Held under the patronage of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately, the NZ2020 International Stamp Exhibition was supposed to have been held from 19-22 March 2020 at the Ellerslie Event Centre, Auckland.
NZ2020 was to have been the first international exhibition held in New Zealand since the successful NZ 1990 World Stamp Exhibition. It would have been a fantastic weekend of philatelic displays, access to unique collectables and the opportunity to meet collectors and philatelic distributors from all around the world. But it wasn't to be.
Update - Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) the New Zealand Government was forced to place restrictions on travel to New Zealand which on 14 March led to The Organising Committee downgrading this exhibition from an International Exhibition to a National Exhibition.
The exhibition had to close early at 1:00 pm on Saturday 21 March.
The Miniature Sheets and Covers.
NZ2020 International Stamp Exhibition Maritime Miniature Sheet.
Maritime Miniature Sheet First Day Cover.
NZ2020 International Stamp Exhibition Lighthouse Miniature Sheet.
The three stamps used on the sheet came from the 2019 Lighthouse Perspectives issue.
NZ2020 International Stamp Exhibition Chinese New Year Miniature Sheet.
The three stamps on the sheet came from the 2020 Year of the Rat issue.
Special Postmarks Each Day.
New Zealand Post planned to use four different postmarks throughout the show – one for each day. The designs relate to the theme ”Maritime heritage and water” – significant to New Zealand’s way of life.
The First day - 19 March 2020
Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city with an urban population of over 1,600,000. It is a diverse, multicultural and cosmopolitan city and home to the largest Polynesian population in the world.
The central urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between Manukau Harbour, the Tasman Sea and Waitemata Harbour, Pacific Ocean. Auckland is one of the few cities in the world to have a harbour on two separate major bodies of water.
The isthmus was first settled around 1350. Today, Auckland’s central business district is New Zealand’s leading economic hub.
The Second Day - 20 March 2020
The Hauraki Gulf has many islands easily accessible from Auckland City. For those without boats, there are plenty of ferry services.
One of the most popular of the Gulf’s island is Waiheke. This was a place where Aucklanders built holiday homes or visited during holidays and weekends to take advantage of the beaches and remove themselves for a short time from the bustle of Auckland.
The postmark features a well-known ferry – the Baroona – that served Waiheke and other islands of the Gulf for many years.
The Third Day - 21 March 2020
Auckland is known as the “City of Sails” as it is claimed there are more boats per capita than anywhere else in the world. A 2012 survey estimated 25% of households owned a boat.
An annual regatta, possibly the largest in the world, celebrated 180 years on 27 January 2020 Auckland’s Anniversary Day.
Held on Waitemata Harbour there are races for conventional yachts as well as for waka (Maori canoes), tugboats and dragon boats.
The Fourth Day - 22 March 2020
The postmark on the last day of the exhibition shows a sailing ship with Rangitoto Island (a dormant volcano) in the background.
The design depicts Cook’s Endeavour and is intended to depict voyages of discovery to New Zealand leading to European settlement.
The sea played a significant role in how New Zealand developed and this maritime heritage is integral in what it is today.
Technical Information.
Date of issue: 19 March 2020.
The number of stamps: Three.
Denominations: 2 x $1.30 and 1 x 2.60.
Miniature sheet and first-day covers designed: Alan Hollows, Stamps and Coins, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand.
Printer and process: Southern Colour Print Ltd by Lithography.
The number of colours: Four process colours.
Miniature sheet size and format: Maritime; 120mm x 90mm (Horizontal), Lunar; 130mm x 90mm (Horizontal), Kupe; 120mm x 80mm (Horizontal), Lighthouse; 130mm x 80mm (Horizontal).
Paper type: Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper.
Perforation gauge: Maritime; 14.56 x 14.06, Lunar; 13.33 x 13.4, Kupe; 14.78 x 14.86, Lighthouse; 14.8 x 14.67.
Period of sale: Unless stocks are exhausted earlier, these stamps will remain on sale until 18 March 2020. First-day covers will remain on sale until 14 May 2020.
Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
Information & images for this post came from.
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