A 1949 Royal Visit set of stamps had to be cancelled when the King and Queen's visit was postponed. Another visit was announced for May 1952 but this was also cancelled on account of the health of King George VI. In both 1948 and 1952 the preparation of the stamps had been well under way.
Issue information
King George VI died before any further plans could be made but Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited New Zealand in 1953. The authorities were in no doubt that this event should receive philatelic recognition. Because it was proposed to issue a Coronation set as well as the new definitive set with Her Majesty's portrait, approval was given for only two stamps to commemorate the Royal Visit.
Acknowledgments
Historical Information
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/
Stamp Bulletin
Bulletin scanned and provided by John Biddlecombe of the New Zealand Society of Great Britain. Their web site offers further information useful to those interested in the stamps and postal history of New Zealand. Link: http://www.nzsgb.org.uk/
Stamp Bulletin
This stamp issue first appeared in New Zealand Post Stamp Bulletin No. 5 on 25 January 1954.
Product Listing for Royal Visit
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single Stamp | Single 3d gummed stamp. | 3d |
 |
Single Stamp | Single 4d gummed stamp. | 4d |
Technical information
| Date of Issue: | 9 December 1953 |
|---|---|
| Designers: | L C Mitchell, Wellington |
| Printers: | Waterlow and Sons, England |
| Stamp Size: | 3d: 25mm x 30mm; 4d : 40mm x 25mm |
| Sheet Size: | 3d: 160 stamps per sheet; 4d : 120 stamps per sheet |
| Process: | Recess printed - Intaglio |
| Perforation Gauge: | 3d : 13 x 14; 4d : 13.5 |
| Paper Type: | Wiggins Teape 'Royal Cypher', multiple NZ and star watermark |