An important precedent was established by New Zealand in 1891, when a set of stamps was issued advertising a State trading department.
Issue information
The New Zealand Government Life Insurance Department was established in 1869, and in common with other Government services, enjoyed franking privileges, paying an annual amount to the Post and Telegraph Department to cover the cost of postage on its correspondence. The decision to issue the stamps was the result of a dispute between the two Departments regarding the calculation of postage costs. The matter was referred to an arbitrator but the Insurance Department insisted on paying future postage costs by the purchase of postage stamps.
The stamps were initially restricted to mail posted by the insurance office for delivery in New Zealand; however in 1969 this condition was relaxed to allow such mail to be posted to overseas addresses.
The 1891 issue of six stamps depicted a lighthouse (as did all future Government Life stamp issues). On the rays of light from the lantern the words State Security were reproduced, the letters "V R" was incorporated into the background design of each stamp.
The stamps were designed by W B Hudson (Life Insurance Department) and J F Rogers (Government Printing Office) and engraved by A E Cousins.
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 Government Life Insurance
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single Stamp | Single 1/2d 'Purple Lighthouse' gummed stamp. | 1/2d |
 |
Single Stamp | Single 1d 'Blue Lighthouse' gummed stamp. | 1d |
 |
Single Stamp | Single 2d 'Chestnut Lighthouse' gummed stamp. | 2d |
 |
Single Stamp | Single 3d 'Brown Lighthouse' gummed stamp. | 3d |
 |
Single Stamp | Single 6d 'Green Lighthouse' gummed stamp. | 6d |
 |
Single Stamp | Single 1s 'Rose Lighthouse' gummed stamp. | 1s |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 2 January 1891 |
|---|---|
| Designers: | W B Hudson and J F Rogers |
| Printers: | Government Printing Office, Wellington |
| Stamp size: | 22mm x 20mm |
| Sheet size: | 240 stamps per sheet (4 panes of 60) |
| Process: | Surface printed - Typography |
| Perforation gauge: | Various |
| Paper type: | De La Rue, NZ and star watermark; Cowan, NZ and star watermark |
| Period of sale: | These stamps were withdrawn from sale in January 1907. |