Gifts and the spirit of giving are the threads that weaved the Christmas 1999 stamps together.
Issue information
God gave His Son; Mary offered herself to carry the child; Joseph gave his love; the angels gave ‘good news of great joy’ to those prepared to listen; the shepherds abandoned their flocks and gave of their time to visit Him; and the Magi travelled to give valuable gifts to the new born King.
All of their actions combined to make the Christmas story as we know it possible. By implication, the Christmas story challenges us to understand the spirit of Christmas and to apply and interpret its relevance to our own lives in terms of how we give of ourselves, our talents and our time.
Self-adhesive Dispenser and Stamp
The designs for the stamps revisited the ancient stories, while reflecting the needs of today. They were based on medieval illustration styles – used in manuscripts of the time - but modernised. Six simple shapes reflected commonly used Christmas symbols: the star; a Christmas lily; the arch of a gothic church window; a bell; a Christmas tree; and the crown of kings.
Christmas Presentation Pack
The presentation pack doubled as a beautiful Christmas card for the stamp collector or for that special someone.
Product Listing for Christmas 1999
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
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Single Stamp | Single 40c 'God Gave His Son' gummed stamp. | $0.40 |
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Single Stamp | Single 80c 'Mary Gave Herself' gummed stamp. | $0.80 |
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Single Stamp | Single $1.10 'Joseph Gave His Love' gummed stamp. | $1.10 |
 |
Single Stamp | Single $1.20 'Angels Gave God's Message' gummed stamp. | $1.20 |
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Single Stamp | Single $1.50 'Shepherds Gave Their Time' gummed stamp. | $1.50 |
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Single Stamp | Single $1.80 'Magi Gave Their Wealth' gummed stamp. | $1.80 |
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Single Stamp | Single 40c 'God Gave His Son' self-adhesive stamp. | $0.40 |
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First Day Cover | First day cover with six gummed stamps and one self-adhesive stamp affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $7.70 |
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Self-adhesive Dispenser | Dispenser box containing 100 x 40c self-adhesive stamps. | $40.00 |
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Self-adhesive Booklet | Booklet containing 10 x 40c self-adhesive stamps (issued 01-11-1999). | $4.00 |
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Presentation Pack | Presentation pack containing a selection of stamp products from the issue and further information on the theme of the stamps. | $8.50 |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 8 September 1999 |
|---|---|
| Number of stamps: | Seven |
| Denominations and designs: | Self-adhesive: 40c God gave his son; Gummed: 40c God gave his son; 80c Mary gave herself; $1.10 Joseph gave his love; $1.20 Angel's gave God's message; $1.50 Shepherds gave their time; and $1.80 Magi gave their wealth |
| Stamps, dispenser and first day cover designed by: | Lindy Fisher, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Presentation pack designed by: | Stamps Business, New Zealand Post |
| Printer and process: | Southern Colour Print, Dunedin, by lithography |
| Number of colours: | Four process colours and metallic gold |
| Stamp size and format: | Sheet stamps: 35mm x 35mm; Self-adhesive: 25mm x 30mm (vertical) |
| Number of stamps per sheet: | 100 |
| Paper type: | Sheet stamps: 103gsm red phosphor coated stamp paper; Self-adhesive stamps: phosphor tagged on JAC stock |
| Perforation gauge: | 14 |
| Number of stamps per sheet: | 100 |
| Self-adhesive booklet: | The self-adhesive booklet was issued on 1 November 1999. |
| Cost of unaddressed first day cover: | $7.70 |
| Special blocks: | Plate/imprint or positional blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least six sheet stamps. Colour blocks ('traffic lights') were included in plate blocks for sheet stamps. Barcode blocks were available in both A and B formats for sheet stamps. |
| Period of sale: | These stamps remained on sale until 7 September 2000. |