The dies and plates of the 1949 and 1950 Health issues were prepared and printed by Harrison.

The 1949 design was by J. Berry.

1949

The plate numbers appeared as very small numbers sideways below the 18th stamp in the bottom row. The 1d was from plate 2 and the 2d from plate 1.

Sheets were numbered serially and sheet numbers appear below the 17th and 18th stamp and below the 20th stamp in the bottom row.

Each plate consisted of 120 stamps in 6 rows of 20. The perforation was 14 x 15.

There was normally a dot below the 'D' of '1D', but it was removed, likely by inadvertant retouching, in the stamp at R1/2.

Flaw on the 1d stamp on the extreme left (position R 4/1) appears to show the nurse with a bandaged finger on her right hand, the stamp in the middle left (position R 6/8) appears to have a wristwatch on her right wrist while the 1d stamp to its right is the normal stamp.

Small flaw to the left of the tulip on 2d stamp on right (position R 6/20). The 2d stamp to its right is the normal stamp.

Official First Day Cover

Official first day cover produced by the Health Federation and postmarked at Glenelg Health Camp on first day of issue on 3rd October 1949 and addressed to the well known aerophilatelist James Stapleton.

The Glenelg postmark could be requested by contacting the Chief Postmaster at Christchurch.

First Day Cover

First day cover postmarked at Glenelg Health Camp on first day of issue on 3rd October 1949.

Designed by James Stapleton, "Jason", Christchurch and highlights the fact that this was the twentyfirst issue of health stamps.

First Day Cover

First day cover postmarked at Mataura on first day of issue on 3rd October 1949.

Another cover designed by James Stapleton, "Jason", Christchurch which highlights the fact that this was the twentyfirst issue of health stamps.

First Day Cover

First day cover postmarked on first day of issue on 3rd October 1949 and addressed to Australia.

Produced by Herbert Layton, Christchurch.

First Day Cover

First day cover postmarked on first day of issue on 3rd October 1949 and addressed to South Africa.

Produced by Keith Collinson, Palmerston North and printed by Dudley Rabobe & Co.

First Day Cover

First day cover postmarked on first day of issue on 3rd October 1949, postmarked at Glenelg Health Camp and addressed to Christchurch.

Postmarked October 1949: 1949 Health Stamps

Postmarked in Christchurch on 4th October 1949 (the second day of issue) and addressed to France.

1950

The design was by R.S. Phillips and J. Berry.

Sheets were numbered serially and sheet numbers appear below the 17th and 18th stamp and below the 20th stamp in the bottom row.

Each plate consisted of 120 stamps in 6 rows of 20. The perforation was 14 x 15.

Plate number 1 appeared as a very small number sideways below the 18th stamp in the bottom row for both the 1d and the 2d.

Official First Day Cover

This cover was postmarked at the Glenelg Health Camp near Christchurch on the first day of issue, 2 October 1950. It is an example of the official souvenir cover produced by the Federation of Health Camps and was available at all post offices in the week before the stamp issue.

The Stamps Branch offered to process first day covers for overseas clients with a handling charge of 1½d.

Special post offices were set up on the first day of issue so that covers could be postmarked at the various health camps.

First Day Cover

This cover was postmarked at the Roxburgh Health Camp in Otago on the first day of issue, 2 October 1950 and is addressed to the USA.

This was the first time that a special post office had been set up at Roxburgh to deal with first day covers. The cover shows a picture of the Roxburgh Health Camp which had opened in 1941.

The cover was produced by the Dunedin Health Camp Committee.

Jason First Day Cover

This cover was postmarked at the Glenelg Health Camp near Christchurch on the first day of issue, 2 October 1950 and is addressed to Christchurch.

Designed by the well known aero-philatelist James Stapleton, "Jason", Christchurch.

Postmarked October 1950: 1950 Health Stamps

Airmail cover to USA franked with 1s 4d and with indistinct postmark in October 1950.

Flown from Auckland to San Francisco by British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPA) whose rate to USA was 1s 3d compared with the Pan American rate of 2s 0d. The BCPA route was Sydney - Auckland - Nandi (Fiji) - Canton Island - Honolulu - San Franciso - Vancouver.

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The above information is taken from:
[1] The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Vol 2, published by the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand in 1950.
[2] The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Vol 4, published by the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand in 1964.
[3] Illustrated First Day Covers of New Zealand 1933-2000, Part 1: Health, Stephen Jones, July 2008.
All scans were made by the author.

Back to: New Zealand Stamp Images