Avatar: The Way of Water celebrates the talent of Kiwi filmmakers and the innovation of the ground-breaking Avatar film series.
Issue information
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure. Shot in Aotearoa New Zealand, the new film combines industry-leading technology with pristine locations to take audiences even deeper into the alien world of Pandora.
Pandora is what Earth once was: a pristine world unsullied by technology and the ravages of industry. In order to realise the captivating world of Pandora, director James Cameron and producer Jon Landau shot Avatar: The Way of Water in a number of locations around Aotearoa New Zealand. The new film combines Kiwi landscapes with the industry-leading innovations that Cameron is renowned for.
Cutting-edge filmmaking technology is the key that opens the door to telling stories in more immersive and engaging ways than ever before. By combining breathtaking real-world landscapes with boundary-pushing technologies the Avatar filmmakers have created spectacular new worlds and populated them with compelling characters and themes on a scale the likes of which audiences have yet to experience.
Date of issue: 1 March 2023
Product listing for Avatar: The Way of Water
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $1.70 'Tulkun' gummed stamp. Native to Pandora, the tulkun depicted on this stamp is a large whale-like creature that is highly intelligent. The Metkayina Clan – like all reef people – share a deep spiritual bond with the tulkun. |
$1.70 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $1.70 'Jake Sully' gummed stamp. This stamp features Jake Sully, the leader of the Omatikaya Clan and one of the main protagonists in Avatar: The Way of Water. He’s depicted here riding a skimwing, a creature that the Metkayina and other reef clans use to hunt and ride into battle. |
$1.70 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $3.00 'Banshee' gummed stamp. This stamp shows two mountain banshee in flight. Banshee are large aerial predators that are native to Pandora. The bonding between banshee and Na’vi is a dangerous rite of passage, but once achieved it allows the creature and rider to fly effortlessly through the Pandoran skies. |
$3.00 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $3.80 'Ilu' gummed stamp. Ilu are sleek, aquatic, plesiosaur-like creatures with long necks, six flippers and rudder-like tails. These aquatic mounts are primarily used by reef Na’vi people for travel and hunting. |
$3.80 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $4.30 'Neytiri' gummed stamp. One of the most fierce and powerful warriors of the Omatikaya Clan, Neytiri plays a pivotal role in Avatar: The Way of Water. Fifteen years after the events of Avatar, she is now the mother of three biological children: Neteyam, Lo’ak and Tuktirey, as well as the adoptive mother of Kiri. |
$4.30 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $4.50 'The Sully Family' gummed stamp. Neytiri, along with the rest of her family – Jake, Neteyam, Lo’ak, Kiri and Tuk – must leave the safety and security of their rainforest home and travel thousands of miles across Pandora to seek shelter and safe harbour in the distant atolls of Pandora. |
$4.50 |
 |
Miniature Sheet | Set of six mint, used or cancelled gummed miniature sheets. | $19.00 |
 |
First Day Cover | First day cover with six gummed stamps affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $19.50 |
 |
Miniature Sheet First Day Cover | Set of six first day covers with gummed miniature sheets affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $22.00 |
 |
Maximum Card |
Set of six maximum cards. The six maximum cards (pre-paid postcards) were a great way to share Avatar: The Way of Water with anyone. Each card had a gummed stamp affixed and included pre-paid postage to anywhere in the world. |
$22.00 |
 |
Presentation Pack | You could collect the six miniature sheets and stamp first day cover from this issue with the presentation pack. The pack included more detailed artwork from the film as well as information about the film-making process, story and characters. | $38.50 |
 |
Limited Edition | The limited edition was the ultimate collector’s item in this issue. It included an informative booklet written by Finlay Macdonald, with plate blocks of the six stamps. The limited edition included a colour separation of the $4.50 stamp, six imperforate numbered miniature sheets and a unique first day cover. | $145.00 |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 1 March 2023 |
|---|---|
| Number of stamps: | Six gummed stamps |
| Denominations: | $1.70 x 2, $3.00, $3.80, $4.30 & $4.50 |
| Stamps, miniature sheet and first day covers designed by: | Chris Jones, Graphetti, Wellington New Zealand |
| Printer and process: | Southern Colour Print Ltd by offset lithography |
| Number of colours: | Four process colours |
| Stamp size and format: | 35.71mm x 50mm (horizontal) |
| Miniature sheet size and format: | 112mm x 66mm (horizontal) |
| Paper type: | Red phosphor gummed 106gsm |
| Number of stamps per sheet: | 20 |
| Perforation gauge: | 14.4 x 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 31 March 2024. First day covers were on sale until 26 April 2023. Miniature sheet first day covers were on sale until 31 March 2024. |