PEACE STAMPS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 211, 6 August 1945, Page 5

PEACE STAMPS

DESIGNS DESCRIBED

(Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 6. In amplification of his reply to the recent Farliamentary question about New Zealand peace stamps to be issued following the conclusion of hostilities with Japan, the Acting-Post-master-Geueral (Mr Jones) stated today that the full series comprised 11 denominations ranging from a halfpenny to Is. The half-penny denomination pictcd a beautiful and peaceful New Zealand scone—Lake Matheson and the Southern Alps—and was a fitting introduction to a peace series of stamps. The highest denomination in: the series, the Is stamp, had incorporated in its design the National Memorial Campanile in Wellington, a symbol of remembrance of the fallen in both wars; while the 9d denomination, depicting the Southern Alps and the Franz Josef Glacier as seen through the chapel window at Waiho Gorge, had been highly commended by those who had seen the proof as an outstanding example of the designing and engraving arts, and as an eminently suitable representation of the spirit of thankfulness for the saving of our ways of life. In the remaining denominations tributes were paid to our system of Government (Id); to the people of Britain (lid); to the Royal Family (2d); to tho Royal New Zealand Air Force (3d): to the Army in its various branches (4d); to the Navy and the Mcrcantilo Marine (od); to the workers on the home front (6d); and to the service and devotion of youth in the nation's cause (Sd). All the stamps had been designed by Mr J. Berry, of Wellington, who had designed a' considerable number of New Zealand stamps. The peacestamps were to be printed in England. With tho exception of the lj-d and Is values, for which the collogravure process was being adopted, all the stamps wore being produced by the intaglio process. The Minister said that initially designs for the stamps had been obtained from several wellknown artists and stamp designers' and these had been adjudicated upon bv a special committee consisting of Sir R. Heaton Rhodes (President of the Philatelic Society of New Zealand) and other representatives of the philatelic world, as well as representatives of the Post Office.