Stamp Investment Tip: New Zealand 1912 1/2p VICTORIA LAND Overprint (Scott #130d)

One of the most tragic episodes in the history of Antarctic exploration was the Terra Nova Expedition headed by Royal Navy Captain Robert Falcon Scott. Scott's party reached the South Pole on January 17, 1912, only to find that they had been preceded by Roald Amundsen's Norwegian Expedition. On their return journey, Scott and his four comrades all perished from a combination of exhaustion, starvation and extreme cold.

Initially, 1p stamps of New Zealand were overprinted for use by the Expedition, as they had been for Shackleton's earlier 1908 Expedition. However, since the postage to certain countries was 2 1/2p, 2,400 1/2p Yellow Green stamps were also overprinted "VICTORIA LAND" (Scott #130d), making this the scarcest of all of the New Zealand Antarctic Expedition overprints. Scott values it unused at $ 1,100.00 and used at $ 950.00. Covers are rare.

The stamp appeals to both collectors of New Zealand and Antarctic topicals. As it's an overprint, it should be purchased conditional on obtaining expertization.

Stamps of New Zealand are collected both domestically and by British Commonwealth collectors worldwide . The nation has a stamp collecting demographic similar to Great Britain's, and the demand for better material should increase dramatically as population aging accelerates. The percentage of New Zealander's aged 60 and over is projected to rise from 18% in 2009 to 29% in 2050.

Those interested in finding a community of stamp investors, dealers, and collectors are welcome to join the "Stampselectors" group at Facebook. The group provides a useful venue for those who wish to buy, sell, and trade stamps, and discuss philatelic investing and practical aspects of stamp collecting.

Phila-Trivia: New Zealand's Dangerous Teddy Bear

In 1996, New Zealand issued a two Children's Health Semi-postal stamps of the same design, picturing a child sitting in a vehicle holding a Teddy Bear (Scott #B154, B155). Unfortunately, the inclusion of the stuffed animal facing forwards indicated that the infant was improperly buckled in, rendering the stamp "dangerous" because of its potential influence. In New Zealand ,the law states that child car safety seats must face backwards - not forwards. The withdrawn design clearly shows the seat-belted Teddy Bear, hence the child capsule is also pointing forward, contravening New Zealand's child safety rules.


All but approximately 1,000 copies of #B154 and 500 of #B155 (the self-adhesive version) were withdrawn by the New Zealand Post, which then issued a new stamp (Scott #B151), picturing the child properly buckled in, sans Teddy Bear. Scott '10 values the perforated, gummed error stamp at $1,000.00 and the self-adhesive error at $1,750.00, making these not merely the most dangerous and illegal Teddy Bears ever created, but also the most expensive.


Incidentally, I believe these particular stamps will do more than "hold their stuffing" over time as investments. Teddy Bears on stamps have topical appeal, partly on their own and partly as a subgroup of Animal Topical collecting.


New Zealand is a modern, prosperous nation of about 4.3 million people, with a GDP of $115 billion. Over the last 10 years, annual GDP growth has averaged about 3%. The economy was hurt by the recent global financial crisis, and is beginning to recover. In 2005, the World Bank praised New Zealand as being the most business-friendly nation in the world. Stamps of New Zealand are collected both domestically and by British Commonwealth collectors worldwide . The nation has a stamp collecting demographic similar to Great Britain's, and the demand for better material should increase dramatically as population aging accelerates. The percentage of New Zealander's aged 60 and over will rise from 18% in 2009 to 29% in 2050.

Stamp Investment Tip: New Zealand 1931 Airmails (C1-3)

In 1931, New Zealand issued its first airmail stamps, a nice typographed set picturing a plane over Lake Manapouri (Scott #C1-3). 50,000 sets were issued, and Scott '10 values it at $ 85.00 unused.

New Zealand is a modern, prosperous nation of about 4.3 million people, with a GDP of $115 billion. Over the last 10 years, annual GDP growth has averaged about 3%. The economy was hurt by the recent global financial crisis, and is beginning to recover. In 2005, the World Bank praised New Zealand as being the most business-friendly nation in the world.

Stamps of New Zealand are collected both domestically and by British Commonwealth collectors worldwide . The nation has a stamp collecting demographic similar to Great Britain's, and the demand for better material should increase dramatically as population aging accelerates. The percentage of New Zealander's aged 60 and over will rise from 18% in 2009 to 29% in 2050.

When purchasing this set, keep in mind that a scarce Perf. 14X15 variety exists of the 3p Chocolate (Scott C1a; Scott '10 Cat. Value of $ unused, used). A flight cover bearing the variety would be a real find, especially if the seller's valued it as the normal stamp.

Phila-Trivia: The Pigeon Post of Great Barrier Island

Many modern city-dwellers are accustomed to thinking of pigeons as filthy nuisances- "rats with wings"- but the birds have played their part as useful messengers since the time of the Romans.

A pigeon postal service was established between Great Barrier Island, an isolated community 90 kilometers north east of Auckland, New Zealand, and the mainland in 1897. Formerly, postal service had been provided by a weekly coastal steamer, but treacherous seas wrecked the ship SS Wairarapa off the coast of Great Barrier Island in 1894, with the loss of 121 lives, leading to the establishment of two rival pigeongram companies, each of which issued stamps. The birds were sent over to the island on the weekly steamer, and then flew back to Auckland with up to 5 small messages attached to each bird's legs. Great Barrier's pigeongram service ended when the first telegraph cable was laid between the island and the mainland in 1908.

Today, the pigeongram stamps are eagerly collected for their novelty value, and some have become extremely valuable.

New Zealand 1997 Pigeon-Gram Centenary Commemoratives