THE HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND STAMPS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21974, 24 December 1936, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND STAMPS

(By R.J. G. Collins)

In engraving the plates for the pictorial issue of 1898, the mis-spel-ling of Wakatipu was not the only mistake .that was made. Through a misunderstanding, the designs intended for the Id and 4d values were reversed. The selection of a two-colour design for the lower value involved a costly and slow process of two separate printings. Further, at a conference of the Universal Postal Union held at Washington, U.S.A., it was decided to adopt standard colours for the three basic values. So far as New Zealand was concerned, this meant that the 16 value should be in green, the Id in red and the ZJd In blue. In 1900 the colour of the Jd was changed to green, the 2d to violet and the 6d to red. In addition, new plates were prepared for the Id and 4d value according to the original decision and the id red therefore showed the white terraces and the 4d, with the centre in blue and the frame in-brown, X-akc Taupo.

An addition was made to the pictorial set in 1901 by the adoption of a SSign for a lid value. Ongmally this new stamp was issued to commemorate the part which the New Zealand contingents were playing in the South African war. but it remained in use until 1915 until replaced by the lid bearing the head of King George V. It is usual to look upon the ljd of 1901 as a regular postal issue, rather than as merely a commemorative. It is,therefore dealt with here and not in a later section comprising the special commemorative issues. The design which was symbolical, contained an unusual amount of detail including both mounted and foot soldiers; the New Zealand flag New Zealand flora and a female figure with wings, representing the Empire calling. The design was the work of Mr J. Nairn,, of Wellington, but the die was engraved by Mr H. G. Thomas, pf New York, U.S.A., where the plate was manufactured. The printing, however, was done at the Government Printing Office, Wellington. A further point of interest in relation to this stamp is that the original colour selected was officially described as khaki because it was during the South African war that this shade of brown was adopted as a colour for the soldiers' uniforms • The' year 1901 will always remain one of the most momentous years in the history of the New Zealand Postal Department. Legislative authority had been obtained in 1891 for an inland id postage rate, but it was not until August 17, 1900, that an announcement was made, that on and after January 1 following, the charge on letters, both within New Zealand and to the countries of the Postal Union, would be Id per four ounces. To symbolise this important reform it was decided to issue a special stamp and the President of fee Royal Academy was invited to draw the design. Though Sir Edward Pointon, the President, be-

Part V.—The Pictorials of 1900-01 and the Id Universal

gan drawing, illness prevented him from continuing and the stamp as

issued was largely the work of an engraver named Guido Bach, ii the employ of Waterlow and Sons, London. The design as adopted showed a draped symbolical figure of "Zealandia" standing upon a quay and holding in her left hand the caduceus staff, the ancient symbol of Mercury, the messenger of the Gods. In the left background there was an outlined drawing of Mount Egmont with a mail steamer in front of the mountain A globe appeared to the. right of Zea andia and the inscription "Universal Postage" was in a curve beneath the figure. The Rt. Hon, Sir J. G. Ward, who was Postmaster-General at that time, was optimistic that New Zealand's example of universal Id postage would be followed by other countries, but unfortunately this was not so, and he even had aitnculty in having the stamp recognised as a sufficient franking value to other countries. Particular opposition was offered by the Australian States. Notwithstanding this opposition it was decided to go on with the project. The General Post Office. Wellington, was brilliantly illuminated and a distinguished gathering attended an official function at the Post Office, on the evening, of December 31. 1900. As the clock began striking the hour of midnight, ushering in a new century envelopes bearing the new stamps were ceremoniously posted and for the first time in New Zealand the authorities provided special commemorative first day envelopes. As many thousands of letters were posted throughout New Zealand on the first day, the stamps with the postmark of January 1,1901, though interesting as souvenirs, have not acquired very much value. The first printing of the Id Universal, comprising one n}»i lon stamps, was made by Messrs Waterlow aftd Sons, London, but In March, 1901, the first local printings appeared. During 1901 and 1902 the Government Printer was encountering difficulty in obtaining satisfactory stamp paper and several makes were tried before a useful paper was found. Several different perforating machines were being used in Wellington at this period, and the paper changes, perforation varieties and the fact that new plates were introduced in 1902 1903, 1906 and 1907, have made the Id Universal one of the most complicated stamps ever issued, but here, as in several other instances, the yoUM collector is advised to spare himself

worry by leaving the varieties to the specialists. Apart from the introduction of new plates in the original design, an imoortant change was made in December, 1908, when the Id was printed by the surface process. In the surface printed stamps the rosettes in the upper corners were altered and the shading on the globe was made diagonal, whereas in the original type the' shading was vertical. Like the l|d the Id universal was commemorative in nature, but it replaced the Id of 1000 and was the regular id postage stamp for a very long period..