OUR PENNY STAMP.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1695, 11 March 1913, Page 6

OUR PENNY STAMP.

Sir,—As- an' active member of three philatelic societies in Now Zealand, and becauso the author ,of "A Penny Stamp" has signed his article with .two of my initials, perhaps you will grant me a little space to protest against the article in general, and spare myself the credit o£ being its'author. ' "Mr. R.Jt\," after going to considerable trouble to convince his readers that ho knows a great deal more than "the man in the street," continues with a wonderful display of inaccuracies and general ignorance of the subject in hand. For instance, a postage stamp is not as good currency as a coin of the realm. Let him take a few to the G.P.0., and he will not get face value for them. The colour of the stamp is not red, but' carmine. He deplores the absence of "the Crown." Are there not three crowns on the i'ourpcjmy stamp, and' a crown and king's head on the jd;, 2d., 3d., 5d., 6d., Bd., and Is.; but perhaps he has only seen the penny, however he knows and observes more than "the man in the street." For the rest, his wit is poor, and his sarcasm needs explanation.

"The Penny Universal," as our penny stamp is frequently callcd, was engraved and printed by Messrs. Waterlow and Sons, of London, who have; turned out some of the finest stamps in the world, including our pictorials. The stamp was issued "while the'bells were ringing in tho New Year (1901), which brought New Zealand within the circle of penny postage," as Sir Joseph Ward aptly expressed it. The design is emblematic of the lead Now Zealand gave to the rest of the colonics, the Mother Country and the world, by. offering to convey'letters at u penny per ounce to any country that would reciprocate. The designing and engraving of a stamp is rather more difficult thaii "Mr. 1?. F." imagines. It is easy to find fault' with a picture, particularly a miniature, but it would be impossible to include all "Mr. R. F." wants 011 one stamp. So we must excuse tho engraver if he forgot to put the "name" and' "house flag" 011 the steamer, and mark all the places on tho globe. Doubtless, tho stamp has suffered in the course of years. Tho clicap method of reproduction, surface, printing, instead of engraving being now in use, the wearing of the plates, etc., have not improved the stamp. But this in no way ali'ects the original design, which has answered its purpose for twelve years, and Tvill continue to do so'aftor the Georgian stamps are out. Most of "U.F.'s" abuse is hurled at the lady who represents New Zealand. Yet' lie would lie patriotic. Looking at fho neutral figure oil the original stamp—the black proof for preference—one a' tall, strons, healthy young woman with

a perfect figure, neither, oyer nor underdressed. Her long, flowing hair lends a freshness of youth to tlie picture, wliilo her keen, proud face gazes fearlessly over the seas where the steamer in the background carries her mails to distant parts of the world (represented by the globe) for Id. an ounce, denoted by tho stamp. What better design could wo have to represent our lead in the 'matter of penny universal postage? If "Mr. R, F. had a glance at the back of the stamp he would find some gum and a water-mark, •N'.Z. over a star, and would, doubtless have found fault with both. But is he as observant as the man in the street?— '■ I am, etc., , . R. FRANCIS JOYCE. Sir,—"R.F.," the writer of the article in to-day's Dominion, under the heading "A Penny Stamp," is hardly fair to the stamp he criticises, for lie first admits his ignorance of the meaning of the design and then proceeds to pull it to pieces with' facetious criticism. As it matter of fact the design is not so incomprehensible as "H.F." would suggest. The design, or rather a very similar one, appeared first in 1901, as commemorative of.the universal penny postage, and as such surely the reason for the picture of Zealnndia— I fail to see what is "R.F.'s" objection to this emblematical figure, having the title Zealandia. Compare the figure Hone on the famous three-cornered Cape sta'mps— standing on the brink of the ocean over which her people's letters- are carried by steamer to all parts of the world (respectively represented by the ship and (he globe). Is it not a fact, too. that New Zealand's wonders are alreadv well advertised by many of the stamps of higher values? e.g., the>Pink and White Terraces, Mount Ruapehu,. Mount Cook, the Maori war canoe, theJiuia and kiwi birds have all appeared on recent issues of every beautiful design, whilst take Wakatipn, Otira Gorge; Milford Sound, and Mount Cook are seen on the current issues. At. the same time I admit.that "R.F." has opened a fine field for inquiry and discussion, ahd I should like to see (lie subject dealt frith in your correspondence column. Will not oiie of the many local philatelists cbme forward with a more detailed explanation of the present penny stamp than T'-am able to give? With regard to 'the King's head! "I wonder whether. "H.F." ' : is satisfied with tho design of the!, King Edward issue? I think myself that it is a very fine one, and I hone very shortly to see something very similar appear with' as good a portrait of his present Majesty. It is now tliree years since his late Majestv died, and ono would think that those "in authority must liave had plenty of time to design and issue, new stamps, if only to show the world that Netf Zealand is riot willing to be behind the times in even a small matter like this. J r

■ 1 quite agree with "R.F." that it would be a sorry thing to abandon the old custom of portraying the reigning sovereign on the nostage 'stamps of the country; the "full-faced"'early issues of Oueen Victoria New Zealand stamps are famous throughout the world of philatelists as the almost yerfect design'of that era—l am, etc., • . ANOTHER IV .