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Counterpart, Denoting, Fine Paid, Mortgagee's Indemnity and Not Liable stamps

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New Zealand fiscal and postage stamps were overprinted for various revenue purposes. Some are given below. Counterpart Counterpart stamps were attached to duplicate (i.e. counterpart) documents provided that the full stamp duty had been paid on the original. The counterpart fee was 2s 6d. The first issue was in 1870 and the design was Die I of the 1867 Revenue issue. The stamp on the left is Die II and was issued in 1880. In 1887, stamps were issued in the design of the revenue stamps of 1880, but with the word Counterpart in rather small letters above the value as in the example on the below. In 1916 the fee was increased to 3s 0d and ordinary revenue stamps were overprinted diagonally in black although special printings were made as the colour was always yellow. It exists both perf 14 and perf 14½x14. In 1927, the George V 3s 0d Admiral stamp was printed on Cowan paper, perf 14, in orange yellow and overprin
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1873 Newspaper Stamp.

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Definitive Tour.

  Originally there was no charge for newspapers forwarded through the post for delivery within New Zealand. However, with the number of newspapers posted frequently dwarfing paid mail, the Post Office decided it had to charge for newspaper delivery. A rate of 1d was imposed in 1864 and dropped again in 1865 due to public pressure, only to be reinstated in 1867.

          Inspired by the English 1870 ½d newspaper stamp, a decision was made in 1872 to reduce the cost of newspaper delivery to½d  and produce a similar stamp featuring a side view of the young Queen Victoria.

          The stamp was designed by the Government Printer, John Davies based on the contemporary English newspaper stamp. A woodblock die was carved in Melbourne, Australia, and electrotypes were produced from it by W.H. Kirk in Wellington making this the first stamp where the design, printing plate preparation and printing plates themselves were completed in New Zealand.

          The stamps were printed for 22 years. For 17 of those a special purpose paper watermarked with a six-rayed irregular star was used.

The Design.
Rose - ½d.
Side face view of Queen Victoria.
(Could be called New Zealand's first Side-Face postage stamp.)

The design shows the young Queen Victoria in the centre. Across the top are the words 'New Zealand.' Down each side is the value while the purpose, 'Newspaper Postage' is written across the bottom. A simple but quite effective design. A proofing metal medallion used during creation of the portrait can seen below.




Errors and Varieties.

  
 Three examples above, showing the variations of colour found in this stamp.

Although by the time of this stamp, all stamps were machine perforated, here is one that wasn't. It has been hand cut from the sheet. Bit of a rough job at cutting too!


A collection of 18 Newspaper Stamps showing varieties of colour and perf positions. Off centre stamps, even being cut into the design were common with this issue. Notice the different places that can be seen on the cancels too.

Two examples of poor perforations which was often a problem with these early stamps..


 A 12 stamp block of mint stamps with very poor perforations.


Usage of the Newspaper Stamp.


 A 1894 full Newspaper Wrapper with  ½d Rose, used Wellington to Pahiatua. The date stamp shows it was sent on 8/3/1894 but the large "Unclaimed" cachet tell us it was never claimed by Mr G Goldie.

A complete 1899 ½d Rose Newspaper Wrapper, used Dunedin to Waimate. It was used on a privately printed Dunedin Stock Exchange Monthly Share Report, and sent to The Chemist at Waimate. Another good example of usage of this stamp.

In the warning printed on each wrapper it say letters must not be included. "If the rule be infringed letter rate will be charged." On this 1899 ½d Rose Newspaper Wrapper that appears to have happened with the wrapper being uprated with a ½d Purple 2nd Side-Face stamp. The wrapper was used Oamaru to Christchurch, being changed a 1d rate, which makes a nice example of usage.
  
        The 1873 newspaper stamp was replaced by the ½d 2nd Sideface in 1895. They were meant to have been removed but some post offices continued using them for a while. By the year 1900 they were considered to be well gone but somehow the pair below got cancelled with the Wellington Flag cancel in the year 1900. 

Comments

  1. Anonymous12 April 2019 at 22:14

    An interesting study of an often overlooked stamp.
    John

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown25 August 2020 at 13:49

    I have a few of these that have the date and initial hand written on them, also second side faces as well as a number of different stamps form around that time. Can you tell me anything about these.?

    Thanks Tracey

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Allan snr27 August 2020 at 16:07

      I am unsure as to what you would like to know.

      Delete
  3. Ray McIntire, Springfield, TN2 November 2020 at 13:02

    Hello, and thank you for the service to philately by publishing your Blog! I have a perf 12 1/2 with a WMK that is not listed in Scott, and it may be in Gibbons. It is on the side of the stamp, so I can only see 1/2 or 1/3 of it, but it looks like a "washer" that would be used with a nut and bolt-- a circle inside a circle. A little more than 10mm high. I'm more than happy to send you an image. Have you seen this? Thanks, Ray McIntire, Springfield, Tennessee

    ReplyDelete

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