THE NEW FENNY STAMP

Shannon News, 23 November 1926, Page 2

THE NEW FENNY STAMP

PHILATELIST'S OPINIONS. FAULTS FOUND WITH DESIGN. A GOOD OPPORTUNITY MISSED. “It is certainly an improvement on the old,” said Mr. A. W. Powell, an expert Auckland philatelist, when discussing with an "Auckland Herald” representative the new penny stamp. "In all respects it is superior to the recent issues of two and three shilling- , stamps, both the paper and colour are good, but when it comes to the design the new issue is disappointing.” A wonderful opportunity had been lost in printing the penny stamp, the most widely used, and, therefore, the most useful in advertising the Dominion, with a. profile of the King. Most of our stamps bore pictorial representations of the Sovereign, and it would not have been a sign of disloyalty if the new stamp had broken v away from what seemed to be the established tradition. The authorities had had a chance of getting out a striking pictorial design, but they had evidently thrown it away. "I think that the stamp could have been used advantageously to advertise the industries of the country, its scenic resorts or its sports—big game fishing, for aii example,'' said Mr. Powell. “The scenic series brought out in 1898, containing the Lake Whalkatipu stamp and that very fine representation of Mount Cook, was an admirable set, and if the new issue had followed the same style it would have been more valuable from a phila* telic point of view, as well as from one of advertising.” A stamp of unique pictorial design always proved popular with collectors, he continued, and as such was a very considerable source oi revenue to the Government. He instanced several cases of small countries which had produced very elaborate issues of stamps. Only about 10 per cent, of the stamps issued had been used for postal purposes, but the other 90 per ' cent, had met with a ready sale among philatelists.

The stamps of Liberia and Nyassa, both small and comparatively poor countries, were works of art, while closer at hand we had Tonga with some very fine issues, pictorially beau* - tiful, and, at the same time, advertising) the features of the tropical kingdom. He considered that New ' Zealand should have followed the example set by Newfoundland. Tills Dominion had brought out stamps de-

picting logging and fishing and other industries of the country. Others, had the seal and salmon displayed, both emblematic of the country.

Criticising the new stamp in detail, Mr. Powell said that the portrait of the King was hardly the best that could have been chosen. The piumed hat of the field-marshal looked from a distance rather like a fool’s hat or, dunce’s cap. The Maori design m the borders was meaningless. There was nothing characteristic of the Maori in it, and the emblematical tiki which lent itself to stamp designing had been

entirely ignored. An interesting feature of the new stamp was that the orb and cross of both crowns in the top corners came up above the frame of the stamp. “Of course, the stamp would have looked much better if it had been engraved,” said Mr. Powell. “It has apparently been designed for engraving, but instead it had been surface printed, a cheaper process. However, as a sample of surface printing it is quite good.”