2014 marked the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II and New Zealand Post commemorated this with this special stamp issue.
Issue information
2014 marked the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II – a war in which nearly 200,000 men and 10,000 women served for New Zealand both overseas and at home.
New Zealand was involved in all but three of the 2,179 days of World War II. It was a conflict that engulfed the globe, taking the lives of 50 million people, including nearly one in every 150 New Zealanders. World War II was New Zealand’s greatest ever national effort by land, by sea and by air, and it affected the lives of everyday New Zealanders in ways never seen before or since.
The 2014 Anzac stamps depict WWII poster art. Between 1939 and 1945 New Zealand produced hundreds of thousands of posters, window stickers and cards in support of its involvement in World War II. Displaying posters was seen as a way to contribute to the war effort and they helped to create a war-like atmosphere at home.
The six stamps reflect six of the groups that contributed to the war effort overseas and at home: the Air Training Corps, the Women’s Land Service, the Air Force, the Navy, the Army and the Māori Battalion. The purpose of these posters was to raise funds, recruit New Zealanders and give advice and information about the war.
Special First Day Cover
All six stamps were displayed on the first day cover, which featured a ‘Protect New Zealand’ poster. This type of poster was designed to raise funds for New Zealand’s war effort and appealed to New Zealanders' sense of patriotism.
Miniature Sheet Booklet
The miniature sheet booklet contained seven miniature sheets, six containing each stamp and one containing all six stamps. This highly collectable and informative booklet was the only way to obtain the miniature sheets in this issue. Inside provided further information about New Zealand’s involvement in the war, and the roles that the different services played. Written by John Crawford, Chief Historian for the New Zealand Defence Force, this was a collectable not to be missed.
Product Listing for ANZAC 2014 - WWII Poster Art
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single Stamp |
Single 70c 'Duty Calls the Youth of New Zealand' gummed stamp. This poster is an invitation to young New Zealanders to join the Air Training Corps, founded in 1941 to ensure there were enough future recruits to fill the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ranks. Boys aged between 16 and a half and 18 years were eligible to join. The corps reached its peak strength of 9,244 in May 1944. |
$0.70 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single 70c 'Help Farm for Victory' gummed stamp. Also known as the Women’s Land Army, the Women’s Land Service was established in 1940 to meet the shortage of male farming labour caused by conscription in New Zealand. By 1944, more than 2,000 women had joined, all of them employed on farms. This small 'posterette' encouraged young women to 'help farm for victory'. |
$0.70 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $1.40 'The Air Force Needs Men!' gummed stamp. The pilot in this invitation to join the RNZAF is a self-portrait of the artist, Claude Wade. The heroic theme of the poster tapped into values of patriotism and loyalty. Many New Zealanders answered the call of the RNZAF, with more than 40,000 men and women serving in the war. |
$1.40 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $1.90 'Navy Week' gummed stamp. New Zealand’s naval force, which from 1 October 1941 became the Royal New Zealand Navy, grew substantially during the course of the war. This poster is an emotionally charged call for New Zealanders to give money to the war effort through loans - 'New Zealand expects that everyone this week will invest in the 3rd Liberty Loan'. |
$1.90 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $2.40 'Army Week' gummed stamp. New Zealanders lent their money to the government to be repaid after the war, known as 'Liberty Loans'. Nearly half of New Zealand's war spending was covered by internal borrowing, so New Zealand had no outstanding overseas debt after the war. Posters like this tried appealing to New Zealanders' sense of patriotism and sacrifice. |
$2.40 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $2.90 'Taringa Whakarongo!' gummed stamp. The war effort included appeals made in Māori to ensure all citizens were informed and persuaded. Such posters were rare, as government messages were usually delivered orally on marae. This poster asks for funds for weapons for the war effort, with one line of the text translating to “without weapons we shall perish”. |
$2.90 |
 |
First Day Cover | First day cover with six gummed stamps affixed. | $10.50 |
  |
Miniature Sheet Booklet |
The miniature sheet booklet contained seven miniature sheets, six containing each stamp and one containing all six stamps. Inside, you would find information about New Zealand’s involvement in the war, and the roles that the different services played. The miniature sheet booklet was the only way to obtain the miniature sheets in this issue. |
$19.90 |
$1.40 – The Air Force Needs Men!
The pilot in this invitation to join the RNZAF is a self-portrait of the artist, Claude Wade. The heroic theme of the poster tapped into values of patriotism and loyalty. Many New Zealanders answered the call of the RNZAF, with more than 40,000 men and women serving in the war.
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 2 April 2014 |
|---|---|
| Number of stamps: | Six gummed stamps |
| Denominations: | 70c (x2), $1.40, $1.90, $2.40, $2.90 |
| Stamps, miniature sheet booklet and first day cover designed by: | New Zealand Post Ltd, New Zealand |
| Printer and process: | Southern Colour Print Ltd by offset lithography |
| Number of colours: | Four process colours plus Synseal spot overgloss |
| Stamp size and format: | 35mm x 46mm (vertical) |
| Paper type: | Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper |
| Number of stamps per sheet: | 25 |
| Perforation gauge: | 14.78 x 14.86 |
| 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 April 2015. |
