The Coronation Issue was issued on 13 May 1937 to celebrate the Coronation of George VI and Queen Elizabeth. They were printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. The watermark was multiple NZ and star and the perforation was 14 x 13½.
The issued sheets were in 10 rows of 12, but the actual plates had 240 impressions and the sheets were divided into two. The plate numbers for the 1d were 1T, 1L, 4T, 4L, 5T, 5L, 6T, 6L; for the ½d were 2T, 2L and for the 6d were 3T, 3L. Stamps from plates 5T, 5L, 6T and 6L were issued in August 1937.
The total numbers issued were:
1d: 38,455,554
2½d: 1,564,496
6d: 2,079,611
The set was withdrawn from sale on 31 December 1937.
Postmarked December 1937
This registered cover is postmarked on 27 December 1937 and is addressed to the UK. It contains the complete Coronation set.
It was flown from Auckland to San Francisco on 2 - 6 January 1938 on the experimental Pan American trans Pacific flight, then flown to New York before continuing to the UK by surface.
It is franked with 4s 10d although only 4s 9d was required (3d registration plus 4s 6d airmail).
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The above information is taken from The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Vol 1, published by the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand in 1938. All scans were made by the author.