Postage Stamps

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30975, 3 February 1966, Page 12

Postage Stamps

Sir, —1 am shocked by the; recent statement of the Post-master-General, that in 1967, we will have the same postage stamps, but with values in decimals. This is a great letdown, just when everyone was hoping we would have a completely new set of pictorial stamps. As a stamp collector, I think I can safely say that the Post Office’s sales to collectors (which are greater than is generally realised by the public) will be down much more than if a completely new set of pictorials were adopted. As a citizen who would be using the stamps, I can say that they would cause much confusion. Many collectors oversesa, who know little of New Zealand, would be given the opinion that our artists could not come up with anything better than the present designs, which, although attractive, are not nearly up to international standard. May I urge the Post Office to reconsider its unwise decision.—Yours, PENNY BLACK. January 19, 1966. [The Postmaster-General (Mr Scott) said: “Among the factors which influenced the decision to retain the existing designs for decimal currency postage stamps were the relatively short period the designs will have been in use and the saving in cost which will result. It is considered, too, that the changing of existing denominations to the equivalent decimal currency values will assist the public very considerably in recognising the new values. For example the design for the 4d stamp will remain the design for the first-class letter rate under decimal currency. The Post Office is conscious of the interests and needs of philatelists and goes to some lengths to cater for them. 1 am sure your correspondent will appreciate, however, that stamps are provided primarily for the pre-payment of postage.”]