1940 Centennial
|
|
Cat. |
Mint Unhinged |
Mint Hinged |
Fine Used |
½d |
Maori Landing in New Zealand |
68a |
$0.90 |
|
$0.45 |
|
$0.55 |
|
1d |
Captain Cook Map |
68b |
$1.80 |
|
$0.90 |
|
$0.55 |
|
1½d |
British Sovereigns |
68c |
$1.80 |
|
$0.90 |
|
$0.55 |
|
2d |
Abel Tasman |
68d |
$2.70 |
|
$1.80 |
|
$0.55 |
|
2½d |
Waitangi Treaty Signing |
68e |
$2.70 |
|
$1.80 |
|
$1.35 |
|
3d |
Settlers at Petone Beach |
68f |
$9.00 |
|
$5.10 |
|
$0.90 |
|
4d |
Transport - Land, Sea and Air |
68g |
$9.90 |
|
$6.30 |
|
$1.80 |
|
5d |
Akaroa Flag / HMS Britomart |
68h |
$8.10 |
|
$5.40 |
|
$4.50 |
|
6d |
Dunedin Frozen Meat |
68i |
$14.40 |
|
$8.10 |
|
$0.90 |
|
7d |
Maori Council (Withdrawn 7 March 1940) |
68j |
$9.00 |
|
$6.30 |
|
$9.00 |
|
8d |
Maori Council (Issued 8 March 1940) |
68k |
$18.00 |
|
$9.35 |
|
$4.50 |
|
9d |
Gold Mining |
68l |
$18.90 |
|
$10.80 |
|
$10.80 |
|
1/- |
Kauri |
68m |
$67.50 |
|
$36.00 |
|
$7.20 |
|
|
|
|
Set of 13 |
68n |
$156.45 |
|
$88.55 |
|
$41.00 |
|
|
|
|
First Day Cover - 2 January 1940 |
68o |
|
|
|
|
$148.50 |
|
|
… Twelve Stamps : ½d (68a), 1d (68b), 1½d (68c), 2d (68d), 2½d (68e), 3d (68f), 4d (68g), 5d (68h), 6d (68i), 7d (68j), 9d (68l), 1/- (68m) |
|
First Day Cover - 8 March 1940 |
68p |
|
|
|
|
$67.50 |
|
|
… 8d (68k) |
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.
Bibliography
The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Volume II
Edited by R. J. G. Collins FRPSNZ and C. W. Watts FRPSNZ
Published 1950 by The Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand Incorporated
Pages 85 - 110, 242 - 246
The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Volume IV
Edited by R. J. G. Collins FRPSNZ and C.W. Watts FRPSNZ
Published 1960 by The Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand Incorporated
The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Volume VI
Edited by D. E. G. Naish FRPSNZ and K. J. McNaught FRPSNZ FRPSL
Publsihed 1975 by The Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand Incorporated
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