Post by rob1956 on Sept 17, 2017 16:07:19 GMT -5
The 1931 health stamp is considered the rarest of the NZ health issue. This new design for 1931 was beset with problems. In April 1931, when the die and plate had arrived in New Zealand, the impressions on the plate were found to be spaced too closely together vertically, which meant that trial sheets could not be satisfactorily perforated.
The solution was to cut the plate in three places and insert strips of metal spacers. Although this now made perforation possible, it also meant that the 1d stamp was seldom well centred. A further challenge came in June 1931, when the universal penny postage rate for letters weighing up to 1 oz was doubled to 2d.
Secretary of the General Post Office, George McNamara promptly recommended that a second stamp of the new value should be issued in preference to an unsightly overprint. A clause was therefore added to the 1931 Finance Bill to amend the value of a charity’ stamp from 1d to be henceforth ‘of such amount as the Postmaster-General determines.
These stamps are superbly centred, mint unhinged and rare.
The solution was to cut the plate in three places and insert strips of metal spacers. Although this now made perforation possible, it also meant that the 1d stamp was seldom well centred. A further challenge came in June 1931, when the universal penny postage rate for letters weighing up to 1 oz was doubled to 2d.
Secretary of the General Post Office, George McNamara promptly recommended that a second stamp of the new value should be issued in preference to an unsightly overprint. A clause was therefore added to the 1931 Finance Bill to amend the value of a charity’ stamp from 1d to be henceforth ‘of such amount as the Postmaster-General determines.
These stamps are superbly centred, mint unhinged and rare.
