1994/1995 A to B Self Adhesive Coil Stamp

What appeared to be a simple post, quickly turned into a much more complex story.

       The 45 cent self-adhesive coil stamp design was introduced in July 1994. The letter A representing the sender and B representing the recipient of the mail. In June 1995 Leigh-Marden advised New Zealand Post that they were withdrawing from the stamp printing business and an order was placed with Sprintpak Pty Ltd to ensure supply continuity. In October 1995 postal rates were decreased and printings were done by both of the companies mentioned above.

       So this leaves us with four different but easily identifiable varieties as can be seen in the group above.

1900 Boer War Thematic Collection.

1½d - Boer War Commemorative. 

See our post-1898 First Pictorial Issue.

A new penny halfpenny stamp was introduced to cover a change in postage rates for printed matter. It commemorated the departure of the first contingents of New Zealand troops to the Boer War in South Africa and symbolised the prompt response of New Zealand to the call of the Empire for troops. A total of 6,500 New Zealand troops took part. Rather ironically, the stamp was the first to be engraved outside the British Empire, in New York.

A Collection of Postal Cancels on this 1900 stamp.

While Allan was searching for good examples of this stamp for another post, 1900 Boer War, he came across a small collection of 11 used stamps, cancelled in 11 different post offices. Since then we have found more, readable post cancellations so now we have a collection of over 50 items. Now this collection has become so large that the decision has been made to split it onto its own blog page. 

1993 Fastpost Booklet.

This issue relates to and could be considered part of the 1985 - 93 Bird Definitives. In fact, it was included in our post on that issue.

In 1993 there was a reissue of the 80c value, this time depicting the New Zealand Falcon. The purpose of this issue was booklets for Fastpost.  

The original Perf 14½ x 14 issued in 1993 was reissued in 1994 as a perf 12 variety. This variety was found only in booklet formats.  In 1995 another second variety appeared where one side of the stamp was imperforate on either the left or right sides - whichever edge was closest to the edge of the booklet. This should not be considered a flaw as it was intended to be issued like this which is why I have called it the second variety. First Day Covers were not issued for either of these two varieties.

New Zealand Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) - 80c

1994 $20 Mount Cook Definitive.

Definitives Tour.

Back to 1991 Butterfly Definitives.                              Forward to 1995 - 1997 Scenic Definitives.

       This is New Zealand's largest and highest valued stamp. It is also one of the most controversial as many stamp collectors believe that rather than responding to a demand for a high-value postage stamp for documents and parcels, the stamp was a ploy to fleece collectors.

     

Two used examples - the right-hand from a first-day cover.

         Of course, NZ Post says it quite differently. "In response to demand for a high-value postage stamp for documents and parcels, New Zealand Post issued its first ever $20 Definitive Stamp. It is one of the most complex stamp productions ever commissioned by New Zealand Post - its design is a masterpiece in montage and it captures some of New Zealand's most treasured heritage. With such an elaborate design, hidden security features, and an extremely complex production and printing method, this magnificent new stamp is truly reflective of its high face value - both here and as an ambassador on overseas parcels."

1991 Butterfly Definitives.

Definitives Tour.

Back to 1985 - 93 Native Bird Definitives.                              Forward to 1994 $20 Mt Cook Definitive.

         New Zealand is home to 23 species of butterflies. Butterflies belong to the insect order Lepidoptera, which is dominated by the butterfly's close relative - the moth. Butterflies resident in New Zealand display different shapes, colours and patterns and live in a wide range of environments, from forest floors and swamps, to domestic gardens and rocky alpine areas.

         During the early 1990s, a small definitive issue of five values was used with larger dollar value stamps. The butterfly definitive stamps were initially printed by Leigh-Mardon Pty Ltd. The House of Questa later reprinted the issue and these stamps may be distinguished by the differing perforations on the top and bottom edges of the stamps although the $1, $2 and $4 stamps also vary in size. The $4 and $5 stamps were not issued until January 1995.

        The House of Questa stamps were incorrectly listed as being Perf 13¾ x 14 in at least two other highly regarded catalogues when they are in fact 13¾ x 14¼. Volume X of the Postage Stamps of New Zealand (by the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand) confirms that 13¾ x 14¼ is in fact correct.

1980 - 1981 Definitives.

Definitives Tour.

Back to 1975 Pictorials                              Forward to 1980 - 1985 Definitives.

Here are two small definitive issues that don't seem to fit with the 1975 Definitives as it been too long since those stamps were issued. Since they don't seem to fit with the 1982 - 1985 Definitives either we have decided to include them on their own post.

For other posts on Maori Subject see our Maori Index.

Maori Leaders Definitives.

The 1980 Definitive issue featured Maori leaders who made a difference. In some cases, their good work continued, even up until today. The strip above shows used examples of these stamps while below mint copies are used.

1994 Ross Dependency Wildlife Definitives.

Short History of Ross Dependency Stamps.

          The first stamps inscribed Ross Dependency were issued on January 11, 1957, in conjunction with the New Zealand Antarctic Expedition, led by Sir Edmund Hillary (part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition). Before the expedition left New Zealand, on 23 November 1956, Hillary had been appointed postmaster. When the expedition chose the site for Scott Base, a post office was established, initially in a tent.

          The initial set of stamps consisted of four stamps, in the denominations 3d, 4d, 8d, and 1s 6d. When New Zealand adopted decimal currency in 1967, the stamps were reissued in denominations of 2c, 3c, 7c, and 15c.

          A new definitive set, consisting of six stamps denominated 3c, 4c, 5c, 8c, 10c and 18c was issued in 1972. The next set, issued in 1982 to mark the 25th anniversary of Scott Base, consisted of 5c, 10c, 20c, 30c, 40c and 50c stamps.

          The post office at Scott Base was closed in 1987 as part of the rationalisation of New Zealand Post. Mail from the base was handled in Christchurch, and the issuing of “Ross Dependency” stamps ceased.

          New Zealand Post resumed the issue of stamps inscribed “Ross Dependency” in 1994, “due to local and international demand.” A definitive set was issued in 1994, and pictorial sets of five or six stamps have been issued annually since then.

          The denominations match those of contemporary New Zealand stamps. However, the stamps are not generally valid on New Zealand mail. Mail from the Ross Dependency is processed by the “Ross Dependency Agency”, located at a post office in Christchurch. Members of the public (mostly philatelists and stamp dealers) are able to post items bearing Ross Dependency stamps at this office.

Provisional - Surcharges - Overprints.

        Here is another one of those types of stamps that are often overlooked or unloved, but it must be remembered that they still played an important role, filling gaps when other stamps were unavailable. Allan has asked me to go through his blog and collect them all together on one page.

        Most of the text here has been copied from his other posts but what is of more importance is to be able to view these stamps together as a thematic collection. I have also arranged these according to the date they were issued rather than include them in their original definitive issue, which in this case, would have left the arms overprints in their wrong positions. 

Maori Definitive Stamps

       As Mary and Allan have worked their way through the major issues of pictorial definitive stamps, they have come across many with Maori themes. This page is another of my thematic collections, gathering all these Maori stamps together in one place so they can be linked into our other collections of Maori stamps.
       I do not claim to have any knowledge of things Maori, my task is just to gather these stamps together so they can be viewed and enjoyed. Any information concerning these stamps has been provided by Allan or copied from his other pages in this blog.

Return to New Zealand Maori Index.

1898 Pictorials.

1898 The First Pictorial Issue.

8d - Maori War Canoe.

The 8d stamp contains a graphic eight with a Maori war canoe on the lower circle of the eight and a crown in the upper circle. Tree Ferns are drawn to the left of the eight and Cabbage Trees on the right.

Mitre Peak, Milford Sound.

Hi! My name is Asami.
        You may not have noticed but I have been doing a lot of work on this blog. I maintain the Health Stamp pages above because they contain internal links that can get rewritten by BlogSpot. I have also created that large index system that many of you are now using. Now I have been asked to do some thematic collections, collections of stamps with a similar theme.

        Recently Allan wrote that he thought there were five stamps showing that famous landmark, Mitre Peak, Milford Sound. I actually found 10 stamps so today I will be putting them into this collection for you.

First the subject of this post - Mitre Peak.
       Part of the reason for its being so famous is its location. Sitting across from the main Milford Sound tourist centres, it is a stunning sight rising near vertically to 5,560 feet (1,690 m), i.e. just over a mile, from the water of the sound. It is said to extend further under the water making the mountain much higher than its officially recorded height. The peak is actually a closely grouped set of five peaks, although from most easily accessible viewpoints it appears as a single point.
       The distinctive shape of the peak gives the mountain its name, after the mitre headwear of Christian bishops. It was named by Captain John Lort Stokes of the HMS Acheron. The Māori name for the peak is Rahotu. 

1995 - 1997 Scenic Definitives

Definitives Tour.

Back to 1994 $20 Mt Cook Definitive.                              Forward to 2000 Scenic Definitives.

        In 1995 New Zealand started issuing a new series of scenic definitives. This series continues until today with some amazing stamps being released over the years. Take that stamp to the right of the mighty kauri tree Tane Mahuta 'Lord of the Forest'. A stunning photograph with so much detail on such a little stamp. Over a period of time, I intend to post all of these stamps on this blog in a series of pages like this one below. 

        Tracking modern Definitive issues has become a lot harder as they are no longer issued in larger sets like they once were. So a collector has the choice of trying to group them over a period of a few years or show them in his collection according to date of issue. In presenting groups of stamps in this blog, we have a similar problem.
        (You may wish to check out our post on 1985 - 1993 Native Bird Definitives to see how much it took to sort that lot out!) 

       This post will cover the Scenic Definitives issued over the period 1995 - 1997. There were other definitives issued during that period but we have chosen to present only the scenic ones. The first stamp in this collection appeared in October 1995 and the last one in February 1997. Not a long period I know - a little over 1 year but there were some great stamps.

       We have also included the three miniature sheets, issued for stamp exhibitions, that also featured these stamps. There are two other items, a special booklet issue and some adhesive stamps too. I also plan to throw in any other items of interest that I might come across as I prepare this post.

1935 Pictorials

Definitive Tour.

Back to George V Definitives.                               Forward to George VI Definitives.

The 1935 Pictorial Issue.

         By 1931 several of the plates for the King George V definitive stamps were noticeably worn. Given that the design of the 1926 Admirals issue had been severely criticised, the authorities decided to try the same approach which had worked so well in 1898 - a design competition for a new set of pictorial stamps.

         Entries were divided into New Zealand subject groups: fauna, scenery, Maori art, agricultural, history and sport, then examples were chosen for the stamps being issued. Over 1,500 entries were received and designs from eleven contributors were included in the final set. Some unsuccessful entries can be seen at the bottom of this post.

         The stamps suffered a series of delays though - printing by photogravure was abandoned in favour of line etching with the exception of the ninepenny stamp which was the first New Zealand stamp printed by offset lithography. There were also issues with paper quality and the shilling stamp design was changed again just before issue. Finally, in 1935 the set was ready to be issued.

The Round Kiwis

 
       When I published my post on the 2014 Antarctica Penguins, Allan wrote a comment on the round design of the stamps. I objected to his comment and wanted it removed. He replaced it with a better-worded comment. During the course of discussing it, he mentioned that New Zealand had issued other round stamps. He even said there had been a series of Round Kiwis that looked like coins. So I went looking for them.

       In 1988 a stamp design appeared that was rather unique. It was New Zealand's first round stamp, featuring a kiwi in its design. The Maori motif around the border represents the kowhai tree flower, symbolising the continuous cycle of life. Like Allan said above, it actually appears more like a coin than a stamp. The stamp was engraved by G T Prosser of the British American Banknote Inc. Canada from a design completed by Allan Mitchell.
       This stamp was initially produced in a green colour (1988), in booklets of six stamps, later printings in sheet format were in red (1991), blue (1993) and purple (1997). The first three printings of this stamp were by Leigh-Mardon by intaglio with the red and blue printings in sheets of 24 stamps. The purple printing was produced by Southern Colour Print by lithography in sheets of 36 stamps.
        Kiwi are flightless, nocturnal birds endemic to Aotearoa. They emerge from their burrows after dark to forage noisily along the forest floor and sniff out worms and insects. Their nostrils are at the base of their bill and give the kiwi a superior sense of smell that makes up for its poor eyesight. Kiwi have been described as ‘honorary mammals’ because of their hair-like feathers, long tactile whiskers at the base of their bill, and their marrow-filled bones. Kiwi are also sometimes called ‘te manu huna a Tāne’ - the hidden bird of Tāne, the god of the forest.

1926 King George V Admirals.

1926  New Values.

    King George V Admirals. 

           By 1924 the demand for two and three shilling stamps was high enough that postal authorities considered it was worth producing new stamps rather than using 'Duty' stamps of those values. It was also decided to replace the one penny dominion with a new stamp as the plate needed replacing and the universal/dominion design had been in use for twenty-five years. Therefore these stamps must be considered as definitive stamps, usually seen by collectors as an addition to the 1915 King George V Definitives.

          The former Governor-General, Viscount Jellicoe, had been the commander of the British fleet at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, and so it was decided that the two and three shilling stamps would feature a portrait of King George V wearing the uniform of Admiral of the Fleet. General Sir Charles Fergusson, who had succeeded Viscount Jellicoe as Governor-General, was a distinguished soldier so the penny stamp was designed depicting King George V in the uniform of an Army Field Marshall.
          I have never paid much attention to these three stamps, while they are included in my collection, I didn't know much about them. When I discovered the story behind these designs I realised what a clever idea it was. Here is an issue that pays tribute to both the previous and current Governor-Generals of New Zealand, and the current King George V. 

1901 Universal - 1909 Dominion.

 Definitive Tour.

Back to 1898 Pictorials.                                     Forward to Edward VII Definitives.

        The Universal/Dominion design remained the New Zealand 1d definitive for 25 years. During that period it appeared in three major designs. This post is intended to discuss these three designs but not get into the large range of paper, and perf varieties. These special varieties are beyond the interest of most collectors so they are beyond the subject of this blog.

         We will view each of these three issues as I tell the story behind them and then we will consider the main theme of these stamps and discover who or what 'Zealandia' is. Finally, I will give you some tips on how to tell these three issues apart. Once you know what to look for it is easy and I will be using enlarged detail illustrations to show you.

1898 New Zealand's First Variety. (Error)

       Is this an error or a variety?

       New Zealand's best-known stamp error - the name of the lake was misspelt with an ‘i’ (Wakitipu)  instead of an ‘a’ (Wakatipu.) It caused considerable interest when issued and further printings were made to satisfy the purely philatelic and speculative demand. The consequence was that in its mint form, the error is more common than the correct spelling. Most of those who bought the stamp retained them unused and genuinely used copies are not common. You can see a used copy on the cover further down but it is in very poor condition.

See our post on the 1898 Pictorial Issue.

   

1898 2½d - Lake Wakitipu/Wakatipu error.

The error is on the left and the correct spelling on the right. 

1898 The First Pictorial Issue.

Definitive Tour.

Back to Sideface Issues.                          Forward to Universal / Dominion.

       This fascinating stamp issue holds a special interest for stamp collectors as it was among the world's earliest pictorial definitive issues. The issue followed the lead of New South Wales where a similar pictorial issue had just been released. 

        The decision to break away from featuring stamps with Queen Victoria's portrait was a bold one and not without some risk of offending public opinion. A design competition was held that attracted over 2,400 entries. The selection criteria - 'to include a representation of characteristic or notable New Zealand scenery in the design and a stamp issue symbolic of the land.'

           The quality of the winning designs was so great that a decision was made to print the issue using the more expensive recess printing method, with the anticipation that costs would be covered many times over by sales to stamp collectors. The stamps were engraved in England along with initial printings and subsequently printed in New Zealand from new plates supplied from England. The issue featured the same denominations as the Second Side-faces with a new 9d stamp added for overseas parcels, and two and five shilling stamps added for parcels, fiscals and telegrams.

1900 Boer War.

        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.

1977 Definitive 10c QE II

       This post is something a bit different. Instead of featuring a set or series of stamps I am going to be looking at only one stamp and an overprint added two years later. So first, lets me introduce you to our stamp. There she is to the right - the '1977 10c QE II.' 
        Intended as an addition to the 1975 Definitives, the 10c depicting Queen Elizabeth II, was issued in 1977 to meet a demand cause by a change in postal rates. Valued at the new letter postage rate of 10c meant this was a very common and well used stamp.
       In 1979 another change in postal rates meant the 10c value was no longer used for ordinary letters so the stamp was overprint with two solid bars over the old value and a new value of "14c." This type of stamp is commonly known as a Provisional.
       So that is the basic story of the stamp. One design and value overprint two years later. Since both these stamps were commonly used, large numbers printed and further reprints required. What makes this stamp so interesting is the large number of printing errors which can be found in both the original stamp and in its provisional sister.

The Design.

               The design was a simple portrait taken from the 1977 Silver Jubilee Issue which can be seen above. The second photo from the left was used which shows the Queen's facing towards the right, wearing a crown. When you compare this stamp below with the definitive versions you will notice that the Queen's shoulders has been trimmed off, making the picture more square than rectangle.

1985 - 93 Native Birds Definitives.

Definitives Tour.

Back to 1982 - 1985 Definitives.                              Forward to 1991 Butterfly Definitives.

         The Native Bird definitives issued during the late 1980s and early 1990s proves to be a confusing issue to lay out in an album or catalogue because it was issued over eight years on eleven different issue dates. Most dealers seem to place them in two sets with some extras after that but I've decided to lay them out as they were issued. This actually turned into an interesting exercise finding these dates then placing the stamps accordingly. 

         I have been unable to get a clear explanation as to why this set was issued in stages. The best reason I can think is that they were released as stocks of the older definitive series ran out.  
         Since this was one of our very early posts, in October 2017 we returned to this page to bring it up to the standard of our more recent posts. Descriptions were added for each bird and First Day Covers were added for each issue. During this process, we discovered we had missed a couple of issues which were also added.  

24th April 1985.

                               

    Kokako (Callaeas cinerea) - $1.00.                                  Black Robin (Petroica Traversi) - $2.

The first two values to be issued were the $1 and $2. These featured two rarer birds on a larger format stamp. 

(See the PhilexFrance '89 Miniature Sheet further down in 1989 which features colour separations of the $2 stamp.)