ANZAC STAMPS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 106, 6 May 1936, Page 6

ANZAC STAMPS

WORLD-WIDE DEMXNL HEAVY FIRST-DAY ORDERS First day sales totalling £1897 at the four chief centres and at the General Post Office demonstrate how widespread is the interest in this distinctive commemorative issue. The overseas demand has been exceptional, orders having come from the United •States, Canada, South Africa Australia, Britain, Austria, and Sweden. Philatelic journals and prominent newspapers in several countries reproduced the design which has been described as well worthy of the historic subject. The Anzac issue revived interest in the ianding on Gallipoli,., and articles ha' e been published describing this, famous exploit of the Australian and New Zealand forces. Many ex-service men in other parts of the world who had been associated with the Anzavs have secured sets of the commemorative stamps. Anticipating that the philatelic demand for first-day covers would be heavy the Post Office arranged for a free distribution of envelopes on a generous scale,, but four printings involving 116,000 envelopes proved insufficient and it was impossible to secure a general last-minute distribution to cope with final orders The first-day c-over sales greatlv exceeded those of the New Zealand and Western Samom pictorial issues. Branches of the New Zealand Beamed Soldiers’ Association throughout the Dominion are now engaged in ac;ive campaigns to promote the sale of ihe Anzac stamps half the proceeds being for the relief of necessitous returned soldiers and their dependents The Post Office has experienced a steady dailv demand for the new issue and it has already become evident that highly -atisfactorv results will be shown by rhe time the Anzac stamps are withdrawn from sale at the close of business on .Tune 2< 1 .