Philatelist shoots down stolen-stamps report

Press, 16 August 1976, Page 5

Philatelist shoots down stolen-stamps report

No evidence has been found that unperforated sheets of the “rose” postage stamps were stolen from their English printers, and then offered for sale, according to Mr Peter Oldham, secretary of the New Zealand Stamp Dealers’ Association.

Writing in the journal of the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand, Mr Oldham details inquiries which involved Post Office headquarters, the New Zealand High Commission at London, and the New Zealand Police. Last March, the newsletter of the Christchurch Philatelic Society published an item which said that the 3c stamp had been reported without perforations. “We understand that these stamps, and similar varieties of the 4c, sc, and 6c values, are from a supply of sheets removed from the premises of Harrison and Sons, Ltd., London,” it said.

“They were later offered for sale. We are informed that a former employee of

the printing firm has been arrested in connection with the matter.” Dealers and collectors were worried. Imperforate stamps issued by the Post Office are classed as genuine; those stolen from printers as printer’s waste, of little value. Two dealers were quoted as the source of the information which sparked off the biggest philatelic investigation for years. The dealers’ association finally established that the original supplier lived at Wellington. He said he had bought imperforate sheets from a post office. Meanwhile an independent police investigation led to stocks of imperforate 3c stamps, held by a dealer, being taken into custody. Detective SeniorSergeant A.G.I. Rogers told the Christchurch Philatelic Society in July that inquiries were complete. The stamps, he said, had not been stolen, but had been bought in New Zealand. Harrison’s was approached through the High Commission.

The firm said it knew of no stamps having been stolen, but a major investigation was being launched.

Mr Oldham says the source of the original supplier’s stock has not been established; but the stamps could have been bought from a New Zealand post office. “If the sheets were, in fact, bought from a post office, it would perhaps be reasonable to ask how they escaped the watchful eyes of Harrison’s checkers, and the post office tellers,” Mr Oldham says. Although the affair is not regarded as closed, Mr Oldham says there is “a very strong probability” that the stamps were sold legally. Had all involved checked their facts, and avoided passing on unfounded rumours, much time, worry, and expense would have been saved.

Genuinely issued imperforate stamps have been absent from recent issues, but a pair of the 1962 8d telegraph centennial stamps is catalogued at $7OO.