Recent stamp issues

Christmas 2019 Featuring native New Zealand flora and fauna alongside the traditional Nativity story, these stamps include illustrations of New Zealand native fern fronds and koru, pōhutukawa, harakeke, tī kouka and karaka. A beautiful kererū, or New Zealand wood pigeon, makes an appearance on the miniature sheet and first day cover. These stamps were issued in both gummed and self-adhesive formats. Date of issue: 6 November 2019 Designer: Donna McKenna, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 5 November 2020

Royal Visit 2019 On 17 November 2019, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne of New Zealand, began a six-day tour of Aotearoa with his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. A stamp sheet that included seven images of key moments from the early days of the tour, and was made available while the couple was still in New Zealand. Date of issue: 22 November 2019 Designer: Hannah Fortune, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Collectables and Solutions Centre, New Zealand Post, Whanganui, New Zealand Withdrawal date: 21 November 2020

2020 Year of the Rat In 2020, the Chinese New Year was celebrated on 25 January, bringing in the Year of the Rat. The Chinese zodiac is a repeating cycle of 12 years, with each year being represented by an animal sign. The rat ranks first in the zodiac, preceding the cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Date of issue: 4 December 2019 Designer: Asiaworks, Auckland, New Zealand Printer: Australia Post Withdrawal date: 3 December 2020

Native Daphne Moths From the coast to the highest mountains, and from Stewart Island in the south to the Far North, Aotearoa New Zealand is home to 35 recognised species of daphne moth in the genus Notoreas, all with discrete distributions within New Zealand. Date of issue: 5 February 2020 Designer: Stephen Fuller, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 4 February 2021

Kākāriki - New Zealand Parakeets Kākāriki are small, moss-green-coloured parrots with a few blue flight feathers and long tails. Each species is diagnostically different, often with bright red or yellow feathering on the forehead and crown, near the eye and on the side of the rump. Like the majority of New Zealand’s native birds, they are threatened by introduced mammalian predators. Date of issue: 4 March 2020 Designer:Tim Garman, Whanganui, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 3 March 2021

NZ2020 FIAP International Stamp Exhibition New Zealand Post created four unique miniature sheets for this event, along with a range of special products available exclusively at the exhibition. Scheduled to take place on 19-22 March, the event was unable to welcome international participants due to border restrictions put in place in response to COVID-19. Further restrictions rolled out during the week reduced the number of visitors, and the final two days were cut short as the government announced sweeping measures to reduce contact between people in New Zealand. Date of issue: 19-22 March 2020 Designer:Alan Hollows, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 18-21 March 2021

WWII 75 Years World War Two spanned nearly six years, and during that time New Zealanders lived through immense hardship, suffering and change. Through these challenging years they connected, worked together, rallied as citizens and solved problems both abroad on the battlefields and on home soil. During the war advancements in medicine, trade and manufacturing occurred worldwide - changes that we still benefit from today. The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two. Date of issue: 1 April 2020 Designer:Nicky Dyer, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date:31 March 2021