On 1 January 1901 an express delivery and special messenger service was introduced by the Post and Telegraph Office.
Issue information
On payment of a special fee, the sender of an article could ensure that it would be delivered as soon as possible after receipt at the office of destination. A special stamp was produced in 1903 to better promote the service.
By 1938 the original stamp had been in use for 35 years and it was thought that the time had come to introduce a new one. As a Chrysler coupe was then in use in the larger centres for the delivery of Express correspondence, it was felt that this would be an appropriate subject to depict on the stamp, which was designed by James Berry and engraved by the Australian Commonwealth Note and Stamp Printer.
Acknowledgments
New Zealand Post would like to acknowledge the following for their assistance and guidance in bringing together this stamp issue:
Historical information included on this page sourced from The Postage Stamps of New Zealand published by the Royal Philatelic Society of NZ. Their web site offers further information useful to those interested in the stamps and postal history of New Zealand. Link: https://www.rpsnz.org.nz/
Product Listing for Express Delivery
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single Stamp |
Single 6d gummed stamp. This stamp design was based on a photograph of a type of Chrysler coupe then in use in larger centres for delivery of express correspondence. |
6d |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 16 August 1939 |
|---|---|
| Designers: | J Berry, Wellington |
| Printers: | Government Printing Office, New Zealand |
| Stamp size: | 40mm x 24mm |
| Sheet size: | 60 stamps per sheet |
| Process: | Recess printed - Intaglio |
| Perforation gauge: | 14 |
| Paper type: | Cowan 'Esparto', NZ and star watermark |
| Period of sale: | This stamp remained on sale until 30 June 1948. |