New Zealand Stamp

The New Zealand Philatelic Society, which was founded in 1888 in Wellington, maintains a strong presence in the country. Indeed, the society's patron is the actual governor general of New Zealand, and it maintains a membership of at least 400 people, of whom more than one-third reside outside of New Zealand. The Philatelic Society judges exhibitions, assists with New Zealand stamp history, publishes studies, and assists postal authorities.A most interesting New Zealand stamp error occurred in 1996, when the government printed approximately 1,500 stamps of a teddy bear and a child together. This depiction showed the child sitting incorrectly with respect to the bear, thus suggesting a safety threat. The government issued an order to destroy the stamps, and 539 of the original batch were collected and eliminated.However, the Auckland Savings Bank accidentally sent a number of letters using the stamps. Today, each stamp is worth approximately $1,600 when in good condition. Be aware, however, that a firm in Holland decided to issue 195 of these erroneous teddy bear stamps to customers and employees after being repeatedly asked by the country's post office to destroy them. Collectors won't accept the miniature sheets which were used to produce these teddy bear stamps as legitimate.When evaluating a New Zealand stamp offer, make sure to check the condition, the authenticity, and the source of the piece. Given that approximately 10,000 new types of stamps enter circulation every year--dozens of which come from New Zealand alone--it's imperative to stay up to speed if you want to build your collection intelligently.