2003 / 2015 The Year of the Sheep.

        In 2003 and 2015 Chinese celebrated The New Year under the Chinese lunar sign The Year of the Sheep. In both years New Zealand Post issued stamps and a miniature sheet to mark this event. Following on with Allan's series of Chinese New Year issues, I will be looking at both of  these issues in this post. When we reach the Year of the Sheep for a third time I hope to include that issue here as well.

      See our complete collection of Chinese New Year Issues.

2015 The Year of the Sheep.

 The Chinese Zodiac consists of 12 signs of the zodiac – rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey rooster, dog and pig. Also known as Year of the Ram or Goat, the sheep is the eighth animal in the Chinese lunar calendar, and is known to be gentle and calm.
Calm and gentle, I like that; it describes sheep well. Sheep are not dumb animals as many would believe. The main problem is when they are being herded or handled be humans, they become stressed. Then all reason goes out the door. Take your time, herd them gently, keep the dogs backed off and you'll be amazed how much difference it makes.

1941 Cover to the HMS Prince of Wales.

Wow! This is postal history at its best.
          I found this cover while I was looking for examples for my third page on the 1931 Arms Fiscals. As I researched the last voyage of the HMS Prince of Wales I became more intrigued with the story. It quickly became clear that this cover never could have reached the ship in time, particularly if it went via London.
          When I showed Allan he suggested we give this item its own special post. So this post includes the cover and its story. Then I have shown a photograph of the mighty warship Prince of Wales and a description of the Japanese attack. Finally, as an extra bonus I have a Japanese postcard celebrating the "Sea Battle off Malaya 10 December 1941" which led to the loss of the two battleships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.  

2015 75th Anniversary of Air New Zealand.

         Air New Zealand originated in 1940 as Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL), a flying boat company operating trans-Tasman flights between New Zealand and Australia. TEAL became wholly owned by the New Zealand government in 1965, whereupon it was renamed Air New Zealand. The airline mainly served international routes until 1978, when the government merged it and the domestic-orientated New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC) into a single airline under the Air New Zealand name.
        Air New Zealand was largely privatised in 1989, but returned to majority government ownership in 2001 after a failed tie up with Australian carrier Ansett Australia (when Ansett suffered financial issues and folded operations during that year).
        In November 2013, The Fifth National Government reduced its share in Air New Zealand from 73% to 53% as part of its controversial asset sales programme. It made $365 million from this deal.
         Air New Zealand currently operates an international long-haul fleet consisting of mainly the Boeing 777 variant family, with Boeing 767-300 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft supplementing them. Airbus A320 aircraft operate on short-haul international routes (i.e. to Australia and the Pacific Islands), and on domestic routes alongside Boeing 737-300 airliners. 
        Air New Zealand's regional subsidiaries, Air Nelson, Eagle Airways, and Mount Cook Airline, operate additional short-haul New Zealand domestic services using turboprop aircraft.

1997 - Millennium Series I - Discoverers.

The first issue in the Millennium Series, leading up to the Year 2000, was called Discoverers. It had the theme of discovering and exploring New Zealand.

Millennium Series Overview.                   Millennium Series II

I was very impressed with this issue when I started to writing about it for this post. It is about six early explorers who visited New Zealand. Of course if we make a list of explorers of New Zealand, the first on our list would be Captain James Cook. There he is on the first stamp, the 40c value. 
The next two stamps are about the Maori explorers and discovers of New Zealand, Maui and Kupe. The final three stamps show the three other famous explorers from this early period. They are two Frenchmen, Jean de Surville, Dumont d'Urville and a Dutchman, Abel Tasman. 
Six Famous men, six amazing stories, six great stamps.

                    

40c - James Cook.                                                  80c - Kupe.                                                 $1.00 - Maui. 

                    

$1.20 - Jean de Surville.                               $1.50 - Dumont d'Urville.                                       $1.80 - Abel Tasman.              

Arms Postal Fiscals - Part One.

Forward to Arms Postal Fiscals - Part Two.



The Arms Design.

In 1929 Linley Richardson was commissioned to design a new set of fiscal stamps. His design incorporated his own interpretation of the New Zealand Coat of Arms which varied considerably from the version authorised by Royal Warrant and included the New Zealand flag in place of the Union Jack. Compare this with the old type NZ Arms below.



4/- Red - NZ Arms

An interesting and Detailed Design, often overlooked by collectors.  

Index Eleven - 2015 - 2019.

Stamps Issued 2010 - 2014

Dark Blue: - Link to Featured Post.

Light Blue: - Link to Part of Set or Mention.

Back to Stamps Issued 2010 - 2014.

2014 Baypex National Stamp Show.



This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Hastings Stamp Collectors Club and the 80th anniversary of the Hawke’s Bay Philatelic Society. To mark these significant anniversaries, a National Stamp Show is being held in the Hawke’s Bay.

          Baypex 2014 took place from 14 to 16 November 2014 at the Pettigrew Green Arena in Taradale, Napier. Hawke’s Bay is home to the twin cities of Hastings and Napier, known for their fine wine, Art Deco architecture and stunning weather.

         To commemorate Baypex 2014, New Zealand Post is issuing an exhibition miniature sheet and exhibition souvenir cover. The unique collectables show the iconic Soundshell from the Marine Parade in Napier. These special collectables incorporate three stamps from the For King & Empire stamp issue into the miniature sheet.
        Each day of the exhibition a different postmark, designed by Alan Hollows of New Zealand Post, was used on items posted at the exhibition. Below are proofs of the three cancels for the dates 14th through 16th of November, 2014.

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

You can visit their web site and On-line Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/ 

Some information on this post came from the NZ Post Web Site. 

The special exhibition postmark cancels came from the web site of

The Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand Inc.

Postage Due Issues

      

         Hi from Anne. I never had much interest in stamps until Allan showed me this blog. I asked if I could help him and he gave me all the New Issues to post. "These don't need any special knowledge. All the information available is on the NZ Post site," he said. When I wanted to do more he and Mary gave me some extra projects, the postage dues being one of them.

         This post is special in that I used Asami's Main Index, on this blog, to find the three issues rather than a catalogue as we usually have done. Once I knew there were three issues, I then went in search of the stamps. I laid these out on the page and showed them to Allan. My efforts were rejected as not interesting enough.

        So I went looking for some special items of postal history and Allan pulled a few items out of his large library of stamp images. If you are reading this, then I've been allowed to push the publish button.

1994 - Second Heritage Series - Emerging Years 1950s

Back to Emerging Year 1940s               Overview of the Complete Series.

The 1950s.

          The 1950s were a time of prosperity, comfort, full employment and a healthy economy. In contrast to the extremes of the previous decades, the 1950s gave New Zealanders much to be content about.  

          Our contribution during the war, outstanding achievements in the international sports arena, the conquest of Mount Everest, social welfare and education systems of world class standard - even words of flattery from the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II - New Zealand was becoming a mighty little country in its own right. New Zealanders understandably discovered a new sense of pride and patriotism.         
                                   
          This is my decade. I was born in 1955, about half-way through the 10 years. Of course I personally remember nothing myself but family photos and stories have told me much of what things were like then. It was certainly a good time for New Zealand. My family moved from the city to live on the country property I live on today.

Queen Victoria Fiscal Stamps - Part Four.

        Back to QV Fiscal Stamps - Part Three.

         In this, our last post on the QV Fiscal Stamps, we are going to look at the design of the long-type fiscal/postal series from 1880 and compare them with the 1882 2nd Side-Faced Issue. Then I have some examples of how the QV Fiscal Stamps were used, both for revenue stamp duty and for postage.

I love to enlarge these old stamps, blow them up as far as I can when I get a good quality image. It is only then that we can really enjoy the fine workmanship of these classic stamps. Often enlarging brings out details that are missed in the tiny images. For example in the image above of the 6/- Rose, look at the fine detailing in the scrolling work in the borders. Also, it was only when I enlarged the image that I discovered the ferns in the triangles in each corner. Notice the fine detail that has gone into Queen Victoria's crown.   

1993 - Second Heritage Series - Emerging Years 1940s.

Overview of the Complete Series. 

Back to Emerging Years 1930s.         Forward to Emerging Years 1950s.

The 1940s.

          It was a decade of enormous contrast. From the harsh tragedy and shortages of war ... to VJ Day ... to the enormous nationwide party which seemed to continue right through the latter half of the 1940s. The pendulum had swung.

         Those who were around in the 40s - as children, as civilians or in the services - will recall the extremes of war and the celebration of peace. It was a decade which saw New Zealand come of age. Fresh from the hardship of the 1930s depression, then plunged into war, we became a mature society with a developing sense of national identity. It was a turning point, as the 'New Zealander' - a person with national pride and values - began to emerge.

         The two major developments shown on these stamps was Hydro Electricity, delivering clean, green power, and Aerial Topdressing, improving pasture and farming, which was reflected in greater exports. They both had long term effects on that even today continue to deliver benefits for New Zealand. 

The KiwiStamp

No Value Indicated - The KiwiStamp. 

        "Easy to understand and simple to use, these non-denominated stamps will always be worth the required postage of a Standard Post™ medium letter. You can also use multiple KiwiStamp™ postage stamps on a range of letter sizes or to send letters by FastPost™."
         That is how NZ Post promoted these stamps on their web site. The concept is simple, a stamp that will always be worth the required postage of a standard letter, regardless of how much the price of postage may rise between purchase and use.
         The stamps first appeared in 2009 then were reissued again in 2011. Of course all the stamps of both issues were self-adhesive being mainly sold in booklets or coils.

2009 KiwiStamp Issue.

        The 2009 KiwiStamp issue marked New Zealand Post's first venture into non-denominated stamps. Each stamp covers the base delivery rate within New Zealand of a small envelope using standard postage (50 cents at the time of issue). Two stamps are required for express delivery (FastPost) and extra stamps for larger sized envelopes.

        Marketed as a customer convenience, they also had the added benefit of allowing New Zealand Post to raise postage rates at any time without needing to print new stamps. New stamps and designs were introduced in the 2011 KiwiStamp issue.

Queen Victoria Fiscal Stamps - Part Three.

Back to QV Fiscal Stamps - Part Two.               Forward to QV Fiscal Stamps - Part Four.

1880 QV Long-type Fiscal Stamps - The Complete Set. 

      In my first post on the Queen Victoria Fiscal Stamps, we looked at a series of issues leading up to the famous 1880 Revenue/Postage stamps. In my second post, we looked at the 1880 set itself. Included in that post was a set of the stamps most commonly used for postage after these stamps were authorised for postal use in 1882.

       Now we come to the question - What about all the other stamps from this series? Well, there is a large number of them, around 60 approx., it is hard to tell as some values appear in different colour shades so I'm unsure if they are varieties or separate stamps. I now think I have all the values except for one and in time I hope to fill in this gap too. The main purpose of this post will be to show all of them, as in this way you can get an idea of the actual size of this important issue.

       As you go through the collection on this page you will notice some appear to be mint while others have been cancelled in various ways, using date strikes, punch marks and handwritten dates. As I said above, I have also included some more obvious colour varieties too.

      Also, notice how the design changes as you go down the page. It is particularly noticeable in the frame around Queen Victoria's head. This is very similar to what happened in the Side-face postal issues as well. The design retains the words 'New Zealand' at the top and 'Stamp Duty' further down but the frame around Queen Victoria's portrait goes from a circle to part circle top and bottom. It then becomes a square, a hexagon and finally to an elliptical circle.     

1993 - Second Heritage Series - Emerging Years 1930s

 Overview of the Complete Series.

Back to Emerging Years 1920s                    Forward to Emerging Years 1940s

The 1930s.

        In stark contrast to the previous carefree decade, the 1930s brought hardship and strife to most New Zealanders. By the end of 1931 the country was firmly in the grip of a worldwide economic depression. It was not until Labour's landslide election victory in 1935 that the tide turned. Little did New Zealanders know that their bright new vision of the future would last just four years before they were plunged into the bloodiest World War in history. 

        I did not experience the Great Depression myself but I've heard a lot about it from my parents and uncles, aunties etc. There are the funny stories about the guy who used waste solvent from a printing factory to run his car. Bright coloured smoke coming out the back. Or the stories of rationing, swapping food and vegetables, no work and long dole lines of men waiting for work. Both my grand-fathers worked more than one job.  

         Many people got over it as times got better but equally many never did. They always saved everything, ready for when times get hard. Never wanting to borrow money or get into debt. Always ensuring debt is repaid, right down to the last penny. These are habits from the tough times of the 1930s, The Great Depression.   

Overview of the Complete Series.

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.

Index Ten - 2010 - 2014

Stamps Issued 2010 - 2014

Dark Blue: - Link to Featured Post.

Light Blue: - Link to Part of Set or Mention.

Back to Stamps Issued 2005 - 2009.

Index Nine - 2005 - 2009

Stamps Issued 2005 - 2009

Dark Blue: - Link to Featured Post.

Light Blue: - Link to Part of Set or Mention.

Back to Stamps Issued 2000 - 2004.

Index Eight - 2000 - 2004

Stamps Issued 2000 - 2004

Dark Blue:- Link to Featured Post.

Light Blue:- Link to Part of Set or Mention.

Back to Stamps Issued 1995 - 1999.

Queen Victoria Fiscal Stamps - Part Two.

Back to QV Fiscal Stamps - Part One.               Forward to QV Fiscal Stamps - Part Three.



1880 Queen Victoria Long-Type Postal Fiscals.

The 1880 Queen Victoria Long types are by far the most diverse set of revenue stamps printed in New Zealand. 14 different printings were made over the 51-year history of the issue (even long after Queen Victoria had died!) with different papers, watermarks and perforations evident between each issue. This, combined with the wide range of values, from 4d to 1000 pounds, makes this an exceptionally interesting set to study.

A History of the Issue.

        By 1878 the die II revenue printing plates were beginning to wear. This resulted in several options for their replacement being considered. In 1878 and the following years, several important decisions were made by the New Zealand government. These resulted in major changes to both postage and revenue stamp production.

1878

        It was decided that for the 1d denomination, most in demand of the revenue stamps, a new stamp of a completely different design would be introduced. Since this stamp would be used on many different documents a more convenient size was also considered. This resulted in the introduction of a smaller sized stamp based upon the British 1d Inland Revenue stamp. The design also reflected some of the current stamps in New Zealand's 1882 Second Side-Faced issue. Initially, this stamp was printed in lilac (15th June 1878) but due to the stamp's faded appearance was later printed in blue (from 14th December 1878).

            

1878 - 1d Lilac.                                  1878 - 1d Blue.

1992 - Second Heritage Series - Emerging Years 1920s.

Overview of the Complete Series.               Forward to Emerging Years 1930s

The 1920s.

         The 1920s were a good time to be alive. Sandwiched between World War I and the Great Depression, they were an oasis of peace and prosperity. They were boom years in New Zealand. The toll from war and disease touched countless homes and the losses would never be forgotten. But in this war-weary country, youth, both male and female, were ready to rebel a little, to test the limits of social customs. It was youth that became a force of its own for the first time. The arrival of the 'wireless', reliable motorcars, the cinema, The Invincibles and increased leisure time, combined with a post-war mood of release and optimism, created a period known for its love of fun and leisure activities.

       That is how NZ Post describes it on their website.  This is a period that stood-out between two decades of doom and gloom. With the appearance of radio, cars and air travel, it is easy to see why this generation stood out as different. They had things their parents never had and so they wanted to experience this new era of new ideas, new technology and new freedoms. 

       My parents were born in the twenties, Mum in 1926 and Dad in 1929. They never remembered much, being so young, their first real memories were from the thirties and the Great Depression.

      I like the stamps of this issue, they are interesting, like they are calling me to tell their stories. Each stamp gives me a feeling of boldness and confidence. The words 'New Zealand' and the value is shown clearly with the stamp's title in smaller text across the bottom. A simple, yet effective design repeated over all six stamps. They even have a twenties look about them too.

2014 Ross Dependency - Penguins of Antarctica.

       
       Antarctica is a cold remote place few people other than scientists get to visit. But with many people there is a fasciation with animals and scenery from this continuant. That is why each year the annual Ross Dependency issue is so well received by stamp collectors.   

         Penguins are the most commonly found birds in Antarctica, and the Ross Dependency 2014 stamp issue features five unique breeds of penguin that choose to call this cold, dry continent home. The stamps are unusual in that they round instead of the usual rectangle shape.

         Truly flightless birds, penguins have evolved traits that make them perfect for icy conditions such as those of Antarctica. While many different colonies of penguins live in Antarctica, the majority of the world’s penguins prefer to inhabit other cooler waters in the Southern Hemisphere. A layer of fat under their feathers keeps them warm and a white belly acts as a camouflage keeping them safe from predators when swimming under ice.

Second Heritage Series - Emerging Years Series.

  First Heritage Series.                    Second Heritage Series.                    Third Heritage Series.

 

    The second series of Heritage Stamps comprised four issues during 1992 through 1994. Four issues about four decades, the 1920s, the 30s, the 40s, and the 50s. These were decades of change, a time when New Zealand grew to emerge as the nation it is today. It would be impossible to record every event over every ten years on six small postage stamps but that is not intended here. These issues are not recording history, they are recording cultural and heritage change. They try to capture the atmosphere, the mood of change within each decade, as well as recording events or inventions that helped drive these changes.

       There are four issues and so I decided to create four posts, each linked from this page. I hope to publish them all over the next few weeks. But for now here is the whole series, all four issues, comprising 24 stamps with brief captions. As I complete each decade I might come back and add more text here as well.

Queen Victoria Fiscal Stamps - Part One.

Forward to QV Fiscal Stamps - Part Two.

When New Zealand introduced postage stamps in 1855 it soon became apparent that stamps could also be useful for the payment Government taxes and levies. This was introduced in 1867 and soon became known as 'Stamp Duty.' Upon payment, a revenue stamp (Fiscal Stamp) would be attached to the transaction document as proof of payment. Often these stamps would also be signed and dated as well. Sometimes holes were punched in them as well to signify that they were used. 

Is this wrong? The Date is too early!



         Revenue stamps were officially introduced on 1st January 1867, however, it appears that some were released earlier as the above image clearly shows the date 17/12/1866. It is unlikely this date was written in error as presumably the new year would well and truly be entrenched in the clerk's mind by November 1867, some 11 months later, so we should consider the date must have been November 1866 and the stamp was used before its official issue date.

1990 - Treaty of Waitangi 150th Anniversary

 For an index to all our posts concerning The Maori People.

        I have just completed a series of posts on the six heritage issues leading up to the celebrating of 150 years since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi so I thought I should include the stamp issue on the anniversary itself. My purpose here is not to go into great detail on the history and debate surrounding this treaty, but rather just celebrate it as the founding document of the nation of New Zealand.

              The Treaty of Waitangi (Māori: Tiriti o Waitangi) is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand.
        The Treaty established a British Governor of New Zealand, recognised Māori ownership of their lands and other properties, and gave the Māori the rights of British subjects. The English and Māori versions of the Treaty differed significantly, so there is no consensus as to exactly what was agreed to. From the British point of view, the Treaty gave Britain sovereignty over New Zealand, and gave the Governor the right to govern the country. Māori believed they ceded to the Crown a right of governance in return for protection, without giving up their authority to manage their own affairs.
         After the initial signing at Waitangi, copies of the Treaty were taken around New Zealand and over the following months many other chiefs signed. In total there are nine copies of the Treaty of Waitangi including the original signed on 6 February 1840. Around 530 to 540 chiefs, at least 13 of them women, signed the Treaty of Waitangi.

1963 - 1973 Railway Locomotives.

         For other stamps with a train theme see our collection Trains of New Zealand.
                    1963 Railway Century.

A two value issue to mark 100 years of railways in New Zealand. The first railway line in New Zealand ran from Christchurch to Ferrymead and was completed in 1863, the centenary of the event was commemorated by an issue of these two stamps.

The 10 Class DF (2-Co+Co-2) introduced in 1954 were New Zealand's first main-line diesel-electric locomotive. Built by English Electric of Great Britain the DFs and their half size sisters the DGs were soon superseded by the more robust USA build DA Class. Although depicted here hauling a Main Trunk express under the watchful Mount Ruapehu in the background, they spent most of their working life on less important routes such as the Bay of Plenty line.