NEW STAMP ISSUE

Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1932, Page 6

NEW STAMP ISSUE

PLATES FROM ENCLAND. READY AT END OF YEAR. WELLINGTON, January 8 The end of 1932 should see New Zealanders using for their letters the new pictorial stamps. in the latter part of last year a competition was held for the purpose of selecting the now designs. Some of the winning designs in this competition required slight alteration before being used, and this lias caused a delay. Further time must necessarily elapse before tlie plates from which the stamps are to be printed "can be made. The plates will be made in England, by experts in the art, but the actual printing of the stamps will be clone in the Dominion.

The stamps of lower value, from the halfpenny to the threepenny, may possibly be produced by the photogravure process, in which case their appearance will be greatly enhanced. The stamps of higher value —the set runs up to three shillings—will be line-engraved, and it is more than probably that those of the four higher values —ninepence, and in one, two and three shillings—will be printed in two colours. The mention of colours raises an interesting point, says a newspaper. The depression has resulted in the minimum postage for letters being increased to twopence, but this is obviously not considered by the authorities to be .a permanent measure. There have been no alterations in the colours of the present stamps to coincide with this change in rates and to conform with the Postal Union regulations, and the approved colour of the penny stamp in the forthcoming set is red, and that of tlie twopenny one yellow. It would appear, therefore, as if there is an intention to reinstate penny postage as soon as practicable, at any rate by the time the new set is ready for use.