Kia ora, welcome!

Antony Harris Head of Stamps and Collectables

Welcome to the latest issue of Focus.

This year we witnessed the historic coronation of King Charles III. King Charles was crowned over eight months after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and his instantaneous accession to the throne.

To commemorate the Queen’s extraordinary life and legacy as New Zealand's monarch, stamps and coins were issued in September. The stamps look back at several of Her Majesty’s visits to New Zealand, as well as when she attended events in her capacity as Queen of New Zealand. The coins reflect the length of her reign with an image of the young Queen after her coronation, and a recent portrait.

Queen Elizabeth was well known for her love of animals, particularly horses and especially for her Corgis. New Zealanders share the Queen’s enthusiasm for animal companionship, so in August we were pleased to share four special Kiwi pets through stamps. The four winners of the Pets of Aotearoa New Zealand competition were a cat, a dog, a bird and a sheep.

Aside from the stamps commemorating the Queen, several more of our stamp issues this year took a look back at the past. In July we showcased nine New Zealandmade toys. Created in the mid-20th century, these toys represent a golden era for New Zealand-made toys. You might recognise some of them, or even have one stashed away from your or a parent’s childhood. The examples in this issue have been collected by museums including the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Te Papa holds a vast collection of New Zealand stamps, and continues to collect them today. We took another look back this year with a special miniature sheet commemorating the first stamp to be designed and printed in New Zealand. The 1873 newspaper stamp was issued 150 years ago, and featured an image of Queen Victoria, who was the reigning monarch at the time of issue.

This year New Zealand had the enormous privilege of co-hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™, and it was amazing to see New Zealanders of all stripes get into the excitement. It turned out to be a landmark event for football (soccer to some) in New Zealand, with Auckland’s Eden Park hosting the most highly attended New Zealand-hosted football game of all time. We were proud to issue a special miniature sheet to mark the occasion.

With this issue you'll find out more about the backround on these stamp and coin issues, you'll meet a new NZ Post staff member, and you can catch up on all the latest stamp and coin issues.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Focus

Antony Harris Head of Stamps and Collectables