Lanarkshire Philatelic Society

New Zealand

Mr Alan McCulloch

Members of the Lanarkshire Philatelic Society enjoyed a more unusual evening at their meeting on on Friday, 27th November. Mr Alan McCulloch travelled up from Gatehouse-of-Fleet to present his display of New Zealand.

This was a display which included, among others, "interesting errors; missing or shifting colours; inverted or missing watermarks; colour variations; misplaced or missing perforations". It was interesting to view these stamps - some of which are very scarce -and find all these differing faults!

A block of stamps where some were printed on the gummed side; a stamp depicting the Union Flag, but the red colour was missing leaving the flag looking more like the Scottish Flag with the white cross on the blue background; various stamps with spots or lines where they should not be; stamps where the value had been omitted; other stamps where, owing to a rise in postal costs, the new cost was overprinted on existing stamps – but the overprint was upside down, or in the wrong place!

There were stamps of the Queen – when she was about to make an official visit – and the first run off depicted her without any insignia on her sash – a quick reprint was made!

On the other hand, on display was an essay of the design of a stamp to be issued for the Queen’s uncle who had succeeded to the throne - King Edward VIII - but which was never printed owing to his abdication.

This was a wonderful display to view – but difficult to adequately explain in words.

Ken Norris, in giving the Vote of Thanks said all would look more closely at New Zealand stamps in future to check if any of these differing errors appeared!