Katherine Mansfield is Aotearoa New Zealand’s most internationally recognised historical literary figure, remembered for her distinctive prose and adventurous life.
Issue Information
Katherine’s time in Wellington had a significant influence on many of her stories. These stamps celebrate the writer’s legacy, her work, and her New Zealand connections. Created with support from the Katherine Mansfield House and Garden and the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, each stamp includes a quote, a photo of Katherine at a different stage of her life, and a significant item in the background. Together they uniquely commemorate the author's life and legacy.
Product listing for Katherine Mansfield 1888-1923
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single stamp |
Single $1.70 'I’m a writer first and a woman after' gummed stamp. Words written to her husband in 1920. Mansfield is a young professional woman in this photo, but her Corona typewriter was used in the last years of her life. |
$1.70 |
 |
Single stamp |
Single $3.00 'I want to be all that I am capable of becoming' gummed stamp. Written in a journal on her last birthday, this quote represents a spiritual exploration. The fan and Russian-inspired ensemble Mansfield wears is indicative of her theatrical sense of dress. |
$3.00 |
 |
Single stamp |
Single $3.80 'To be alive and … a ‘writer’ is enough' gummed stamp. This quote written during World War One reflects challenging times, while the karaka tree and daisy lapel highlight a love of flowers, a recurring feature in Mansfield’s stories. |
$3.80 |
 |
Single stamp |
Single $4.30 'Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinions of others' gummed stamp. Written on her last birthday, 14 October 1922, Mansfield was seeking a cure for her tuberculosis. The doll’s house illustration by Trish Turner references one of her best-known stories. |
$4.30 |
 |
First day cover | First day covers with 4 gummed stamps affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $13.30 |
 |
Miniature sheet | Mint, Used & Cancelled gummed miniature sheet | $12.80 |
 |
Miniature sheet first day cover | First day cover with gummed miniature sheet affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $13.30 |
 |
Presentation pack |
Learn about the fascinating life of Katherine Mansfield and the events that inspired her stories. The pack includes four stamps, a miniature sheet and a first day cover. |
$35.50 |
 |
Enamel pin | Show your admiration for Katherine Mansfield with a charming enamel pin representing a copy of Mansfield’s short story The Garden Party. | $9.90 |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 1 February 2023 |
|---|---|
| Number of stamps: | 4 gummed stamps |
| Denominations: | $1.70, $3.00, $3.80 & $4.30 |
| Stamps, miniature sheet and first day covers designed by: | Caitlin McArthur NZ Post, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Printer and process: | Southern Colour Print Ltd by lithography |
| Number of colours: | Four |
| Stamp size and format: | 35mm x 46mm (vertical) |
| Miniature sheet size and format: | 150mm x 90mm (horizontal) |
| Paper type: | Arconvert Securpost MC 90/Cprint100 P11p |
| Number of stamps per sheet: | 20 |
| Perforation gauge: | 14.286 x 13.895 |
| Period of sale: | These stamps remained on sale until 31 January 2024. First day covers remained on sale until 29 March 2023. |
