Of course there are 26 stamps, one for each
letter of the alphabet, and each showing something uniquely New
Zealand. Where else would an ‘L’ stand for ‘log o wood’ – referring of
course to the hotly contested provincial rugby Ranfurly Shield; or ‘G’
for ‘goodnight kiwi’ the lovable little chap who’s bedtime ritual used
to signal the night’s end to TV viewing.
B is for Beehive – this stamp is designed to
reflect a postal Cancellation Stamp, for those who don’t know this was
designed by British architect Sir Basil Spence and shows the Beehive,
our distinctive and award-winning house of parliament.
D is for Dog – there could be no other dog on a New
Zealand ‘D is for Dog’ stamp than Wal’s faithful friend from the
Footrot Flats cartoon strip. Footrot Flats, showcasing elements and
antics of our rural community, still graces some of our newspapers
today. And, we still don’t know the dog’s name…
P is for Pinetree – Colin ‘Pinetree’ Meads – a
colossal of a man, epitomises what New Zealand rugby stands for:
passion, grit and darn hard yacker. The stamp shows Colin Meads in King
Country colours, the union he played for at representative level for
many years.
S is for Southern Cross – another New Zealand icon
in its own right, yet the stamp takes this a step further by showing
how it is possible to identify due south by looking at the star
constellation.
V is for Vote – is a timely reminder about election
year with the big red tick of the ballot paper. Subtely, the stamp also
pays homage to one of our greatest campaigners, Kate Sheppherd, the
figurehead of the suffragette movement in New Zealand; remember we were
the first to give women the vote in 1893.
W is for Weta – and if you look closely it’s not a
real weta on the stamp! W is for Weta celebrates not only one of our
indigenous and adorable (it’s not all about looks) insects but also the
hugely successful Weta Workshops that created many of the special
effects for Peter Jackson’s famous Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well
as the weta on this stamp.
Z is for Zeeland – lastly the Zeeland stamp
fittingly finishes the series. Note the spelling of Zeeland with two
e’s. New Zealand was discovered by Able Tasman (a Dutchman) who named
the country after the island Zeeland off the coast of the Netherlands.
A little bit cheeky and just plain old-fashioned fun, with 26 stamps to a sheet, you’ll be hard pressed to pick a favourite.
Click on the links below to view the stamps on offer:
A is for Aotearoa
B is for Beehive
C is for Cook
D is for Dog
E is for Edmonds
F is for Fantail
G is for Goodnight Kiwi
H is for Haka
I is for Interislander
J is for Jelly Tip
K is for Kia Ora
L is for Log o'wood
M is for Mudpools
N is for Nuclear Free
O is for O.E.
P is for Pinetree
Q is for Quake
R is for Rutherford
S is for Southern Cross
T is for Tiki
U is for Upham
V is for Vote
W is for Weta
X is for X-treme Sports
Y is for Yarn
Z is for Zeeland
Date of issue: 6 August 2008.
Number of stamps: 26 gummed stamps.
Denominations and designs: 26 designs, one denomination (50c).
Stamps, and first day cover designed by: Clemenger BBDO, Wellington, New Zealand.
Printer and process: Southern Colour Print Ltd by offset lithography.
Number of colours: Four process colours plus one special colour (silver).
Stamp size and format: Gummed: 30mm x 35mm (horizontal).
Paper type: Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper.
Number of stamps per sheet: 26
Perforation gauge: 14.25
Period of sale: Unless stocks are exhausted earlier, these stamps will remain on sale until close of business 5 August 2009.
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