The year 2022 marks 100 years of the RSA Poppy Appeal in New Zealand. Every year on the Friday before Anzac Day, volunteers collect charitable donations in exchange for remembrance poppies. This stamp issue celebrates the poppy and its various forms, and everything it has meant to New Zealanders for the past 100 years.
Issue information
Madame Anna Guérin of France is credited with the idea of the remembrance poppy. Through selling fabricated poppies, Guérin raised funds for a charity to rebuild livelihoods in France in the wake of WWI.
Although the remembrance poppy’s appearance has evolved through the years, the help the RSA Poppy Appeal affords service veterans today is as important as it was for veterans of WWI and the families who had lost their loved ones. The act of buying and wearing a poppy is a powerful way to show support for veterans and to remember those who have passed on.
Product listing for 2022 Poppy Appeal 100 Years
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $1.50 gummed stamp. The first New Zealand poppies, made in France, were intended to arrive in time for Armistice Day on 11 November 1921. The shipment was delayed, so the appeal was moved to Anzac Day 2022. These poppies likely resembled the Australian example pictured in the $1.50 stamp. |
$1.50 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $2.80 gummed stamp. Through the years, New Zealand's supply of red poppies has been sourced both overseas and locally. With the help of disabled former servicemen in Auckland and Christchurch, the RSA began producing its own poppies in 1931. This example was produced by the RSA in the 1960s or ‘70s. |
$2.80 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $3.60 '1978 Poppy' gummed stamp. The New Zealand poppy used today was adopted for Poppy Day in 1978. The design was trademarked by the RSA to protect it from appearing in inappropriate contexts. |
$3.60 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $4.10 gummed stamp. In 2015, an emergency shipment of Australian poppies was sent to New Zealand after a Christchurch factory faced production problems. In an act of Anzac solidarity, Australia agreed to provide the additional poppies at cost price. |
$4.10 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $4.90 gummed stamp. As it fell during the COVID-19 lockdown in April 2020, New Zealanders couldn’t attend the traditional dawn service on Anzac Day. The Poppy Appeal was moved online, and people crafted their own poppies from materials like paper, fabric and wool. |
$4.90 |
 |
Se-tenant Set of Stamps | Mint, used or cancelled se-tenant set of five gummed stamps. | $16.90 |
 |
Miniature Sheet | Mint, used or cancelled gummed miniature sheet. | $16.90 |
 |
First Day Cover | First day cover with five gummed stamps affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $17.40 |
 |
Miniature Sheet First Day Cover | First day cover with gummed miniature sheet affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $17.40 |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 2 March 2022 |
|---|---|
| Number of stamps: | Five gummed |
| Denominations: | $1.50, $2.80, $3.60, $4.10 & $4.90 |
| Designed and illustrated by: | Nicky Dyer, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Printer and process: | Southern Colour Print, New Zealand by lithography |
| Number of colours: | Four process colours plus PMS 485 red and red phosphor |
| Stamp size and format: | 30mm x 40mm (vertical) |
| Miniature sheet size and format: | 170mm x 90mm (horizontal) |
| Number of stamps per sheet: | 25 |
| Paper type: | Arconvert Securpost Premium Gummed 110gsm |
| Perforation gauge: | 14 |
| Special blocks: | Plate/imprint blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least six stamps from a sheet. Barcode blocks were available in A and B formats. |
| Period of sale: | These stamps remained on sale until 1 March 2023. First day covers remained on sale until 27 April 2022. |