind it.
Several of the 1898 Pictorials were reissued in different colours and size in late 1899 -1900. A new stamp was also issued in December 1900 commemorating the departure of New Zealand troops to the South African War. See our post on the 1898 Pictorial Issue.
This stamp was designed by James Nairn of Wellington and engraved by H G Thomas of New York, with the printing being done by the Government Printing Office. The stamp had a value of 1½d, which met a change in the postal rate of printed matter. it featured the inscription "The Empires Call" which shows New Zealand's determination to assist the British Empire in this war. The scene shows a contingent of 210 mounted officers and men in South Africa.
The collection of postal cancellations on this stamp has been moved to its own page 1900 Boer War Thematic Collection.
