New Zealand Stamps
1935-42

Many of the stamps on this page were issued over a period of several years prior to the start of the second world war in 1939, but have been included here as they do appear on covers and postcards through out the war years and are quite significant stamp issues.

The following extract is from the New Zealand Post Office's webpage with information provided by 'Postage Stamps of New Zealand' by the Royal Philatelic Society of NZ.

The design of this series of stamps (SG 556 to SG 590) followed a competition, much like that for the first pictorial series. Entries were divided into subject groups and it was agreed that there should be three depicting New Zealand fauna, three representing scenery, three devoted to Māori subjects, two presenting agricultural and pastoral scenes, and one each portraying an historical subject, sport and Māori art.

The ½d and 4d stamps were designed by J. Fitzgerald, the 1d by C. H. & R. J. G. Collins, the 1½d by M. Matthews, the 2d by H. W. Young, the 2½d, 3d, 8d and 3/- by L. C. Mitchell, the 5d by R. E. Tripe and W. J. Cooch, the 6d by T. I. Archer, the 9d by I. F. Calder, the 1/- by M. King and the 2s by T. H. Jenkins.

The 9d value was originally surface printed by Waterlow & Sons then later by the New Zealand Government Printer. The other values in the issue were recess printed by Thomas De La Rue until 1941 when for a period of time (due to war conditions) the printing and perforation of the stamps was a matter of co-operation between Thomas De La Rue, Waterlow & Sons and Harrison & Sons (who perforated one value printed by De La Rue).

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SG 556 to 569
'Second Pictorials'

Issued 1st May 1935 to 1936. These stamps were issued over a period of just less than 2 years and are printed recess or litho (SG 556) and are perf 14:13½ with 'NZ Single' watermark 43. This series of stamps is referred to as 'the second issue pictorials', the first issue being that of 1898.

SG 556
½d
bright green

SG 557
1d
scarlet

SG 558
1½d
red-brown

SG 559
2d
orange

SG 560
2½d
chocolate and slate

SG 561
3d
brown

SG 562
4d
black and sepia

SG 563
5d
ultramarine

SG 564
6d
scarlet

SG 565
8d
chocolate

SG 566
9d
scarlet and black

SG 567
1/-
deep green

SG 568
2s
olive-green

SG 569
3/-
chocolate and yellow-brown

SG 577 to 590
'Second Pictorials'

Issued 1936 to 1942. These stamps were issued over a period of years starting before the second world war but have been included as they do appear on covers and postcards through out the war years. They are printed recess and are perf 14:13½ with 'NZ Multiple' watermark W98.

SG 577
½d
bright green

SG 578
1d
scarlet

SG 579
1½d
red-brown

SG 580
2d
orange

SG 581
2½d
chocolate and slate

SG 582
3d
brown

SG 583
4d
black and sepia

SG 584
5d
ultramarine

SG 585
6d
scarlet

SG 586
8d
chocolate

SG 587
9d
red and grey

SG 588
1/-
deep green

SG 589
2s
olive-green

SG 590
3/-
chocolate and yellow-brown

SG 570 to 572
'Airmail'

Issued 14th May 1935. These stamps were designed by J. Berry and were engraved by the Government Printing Office in Melbourne and recess printed by the Government Printing Office in Wellington, they and are perf 14 on 'NZ Single' watermark W43 paper.

SG 570
1d
carmine

SG 571
3d
violet

SG 572
6d
blue

SG 603 to 609
'Definitives'
'King George VI'

Issued 1938 to 1944. These stamps were issued from a year before the second world war but have been included as they do appear on covers and postcards through out the war years. They are printed recess and are perf 14:13½ with 'NZ Multiple' watermark W98.