100 Years of Moving the Mail

What better way to begin the first year of the 21st century than with a landmark stamp issued, celebrating the last 100 Years of Moving the Mail within New Zealand and overseas? 

Two five-stamp strips showing all the stamps from this issue.
This sheetlet of ten stamps presented ten different chapters of our postal history, ranging from the earliest modes of mail transportation to our most recent and fastest-growing form of communication, electronic mail.

The 100 Years of Moving the Mail issue commemorated New Zealand’s introduction of ‘Universal Penny Postage’ in 1901. The first 40c stamp on the sheetlet reproduced aspects of the original Penny Universal stamp, of which 2,000,000 were produced. The centre of the stamp featured the steamship, Sonoma, one of three vessels to carry mail during 1901 between Auckland and San Francisco.

Each stamp provided a unique look at the modes of transport which have shaped mail transportation in New Zealand over the last 100 years: horse-drawn coach, paddle steamer, Railway Travelling Post Office, early motor transport, airmail, bicycles, modern motor and modern air transport. Today New Zealand Post is writing the next chapter in postal history by creating a range of electronic postal products to link with its existing physical delivery capabilities.

The Ten Stamps.

                

40c - Penny Universal.                                         40c - Horse Drawn Coach.   

40c - Penny Universal Commemoration.

At the time of the 1901 Penny Universal stamp steamships were used to carry mail.

40c - Horse Drawn Coach.

Horse and coach, packhorse and horse were commonly used for the carriage of mail in the early 1900s.

                   

40c - Early Motor Transport.                                     40c - Paddle Steam Transport.

40c - Early Motor Transport.

Motor transport was used for the carriage of mail in the towns and to rural dwellers from the early 1900s.

40c - Paddle Steamer Transport.

Paddle Steamers carried mail on the Wanganui River until the 1930s.

                      

40c - Railway Post.                                          40c - Air Freight.

40c - Railway Travelling Post Office.

Railways travelling post offices provided important service to centres along the railway lines. Mail was handled and sorted on the train.

40c - Air Freight.

Bulk mail was carried between major cities by aircraft. Here an aircraft can be seen being loaded from a door in the nose under the cockpit.    

                       

40c - Bicycles.                                                    40c - Motor Vans.

40c - Bicycles. 

Bicycles have been widely used since the 1900s for the delivery of mail to households and businesses. 

40c - Modern Motor Vans.

Trucks and Vans are used to carry mail around New Zealand.

                     

40c - Airmail.                                                   40c - Electronic Mail.

40c - Airmail.
Aircraft priority mail overnight anywhere in New Zealand.
 40c - Electronic Mail.
Advances in technology are bringing new opportunities in communications.
Unfortunately, more of NZ Post's business was lost to electronic mail rather than gained. 


Collectable Items.

First Day Cover - 1st January 2001.

First day cover with stamp sheetlet affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue.

Mint, used or cancelled sheetlet of 10 x 40c stamps.

100 Years of Moving the Mail contained several innovative features. Each stamp had a title and brief description printed on the reverse and this issue was the first to carry the new New Zealand Post logo printed on the reverse selvedge of the sheetlet.

A collectable booklet containing a range of single stamps and further information on the stamp issue. 

A collectable booklet containing further information on the stamp issue.

Belgica 2001 Exhibition.
Belgica was one of the most significant philatelic exhibitions on the world calendar in 2001. Celebrating 500 years of postal service in Europe, it was held in Brussels from 9 - 15 June 2001. Rich in historical exhibits, some 130 countries participated. It also provided the centre stage for the Philatelic World Championship, featuring the entries of 719 candidates.

Special Exhibition Miniature Sheet.

A first-day cover and sheetlet were created by New Zealand Post to commemorate the exhibition, featuring stamps from the 100 Years of Moving the Mail issue.

 First Day of Issue: 9 June 2001.

Technical Information
100 Years of Moving the Mail.
Date of issue: 1 January 2001.
The number of stamps: 10. 
Denominations: 40c Penny Universal Commemoration, 40c Horse-drawn Coach, 40c Early Motor Transport, 40c Paddle Steamer Transport, 40c Railway Travelling Post Office, 40c Airmail, 40c Bicycles, 40c Modern Motor Transport, 40c Modern Air Transport and 40c Electronic Mail.
Stamps and first-day cover designed: Designworks, Wellington, New Zealand.
Printer and process: Southern Colour Print, New Zealand by offset lithography.
The number of colours: Four process colours.
Stamp size and format: 30mm x 30mm.
The number of stamps per sheetlet: 10 stamps.
Perforation gauge: 14.
Paper type: 103 gsm red phosphor coated.
Special blocks: Special blocks were not available for this stamp issue.
Period of sale: These stamps remained on sale until 31 December 2002.


Technical Information - Belgica 2001 Exhibition.
Date of issue: 9 June 2001.
Cost of exhibition sheetlet: $4.00.
Sheetlet and souvenir envelope designed: Comm Arts Design, Wellington, New Zealand.
Printer and process: Southern Colour Print, New Zealand by offset lithography.
The number of colours: Four process colours.
Stamp size: 30mm x 30mm.
The number of stamps per sheetlet: 10.
Paper type: De La Rue 103gsm red phosphor coated.
Period of sale: These stamps remained on sale until 31 December 2002.

Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ

You can visit their website and Online Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/

Information & images for this post came from.

New Zealand Post (Stamps)