1944.NZL.01Health stamps — Princesses Elizabeth & Margaret
New Zealand·1944
Annual New Zealand Health semi-postals; royal princesses in Girl Guide uniform
Series details
Identity
- CodeSeries code YYYY.ENT.SS — year, 3-letter issuing entity, sequence (e.g. 1900.CGH.01).
1944.NZL.01- EntityPostal authority that issued the stamps (country, territory, or historical entity).
- New Zealand (NZL)
- Year
- 1944-10-09
- Event
- Annual New Zealand Health semi-postals; royal princesses in Girl Guide uniform
- TypeIssue kind. Charity issue = postage + voluntary surcharge (e.g. 6+4), not an overprint.
- Charity issue
Production
- Printer
- Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co.
- Process
- Engraved and embossed (recess)
- PerforationsHole gauge between stamps (e.g. 12, 13½). Higher ≈ finer.
- Comb 13½
Catalog numbers
- DomfilDomfil thematic catalog number (scouting).
- 944.2; 944.3
- ScottScott catalog number (Americas).
- NZ B24; NZ B25
- MichelMichel catalog number (Europe / DE).
- NZ 278; NZ 279
- YvertYvert & Tellier catalog number (FR).
- NZ 267; NZ 268
- Stanley GibbonsStanley Gibbons catalog number (UK / Commonwealth).
- NZ 663; NZ 664
History
On 9 October 1944 New Zealand issued its annual Health stamps — two semi-postals whose postage plus health surcharge supported children’s health camps. The shared design shows the royal princesses Elizabeth and Margaret in Girl Guide uniform (Domfil series «Girl Guides» / Escultismo femenino).
Values: 1d + ½d green (Scott B24 / Michel 278 / Domfil 944.2) and 2d + 1d blue (Scott B25 / Michel 279 / Domfil 944.3). Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson by engraving with embossing, comb 13½, watermark multiple NZ and star. SOSOW records print runs of 3,045,288 (1d+½d) and 3,405,260 (2d+1d), with first-day sale listed at Christchurch or Wellington.
For Scouts-on-Stamps / Guides-on-Stamps collectors the set is catalogued for the Guide uniforms of the two princesses on a mainstream Health issue, rather than a jamboree commemorative. Both values are the complete Domfil pair 944.2–944.3.
ATA 1964 underlines that Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret appear in Girl Guide uniform (Guides being the British form of Girl Scouting) on this annual Health semi-postal pair, the surtax supporting children’s health camps.