NEW STAMP ISSUES

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1933, Page 8

NEW STAMP ISSUES

SOME EFFECTIVE DESIGNS. ACHIEVEMENTS IN ART. New issues of stamps are not exactly a novelty in these hard times. Many countries who have felt the economy pinch have turned to sj new stamp issue as one way of “raising the wind,” at least for a time, as after every new issue comes a certain demand from philatelists throughout the world. These are especially catered for in many places by the issue of stamps of denominations that are not called for in the ordinary way once a month, yet • such stamps have been made beautiful enough in design that no conscientious collector can afford to be without them. One might quote as a nearby example some of the extremely beautiful stamps issued by the New Zealand Government for use in Rarotonga. Still New Zealand has not been an egregious offender in this respect, and the new issue of stamps to be made early in the new year, the designs of which with one exception are published, may be said to be timely, as those at present in Use have no great claim to artistic beauty. Indeed, the most-used stamp—the penny—bearing the likeness of the King wearing a cocked hat, has been most severely criticised by philatelic authorities here and abroad as not conceding much to that phase of art concerned with the designing of stamps. The new issue cannot be said to lack such qualities. Among them are some designs of great beauty arid originality. It would not be out of place to mention by way of indication the 2Jd stamp, with its majejstic view of Mt. Cook, enwreathed in a floral setting of mountain lilies; the 3s stamp, which envisages Mt. Egmont grandly; the 5d stamp, which gives a flashing representation of a leaping swordfish, which is all action and vitality, and is the kind of stamp which will convey to sportsmen the world over what we have to offer in the way of deep-sea fishing. Perhaps the most unique will be the nine penny stampp, which is simply a panel of Maori design in the style of the decorative art used to elaborate the heke (rafters) and the kaho w (cross beams) of the native meeting-houses. This, particular stamp, owing to the decision to print it in two colours (black and red), did not lend itself to either intaglio ,or the photogravure process, so is being lithographed by Messrs. Waterlow and Company, Ltd., of London, who have already submitted a satisfactory proof to the department.

The designs for the new stamps were selected at the end of 1931, and it was thought that they would have been made available ere this, but delay has been caused by unforeseen difficulties. In the first place, having in view the perfection of certain photogravure-processed stamps issued by other countries, it was originally intended to have the new series reproduced by means of that process, and arrangements were made accordingly. However, it was found upon the arrival of the proofs from London in the Dominion that the department’s expectations could not be realised. It then became necessary* to abandon the photogravure process in favour of the intaglio or lineengraved process. To that end arrangements are now under way for Messrs, de fa Rue and Company, of London, to produce the stamps, with the one exception already mentioned, by the latter process.