New Zealand: King George VI Issues

Here is the basic definitive set of 1938-1952 :




and the 'Officials' :




NB: Images from the web!



Dave

1940 Centennial Set :




Planning for the commemorative 1940 Centennial of British Sovereignty issue began in 1936. The stamps were designed by James Berry and Leonard Mitchell, both of Wellington and were selected from designs submitted by 19 artists. Most of the stamp designs were dual-colour.

The halfpenny stamp features the designers impression of the arrival of Maori in New Zealand. The stamp shows emaciated and exhausted Maori struggling up the beach after weeks spent battling the oceans and weather in open canoes.

The penny stamp features the Endeavour and Captain Cook with the map of New Zealand that Cook produced after circumnavigating both islands in 1769.

The penny halfpenny Sovereigns stamp features British Royalty at that time - King George VI in the centre with Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V and King Edward VIII. This is the only New Zealand stamp with Edward VIII on as he abdicated from the throne after less than a year as King. The 10d surcharge on this stamp is listed separately under the 1944 Sovereigns Provisional issue.

The twopence stamp features Abel Tasman, the first European to sight the New Zealand coast in 1642. Tasman was unable to land on the rocky west coast, but continued to sail north and then east, where one of his boats was attacked by Maori in waka, and four of his men were killed. The country was subsequently named after the Netherlands province of Neiuw Zeeland, but not being a viable trade partner was not visited again for over a century.

The 2½d stamp features the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on the 5th of February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown, and various Maori chiefs from the northern North Island. The Treaty established a British governor in New Zealand, recognised Maori ownership of their lands and other properties, and gave Maori the rights of British subjects. After the initial signing at Waitangi, copies of the Treaty were taken around New Zealand and over the following months many other chiefs signed. However, the English and Maori language versions of the Treaty differ significantly, and so there is little consensus to exactly what was agreed to.

The three penny stamp shows European settlers disembarking from their ships and meeting local Maori. The New Zealand Company which was formed in 1839 to promote the colonisation of New Zealand was a profit making organisation that sought to buy land cheaply from the indigenous residents and sell it to speculators and "gentleman settlers" at a much higher sum. Emigrants would provide labour to break in the lands and cater to their employers' everyday needs. They would eventually be able to buy their own land, but high land prices and low rates of pay would ensure they first laboured for many years. The company stridently opposed the Treaty of Waitangi and was frequently criticised by the Colonial office and New Zealand governors for its "trickery" and lies. Settlers often arrived to harsh conditions nothing at all like the elaborate and false advertisements they had seen before departing.

The four penny stamp features land, sea and air transport. The development of New Zealand relied on the establishment of road and railway links across the country. The geographical isolation of New Zealand made it very dependent on sea and later air links with trading partners.

The five penny stamp depicts the assertion of British Sovereignty over the South Island with the hoisting of the British flag at Akaroa on the 11th of August 1840. The area was settled that same year by French settlers who had intended to establish a colony.

The sixpence stamp features the Dunedin's first shipment of frozen mutton for the United Kingdom. In the 1870s, New Zealand exported large amounts of wool, but the wool market was in decline. In the United Kingdom, there was a shortage of meat to feed the expanding population. The Dunedin (1876-82) was the first ship to complete a truly successful transport of refrigerated meat. In its capacity, it helped set the stage for New Zealand's success as a major provider of agricultural exports despite its geographical isolation.

The sevenpence stamp features a traditional Maori Council held in front of the meeting house.

The nine penny stamp features gold mining from the 1860s gold rush and a more modern gold dredge. Gabriel Read's discovery of gold at Gabriel's Gully in 1861 led to the Central Otago gold rush, with the population of the gold field rising from virtually zero to around 11,500 within a year.

The one shilling stamp features "A Giant Kauri", a coniferous tree found north of 38 degrees South in the northern districts of New Zealand's North Island. It is the largest species of tree by volume in the country, standing up to 50m tall above the forest's main canopy.

The eight penny Maori Council stamp replaced the seven penny when parcel rates were increased as a result of the outbreak of war.


Acknowledgement to the stampsnz.com website for the above info.



Dave

1941 Provisionals Set :





During the Second World War, postal rates increased by ½d while stamp colours still had to meet the Universal Postal Union's requirements. To fill this role, the ½d stamp from the 1938 King George VI issue was surcharged 1d and the 1½d stamp surcharged 2d. This was a temporary measure to use up stocks and the stamps were printed in the correct colours without the surcharge later in 1941.



The 1938 King George VI stamps were surcharged again near the end of their life in the early 1950s.



Acknowledgement to the stampsnz.com website for the above info.



Dave

1946 Peace Set :




The designs for the 1946 Peace issue were prepared in 1943 by James Berry who designed many of the 1940 Centennial stamps. They were greatly admired and when Stanley Gibbons ran a competition to determine the 12 best stamp designs of 1945 and 1946, four of the stamps came from this issue, with the nine penny view of Franz Josef Glacier winning first prize.

Large quantities of sheets of this issue were purchased by returning servicemen as investments, making this issue very easy to source, even today.

All stamps were recess printed except the 1½d and shilling stamps which were the first New Zealand stamps to be printed by photogravure.

The halfpenny stamp features Lake Matheson with the Southern Alps in the background, including Mount Cook and part of the Fox Glacier.

The penny stamp shows Parliament House in Wellington with a portrait of King George VI inset in an oval frame to the left.

The 1½d stamp has Saint Paul's Cathedral in London superimposed over the Union Jack in the background with a large 'V' for victory and laurel sprays on each side. Below Saint Pauls is inscribed "This was their finest hour". James' original design featured a portrait of Winston Churchill in the place of Saint Pauls - this was the only stamp where the design had to be altered as at that stage, only the portraits of members of the royal family, or dead famous people could be included on stamps.

The twopence stamp features the Royal Family - King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in a frame in the shape of the Royal Crown. At the top is inscribed "In Peace, long may they Reign"

The 3d stamp features the badge of the Royal New Zealand Air Force with the aircraft that New Zealanders flew alongside the RAF during the Battle of Britain to the left. To the right are civilian aircraft that the pilots will fly in peace with a white dove in the top right border.

The four penny stamp is a similar tribute to the New Zealand Army, with a tank in Egypt replaced with a tractor on the farm. New Zealand forces played a prominent role in in Africa, Italy and the Pacific during the Second World War.

The five penny stamp completes the trilogy with a tribute to the Royal New Zealand Navy with HMNZS Achilles in the war time role and the MV Dominion Monarch on the right.

The Achilles, manned by New Zealanders, was one of three British naval vessels in the Battle of the River Plate in 1939 which tracked down and engaged the German pocket battleship 'Admiral Graf Spee'. The Graf Spee was damaged in the battle and docked for repairs in the neutral port of Montevideo, but was forced by international law to leave within 72 hours. Faced with what he believed to be overwhelming odds, the German captain scuttled his ship rather than risk the lives of his crew.

Prior to the war, the Dominion Monarch was the largest ship in the Australasian trade and with a low passenger to crew ratio, offered exceptional luxury and service. During the Second World War she was stripped of her fittings and utilised as a troop transport eventually bringing New Zealand troops home after the war. She was refitted and returned to her former role after the war.

The sixpence stamp features the New Zealand Coat of Arms with steel workers to the left and agriculture to the right and various tools and implements at the bottom under the inscription 'onward'. At the top of the stamp "freedom from fear and want".

The 8d stamp features a knight holding a banner with the Cross of Saint George and the inscription 'their name liveth for evermore'. The image is taken from a stained glass window at the Wellington College Memorial Hall.

The ninepence stamp features the view of the Franz Josef Glacier and Southern Alps from the Waiho Gorge Chapel window.

The shilling stamp has the National Memorial Campanile, Wellington with heavenly bells ringing on either side.


Acknowledgement to the stampsnz.com website for the above info.



Dave

1950 Arms Provisional :





When standard letter rates increased to 1½d in July 1950, it was realised that stocks of the 1938 King George VI stamp would be inadequate. An urgent order was placed for another printing from England, but to fill the gap until stocks arrived a provisional stamp overprinted on the 1931 Arms Postal Fiscals design was issued.




Acknowledgement to the stampsnz.com website for the above info.



Dave

1952 Provisionals :





King George VI died on the 6th of February 1952 and it became obvious that stocks of the George VI stamps should be used up. In December of that year an increase in postal charges were met by surcharging the George VI 1d green stamp 3d.

In September 1953, an over-supply of ½d brown George VI stamps were surcharged 1d to use them up.

This was the second time that stamps from the 1938 King George VI issue had been surcharged to cover increased postage rates, the first was during the Second World War.



Acknowledgement to the stampsnz.com website for the above info.



Dave