On 9 September 2015, Queen Elizabeth II succeeded Queen Victoria as the longest reigning British monarch. To celebrate this amazing milestone, New Zealand Post issued a special set of stamps and a coin to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II as New Zealand’s longest reigning monarch.
Issue information
As New Zealand did not become part of the British Empire until three years after Victoria’s accession to the throne in 1837, Queen Elizabeth II has been New Zealand’s longest-reigning monarch for some time. Queen Elizabeth II is the only ‘Queen of New Zealand’ we’ve ever known, as during Queen Victoria’s reign New Zealand was a British colony rather than a realm. On 28 May 1953, Her Majesty formally became ‘The Queen of New Zealand’ - the first Sovereign to hold this title.
During her reign Queen Elizabeth II has maintained close links to New Zealand, and has visited ten times since her inaugural tour in 1953/54. Although her last visit was in 2002, we still maintain a strong bond with the monarchy, with more recent visits made on her behalf by William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who last visited in 2014 along with their son Prince George of Cambridge.
Celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Reign
To show the vast span of time for which Queen Elizabeth II has reigned, each stamp in this issue represented a different decade. A photo of the Queen from each decade is shown next to a typographic depiction of various events that took place in New Zealand with the Queen as our Head of State.
From our sporting successes to national tragedies, royal visits to quirky animals, changes in economics and politics to New Zealand’s appearance on the world filmmaking stage, these stamps tell a story. Most New Zealanders will remember and identify with key events on the stamps, and together they give a sense of how New Zealand has changed during the Queen’s reign.
Collectables Commemorating more than Six Decades
Alongside the set of seven stamps, we have a range of collectables available - a miniature sheet, a first day cover and a miniature sheet first day cover.
The presentation pack provided an in-depth look at the stamps in this issue. Inside was a set of seven stamps, the miniature sheet and the first day cover. Written by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the pack delved deeper into the Queen’s links with New Zealand during her reign.
Product Listing for New Zealand's Longest Reigning Monarch
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single Stamp | Single 80c '1950's' gummed stamp. | $0.80 |
 |
Single Stamp | Single 80c '1960's' gummed stamp. | $0.80 |
 |
Single Stamp | Single $1.40 '1970's' gummed stamp. | $1.40 |
 |
Single Stamp | Single $2.00 '1980's' gummed stamp. | $2.00 |
 |
Single Stamp | Single $2.20 '1990's' gummed stamp. | $2.20 |
 |
Single Stamp | Single $2.50 '2000's' gummed stamp. | $2.50 |
 |
Single Stamp | Single $3.00 '2010's' gummed stamp. | $3.00 |
 |
Miniature Sheet | Mint, used or cancelled gummed miniature sheet. | $12.70 |
 |
First Day Cover | First day cover with seven gummed stamps affixed. | $13.20 |
 |
Miniature Sheet First Day Cover | First day cover with gummed miniature sheet affixed. | $13.20 |
 |
Presentation Pack |
The presentation pack provided an in-depth look at the stamps in this issue. Inside is the set of seven stamps, the miniature sheet and the first day cover. Written by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the pack delved deeper into the Queen’s links with New Zealand during her reign. |
$29.90 |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 7 October 2015 |
|---|---|
| Number of stamps: | Seven gummed stamps |
| Denominations: | 80c x2 , $1.40 , $2.00, $2.20, $2.50 and $3.00 |
| Stamps, miniature sheet and first day cover designed by: | Stamps and Collectables Business, New Zeland Post, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Printer and process: | Southern Colour Print Ltd by offset lithography |
| Number of colours: | Four process colours |
| Stamp size and format: | Gummed: 36.95mm x 37.5mm (vertical) |
| Paper type: | 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper |
| Number of stamps per sheet: | 25 |
| Perforation gauge: | 14.4 x 14.62 |
| Period of sale: | Unless stocks were exhausted earlier, these stamps remained on sale until 6 October 2016. First day covers remained on sale until 7 December 2015. |